View Full Version : Which Leatherman?
Hyia guys,
I lost my last leatherman a whils ago and my pa gave me his multi-tool in it's place. Now whilst I'm not the ungreatful type it's one of these ones where the pliers are fixed and everything else folds into the one handle (Gerber I think but could be wrong).
ANyway, I miss my leatherman so I'm going to buy a new one one the weekend but I'm torn between a Wave or a Charge (Ti or XTi)?
ANy opinions/reviews on either of the above would be much appreciated.
Marc
P.s. I'm drawn to the Wave (mainly because that was the one I lost) Though, I do like the look and additional functionality of the XTi.
There is something I HATE with my wave : I often pinch the skin from the inside of my hand with it. Whenever the pliers slip or whatever, the skin gets stuck. OUCH !!!
Maybe it's just me...
Anyone had that kind of problem with the wave too ?
Cheers,
David
There is something I HATE with my wave : I often pinch the skin from the inside of my hand with it. Whenever the pliers slip or whatever, the skin gets stuck. OUCH !!!
Maybe it's just me...
Anyone had that kind of problem with the wave too ?
Cheers,
David
Hi David, I used to get that with the original leatherman, but luckily I haven't had the problem with the wave and it gets used pretty much everyday.
Sorry Marc I cannot give advice on this as I have not used the Charge (either one) :( .
I can say though that I like the wave as I have been using one for at least 7 years. :)
There is something I HATE with my wave : I often pinch the skin from the inside of my hand with it. Whenever the pliers slip or whatever, the skin gets stuck. OUCH !!!
Maybe it's just me...
Anyone had that kind of problem with the wave too ?
Cheers,
David
Snap, my wave quite often pinches the skin at the base of my index finger when using the pliers and it realy hurts! Other than that, great.
I used to carry a wave but it got stolen :(
I have now switched to a Juice pro which is smaller and UK legal.
I was never a big fan of the Wave right from the first but I have to admit, it's been a real seller for LM. The only complaint I had was that it always seemed flimsier than the other LMs. The Pulse has always been my favorite. I have the Charge XTi but I keep it in my book pack. It's more of a tool box than anything, especially since I bought the extra set of bits for it. I'm thinking that if you had a Wave before and you liked it, why not get another?
I'm thinking that if you had a Wave before and you liked it, why not get another?
' a change is as good as a rest' as the saying goes.
As you say the charge (with bitkit) is like a toolboox which is one of the reasons why I like it - you should have a tool for every occurrence. Plus, I prefer the sheath of the charge!
Don't get me wrong I had no qualms with my Wave at all it is an excellent tool (and cheaper :D ).
I'm out of date on the Leatherman (I have a Super Tool.....and as this is a family forum no double entendres, please :) ) but I wondered if there is a non locking model?
These people
http://backcountry-equipment.com/index.html
sell them at US prices - maybe cheaper than UK? I bought a Krill lamp from them and even with seven dollars shipping it was cheaper than the UK. They delivered quickly too. No connection except as a satisfied customer.
Buckshot
15-07-2005, 15:37
I'm out of date on the Leatherman (I have a Super Tool.....and as this is a family forum no double entendres, please :) ) but I wondered if there is a non locking model?
The Juice is a non locker - very nice just a little smaller than the wave.
Cheers
Mark
I love my Leatherman Wave (which came with the add-on toolset). My line is "If I can't fix it with my Leatherman, I will get a man in..."
I'd love a leatherman, but knowing me id lose it or break it within 5 mins, is there a cheaper alternative?
cheers
alex
Yeah, loads! If you don't plan on keeping it longer than a few weeks, the cheap knock-offs are just as good as the real thing. :)
2blackcat
15-07-2005, 17:54
I can only comment on the wave
Never had a problem with the pliers but the phillips screwdriver has a habit of collapsing. That's why I got the bit kit
Use it most days and have done for years
Try tying the leatherman to your trousers. That's what I did with my SAK, and I never lost it. I had a knife and keys tied to one side, a phone tied to the other and a lighter on a string 'round my neck. :D :cool:
I've had my leatherman for ten years, buy the real thing, you'll notice the difference
does it have to be a leatherman? I like the swiss tool for biking but it's heavier then a LM
The wave now has locking devices for the handle tools. I saw one in Celle a few months back, it cost a bit though. I got my wave from an american PX for cheap, and I use it every day, if only to clean muck out from my fingernails.
