Wave dislikes

F

faca

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Jan 5, 2003
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Hello.
I get a Wave multitool and I have a dislike with it.
When I use the blade to make feather stick ( hard work high press)the back of the tool dig into my palm very hard and unconfortable.
I have try to file the handles and back blades that contact my hand but no much improve.
Is there some solution as some handle scales or covers?

Enjoy
 
I think the Wave is the world's largest keychain tool and a "jack of all trades, master of none". Leatherman decided to throw everything they could into one package, whether it worked well that way or not. "Not" is what happened.

I've tried the Wave, and it failed. The one-hand locking blades use a liner lock that would be unacceptable on any ordinary folder. The tools that need to lock, like screwdrivers, don't. The whole package is too wide.

If you need heavy-duty and can do without the scissors, get a Supertool. Get the Micra for the scissors. If you don't need a saw, get the Pulse. Both ST and Pulse lock on all the blades and the thin edges of the metal housing are rounded, not laser-cut rough like the Wave.

The only cover for the handles pressing too hard on your hand is to grow a lot of callus. :)
 
I'm finding that the can-opener is a b***h to use on the Wave. The unrounded edge of the handles (with the opener in position)cut into my palm/fingers when using it.

I bought an Avon $12.00 'no-name' SAK from a co-worker and the can opener on that thing works at least twice as good (probably even better).
 
In general, I like the Wave. But I had a number of complaints that I raised in a thread last year, including the one that you mentioned. I sent my complaints into Leatherman and got a reply back, although it took a long time. They do log the comments and take them into account for future designs, and also may fix things that can be fixed.
 
I can't find anything I like about the Wave. This knife is so prone to corrosion that after so much sanding you want to buy a dehumidifier just for the goddamn knife. I think it's an awful value, and I'd rather buy a 60 dollar SAK, as i find them superior. Complaints: Blades open choppily, non-locking tools, there are too many regular screwdrivers, it rusts too much, it feels bad in the hand, too heavy, and the blades don't sharpen worth crap. Just by a Cybertool, or if you need beefier plyers, duct tape an Explorer to a pair of Plyers :)
 
I disagree with you all - so there:p

I've used the wave for 4+ years now. No blade play in either knife blade, a bit looser in the pliers is the only wear and tear. I find it the best combination for me when working around the house or when travelling. I carry it in a modified sheath with a pocket clip, clipped to my shorts or jeans. Otherwise it lives in my pack.

It's not super heavy duty, but those jobs have me reaching for my toobox (my neighbours toolbox more often)anyway. I've aquired a supertool 200, a PST and a mini leatherman over the years. The Wave is the one I reach for.

I must check out the pulse because that sounds like it has a similar set of tools in a slimmer/lighter package.

I've noticed the Wave is very popular on oil rigs and minesites and probably shares equal billing with the supertool (number of times I've spotted them on belts) in my estimation.

Just goes to show that we are all unique litte snowflakes with our own needs.
 
Well, there is a reason Leatherman keeps making them :)

I gave away a couple of good Leatherman tools recently, and used the opportunity to try out the SOG Powerplier. What a monster. It really is a toolkit in one relatively compact package. But I still like the Pulse better for casual carry: smaller, lighter, handier. The Pulse is really a Juice without the colored aluminum handles.

I also carry a Victorinox (?Ranger), which is pretty large for a SAK, but lighter and smaller than the Leatherman equivalents, and all it lacks is the pliers, which are no longer the big deal they were before I retired.

Anyway, Ming, you're in Oz! What else would we expect from a backward country like that? :D
 
I second Ming65. I've EDC'ed a Wave for 3+ years now and it hasn't let me down yet.

"Unacceptable on any ordinary folder" is a bit vague. Are you saying that their quality would be unacceptable on an "ordinary folder" or that liner locks are unacceptable for "ordinary folders"? The liner locks on the LM Wave aren't Spyderco quality but they get the job done.

I don't understand the complaining about the thin edges on the handles, unless you're trying to use it as a prybar or have sissy hands. :)

LM Wave is a superb light duty multitool in my book. And at least one guy I respect agrees. Of course, that doesn't mean that it's the BEST. It's just that, for me, it hits the sweet spot for a compact, effective, easy-to-carry multitool. YMMV.

I do have my dislikes for the Wave: I wish all the tools locked and I wish there were a better way to use standard hex bits, but those are minor nits for me. Also, the lanyard hole/attachment is lame (requires a split ring) and isn't holster friendly.

Edit: NeedleRemorse, if you're having rust problems, send it back to Leatherman and they'll probably replace it. I think they had a bad batch a while back, mine has never shown even a spot of rust, despite the fact that I've carried it through rain and shine.
 
I have a Wave, and like it. I use it for what it is, a medium to light multi-tool. If I need real tools, they are available most of the time, so there is no need to stress the wave. I also have the older model Supertool, and find it sturdier, but less comfortable.

- gadgetaddict
 
I think that the Wave is great tool. I've never had it fail in the field during the 3+ years I've carried it on duty (FF/EMT) and have never had any corrosion anywhere on it. It isn't as tough as the SuperTool but if you need something stronger you shouldn't be using a multitool anyway.

BTW I own a Wave, SuperTool, PST, a SAK SwissTool and a SOG Paratool. I EDC the Wave. 'Nuff said:)
 
Ive had mine for over 2 years and I havent seen it rust. Used it for fishing, around the house, and in the car. The only dislike I have is that its sort of heavy and big, which is why its not on my EDC anymore.
 
