Micra

Hickory n steel · Apr 2, 2016

I was just wondering if there were any differences at all between a leatherman micra from 1996 and a very recent one.
I love my micra, but have lost it a few times ( luckily I just found it after a month ) and am just wondering what I'll end up with if I ever have to replace it.

csp203 · Apr 2, 2016

I do not know, but my micra from 1996 is still going strong!!!!

znapschatz · Apr 2, 2016

Also mine from 1998. I have a later one as well from 2008 that is in storage. It looks the same, but I don't know about current ones. They look right, but no direct experience.

Toddwalla · Apr 2, 2016

I just checked mine and the only difference I can see is the font used for the lettering. They seem to have realized that they got it right the first time. Love my micras.

Hickory n steel · Apr 2, 2016

Toddwalla said:
I just checked mine and the only difference I can see is the font used for the lettering. They seem to have realized that they got it right the first time. Love my micras.

Thanks for the info, mine has been with me every si glue day for the past 7yrs and has never let me down ( I don't use the blade though )
My grandpa bought it for my grandma and she never used it, so she gave it to me.

Also I'd like to know if anyone else got one with the halves made in different months ( mine are oct and Nov of '96 )

115Italian · Apr 2, 2016

My micra from 2008 is still holding up well. I ve seen newer one, i cant remeber exactly but they do look slightly different but not by much.

Hickory n steel · Apr 2, 2016

115Italian said:
My micra from 2008 is still holding up well. I ve seen newer one, i cant remeber exactly but they do look slightly different but not by much.

Luckily I've figured out how to carefully disassemble it, because I spilled paint in mine and even after it dried all it took was a brass brush to remove it all.

gadgetgeek · Apr 2, 2016

most of the difference will be related to processes changing over time, as tooling gets replaced and stuff like that. They hit a winner with that one, not many others in the line up that have been around that long.

znapschatz · Apr 2, 2016

Hickory n steel said:
Thanks for the info, mine has been with me every si glue day for the past 7yrs and has never let me down ( I don't use the blade though )
My grandpa bought it for my grandma and she never used it, so she gave it to me.

Also I'd like to know if anyone else got one with the halves made in different months ( mine are oct and Nov of '96 )

Yep, one side says 0398, the other says 1198. But they both get along just fine

.

znapschatz · Apr 3, 2016

gadgetgeek said:
most of the difference will be related to processes changing over time, as tooling gets replaced and stuff like that. They hit a winner with that one, not many others in the line up that have been around that long.

Got to agree. That's the one Leatherman got right from the go. They had intended to phase it out as the Squirt models soaked up the new customers, but guess what? Demand for the Micra stayed the same. Although the Squirts are usable and certainly more elegant, they don't measure up for utility. I think that is what users have discovered. But the Squirt is a necessary product for people like my wife, who hates the Micra passionately for its "industrial" design -- too many sharp edges -- prefers her S4, but she doesn't do as much with it as I do with a Micra. It took her a month to discover it had more implements than scissors, for example, and I believe that the only other she uses is the knife. Toenails and coupon clipping; that's about it. If it's handy, I use it for opening bottles when I'm desperate for an cap lifter, a nail file, or for screwing something when I'm too lazy to walk 10 feet to my upstairs tool drawer, all of this usually when I am not dressed. OTOH, if I am wearing pants, a Micra is stashed in the 5th pocket. It gets used almost every day and still looks great.

Dunhill · Apr 3, 2016

Never knew the date codes were in there - 07/96. More of a Vic guy. Never seriously carried it. '96 was the first year I take it?! Damn, I've had this thing for a long time.

Hickory n steel · Apr 3, 2016

Dunhill said:
Never knew the date codes were in there - 07/96. More of a Vic guy. Never seriously carried it. '96 was the first year I take it?! Damn, I've had this thing for a long time.

Yep that was their debut year.
The only thing I'd change would be for the scissors to open a little wider so I could sharpen them more easily.

gadgetgeek · Apr 3, 2016

I'm half considering picking up a micra at some point to swap for my style, but they are close enough to not make it a big deal yet.

Dunhill · Apr 3, 2016

@Hickory n steel. Thx.

Hickory n steel · Apr 5, 2016

Dunhill said:
@Hickory n steel. Thx.

No problem.

pinnah · Apr 7, 2016

The original Micra was wider and more asymmetric when viewed from above.

The current Micra is thinner, owing to a cut out on the panel next to the tweezers. This allows the tweezers to nest in the handle without hitting it.

4 solid side panel -> old Micra
1 cut out panel - > current Micra

Hickory n steel · Apr 7, 2016

pinnah said:
The original Micra was wider and more asymmetric when viewed from above.

The current Micra is thinner, owing to a cut out on the panel next to the tweezers. This allows the tweezers to nest in the handle without hitting it.

4 solid side panel -> old Micra
1 cut out panel - > current Micra

Mine has the cutout, and it was made in 1996. As far as I know 1996 was the micra's debut year.
So if you know something I don't know, I'd love to hear about it.

22-rimfire · Apr 8, 2016

These little Leatherman's are very useful. Use is not every day, but last week I used my Squirt PS4 more than a couple times. It is there when I have nothing else "on me". Been wondering when Victorinox will come out with a competing line as I like Vic stuff.

pinnah · Apr 8, 2016

Hickory n steel said:
Mine has the cutout, and it was made in 1996. As far as I know 1996 was the micra's debut year.
So if you know something I don't know, I'd love to hear about it.

Hickory,

I don't know about dates but I do have one of the non-cutout Micras. This one isn't mine but mine is just like this.

Essentially, the tweezer cutout allows the tool to be thinner by the width of the frame's metal.

I'll try to post side by each pictures at some point.

Hickory n steel · Apr 8, 2016

pinnah said:
Hickory,

I don't know about dates but I do have one of the non-cutout Micras. This one isn't mine but mine is just like this.

Essentially, the tweezer cutout allows the tool to be thinner by the width of the frame's metal.

I'll try to post side by each pictures at some point.

That looks like one of the aluminum versions to me, in which case they had to have solid panels in order to maintain strength. The only reason they came out with the aluminum version was to compete with the sak classic and it's many color options.
Paint didn't last long on the SS frames, so they tried a plastic shell which created a rust problem under the plastic, so finally they came up with using aluminum which they could anodize.
If you ask me the best ways to color a standardized micra would be to include a little key chain clip in various colors. it may not be full on color flare but it's better than nothing, and it's all they can really do without adding extra bulk or cost .
They could however offer a higher cost ceracoated version.