RR: Leatherman vs. Victorinox blades' edgeholding

dogboye

dogboye

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Nov 23, 1999
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I think we have talked about the steels used in the two subject... err... tools' blades. But I don't recall anyone having actually done a test between the two for edge-holding? Does anyone else remember a test of this sort?

Why? Well, just curios, sort of. I happen to have blades of both type, even on me right now. But one of the three Benchmades I also have on me gets the lion's share of the actual cutting work.
 
I've never noticed a difference either, for the same reason. I use those blades as paint scrapers and worse, not as cutting tools. That's just me.
 
Not only is there a difference in the actual steels used for these two tools, but also in the manufacturing methods. I imagine the Victorinox uses 440A, while the Leatherman is 420J2 or something similarly crappy. However, there is a huge difference in the blade grinds, which make all the difference in the world. The Victorinox, while still not using the highest quality, super high carbon, powder metal steel, it is ground very thinly. This allows it to cut long after the shaving sharp edge is gone. The Leatherman, on the other hand, is pretty much incapable of taking an edge, much less holding one.
 
Victorinox uses what is essentially 425M at 55-6 HRC.

I don’t know what Leatherman uses, but every one of their NIB blades I have seen were easily shaving sharp and are easy to keep that way. Edge holding and hardness seem to be comparable to the Victorinox SAKs.




- Frank
 
On a different note, sort of... Do the blades on the Leatherman Wave lock? And if so, how?
 
The Wave has a crude linerlock system. Fairly secure, but nothing like a Spyderco engineered linerlock.
 
Bummer. It was at Target, too. It really didn't look like too bad a multi-tool, and I kinda liked the idea of the saw and file being readily available. And with the knife blades being readily available as well, maybe I'd actually use one of them once in a while.....

Little on the expensive side, though, if it has a liner-lock, and a crude one at that.
 
The leatherman's lock is actually more like a frame lock. I wouldn't worry too much about it's security, it's crude as in simple but effective.
 
Yeah, I'd say simple but effective. I couldn't resiste going ahead and picking one up at Target. But I have to say that after having a Leatherman PST and the Supertool, I'm a little disappointed at the Wave. The first two seem to be more serious tools, that have knife blades included for possible emergencies. The Wave seems to be primarily a knife, with the tools added. While that makes the blades much easier to get to, the tools are harder because they have sacrificed quick access to make everthing smoother. Still debating on whether I'm going to keep it. Still have the receipt and the clam pack.

It is probably going to boil down to its weight. If it is lighter than the Supertool, then I'll keep it for backpacking, because it will eliminate the extra, fairly large, SAK that I usually carry, along with the folding (real) blade, and I'll just use the small/medium fixed blade (Gerber or BM 140HS) for harder cutting chores.
 
Wave's gone. One ounce (and scissors) wasn't enough to justify keeping it when I already have the SuperTool. So back to the store it went. I then debated the Supertool 200 or the PST II, but decided to just give it up and work with what I have. Yeah, should have thought that to start with, eh?
 
Back to Subject,

I feel the Vic. knives are of better overall qaulity, and use 2 of them all the time.
 
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