After reading everything on the Internet about the Wingman, including some great posts here, I got my own. I'll attempt to convey my opinions as thoroughly as possible; if you have any questions or comments, please post.
In short, I like the Wingman. It's polished steel, good (but not great) tool selection, good price, well-made. I have large hands (I wear a size XL glove) and the Wingman seems a tad small for me.
I like the needle-nosed pliers, but I don't like that Leatherman has changed their design for the wire cutters. The spring-loaded pliers are very well-designed. There are no hot spots, so I can work for a while (and have) with no discomfort.
The tool selection is good, but not great. Half-serrated blades aren't for me, and I'd normally use a belt sander to make this a plain-edge, but the serration grinds go too far up the blade to do this without removing half the blade. The screwdrivers work well, even the two-dimensional Phillips driver. My scissors were sharp and well-aligned, but I did notice that I could push the moving scissor handle past the fixed one. I had to do this on purpose and couldn't replicate it with normal use. I also noticed that the pad is indeed small (another good observation by powernoodle). The package opener works as advertised, but I couldn't help feeling it's redundant. Put something else there. The screwdriver / file / ruler is a joke. The driver is okay, but the ruler is useless to me. The file is coarse and won't notch wood or metal without gunking up quickly.
The pocket clip is a nice feature and eliminates the need for a sheath (which isn't included). The Wingman fits almost all of my other Leatherman sheaths, so I have one if I need it. Here's how deep the Wingman buries in a pocket...
And for size reference, here it is compared to a Byrd Cara Cara.
In all, I think the Wingman is about right as far as construction and price. This tool costs five more dollars than a Micra, is about the same cost as a Kick, and is definitely better than the multitools you find from Sheffield, Yukon Valley, Rigid, Coast, Schrade, Appalachian Trail, and even some better tools like the Gerber 400. Leatherman designed this to appeal to beginners, and I think it has. I plan on getting a Sidekick and doing some tool swaps, but I really like the Wingman as a gift, trunk tool, bag tool, or even as an EDC.
In short, I like the Wingman. It's polished steel, good (but not great) tool selection, good price, well-made. I have large hands (I wear a size XL glove) and the Wingman seems a tad small for me.
I like the needle-nosed pliers, but I don't like that Leatherman has changed their design for the wire cutters. The spring-loaded pliers are very well-designed. There are no hot spots, so I can work for a while (and have) with no discomfort.
The tool selection is good, but not great. Half-serrated blades aren't for me, and I'd normally use a belt sander to make this a plain-edge, but the serration grinds go too far up the blade to do this without removing half the blade. The screwdrivers work well, even the two-dimensional Phillips driver. My scissors were sharp and well-aligned, but I did notice that I could push the moving scissor handle past the fixed one. I had to do this on purpose and couldn't replicate it with normal use. I also noticed that the pad is indeed small (another good observation by powernoodle). The package opener works as advertised, but I couldn't help feeling it's redundant. Put something else there. The screwdriver / file / ruler is a joke. The driver is okay, but the ruler is useless to me. The file is coarse and won't notch wood or metal without gunking up quickly.
The pocket clip is a nice feature and eliminates the need for a sheath (which isn't included). The Wingman fits almost all of my other Leatherman sheaths, so I have one if I need it. Here's how deep the Wingman buries in a pocket...
And for size reference, here it is compared to a Byrd Cara Cara.
In all, I think the Wingman is about right as far as construction and price. This tool costs five more dollars than a Micra, is about the same cost as a Kick, and is definitely better than the multitools you find from Sheffield, Yukon Valley, Rigid, Coast, Schrade, Appalachian Trail, and even some better tools like the Gerber 400. Leatherman designed this to appeal to beginners, and I think it has. I plan on getting a Sidekick and doing some tool swaps, but I really like the Wingman as a gift, trunk tool, bag tool, or even as an EDC.