I must use it every day......
.............I MUST!!!!!
Bumblebee
15-07-2005, 21:05
I recently bought a Charge Ti (the XTi doesn't have scissors) directly from the US and I am 100% satisfied. I only paid 44£ inc shipping, my deal of the year :) And no VAT either :D
Mind you, I haven't owned a multi-tool before. The only difference between the new Wave and the Charge Ti is that the Charge have titanium sides and better steel in the knifes.
ANyway, I miss my leatherman so I'm going to buy a new one one the weekend but I'm torn between a Wave or a Charge (Ti or XTi)?
ANy opinions/reviews on either of the above would be much appreciated.
Why not save yourself a fortune and just go for the Supertool? I've always held it to be pretty bomber and it has all the right bits.
I have both the Charge Ti and the wave
I liked the old wave a great deal but I was given an Charge Ti and have changed over to that
I think the old wave was a more robust tool that the Ti and having used both there isnt a huge difference in my favour between them, the problem is that the wave has been substantually redesigned since the release of the Ti and i cant stand the new version of the wave.
so get a new Ti or an older version of the wave and you wont be disapointed.
Hi from me no one Leatherman (I had original+wave+Ti) and my Vic Spirit over pass all of them
Lighter, thinner,stronger,better fix, with awl, longer screwdrivers, better lock system.
No onehand open blade no bother to me if I need a blade I carry my trusty knife.
I consider my multitool as my last resource blade.
enjoy
demographic
17-07-2005, 18:15
One point that ititates me about the leathermans I have seen (I might have missed seeing the one that does though) is that they don't take the universally avaliable cordless screwdriver bits with the hex end.
The cordless bits come in a trully huge selection and my cheapo bought from a motorbike shop multitool (that gets chucked into the bike toolkit) takes them.
I can buy the bits (in many different lengths also) from hardware shops, B&Q, Focus DIY, all over the place.
All they need is a fitting for the little hex ended screwdriver bits that has a magnet to hold the bit in position
Makes sense to me.
.
Don't see the point in the dodgy square things that you only seem able to buy in an outdoor shop :confused:
I would buy a leatherman if they sorted out that, otherwise I will use the one I bought from Hein Gericke :)
Bumblebee
17-07-2005, 19:20
One point that ititates me about the leathermans I have seen (I might have missed seeing the one that does though) is that they don't take the universally avaliable cordless screwdriver bits with the hex end.
You can get an standard hex bit holder to the old & new Wave and the Charge Ti, but that is just another thing to loose I guess. The bits that comes with the Charge can be made of standard hex bits if you have access to a grinder, they are just flattened a bit.
I have both the Charge Ti and the wave
so get a new Ti or an older version of the wave and you wont be disapointed.
Stuart, I thought I saw a Charge sheath on your belt when we were at MM a couple of weeks back and I did plan on PM'ing you and asking your opinion of it but ultimately took the decision to post a thread on the subject instead.
Anyway, I've taken onboard everyones advice & opinion and decided that the Charge Ti is the one for me this time.
Thank you all and I'll be sure to let you know how I get on with it (I've already ordered it).
demographic
22-07-2005, 20:12
You can get an standard hex bit holder to the old & new Wave and the Charge Ti, but that is just another thing to loose I guess. The bits that comes with the Charge can be made of standard hex bits if you have access to a grinder, they are just flattened a bit.
The point I was making was that Leatherman should have the sense to make the bit holder an integral part of the knife instead of an add on.
Then you can't lose the bit holder.
That way there is a vast range of bits (screwdriver, allen, sockets, security, you name it) that are avaliable almost anywhere that sells cordless drivers and it seems a shame that they didn't think of it.
I am keeping my twelve quider under my bike seat untill they do ;)
Minotaur
29-07-2005, 17:29
I recently bought a Charge Ti (the XTi doesn't have scissors) directly from the US and I am 100% satisfied. I only paid 44£ inc shipping, my deal of the year :) And no VAT either :D
Mind you, I haven't owned a multi-tool before. The only difference between the new Wave and the Charge Ti is that the Charge have titanium sides and better steel in the knifes.
