left handed wave?

[shaggystu]

i've been thinking about asking santa for a leatherman wave but i'm left handed and all the one handed opening blades are in the wrong place for me cos i'm left handed so i was just wondering if anyone here could tell me how difficult it is to move the blades around? it looks like it's just a case of undoing a few allen headed screws and swapping things around, but i'd quite like to be sure before i buy one.
thanks in advance

stuart

[Stuart]

Hi stuart

you can just remove the allen screws and swap the blades over :-D

the problem is that the handle on the blade you would need to swap it to, to use it left handed is not cut low enough to allow you to get your thumb into the hole easly to open the blade :-(

this can be rectified with a few hand tools and some elbow greese
you just need to cut a thin sliver of metal off to leave space for your thumb

[Gary]

Shaggy as a fellow left hander I can safely say I use a wave all the time and find it ok. If you like me have grown used to doing things with right handed tools left handed etc you should have no worries.

Did that make sense?

[sargey]

i would suggest that it isn't really feasable. i recently lost my beloved swiss tool and lumbered myself with a wave 'cause it was going cheap.

there is one extra problem, on mine at least. the stop that prevents the knife from opening too far seems to be pressed through from one side making a boss that sticks out the other side.

if you do find a tool for the five point security fasteners, (they're not even standard torx fittings) and dremel or file out a scallop in the side of the handle for your thumb, you're then faced with only having the curved part of the liner lock to stop your blade over rotating. the boss will now be on the wrong side of the blade. it might be possible to have a tiny block manufactured to fit the hole. or you could get a tool maker with a spark eroding maching to make a hole and you could fit a small stud.

yes it could be done, but you'll need some pretty specialist kit. ask santa for a swiss tool instead.

cheers, and.

[shaggystu]

thanks for the replies guys, sorry it's taken me a while to comment but i've been kinda busy. i think my plan for the foreseable future is to postpone the idea of getting a large multi-tool, there are things i could better spend the money on methinks. but anyway, thankyou for the replies even if they haven't exactly cleared things up quite as well as i hoped they would!! my plan now is to get hold of a wave and have a bash at taking it to pieces to see if i can work it out for myself. btw i decided to negate my dissapointment at not getting a wave and to still help leathermans sales out by getting a squirt instead, it replaces the micra on my keyring and i'm well chuffed with it. thanks again for trying to help guys, cheers

stuart

[bagman]

I have an extensive collection of security bits (sad I know) but dont have the correct ones for the Leatherman tools.

I have a sneaking suspicion that it may be a propriatory fastening.

[Exploriment]

Sorry to bring up an old topic (ah hell I'm not sorry at all :twisted: )

Yes that fastener that Leatherman uses is a Tamper-Proof Torx.
I asked them about it and they told me that they use it for the express purpose of dissuading people from disassembling their Leathermans. Apparently they are made in such a way that it is very tough for the average person to get them back together again and have them function the way they are supposed to. Whether this is true or not I don't know.
Myself and several online acquaintances have been on something of a quest to take one apart.

This company sells them, but wow, what a rigmarole to procure one of those bits.

The info on the site included such things as:

"In order to purchase these bits you will need to sign a letter stating that you are an authorized serviceperson for the equipment where TORX Plus® tamper-resistant screws are used. Bits are $9.50 per bit and we will also charge you a one-time $20 non-refundable fee to process all the paperwork to authorize you to purchase these bits."

They require a heap of info, including:

"What application will these bits be used in? Name equipment and physical location including city and state."

Jiminy crickets, it's less of an intrusive hassle to purchase a firearm in this country.

A friend of mine had this suggestion:

I think I figured out a workaround for the pivot pin fasteners, but I haven't tried it. Here's the plan:

1. Get the epoxy putty out and find an old allen key or something similar.

2. Put a drop of oil in one of the fastener holes where the tool would go (to keep the epoxy putty from sticking).

3. Mix a blob of epoxy putty big enough to mush down into the hole and pinch around the allen key.

4. Remove from the Leatherman and allow to cure.

If it works, the putty will take the shape of Leatherman's fake-torx tool and permanently attach itself to the allen key. Epoxy putty is tough stuff, so it ought to be strong enough to remove the fasteners once and put 'em back in.

As an inveterate tinkerer, I would love to take my Wave apart and see how it all works and give it a good cleaning. But I'm also afraid that what they say is true and I will end with my beloved Wave inoperable. :cry:

But while we're on the topic, have you seen the new stuff they are coming out with later this year!

Pictures

Words

[Stuart]

My family are all avionics engineers so they have a huge selection of wird and wonderfull hex bits, i'll see if they have one of these

[sargey]

taking a gerber legend apart and getting it back together is a challenge, there're a load of assymetrical washers between some of the blades, and symmetrical washers between some of the others. they all need to be aligned the right way, in the right order. you need to have the dexterity of several medium sized spiders knitting a communal web, i don't reckon the wave is going to be any worse.

i sold mine off.

[Keith_Beef]

Sorry to bring up an old topic (ah hell I'm not sorry at all :twisted: )

Yes that fastener that Leatherman uses is a Tamper-Proof Torx.
..snip..

Not the normal "tamper-resistant" Torx fastener, which is the Torx head with a pin in the centre, but a special 5 point Torx, rather than the normal 6-point. The 5-point is called "Torx Plus tamper-resistant".

"TORX®, TORX® tamper-resistant and TORX Plus® are six point designs. TORX Plus® tamper-resistant is a five point design."
(From http://www.lara.com/reviews/torxsizing.htm)

You idea of using epoxy putty is great!


Keith.