Newbie who needs help deciding on a Leatherman.

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kclymer

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Jun 25, 2009
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I've always had knives growing up but have only recently become interested in the types of steels used. I decided I wanted to get a full-sized Leatherman multi-tool for outdoor backpacking and camping use (in addition to taking it to work in a foundry-like setting).

Any knife I've owned has probably been a 1095 steel or something similar. I've always sharpened with a honing rod (I think that's what it's called). But now that I'm a metallurgy student I've become more interested in getting the "best" steel.

I am interested in the Leatherman New Wave (420HC steel), Charge AL/ALx (154 CM steel), and the Charge TTi (S30V steel). I know these steels have been discussed and compared many times before, but I can't come to any conclusions, and simply bounce back and forth between the steel types.

I am completely new to most of these knife steel topics but am familiar with many metallurgical terms. I apologize if it's a redundant topic, or if this should be posted elsewhere. I just need some basic help.

Thanks.
 
Welcome:)

IMHO, I wouldn't get too stressed out about super steels...unless that is what you want/need. I too used to fret over what to get. What steel holds the best edge, what sharpens the keenest, what if I get dropped in the middle of the Yukon with only ONE knife and a Grizzly Bear trained in the dark arts and kung fu was on my trail (obviously joking there;)).

Then I realized that there are times when a different steel besides "the best" is desirable. I'm a chronic toucher-upper. I really have no need for super steels when it comes to my users. I get along just fine with 1095 for my choppers and 420HC in my tool/folder blade. I have never needed more than that for my Buck folder or LM tools. I find swiss army steel to be perfect for my needs as well.

That said, do I pick up "super steel" knives to collect and use...of course:) I have the sickness just like the rest of the knuts.

As for a good all 'round start up LM tool, it's tough to beat the Wave. Not my personal cup o' tea, but it's a great jack of all trades:thumbup: The 420HC version is readily available at most stores. You might give it a try. For a user, you might not need a premium blade.
 
If you're a steel junky, then it's worth getting the S30V just so you can experience this "super steel". The steel has approximately twice the wear resistance of 420HC, so in theory you only need to sharpen it half the time. Besides, isn't it cool to talk to other students (or your professor) about your powder-metallurgy tool?

http://www.crucibleservice.com/datash/dss30vv4b.pdf

If you really want to show off, get a knife made of ZDP-189 from Kershaw or Spyderco. It's a powder metallurgy stainless steel with 3% carbon hardenable to 67 Rockwell C, yet it's still usable for a knife (not too brittle). Its wear resistance is approximated at around 8 times 420HC.

http://www.williamhenryknives.com/press-awards/articles/ZDP.pdf

Word of warning: When you start owning super steels, you better upgrade your sharpening tool as well. Get a diamond sharpener system from DMT. Otherwise you'll have a hard time or spend too much time sharpening them.
 
Hi Kclymer,

My undergraduate is mechanical engineering and my graduate work is in materials science (eg. metallurgy).

The super steels are neat, but are a little tough to resharpen. Either 420 or 440C with a good heat treat is a piece of cake on a Spyderco Sharpmaker. I touch my blades up with the alumina rods once a week and all is well.

Do I have the super steels - yes. I'm a Leatherman collector (and user) with some 173 tools, 56 knives and 5 or 6 pruners. I enjoy swapping these around to find out which is the best (at least today).

If you are a Newbie, get a Leatherman Blast - affordable and my EDC. Try it for a while and move on from there.

Regards - Joe
 
Thanks for the replies everyone.

Honestly, it almost sounds like the "super steels" are more for collecting purposes. I like collecting knives, but I will definitely give them some good use "in the field." While I am still pretty interested in the S30V (thanks Sep for the Crucible info), sharpening is my biggest concern. All I have is a honing rod. I think I would have to invest in one of the sharpening systems, which seem somewhat expensive.

But would I have to buy some sharpening system (which I don't know that much about) for a 420HC blade anyway?
 
A good diamond sharpening system like DMT Aligner Deluxe will set you back around $42. Not bad considering you get 3 stones and 1 rod (for serrated edges).

To be honest, unless you're a building contractor and cutting drywall day in and day out, you can hardly tell the difference between regular steel and super steel. For a contractor it can mean the difference between sharpening once every couple of hours or once a day. But, "need" often times has little to do with what you actually buy. ;)
 
The reason why I like 420HC is that it IS so easy to sharpen without special equipment. It takes practice, but if I don't let the blade get too dull I can keep it hair popping sharp with nothing more than an arkansas stone and a leather strop loaded with metal polish. No diamonds, no special stones or equipment, just a rock that fits in my pocket with a little folded piece of leather:thumbup:
 
You can go to pretty much any store that has a sporting goods section and get a "fishhook sharpener", which is a small rectangular piece of plastic with 2ceramic rods in the form of a V. I regularly touch up all my edcs with this, as usually one or two swipes thru brings back the edge.

For the tough jobs nothing beats the Sharpmaker.
 
kclymer said:
One thing I noticed was that no one seemed to recommend the 154 CM. Can this be considered a "happy medium" between 420 HC and S30V as far as hardness and edge retention are concerned?

Also, for a sharpener I was looking at the DMT Diafold. It's double sided (red and blue).
http://theconsumerlink.com/DiamondMachiningTechnology/detail/TCL+FWFC/0
I'm guess this will put a sufficient edge on a 420HC. What about 154CM or S30V?
Click to expand...

154CM is good steel. Slightly less in hardness and edge retention than S30V, but much better than 420HC. The are several grades of steel between 420HC and 154CM; the most popular being AUS-8 and 440C, but Leatherman doesn't use them.

People advocates 420HC because it's basically the lowest grade steel considered acceptable for knives. Many, many Buck knives are made of 420HC and most of their users are satisfied. Those who think super steels are overrated will recommend 420HC, while those addicted to super steels will pick the best of the 3 you mentioned (S30V).

I own super steel blades, but I'm content with my 420HC LM Wave because I think it represents the best price/performance ratio for a multitool. Then again, I probably don't feel the need to get the S30V Charge because I already have a ZDP-189 folder.

All DMT stones (with 1 exception) are made of diamond. As far as manual sharpening is concerned, you just can't do faster than that. It should handle super steels just fine.
 
Another thing to consider is how the tool feels in your hand, especially when you grip it tightly as you will when you use it. I have had LM and other brands that are down right painful to use, and that means you won't use it. Now my Charge TTi on the other hand is very comfortable to hold. It also gives you the best of the AL and ALX, having scissors and the gut hook -- which is ideal for cutting zip ties.

Give the tools a try and see which suits your hands the best.

Joe
 
I would stay away from the outside liner-locking tools [Charge & Wave]. The one-handed opening is handy, but there's so many reports of faulty liner locks on these tools. From my own experience, the lock is designed for mass production and the tolerances are very poor. I would encourage you [if you're able] to go hand pick one and make sure the locks are solid.

I have a Blast that has been beat to hell and still functions. Very tough tool. The lock on the Blast is integrated into the handle and full-proof. It has all the conceivable tools you'd need on a multi and can be found at big box stores on clearance sometimes [got mine for $20 at Target].

Leatherman's 420HC is easy to sharpen to hair-popping sharpness. Also less bittle than 154CM and S30V for tough jobs.
 
awesome. I'm gonna go check some of the multi-tools out at the store to get a feel for them.

I hadn't heard about locks breaking, thanks for the info symphonyincminor.
 
I prefer an American-made knife. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought that SOG's were not U.S.-made....
 
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