Leathermen

[John Fenna]

I own lots of Leatherman tools and have them dotted all over the place - I would not go anywhere without one!
My latest Every Day Carry Leatherman is the EDC Rebar - which has no knife blade so it is a real EDC whereas most Leatherman tools have a locking knifeblade so can prove problematical in some locations...

 

[dwardo]

I own lots of Leatherman tools and have them dotted all over the place - I would not go anywhere without one!
My latest Every Day Carry Leatherman is the EDC Rebar - which has no knife blade so it is a real EDC whereas most Leatherman tools have a locking knifeblade so can prove problematical in some locations...

Same as John. Gerber and a locking Leatherman for woods and sometimes work. Leatherman Juice for every time i leave the house. Also in the house come to think of it. I put it on my belt as soon as i belt up me trews. I use it atleast once a day, usually several times a day.

I would prefer to carry one of the locking tools daily but I also don't want to be on the back foot should the illegality issue come around. The juice will do all i need of a daily tool.

About the only day I didnt carry the juice over the past 5 years was when my brother asked me to remove it for his wedding photos

 

[Wayne]

I find the standard leathermans too heavy to carry all the time. I have a juice which I have found extremely useful for repairing my open canoe in Arctic Finland, a sat phone. Opening a seriously expensive bottle of red. The mini screwdriver has fixed numerous specs and sunglasses. The scissors are very handy and the saw is great for cutting knocks in arrow shafts.

Just like a first aid kit if it's too big to carry it's useless when needed.

 

[Jedadiah]

I much prefer the Leatherman concept to the SAK but to each his own. If you want one without a blade they do a baseless Fuse as well as the aforementioned Rebar. If you want a blade but not too many other tools a blades Fuse, Sidekick, Wingman or, if you can find one, Kick are all pretty light with a reasonable yet not too excessive range of tools. As I said, I love 'em, some don't. Establish what you want it for and make your call. All I will say is get a quality multi-tool of whatever flavour.

 

[Laurentius]

Best of both worlds with me, I have a leatherman squirt permanently attached to my keyring. however for everything other than the pliers the SAK is king, if it were an absolute choice between one or the other it would be an SAK.

 

[Tiley]

I reckon that the only tool on a Leatherman that I have used are the pliers. The other tools seem to lack the quality of those on a SAK - most definitely true of the can opener! I have a Wave that I was given over fifteen years ago; it has been quite useful but the wire cutters met their match on a piece of wire and so now, they have to be prised open using... you guessed it: my SAK.

If I think I might need pliers on a trip, I tend to carry a Leatherman Skeletool. It's OK but nothing more.

 

[dwardo]

I find the standard leathermans too heavy to carry all the time. I have a juice which I have found extremely useful for repairing my open canoe in Arctic Finland, a sat phone. Opening a seriously expensive bottle of red. The mini screwdriver has fixed numerous specs and sunglasses. The scissors are very handy and the saw is great for cutting knocks in arrow shafts.

Just like a first aid kit if it's too big to carry it's useless when needed.

Scissors and a saw on a juice? Which model is it?

 

[Nice65]

I reckon that the only tool on a Leatherman that I have used are the pliers. The other tools seem to lack the quality of those on a SAK - most definitely true of the can opener! I have a Wave that I was given over fifteen years ago; it has been quite useful but the wire cutters met their match on a piece of wire and so now, they have to be prised open using... you guessed it: my SAK.

If I think I might need pliers on a trip, I tend to carry a Leatherman Skeletool. It's OK but nothing more.

The Leatherman lifetime guarantee is for exactly the sort of thing you've described.

 

[Laurence Milton]

I have 2 basic model Leathermen of old, one at home and another on the boat.....have punched for years above their weight, and still doing so.....

 

[ganstey]

I have a Leatherman Surge and it is truly my EDC. It is quite weighty, but then so am I so I don't feel it Over the years I can honestly say I've used every tool on it. The blade, pliers, and screwdriver get used the most, but I've even used the can opener (when we forgot the domestic can opener for a group campfire-cooked lunch). I've tried many cheap versions over the years and have managed to destroy them all. Apart from endless scratches and the odd dink, it works as well as the day I got it. I've also got a couple of SAKs, but use them as backups or to lend to others, as I find the pliers too useful to be without, and having it all in a single tool in a single pouch is just easier.

The only time I go out without my Leatherman is if I'm going to a pub or similar (unless I forget!). In those cases I don't take a SAK either, as it just eliminates any potential hassle should things go pear-shaped.

Hope this helps, and I'm sure it'll be much appreciated whichever way you decide to go.