I have the XTi and would recomend the TI, the sissors would be very useful, but wanted the rescue blade so I could attempt to use it for everyday carry. It is a very nice piece of kit and I am very happy with it.
Hawthorn
22-08-2005, 12:45
I have a Leatherman Wave attached to my trouser belt loops with a caribiner and it never leaves my side, an excellent tool. Would recommend everyone owning one!! I've been in many a sticky situation which my Leatherman has got me out of!
I agree, but I do have a whacking great blood blister on my finger from using it this weekend. I wish they would solve this "pinching" problem, because it doesn't half hurt!
I used to carry a wave but it got stolen :(
I have now switched to a Juice pro which is smaller and UK legal.
likewise, i use the juice xe6 as i prefered the method in which it opened.
has been very good.
Does it have to be a Leatherman? I have a SOG POWERLOCK, bought from America (www.knifecenter.com), it is American made, it is far more useful and practical than any Leatherman. I own a Leatherman Wave, a Gerber (800 but I have owned a Legend too), a Kershaw multi-tool, as well as a few cheapies that get left in the car, and the SOG is far and away the best tool of the lot. I have handled many Leatherman tools and haven't seen one yet that compares with the SOG Powerlock.
It has tools that all lock, it is dismantlable for cleaning with common tools (unlike the Leatherman tools), you can attach 1/4 inch square drive sockets and tools straight to it, fit 1/4 inch hexagon screwdriver bits to it (with an adaptor that you can buy at any tool shop), it flips open single handed... Build quality is excellent, and the knife blade holds its edge too. Finally it has got compound leverage which means that the pliers have a very tight grip (without the handles making your hands ache), means that you can cut thicker wires than other tools will, and the handles don't pinch your hands so much either. You can buy individual tools direct from SOG if you should abuse or break any (or want to carry a spare knifeblade or file for instance) , although it has a lifetime guarantee for workmanship and quality. The scissors on the SOG are a superb bit of engineering, they are almost as big as the Wave's scissors but I would say a bit more robust. There's a really neat cam arrangement that eases the tension on the spring as you put the scissors back into the handle. I never liked the way that on Swiss Army Knives the spring is constantly under tension.
The folding action of the handles means that the screwdriver tools can be deployed in a variety of ways which means that if you need to apply more torque, you can keep the handles in an 'L' shape for more grip, or if working in a narrow or confined space you don't need to keep the handles together if it helps.
Like I say, I own various multi-tools and the SOG is the one which I take pretty much everywhere, the Gerber gets used for dirty jobs and taken places where losing it is a possibility, the Wave and the Kershaw stay inside the house. The SOG is far and away the most practical, most useable and most useful multi-tool of all the tools I have ever owned. The only thing it lacks is an easily-replaced saw-blade like the gerber tools have, but apart from that it is difficult to fault.
If you are buying a multi-tool you should not automatically think 'Leatherman' and exclude the others... I would choose my SOG Powerlock over any of the other tools that I have ever seen.
lostplanet
23-08-2005, 15:19
I like the look of that Rob, are the screwdriver ends actually hardened?
TBH i think the LMs are overated, one of the things i didnt like about my original supertool was the tool ends were too soft and i mangaed to twist most of them on old bangers i drive.that one got nicked so i bought the supertool 200 which isnt much better and just hate that release mechanism.
i noticed with the gerbers they can be quite rattly compared to the LM, how does the SOG compare?
The screwdrivers are fairly hard, but I don't think that they've had any extra hardening done to them. My SOG rattles a tiny bit due to the fact that I customised it by adding a GERBER saw-blade attachment in place of a couple of tools that I didn't want, but generally they are not rattly at all. One of the nice tings about the SOG is that you can used standard 1/4 inch hexagon screwdrivers as nut drivers to tighten or loosen the tension on the tools, or fully dismantle them for cleaning.
One small thing, the SOG doesn't have little shims between the tools like the GERBER does, so you sometimes end up pulling out more than one tool, but as they loosen up a little with use it happens less.
Hi there,
I use the LM wave for a few years now and I'm one satisfied user. The only thing I had that was, that I cut a piece of my thumb of with it, but beside that all smiles.....
I bought the Deluxe Nylon Sheath with it instead of the Deluxe Leather Sheath, The leather one seems to wear out quicker......
Greetings,
Jeroen Keultjes