Leatherman Wave Alpha

Quiet said:
Do you mean the Arc? The Wave Alpha is $200.
Click to expand...

I am referring to the Wave Alpha, but I have much the same feelings about the ARC whatever the MSRP.

I do not see either as that much more attractive for me to get me to buy one or the other for Christmas gifts.

What I would like to see is the availability of supplemental or alternate blades for the Wave instead of a whole new model. Perhaps a different pliers jaws configuration might also be a possibility.

Given that, another wish would be for a Wave 10% to 20% larger in every way.

I also wish Leatherman would pay more attention to alternate belt carry options. I prefer a horizontal Carry and a much more secure pouch closure. I feel that the OEM pouches are n to up to the ruggedness level I would want to give to an active duty warfighter today . . .or any hard-hat guy in the field for that matter.

With all that said, I am committed to "settling" for my current Wave Plus. . . .just wishing it was "better" in the ways I would hope for.
 
Warfighters have a large selection of pouches and carry solutions from 3rd party suppliers that have knowledge of what is needed by our troops. Leatherman should partner with one instead of trying to reinvent the wheel. Horizontal carry is my preference as well.

A larger Wave wouldn't be a Wave. I think the Surge is the larger Wave.
 
VorpelSword said:
I am referring to the Wave Alpha, but I have much the same feelings about the ARC whatever the MSRP.

I do not see either as that much more attractive for me to get me to buy one or the other for Christmas gifts.

What I would like to see is the availability of supplemental or alternate blades for the Wave instead of a whole new model. Perhaps a different pliers jaws configuration might also be a possibility.

Given that, another wish would be for a Wave 10% to 20% larger in every way.

I also wish Leatherman would pay more attention to alternate belt carry options. I prefer a horizontal Carry and a much more secure pouch closure. I feel that the OEM pouches are n to up to the ruggedness level I would want to give to an active duty warfighter today . . .or any hard-hat guy in the field for that matter.

With all that said, I am committed to "settling" for my current Wave Plus. . . .just wishing it was "better" in the ways I would hope for.
Click to expand...

If you were referring to the Wave Alpha as being $250, then you were using the wrong price to make a point.

Secondly, Leatherman has never paid attention to multiple carry options other than pocket clips and belt sheathes, that's generally been what the aftermarket is for. You are bound to be even more disappointed, now that they have ceased sending belt sheaths with their tools. There are many great options out there on other sites, many of which are indeed horizontal carry. Of course, being separately offered products, they come at an additional cost.

Also, your wish for different blades has already been granted on some models, except they're simply the same multi-tool with an upgraded blade steel. As an example, the Charge Ti was such a model, offering blades in S30v and 154cm at various times.
 
Goat Tool makes a multitool with user changeable blades and tools. I'll probably check one out, but they have an unfinished appearance which troubles my eye. Def a 1st World problem. 😄
 
I've been using my Arc every day for over 2 years. It's definitely been worth the money to me. All of the tools are easier to open than the Wave and Charge, and in practice that means less time fiddling with the tool itself and more time working. The one-handed outside deployment might seem like a gimmick, but once you've spent some time with it, it makes so much sense you may not want to go back.

The blade in particular is a great upgrade both in profile and materials. It stays sharp longer than their S30V in my use and it's easier to maintain.

I sure wouldn't pay extra to have a famous maker's name on the side, though, and I have a hard time imagining how that could be a sustainable business model for anyone involved. Not to mention opening the door to even more scalpers and counterfeits, and probably making those products impossible to warranty. The idea of wanting interchangeable modular high-end parts seems like it's directly opposed to the idea of wanting a cheaper tool.

I've seen various hacks for custom tool configurations. There are also aftermarket "upgrade" blades for some Leatherman models floating around online. Those aren't cheap and I haven't personally tried any, so I won't vouch for them. But if there's a particular thing that's really important to you that isn't in the stock lineup, and you're willing to spend some extra money on it, you can probably make it happen.
 
Speaking of, ordered arc and surge and bought signal locally. I mostly edc the curl or the skeletool xc but I hope to change it up with wave plus,alpha, arc. Surge is too heavy to be on the belt or in the pocket so luckily for me I have a maxpedition manpurse for that
 
Thank you everyone.

I am now exploring gift ideas other than Leatherman multitools for Chrisrmas.

Among them might be something from Real Avid, . . .maybe a multitool designed for field expedient maintenance on an AAR style firearm or custom grips for a 1911.

This also looks to be a possible multitool gift . . . .
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top