Leatherman New Wave.rusts

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powercut

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My new wave showed corrosion spots on the inside of the pliers inbetween the jimping, I cleaned it of with an abrasive. The funny thing is that I didn't use it hardly. I kept the wave dry and wel lubricated.
I've read on the forums that rust with leatherman tools is not uncommon nowadays. :thumbdn:
 
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I experience the same with my old Wave as well as Charge Ti. I regularly clean and lubricate the tool (including the hard to reach areas) with a wire brush, WD40 and 3-in-1 oil. Despite regular cleaning and maintenance, I still often see rust spots form on the inside of the handles and in the inside part of where the outer blades slip in when folded, and also on the notches where the tools in the handles lock. =\
 
WD 40 is the enemy. It is not a lubricant nor a protectant. It is a Water Displacement product. Use a real lubricant/protectant like Miltec or Mobil 1 Synthetic.
 
That happened to my Wave too :( Around the time when I was carrying the Wave I was still new to knives and used WD-40 as a lubricant because it always worked on Swiss Army Knives. It does lubricate, even though it's not a lubricant, and it has its uses on knives (mostly blasting out moisture etc.), but that could have contributed. I don't like the poor design of the old Wave (namely tool clumping) so I stopped carrying it/caring anyway :D I'd like to try the new Wave and use real lubricants this time.
 
Try a Victorinox multi-tool, I've never had a problem with rust. I never use WD-40 on my knives, tools, etc. I hear it will get gunky after awhile. I use Militec-1 and Tufglide. Tufglide is supposed to prevent rust and doesn't leave an oily residue which can attract lint, dirt, etc.
 
Can someone elaborate a little on what a "real" lubricant is? coop1957 mentioned Miltec and Mobil 1 Synthetic. Are these motor oils? Where would I get them?
 
coop1957 said:
WD 40 is the enemy. It is not a lubricant nor a protectant. It is a Water Displacement product. Use a real lubricant/protectant like Miltec or Mobil 1 Synthetic.
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So why it is that several manufacturers, Leatherman among them, recommend the use of WD 40 on their products? Can they not know it may cause problems?

BTW, I have for a decade treated Leatherman tools with WD 40, no rust on any. I live in a moderate climate with average humidity most of the year. Maybe that helps. By the sea, or in a tropical climate, I would probably use a more serious protectant.
 
powercut said:
My new wave showed corrosion spots on the inside of the pliers inbetween the jimping, I cleaned it of with an abrasive. The funny thing is that I didn't use it hardly. I kept the wave dry and wel lubricated.
I've read on the forums that rust with leatherman tools is not uncommon nowadays. :thumbdn:
Click to expand...

This doesnt happen with Victorinox , thats why I dont piss around with lesser brands ,Ive tried them all and only use what works for me . Im not knocking Leatherman but for me Victorinox hasnt let me down yet but Leatherman does tend to rust and whats the little changable bits all about ? just what you want on a cold pitch dark night with the wind howling and the rain pissing down , what happens if you drop your bits in a deep puddle ? Maybe their next model will have a flashlight so you can find the bits , or a magnet :D Rather then strive for newer bettter products get the simple ones right first .Bring back the Supertool but with H1 steel throughout .

Dunc
 
znapschatz said:
So why it is that several manufacturers, Leatherman among them, recommend the use of WD 40 on their products? Can they not know it may cause problems?
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Probably because everyone know what WD40 is and it's easy to get. If they said to use something better, but harder to find, they'd have people calling them to ask where they could find the superior lubricant. Obviously when they make their tools they aren't to worried about them rusting on their customers so why tell them to use a quality lubricant / protectant?
 
It's true. The Victorinox SwissTool will not rust. I've never oiled mine.

My old Wave rusted a bit inside the handles. It wasn't a big deal. I never oiled it either.
 
Actually, I use WD-40 to clean the surfaces. 3-in-1 oil gets the lubricating job done. Just this week I had to clean a speck of stubborn rust near the lock mechanism of my LM Charge Ti's serrated blade. I've used WD-40 and a wire brush to get the speck off, but there is still a noticeable stain spot on the metal. =\

I don't do as much maintenance on my everyday Vic tools though (STX, Compact, Rucksack and Deluxe Tinker), but so far I haven't even seen even a teeny-tiny speck of rust on any of them. =)
 
I have noticed that the new LM tools tend to rust a lot faster than the older models (pre-2004). I work around wet stuff and chlorine at my office and use my multi-tools daily without giving them a lot of extra care other than a few drops of oil and maybe a polish once a month. I have a PST, ST200, Crunch, Fuse, New Wave, and Surge around the bench. The more polished tools have no signs of rust on them. THe newer ones all show signs of pitting.
Currently, I'm trying out a SOG. I had a lowes gift card, so I picked one up just for fun. The level of polish is what caught my eye. It's like how the LMs used to be. Sure the tools inside aren't that great or polished, but I can replace those when they wear out. What I can't stand is the frame rusting up. We'll see how well it's holding up after a few weeks;)
As far as lubrication, I use pump and motor lub because I have it on hand. It's a foam and covers every nook.

Jake
 
How about the black coated version? Does it helps to prevent rust? Anyone with the experience on the black coated version?
 
There is a lubricant i use on my motorcycle cables that cleans them up and displaces water, and leaves a film of lubricant behind. I forget what its called which really doesnt help you out, but check out motorcycle lubricants and ATV cable lubricants, they work wonders.
 
My Wave showed little rust spots. On the serrated blade, the scissors, and on the pliers. Nothing major. Nothing that can't be wiped away. My Sideclip is the only old style Leatherman I own, and I hear the oldies rusted bad, but mine has yet to show any signs, and it's been in humid weather (I live in Florida) as well as in water.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
I have noticed that the new LM tools tend to rust a lot faster than the older models (pre-2004)... The more polished tools have no signs of rust on them. THe newer ones all show signs of pitting. Currently, I'm trying out a SOG. I had a lowes gift card, so I picked one up just for fun. The level of polish is what caught my eye. It's like how the LMs used to be. Sure the tools inside aren't that great or polished, but I can replace those when they wear out. What I can't stand is the frame rusting up. ... Jake
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I think you hit the nail on the head (bad pun). I haven't purchased any Leathermans in 2-3 years, and I just bought some Waves and Fuses. The level of finish, and overall quality, is not the same as the Crunches I purchased 2-3 years ago.

The newer Wave tools, and frames, are rougher finished, with tool marks all over them that were not fully polished out. Even the knife blade on the Wave is not polished out, except for the edge (which is relatively dull). Moreover, I like my tools sharp, but on the parts that I hold onto. On one specimen alone (the best of the lot), I spent over an hour with some stones taking off all the sharp non-working edges on the tools, and the sharp edges on the frame that contact the palm when using the outside blades and tools. Previously, the edges were rolled or chamfered.

I think the designs are sound, but the last 10% of quality is being sacrificed on the altar of price point for Wal-Mart. Perhaps they should have a regular grade and an economy version of the Wave.
 
Corrosion X or Break free CLP is the best perservitive lubicator.Put it on and let it set for ten miniutes and wipe off.theres a bond with it on the molecular level with the metal and it will last for a long time before you have to reaply.I,v seen test done with these two out in the open near the ocean and the metal stayed protected awsome stuff.
 
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