 

[TheNugget]

Scissors and a saw on a juice? Which model is it?

It might be a Juice CS4. That has both.
And a corkscrew.....as well as a host of other useful tools.
I love mine.

 

[Wayne]

I have a juice xe. It has a saw and scissors. Thought I lost it the other day was not a happy chap. Fortunately relocated to a different pack.

One tool inwould replace if lost.

 

[KirsteenA]

Thanks for advice. Though now I have 2 options to consider, argh.

 

[MartiniDave]

I was thinking about this a bit over the weekend. I have a Leatherman, just one, one of the original first models. I don't use it very much.
I pretty much always have a SAK in my pocket, usually a 3 or 4 layer model, no bigger. I own about 40 SAKs!
However, a while back I picked up a Swiss Champ at a boot sale for £8 - in great condition. I consider it too bulky to carry day to day, but at home I have a tendency to keep it close to hand because it is just SO useful - especially as I've added the mini screwdriver that fit inside the corkscrew.

 

[santaman2000]

Are they really useful, or are the tools not really up to the job they are meant for? Christmas is coming and I am in search of The Perfect Present!

Depends on what you consider to be the "job they were meant for." Timothy Leatherman originally designed it to be his tool kit while mountain biking. I carried one at work on the flightline for years; it supplemented my toolbox but I wouldn't dream of it being the only thing I had. Likewise for outdoor pursuits.

I find the standard leathermans too heavy to carry all the time...

They must have changed quite a bit since the originals. Mine is no heavier than my other pocket knives; lighter than some of them in fact. Certainly lighter than the bigger ones like my my Buck 110. For reference my smaller pocket knives are common smaller SAK type or 3 inch (main blade) stockman types now-a-days.

 

[Robson Valley]

I was a monthly business traveller for 6 years. Trust me, you wind up damn near doing bushcraft in hotels.
I found that a Leatherman "Squirt", a LED flashlight and a SAK on a loop of cord got me through many repairs and late night snacks (eg cutting cheese & fruit).
That combo still rides in my suitcase. Have gone from every second weekend on the road to maybe every month or 6 weeks.

 

[Ogri the trog]

I have admitted in the past to having a problem with a collection of Multitools! Though I can't find the review I wrote a few years ago.....

Leatherman Surge
Leatherman Supertool
Gerber Legend 800
Gerber Archers Tool
SAK SwisstoolX

All of which have good and less-good points - any one would be better then not having anything - I would recommend any of them depending on your wants & needs. Most are heavy and will be a pain in a pocket, but they fit my large hands well enough - I have not tried the smaller versions mentioned above but I would trust the named makes over any lesser brands. Guarantees are worth-while as replacements are made without question.

I do have some budget models - Winchester and other un-named makes - most I would only use as paper weights, not worth the steel that they are made of.

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Barney Rubble]

I'm rather fond of the SAK. Specifically, I've had the same SAK Huntsman for about 12yrs now. It's a nice little tool, but in all honesty the tool I use the most on it is the little pair of tweezers. They always come in handy for those pesky splinters! The tin opener comes a close second, that gets used a lot when out camping. The knife is starting to look a little second hand now with a slightly bent tip but it's still razor sharp and I'm loath to replace it as it was a present from my brother.

I've often thought about getting a Leatherman, they look great. Trouble is that I've never been able to justify the price and what I'd use them for in place of the SAK.

 

[John Fenna]

A lot of folk are saying "either or" with Leatherman tools and SAKs ... I have a SAK that lives in my left trouser pocket, a single carbon steel bladed penknife in my right trouser pocket and my Leatherman in my left chest pocket of my jacket...
Yup - there is a bit of tool duplication there, but I prefer the blade on the penknife to the one on the SAK (for most jobs), the can opener on the SAK to the Leatherman version and while each tool works well alone I find the combination of the 3 works well for me . I have often found that I use the pliers of the Leatherman on one end of a screw-bolt and the screwdriver of the SAK on the other end.
With the weight of all the other junk I carry around all the time I do not feel the extra weight of the extra tools as a problem but if I had to choose which of the 3 I would pickif I could only have one tool it would definatly be a Leatherman

 

[santaman2000]

A lot of folk are saying "either or" with Leatherman tools and SAKs ......

.....Yup - there is a bit of tool duplication there....

.....I have often found that I use the pliers of the Leatherman on one end of a screw-bolt and the screwdriver of the SAK on the other end.....

Absolutely. There are several useful tools on both items but I find that having the pliers and the screwdriver both in the same hand renders one or the other useless.