LM Surge vs. New Wave

V

Verical Mind

Joined
Jan 17, 2006
Messages
7
Anyone tryed both and have an oppinion? They are very similar looking on images Ive seen, the only differenses seam to be size, weight and that one can change the saw/fileblade on the Surge.
So, wich one should I get, I have a standing offer to get either one for the same price...

PS
My usernane should be Vertical Mind, I missspelled it wile regestering.:o
 
I prefer the surge..no particular reason. The charge is a lot better though if you can get it for a not much more. It has a 154cm main blade and titanium handles.
 
Being a collector I bought both the Surge and new Wave. If it weren't for the "not so tough" bit changer, they both would be dream tools. Unfortunatly, I can't use either of them on the job as one bit holder already failed in less than one weeks use.

I did find the Core to be job site tough, but you miss out on the quick access to blades/file/saw. I have carried the Surge on my days off from work for over a year and it has done very well for me in that capacity.;)
 
I'm the third to vote for the Surge, which I EDC since I bought one on ebay about 3 Mos. ago, having had the old-style wave for more than 2 Yrs.

IMHO just find it robust & comforting, not to mention convenient, to know that I have these big, easily accessible blades & saw whenever I need to cut something, which can be more than a dozen times each working day.

Never had a problem with the bit-holders, albeit don't use them a lot, but I do suggest you put a drop of crazy glue or clear nail polish on the spring holders, just to keep them in place.

That's my 2 cents worth, hope it helps.

Btw, how much are they selling each to you? I got mine for $50 plus $6 shipping.
 
I have used both the surge and the new wave and for EDC I recommend the wave. The surge is just too large to pull out in public. That being said, I have packed the surge in my bug out bag as it would be my first choice for a survival situation.

BTW, if you can afford it, get the charge Ti. It smokes the wave.
 
I bought a Surge, but was ultimately disappointed. It is definitely in a whole 'nuther weight-and-size class from the Charge and Wave. If you really want one that size, you might consider going for the Core instead of the Surge; lotsa folks around here who really need that level of toughness find the Core better suited to hard labor.

If you want a tool the size of the Wave, like Edam sez, get the Charge: a tad lighter, a lot grippier scales, better steel in the main blade, and it comes with enough common bits to make the bit holder actually useful. All that's well worth the extra $20 or so IMHO.

(Oh yeah, and I own both; bot one of each for Christmas a couple years ago when they were brand new. Despite the fact that I carried a beloved old-model Wave for years, the New Wave now sits in a drawer, and the Charge is my EDC most days. Heck, I still carry the old Wave more often than the new one!)
 
Humm.. Ive been reading about these Old and New Waves i quite a few posts but have yet to see the differense between the two. The LM website have images of both but they tell very little in the way of differences. You guys who have both, is there any chance you could put the side by side fore a comp. shot?
 
Verical Mind said:
Humm.. Ive been reading about these Old and New Waves i quite a few posts but have yet to see the differense between the two. The LM website have images of both but they tell very little in the way of differences. You guys who have both, is there any chance you could put the side by side fore a comp. shot?
Click to expand...
No camera handy, but I'll try to describe the differences:
  • The new Wave is a half-ounce heavier (doens't sound like much, but it's quite noticeable), and somewhat thicker -- enough so that it won't fit into the old Wave sheath.

  • On the new Wave, all implements of the implements lock in place; on the old Wave, only the outer (plain blade, serrated blade, file, saw) lock.

  • The old Wave has larger scissors; the new Wave scissors are smaller, but IMHO sharper and sturdier.

  • The old Wave had several flat-blade screwdriver implements and a real Philips driver; the new Wave has just one large flat screwdriver (useful for prying), and two bit holders: one for special flattened 1/4" bits, and one for the (mostly considered useless) micro-Philips and micro-flat drivers.

  • The new Wave has a larger wirecutter, with a dedicated notch for cutting hard wires.

  • The new Wave has an extra safety lock that prevents the outer implements from opening if the handles are open to use the pliers. (This sometimes causes problems if the locks don't retract properly.)

Note that all the changes listed also apply to the Charge vs old Wave as well.

Despite all the improvements in the new Wave, I find myself carrying the Charge Ti (which is built on the same frame as the new Wave) instead most of the time; but I sometimes still carry the old Wave, when I don't see a need for carrying the extra bits, since the old Wave in its leather sheath is a whole lot smaller and lighter than the Charge (or old Wave) in it's sheath along with the extras.

More info here:

Old Wave: http://leatherman.com/products/tools/retired-tools/wave/
New Wave: http://leatherman.com/products/tools/wave-(2004)/
 
Gryffin said:
No camera handy, but I'll try to describe the differences:
  • The new Wave is a half-ounce heavier (doens't sound like much, but it's quite noticeable), and somewhat thicker -- enough so that it won't fit into the old Wave sheath.
Click to expand...


  • I own both models and the new Wave fits in the old Wave brown leather sheath just fine for me. I actually like the old brown sheath much better than their new ones. Much better fit and finish IMO. It also is less obtrusive as it will not stick out from the belt so far.:D
 
seti said:
I own both models and the new Wave fits in the old Wave brown leather sheath just fine for me. I actually like the old brown sheath much better than their new ones. Much better fit and finish IMO. It also is less obtrusive as it will not stick out from the belt so far.:D
Click to expand...
After reading your post, I dug out my old sheath and New Wave, and gave it a try.

You're right, it does fit, but only with the fat end (plier pivots) up; the other way, I can wedge it in, but it's very difficult to get out.

Thinking back, I think my old-Wave sheath was brand new when I first tried it, and hence tighter. I've had this sheath for a couple years now, so it's softened and loosened up a bit.

I still carry my old Wave pretty often, and that old sheath is much of the reason; like you say, the old Wave in the old sheath is a lot less bulky than the new Wave or Charge in the new sheath. On the other hand, I keep a strip of extra bits, a small flashlight (Fenix L0P) and a Mini Sharpie in the new Wave sheath, so at least I put that bulk to good use!
 
I like the old Wave sheaths better also. Unfortunately, the black nylon Bianchi AccuMold for the old Wave is too tight. At least the old Brown Leather one fits as does the black leather Blast sheath.






- Frank
 
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