I've had a Wave for about 6 months and it is always in the watchpocket of my jeans at work right beside my knife. I've used the hell out of it and (so far) gots no complaints. I also have a SOG Powerplier that I snagged off Ebay for 5.00 + shipping (YEAH!:D ) and I have to say that the SOG is a heavier duty tool. But for light duty stuff the Wave is fine for me. I could do without the sissors though. I also have a Juice Kf4 thats pretty handy.
 
I put multi-tools into the same class I put TOPS 'The Hunted' knives and any product marketed as 'generic.'

I don't think these items were designed to give 'excellent' performance. They were designed to be there, handy, and solve problems when you cannot carry a full tool box.

I like tiny folding boxes of bits, much like the little blue box of bits you get from Benchmade. I look at the screws I use most often (like the kind in my dashboard, my folding knives or in my gun grips), and I replace the bits with these common types. If something loosens, I have the right screwdriver. Granted, I cannot detail strip a full dress Harley, but that's not the point. I can make simple repairs.

Same with the TOPS knife, I think it's a compromise, it needs a training video, and its over-priced. Still, I'd like one for my truck; we get WAY off of the road in The National Grasslands. It might not be perfect, but it beats using your fingernails in a cold rain.
 
I have the Wave as well. It's the perfect tool for me when I don't have my toolbox with me. I've used the pliers, scissors, screw drivers, both knife blades, and the saw fairly regularly and they haven't let me down yet.

I work as a mechanical designer and deal with a lot of different design and prototyping jobs. Quite often, when I am dealing with a customer on site, I don't have access to my toolbox and most often couldn't carry even a small one with me. The Leatherman takes care of any emergency tooling needs I have from cutting packaging and stripping wires to assembling and disassembling small devices. I wouldn't rely on it for every day heavy duty use, but that's not what its for. These things are meant to be used occasionally when you can't carry a full set of tools. For that, for me, it works just fine.
 
Originally posted by Esav Benyamin
......What else would we expect from a backward country like that? :D
Click to expand...

I know, we have all kinds of quirks and eccentricities here. WA for example, has one of the highest standards of living in the world, access to some of the last great wilderness areas in the world, great weather, beaches etc - yet one of the worlds highest suicide rates. :confused:

Another distinction I've made about Multi-tools. You need to calculate your WRFPT Threshold. The WRFPT (When to Reach For the Proper Tool) Say you work in a workshop and have all of your tools nearby then you will have a WRFPT of nearly zero and very little need for a multi-tool. On the other extreme if you range far and wide, engage in lots of mechanical repair and don't have access to tools, then you have a WRFPT of nearly 100 and should have a heavy duty multi-tool.

The Wave, I think, is for people with a WRFPT of 28.77 to 54.33, whereas the super tool comes in at 68.4-93.5.

When considering this advice do bear in mind that I suffer from a high TTCSA (Tendency To Create Silly Acronyms).
 
The SOG Powerlock's wirecutters alone is probably going to chew the Wave in half.
Happy Powerlock owner here.
 
Originally posted by calyth
The SOG Powerlock's wirecutters alone is probably going to chew the Wave in half.
Click to expand...

Ok, let's settle this once and for all:mad:. Let's put your SOG and my LM in a washing mashine together, on full spin cycle, with all blades and pliers open, and see who comes out on top.
 
My Wave was used on a regular basis by my father before I got it. He used it in Florida to repair water purification equipment. It saw abuse from sweat, blood, sulpher water, sand, iron, potassium permangenate, salt, PVC glue, mud, insect repellant etc.

By the time he gave it to me, the blades were blunt objects, there was about a pound of sand in it, the blades and tools would hardy move and everything inside the tool was rusted and filled with grime.

It took me about 2 hours of cleaning with a toothbrush, Scotchbrite and Flitz metal polish to get it looking clean again. Now it looks like it's in extremely good shape.

The reasons he gave it to me were the fact that the liner locks don't lock too well, one closed on me while I was cleaning it! Luckily I was not cut. The plier jaws wobble about 1/4" side to side when closed and it practically falls open it's so loose. The other reason was none of the tools lock, which in his line of work where you're dying of heat stroke out in the hot sun, you left the tool you need in the truck, insect repellant and sunscreen running into your eyes, lying in mud being bitten by red ants while wiring a sub pump, the last thing you want is your tools to fold closed on you.

So, in my experience, the Wave is a tough tool that can take a lot of abuse from the elements, but is not entirely suited to hard everyday use.

We're both looking into getting the Swiss Tool.
 
Ming, Art Linkletter once reported some kid as saying that when it's daytime in America, it's nighttime in China, and that's why we say it's a backward country :) Obviously, Australians of European descent all have circadian rhythms based on the Northern Hemisphere, on the opposite side of the planet from where you stuck yourselves now. No wonder your national sport is lying on the beach drinking beer! :cool:

If we put my SOG and your LM in a washing machine together, what I want to know is, who's going to repair the washing machine afterwards? :eek:
 
I like the Wave just fine, but it's not perfect. I need one even smaller, with only the tools I want. Been carrying my Trailmaster more lately, but it's not perfect either. I'm gonna take another look at the Pulse, but it doesn't have a hammer...
 
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