The Knives in Leatherman Tools

C

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I've never been very impressed by the knife blades in Victorinox knives, but I don't know much about the blades in the Leatherman tool series. I just got the Charge TTi model with an S30V knife blade which, in truth, I expected to be a bit larger (the ad had read: "The...TTi packs a knife blade with one of the longest and strongest cutting edges of any multi-tool on the market today"). At any rate, it was fairly decent in appearance and the lockup seemed fairly strong. I just wondered why the serrated blade wasn't S30V, too, and if not, what steel is it?

I opted with this model over the New Wave model at about $32 cheaper. Can anyone tell me how good the blades in these Leathermans are? I also went with the more expensive model because it was advertised as having a stronger lock system. The titanium meant nothing to me; I would have preferred an aluminum handle and a second or thrid S30V blade or tool. The blade was sharp out of the box and I was able to get it sharper with just a few strokes of the sharpener.

Has anyone used this model extensively?

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chargetti-blade-300.jpg


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The serrated blade (with hook) is not S30V, but what is it?
 
My Charge has 154CM and has held up great. Before that the Wave had a great blade too (until I arc'ed a hole in it - hence the Charge).
 
If you like thick edge bevels, you'll like the Wave's blades. Kind of the opposite of the way Victorinox does it. That is, the right way.
 
There was a week or two a few years back when I EDC'd my Charge XTi using the pocket clip. It's actually a fairly nice knife and I have to admit it did everything I needed a pocket knife to do.
In general I like Leatherman tools because I find their fit and finish on the pliers is better than other manufacturers, but the premium blade steel certainly helps.
 
I've got one with the S30v blade that I use a lot. I simply love it. It's like having a toolbox with me at all times.
 
I have a Leatherman Blast that I love. I dont carry any of the other models just because to me thats just to much weight to carry around all day. I would love to have a Wave or something in that nature but again the issue is the weight. The blade on my blast is a little on the small side so to make up for that I carry a larger blade clipped to my pocket. I know that sounds stupid but thats just me. I think the blade material in the Blast is 420HC. I may be wrong.
 
Per Leatherman's website and my own research, the non premium steel blades are 420HC. I have been using leatherman tools since 1997, long before they introduced a model with a premium steel blade. In truth the only reason I have chosen a charge over a wave for edc is the weight. My charge has the serrated blade with hook, works great, no complaints.
 
I have a Charge Titanium and it also has 154cm blades. It is a great tool and the blades came super sharp. I like it a lot and the ONLY negative I have is it is HEAVY.

Peter
 
Wildone39 said:
I have a Leatherman Blast that I love. I dont carry any of the other models just because to me thats just to much weight to carry around all day. I would love to have a Wave or something in that nature but again the issue is the weight. The blade on my blast is a little on the small side so to make up for that I carry a larger blade clipped to my pocket. I know that sounds stupid but thats just me. I think the blade material in the Blast is 420HC. I may be wrong.
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I switched from the Charge XTi to the Skeletool CX because of weight. Right now I have it in a horizontal sheath just to the right of my belt buckle. It doesn't have all the tools the Charge does, but I carry mainly for the pliers anyway.
 
The Wave and Charge are heavy knives by their inherent design---I gave my father my Charge and instead got the Skeletool CX for a reduction in weight.

In regards to the OP not being impressed with Victorinox's blades---what's not to like? They may not be S30V, or even 154CM, but their edge geometry is light-years (in my opinion) ahead of those of Leatherman knives from the factory. The are precisely flat ground, are very thin near the edge, and come well-polished and biting-sharp from the factory. The blades of my Leatherman come sharp, and their grinding is relatively uniform, but I believe the Charge was hollow ground, and both have thick bevels. I find the Victorinox to be a much more efficient slicers, whittler, and cutter.

The Victorinox blades get my whole-hearted thumbs-up. :thumbup:
 
Leatherman blades are not good. They don't lock in place, my PSTII doesn't, and thats dangerous IMO. I carry another blade, a stockman, to cut things, and it's not serrated, another plus.
 
I like that I can open the blade with one hand and it does, indeed, lock. I also love the bit tool. Didn't know which sheath to go with, the leather or the nylon, but ended up with the leather, and I like it better. The photos showed a darker, unfinished titanium set of grips, but mine were polished to appear like stainless steel. I also like that. Overall, it was a good purchase, but a bit pricey. Thanks for all the comments.
 
oaktree said:
Leatherman blades are not good. They don't lock in place, my PSTII doesn't, and thats dangerous IMO. I carry another blade, a stockman, to cut things, and it's not serrated, another plus.
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All the blades and tools lock in place with my Charge TTi
 
steelscout30 said:
The Wave and Charge are heavy knives by their inherent design---I gave my father my Charge and instead got the Skeletool CX for a reduction in weight.

In regards to the OP not being impressed with Victorinox's blades---what's not to like? They may not be S30V, or even 154CM, but their edge geometry is light-years (in my opinion) ahead of those of Leatherman knives from the factory. The are precisely flat ground, are very thin near the edge, and come well-polished and biting-sharp from the factory. The blades of my Leatherman come sharp, and their grinding is relatively uniform, but I believe the Charge was hollow ground, and both have thick bevels. I find the Victorinox to be a much more efficient slicers, whittler, and cutter.

The Victorinox blades get my whole-hearted thumbs-up. :thumbup:
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Not only do they use a nice flat grind, but it's distal tapered too.
 
oaktree said:
Leatherman blades are not good. They don't lock in place, my PSTII doesn't, and thats dangerous IMO. I carry another blade, a stockman, to cut things, and it's not serrated, another plus.
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Well that's because the PST II is a model with non locking blades. Most of the Tools these days have looking blades.
 
Smash05 said:
Per Leatherman's website and my own research, the non premium steel blades are 420HC. I have been using leatherman tools since 1997, long before they introduced a model with a premium steel blade. In truth the only reason I have chosen a charge over a wave for edc is the weight. My charge has the serrated blade with hook, works great, no complaints.
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The weight difference between Charge and Wave is 3/10 of an ounce, but there are other good reasons to go for it.
 
oaktree said:
Leatherman blades are not good. They don't lock in place, my PSTII doesn't, and thats dangerous IMO. I carry another blade, a stockman, to cut things, and it's not serrated, another plus.
Click to expand...

You might try an upgrade if you see a deal sometime. As others have noted, the tools lock in place on current models. I have a Charge Ti, a couple of Waves (old and new) and a few SuperTool 200's. They all have locking blades.
 
I did't know the new ones lock their blades. I've used my PST II for about 16 years and have not paid attention to the new ones. I carry and use it almost every day. Thanks for the heads up.
 
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The newer models from Leatherman feature locking blades---but to me, the liner-style lock doesn't seem very significant. My Wave's locking mechanisms made me feel quite nervous. The locks on my Charge and Skeletool inspire more confidence, but I was certainly jaded by those on my Wave.

Still, Leatherman is a company and multitool design that I have confidence in.
 
Just to clear something up... The current Wave (post 2005) and all the Charges have identical locks. Also, any current model larger than their "Juice" line (which is a smaller slip joint design) has all locking tools.
 
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