Victorinox pliers Vs leatherman

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Jan 17, 2018
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Is it worth getting a Victorinox model that has a plier over a leatherman? Are the pliers on a victorinox any good?
 
The pliers on my Swiss Champ, make really great tweezers. They also "may do some of the things", you would use a small pair of needle nose pliers for. The tools on the Victorinox are easier to access, and less awkward to use, than those on the Leatherman. If pliers are of primary importance, get a Leatherman. If the other tools, can opener, screw drivers, saw, scissors, knife blades, are of primary importance and pliers secondary, get a Victorinox.

O.B.
 
What were you thinking you were going to use it for? You won't be repairing fences or de-mining cambodia with a Vic, but they are handy for things like small nuts in computer towers and the like.
 
Is it worth getting a Victorinox model that has a plier over a leatherman? Are the pliers on a victorinox any good?

My first heavy duty multitool was a Leatherman Super Tool from 1997. Paired with a Micra, that was my only m-t EDC for the next 10 years. Then, based on its reputation, I picked up a Victorinox Swisstool. I was very impressed with the quality of fit and finish, that the implements were outside opening, and appreciated the heft and no- nonsense toughness of the piece. For a few months, I used the two alternately to find out which was the better. Each had good points and some not so much. For example, the Vic was more convenient than the ST to access the tools, but in the cold it was more difficult to pull them out, even worse when my fingernails were softened by wet weather, and damp or dry, my nail beds were alway smarting after sustained use. But Super Tool screwdrivers were much better than those on the Swisstool, on which the high degree of polish rounded them a bit too much, while the ST's were sharp cut. I could always snug down screws tighter with them. OTOH, the ST tools took longer to deploy because of having to open the handles, and the edges dug into my palms when squeezing down hard, partly finessed by padding my hand with a folded bandana. The ST locks were pretty good, mechanically simple and reliable, but unlocking procedure was awkward and time consuming. But the biggest difference was in the pliers. The ST's opened wider and were more of a true needle nose, which I preferred. My choice was to keep the Super Tool and give the Swisstool to my brother, who was so impressed with it that he got into the whole multi-tool thing and eventually transitioned into knife collecting himself. And I'm thinking, what have I done? :eek: :D
 
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Thanks for the replies guys! I like the look of the swisstools but I'm not sure if they are worth twice the price of the leatherman. Many of the 91mm and 111mm victorinox models have lots of tools including pliers and thought it might be a good compromise.
 
Actually, for a long time before I got the Super Tool, a Swisschamp was my EDC. During that time, I used every implement on it (except for the back mounted small screwdriver), but the pliers were really not very useful, more like super tweezers. That's the main reason I got the Leatherman. If you really need pliers, you would be better off with one of those, or a Vic equivalent. I have no experience with any of the other makes.
 
The fit and finish, is where you are putting the money into the Swisstool. With the leatherman you are getting a very solid user tool, with a great warranty, but swisstool will feel nicer, and has a bunch of little details that the leatherman does not. That said, it depends on what you intend on using it for. If you are just thinking a multitool would be nice to have, and budget is a concern, I'd recommend a leatherman Rebar. It will at least give you an idea of how a multitool fits in with your life. If you want more features, then go for a Wave. Both can be found used for not too bad. The small vic pliers are their own thing, worth while if you need them, but not in the same league as the plier based tools.
 
For larger pliers in a swiss army knife, check out the Ranger Grip 174 and 74. There were other models that are no longer produced too, especially when Wenger was a separate brand. Some evolution models also have pliers that are adjustable, which make them a bit more versatile. They're still a lot closer in size and sturdiness to the regular pliers you see on the Cybertool for example.
 
I generally look at it this way-- if you want a tool that's more for work, get a leatherman. They're easier to work with, more user-friendly, more capable, and have infinitely better drivers, pliers, and blades. If you're using your tool for recreation-- scaling a fish, whittling a small piece of wood, cleaning your fingernails, carrying a string-wrapped parcel, or will be using it somewhere people look down on tradesmen, go with a SAK. SAKs are David Niven, Leatherman tools are Humphrey Bogart.
 
When you need pliers you want real pliers, and a leatherman is closest to this.

I'd say a Vic with pliers can be a good alternative to a leatherman squirt but not a standard full sized pliers based multitool.
 
This last weekend, I had to service my house generator... step 1, disconnect battery cables. Ratchet wrench would have been the right tool for the job. But, I had my SwissChamp and it worked just fine. A bigger pliers or wrench would not have worked.

And, these pliers work great for smaller jobs, like last time we had to switch out an outlet plug.

The SwissChamp pliers are world class. Not as brawny as those on some other multitools, but up to the task and better at fine work.
 
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