Let's talk multis

dougo83 · Jul 30, 2008

Ok...I know 'best' is a bit of a funny word to use, but I am looking for opinions on the best multi on the market for hiking and such.

I am looking at buying a Surge, but am in the market for most anything.

Pics and reviews are great, but I would love some input from y'all.

PeACE
Dougo

stingray4540 · Jul 30, 2008

I haven't used any of the other multi's out there, but for the last 12 years, Leatherman hasn't let me down. And I carry and use it nearly every single day. I had the original supertool until my wife gave me my Wave two Christmas' ago. I absolutely love this thing, plus you can add a firesteel and fatwood to the sheath!

dblagent · Jul 30, 2008

I second the above, I just looked for quite a bit at the tools available and I personally chose a new Wave for myself. I like the tool selection and the size, big enough without being too big to carry easily.

I love it, have no regrets after playing with it and using it. Better yet, work purchased it for me for free, so I got to choose whatever I wanted. Wave was the one for me. Free makes it the best part!

dougo83 · Jul 30, 2008

What made you pick the tool of choice? Price, features, weight, warranty? What?

mjdukefan23 · Jul 30, 2008

Ive got a swisstool and love it. I guess I cant say if its the best, as its the only true multi tool I own. I've had saks before and loved them, so the swisstool appealed to me because I figured it would have the quality I had come to expect of saks. It had all the tools and features I wanted. When I bought it, it was 25 dollars cheaper than the cheapest wave I could find due to a special on saks on amazon It also has a lifetime warranty which is a plus.

shotgunner11 · Jul 30, 2008

I'm with the Wave as well. It never leaves my side and I use it every single day.

Plain edge blade, serrated blade, file and diamond sharpener, sissors, screwdrivers, can opener and the pliers. Everything I could need 99.9% of the time and it's built like a freaking tank. I've had mine for about 3 years now and it's not even all that beat up.

It's not the cheapest tool out there but you get what you pay for and the warranty is very good so you won't be buying another one for quite a while.

stitch_paradox · Jul 30, 2008

I have a Surge and I really do like it, but it's a little bit too hefty for hiking and camping, IMO. It's a little bit too much for all the camp chores that I use it with, I edc mine only for work. For camping and hiking every weight counts, so I suggest go for the Wave (It's like a smaller version of the Surge) or any smaller model. I'm actually thinking of getting the Leatherman wave for my BOB bag and hiking pack.

koyote · Jul 30, 2008

For me, there's two kinds of multis- knives and not-knives.

For knives, I prefer victorinox lockblade varieties OR cybertools. A lot depends on the AO.

for not-knives, I absolutely don't care about the knife function. And I go for a leatherman crunch.

All this being said, I'm a big proponent of carrying two. If you need the pocket sized toolkit, you are going to run into a need to use pliers and a screwdriver at the same time.

dougo83 · Jul 30, 2008

koyote said:
For me, there's two kinds of multis- knives and not-knives.

For knives, I prefer victorinox lockblade varieties OR cybertools. A lot depends on the AO.

for not-knives, I absolutely don't care about the knife function. And I go for a leatherman crunch.

All this being said, I'm a big proponent of carrying two. If you need the pocket sized toolkit, you are going to run into a need to use pliers and a screwdriver at the same time.

Koyote, you made a great point I should have mentioned. This is going to be in addition to an SAK, some random folder, a fixed, etc.

Salamander42 · Jul 30, 2008

I've been carrying a Victorinox Swiss Tool for about 5 or 6 years now. It's got to be one of the heaviest multi tools out there but I've gotten used to the weight and it's saved my bacon too many times to count. If I were panning a backpacking trip longer than the little one and two nighters that I usually do I would probably leave it at home or in the car at the trail head due to the weight. I chose the Swiss Tool pretty much based on the Swiss Army Knife reputation (I didn't know the difference between Victoinox and Wenger when I got it), and it has definitely lived up to that reputation. My only gripe is that it has two blades in it, one serrated and one plain edge. I used to carry an original Leatherman and I hardly ever used the single knife blade on that since I always have a locking folder in my pocket. I definitely don't need two blades on a multi tool with the other knife or knives I usually carry. For me scissors would have been much more useful. The saw on the Swiss Tool is awesome and usually sees a lot of use when I'm out for a night in the woods.

