I like most of the multi-tools but the Charge Ti is think is my favorite. Here is a review that I found.
The best multitool so far.
After decades carrying victorinox swiss army knives, then SOG multitools, then finally the Gerber Urban Legend, I have finally ended up with the Leatherman Charge Ti - and it's the best yet. I've been carrying the Charge Ti for a month now, and I'm ready to weigh in:
Hots:
1) Single handed opening blades of excellent quality. I don't know if the "154CM steel" business is marketing hype or not, but the clip point blade is the sharpest most slickly ground blade I've ever seen on a multi-tool. It rivals a high-end pocket knife. The liner lock is easy, secure, and well implemented. The serrated blade on the other side is pretty awesome too.
2) Titanium side pieces are thinner and slicker than the the steel ones on the Wave. Others have derided this as a marketing gimmick, but the thinner profile is appreciated in my book. It helps keep this loaded tool nice and sleek. Compared to the Gerber Urban Legend, this is positively svelt.
3) Diamond file for you nails and aggresively cut file for everything else. Cross hatching goes all the way to the tip. This is the best file I've ever seen on a multi-tool.
4) Awesome saw. Ultrasharp double row dual pitched teeth are virtually the equal of the ones on a victorinox swiss army knife (or swiss tool) (they are a tad shorter) - but exceeds the victorinox's by having the teeth extend all the way to the tip.
5) Both big blades, the file and saw all all openable without opening the tool up (like with the Wave) and all lock with liner lock mechanisms.
6) The pliers are a work of art. Nicely shaped needle nose with aggresive internal teeth that truly mesh for excellent grip. Improved wire cutters are great - but still the weakest link since once they get blunt there's no fixing them.
7) Internal tools all lock with a slick push-button release mechanism. This is especially key for screwdrivers - so that you don't bear down and then have them pinch your fingers when they accidentally close.
8) True micro-sized glasses screwdriver comes in handy for a host of applications. Unlike other implimentations, this one is attached to a beefy piece of steel and locks like all the rest.
9) All tools accessible individually - with normal fingernails.
10) Interchangeable bits on the main screwdriver. While some have questioned the choice of included bits, the expansion kit isn't over expensive and the fact that extra bits are in stored in a plastic tray that is included - and has space provided in the sheath combines to make me say this is the best screwdriver bit arrangement I've yet seen.
11) Combo bottle/can opener. Nicely done - nice to be able to open cans in a pinch. This is omitted by some.
12) Like the Wave, the arrangement of blades opening directly from the outside means that when you open the tool to use the pliers the blade liners make a thick non-pinching handle for you to hold - far preferable to the old-style multi-tool handle where you had to squeeze the thin metal edge of the handle. This is comfortable handle - and it has good useable metric and english style rulers marked out on it to boot. The rulers measure out to 8".
Nots:
1) Scissors isn't as good as the one they used to have on the Wave. It's unusual to see the quality of a component go down in a Leatherman. I wonder what the story is. The scissors is still good (very sharp), but it's very tiny and bit wimpy. Good for small jobs but can't cut anything thick - like plastic clamshell cases or more than 5 sheets of paper at a time easily.
2) As good as the pliers are I miss two features from the Gerber Urban legend: i) interchangeable wire cutter blades. ii) spring loaded jaw opening. I understand that the spring opening plier jaws of the Gerber meant that the pliers didn't open as wide - which compromised them - but it make their use for fine work really nice.
3) Flat screwdriver tool. Instead of the second bit driver of the Xti, the Ti has the scissors and a permanent flat screwdriver tool - a bigger chunkier flat screwdriver than the one on the bit. This is nice - but since there's already a flat screwdriver on the bit tool, there was an opportunity to put another kind of tool here - like an awl. This is a bit of a quibble. I prefer to have a scissors, so I give the nod to the Charge Ti over the Xti.
How would I compare it to the Gerber Urban Legend (big one)? The Charge is a far more refined beast - better engineered and layed out. The Urban Legend is comparitively big and ungainly, with dumb rubber side pieces that fall out after a while and silly tool arrangement that prevents you from opening some tools without opening others to get access. The Urban Legend also has only one blade, which they've opted to make 1/2 serrated and 1/2 (the tip half) straight; clearly a weakness. In practice I didn't mind this blade much, though. The Legend lacks rulers - has a silly arrangement for interchangeable bits (and no case to hold the bits and the knife together). No option for leather case. Inferior file. All that aside, the Urban Legend's spring loaded pliers were really memorable - the best I've yet used, and I miss them. Overall, though, the Leatherman smokes the Legend. I can't comment on how the Charge compares to the new Wave, but compared to all the multi-tools which have gone before, the Charge Ti improves virtually every area in virtually every way. This is a hot multi-tool - highly recommended.
http://www.leatherman.com/products/tools/charge-Ti/default.asp