ROCK6 · Jul 30, 2008

I've been using the Leatherman Charge Ti for the past several years for duty carry. I like the bit-adapter and carry a pouch with several of the tool bits. I also prefer needle nose pliers.

Another great multitool is the Leatherman Crunch that koyote mentioned. It's a great compact locking-pliers tool.

Recently I picked up a Swiss Spirit tool. WOW, I really like the construction and selection of tools...this will now be my EDC when in civilian clothes.

Some of the more important tools that I look for:

Scissors
Needle nose pliers
File (Leatherman diamond coated ones are the best)
Chisel (Spirit and Swiss Tool's have the best)
Saw (always a good back up to my regular SAK Outrider)

Excellent chisel on the Spirit:

ROCK6

BarberFobic1992 · Jul 30, 2008

i have and use a leatherman blast. its got all of the tools that are neccisary, which keeps it good and light. its got all locking blades, which is another good feature, but is pretty much standard on the better plier based multi-tools. its also quite a bargain where i got it. only $34. i have seen it at other places for around $50. if you want a link to the place, lemme know.

pitdog · Jul 30, 2008

As they say in the film Highlander " There can be only one "......

I can think of no negatives to tell you about this tool, some critisize the main blade but all I can say is try it, I recently cut up some old carpets and finished up throwing my craft knife across the room and zipped through it all with my Spirit !!!!

ROCK6 · Jul 30, 2008

pitdog said:
I can think of no negatives to tell you about this tool, some critisize the main blade but all I can say is try it, I recently cut up some old carpets and finished up throwing my craft knife across the room and zipped through it all with my Spirit !!!!

For most of us that carry at least one primary folder, I really don't think this is an issue. Hell, I hardly ever use my other multi-tool blades, but the Spirit's just screams to be abused

ROCK6

cereedy · Jul 30, 2008

I carry ether a Leatherman Juice Xe6 or Leathernan Charge Ti for hard use you can't beet the charge and the juice is sheepl friendly.

dougo83 · Jul 30, 2008

Rock...why do you like the chisel so much? What do you need it for?

cereedy...I am not in the PRK, so sheeple aren't the issue haha

ROCK6 · Jul 30, 2008

dougo83 said:
Rock...why do you like the chisel so much? What do you need it for?

Usually stipping wire or peeling off those stupid Texas registration stickers...sure a razor blade would work better but I can never find one and always have a multi-tool on me. The profile on the Spirit is even better than on the original Swiss Tool; you can use it to score wood, bone, plastic, etc.

ROCK6

DOC-CANADA · Jul 30, 2008

Another vote for the Vic Spirit (especially if you carry a folder/fb anyway). A year or two ago, I bought a Leatherman Wave at a really good price at a local Canadian Tire. I played with it for a few hours, wasn't impressed, so I took it back. Another day, I was at a local sporting goods store (Le Barons, for all my fellow Canucks) and had the guy show me the Victorinox Swiss Spirit. As soon as I put it in my hand, I knew it was coming home with me.

I use it every day at work, so any shortcomings would show up - none yet!. It has a single combination blade - serrated (mostly) and plain edge (close to the main body). It's relatively light and the fit and finish is perfect.

One day I may buy another multitool, and if so, it will be the Victorinox Swiss Tool X, for times when you need that extra bit, and to hell with the weight.

Hey pitdog, get your Photobucket back?

Doc

3wolves · Jul 30, 2008

I absolutely love my swisstool, I can't find a single thing I don't like about it. IMO, victorinox implements are much better designed than leatherman ones eg. can opener. The swisstool is also 100% stainless, you don't have to clean and oil it all the time. It's also bombproof, the busse of multi-tools. I dropped mine on concrete from high ladders, hammered nails with it, pryed pretty heavily with the large screwdriver and squeezed it so hard I was sure it would go flying all over the place. True you don't have OH blades but I always have a folder or fixed blade with me, I don't use the blades for anything besides fine whittling or removing a splinter.
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Salamander42 · Jul 31, 2008

Hey Rock 6, thanks for those pics. Where did you find the regular Swiss Tool with the scissors? I've only ever seen them with the second blade. That's exactly what I was talking about in my other post. The Spirit looks even better though. I think I've got my next multi tool picked out. I can let my regular Swiss Tool live in the glove box and start carrying the Spirit.