What is your favorite Multi-Tool?

D

David Williams

Joined
May 22, 1999
Messages
1,474
What is your favorite multi-tool and why? Did somebody's review influence your selection? Do you carry it with you every day? If so, did it replace your knife? How many multi-tools do you have? Do you have just one favorite or do you have a favorite one in each category? (Large, Pocket, Small, Keychain) Do you wish you could change the blade or other feature?

Do you have a collection like I do because you had know how they performed for yourself rather than just handle them at the store?

Did you give one of your tools to your wife (significant other) so you could replace it?
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Did you buy her a new one?

My favorite is the Leatherman PST II. It was a gift from my father. I use the Pliers most followed by the scissors, screwdrivers, wire cutters. I hardly, if ever, use the knife blade or file. I like its size/weight over the Wave. I bought a Swiss-Tool but because it is too big and heavy plus no scissors it doesn't get the daily use I thought it would.

I use my PST II every day but I haven't saved the day yet. With apoligies to Leathermans' Tool Tales Have you saved the day?


[This message has been edited by David Williams (edited 05 July 1999).]
 
Leatherman Wave for me.
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Everything I need (except a magnifying glass) is all there.
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As for saving the day... hmmm... Well, I did use it once to tune an erring side-draught carburettor during a race.
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I guess it did save the day, coz we went ahead and won the race.
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Dan
 
I like my Wave, and my Micra, I was getting fed up with the non-locking blades on my other-wise cool Gerber Multiplier.

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"All of our knives open with one hand, in case you're busy with the other"
<OVAL OFFICE JOKE>
 
I like the Wave.

I've had the original Leatherman, got stupid and sold it to buy the Gerber. I liked it originally, very quick to get the pliers into action, until the pliers slipped a couple of times and pinched my hand like you would'nt believe. Very painful. Now it just stays in my glove compartment.

Now I own the Wave, and love it. I used to never use the knife blades on the Gerber, or the old leatherman either because it took so long to get at them.

I find that I actually use the knife blades on the wave because it is so much more convenient to use them with the one hand opening design.
 
I learned something! I have a Gerber and Micra. But after playing with the Gerber, I can see how uit could slip. I guess I will have to buy a Wave and give my wife my Gerber for her car.
 
My favorite is the Victorinox SwissTool. I have carried it on my belt every day, every waking hour, for more than a year. I am accustomed to the weight. Helpful hint: If you spread your legs wide when you go pee-pee, your pants are less likely to fall down.

The Wave does not appeal to me for the following reasons:

1. The one greatest feature seems to be the one-hand accessible knife blades. But I always have one or more better one hand folders on my person.

2. Only four of the implements lock. No locking screwdrivers is a real drag.

3. No awl. I can live without scissors, but I MUST have an awl/reamer. (If you need to cut something the knife blade will serve in a pinch, but if you need to make a small hole in something, there's not much else other than an awl that will work.)

4. The SwissTool seems more robust.
 
I love my SwissTool. Like David, I carry mine daily in a supurb leather horizontal belt sheath made by forum member Gary Graley. All of the SwissTool's tools are accessible from the outside, and all of the tools lock. Despite my feelings, I went ahead and bought a Leatherman Super Tool several weeks ago. The LM's tools can only be reached after opening the pliers. The locking mechanism on the LM is awkward at best, dangerous at worst. In order to close a locked blade, another blade must be opened half-way. The SwissTool has a much easier lock release. Also, the LM's tools clump together when you try to choose a tool to use. The SwissTool's tools operate individually. All of that makes the SwissTool the clear winner IMHO.

The SwissTool has come in handy far too many times to count.

You can see a pic of the SwissTool sheath that Gary made by clicking <a href="http://home.carolina.rr.com/senator/images/SwissTool_sheath_big.jpg">here</a>.



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Kelly

http://home.carolina.rr.com/senator
AKTI Member #A000289

Deo Vindice


 
I can't say I have a current fave. I'll describe what would be my fave, next.

My fave up to now has been the PST II. I've liked its small size, excellent quality, and the presence of scissors.

But I've been using my multitool much harder recently and have been running into too many of the disadvantages of a small tool. The PST II is the perfect lightweight, light-use tool. For a harder use tool, I'd like:

- All tools to lock, or at least the knife blades and screwdriver blades. Locking mechanism should be easy to unlock.

- Special tools: scissors (most important) and saw.

- Blades accessible from the outside with the tool closed.

- Non-clumping blades

- Comfortable handles even when squeezing pliers very hard

- I go back and forth on needle-nose versus bullnose.

None of the current multitools have all the features I mention. A few come relatively close. The newest SOG locks, has scissors and saws, is one-hand opening which gives almost the same advantages as outside tools. I believe the tools still clump though, and I read a complaint about SOG's solution to the handle-comfort problem. The Victorinox tool is very close, just need scissors and a saw on that baby. The Wave also has some features, like some tools lock and are exterior accessible, but the screwdrivers don't lock.

Joe
jat@cup.hp.com
 
LM Wave and micro. I like being able to use the blades with out opening the handles. The screw drivers lock in place, and the blades close without opening another partially. The plain edge blade is about as sharp from the factory as any knife I have owned. But the main reason is I can open any tool without needing to use my fingernail.
Jim

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What? Another knife? Don't you have enough of those things already?
How many does one person need?
 
Gonesailing,

The screwdrivers lock in place on the Wave? I didn't know that I'll have to look at one again.

What is Gladstone next to?
 
If I could only have one it'd be a LM Wave and I've tried quite a few.

I don't carry a Wave all the time though - let's be real it's overkill in the city, so it resides in my glove compartment. I DO carry a LM Micra all the time though.
 
David- I've got two multi-tools, both LM. The Wave and the Supertool.Wave is by far my fave. I don't carry it all the time- just don't allways like to have a sheath on my belt.(thinking about a Side Clip) I still carry at least two knives with the LM.
Mike K.
 
I'm kinda with Joe T on this one. If they would put scissors on the Swiss tool I'd buy it. Just lose the serrated blade. I carry the micra now on my keychain.
 
David,

My favorite is also the LM Wave. BTW, none of the tools but the 2 blades, saw, and file lock. The remainder have some kind of system that kinda stops it from closing past halfway or so, but they don't lock.

I'd like the Wave a whole lot more if the screwdrivers did lock, and they had the tool adapter available for it. Still, considering everything, I think it's the one of the best available.


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JP Bullivant
 
I purchased a leatherman about 8 years ago and sold it and bought a LM "Supertool" about a year later. I used it on a construction site everyday for one reason or another. I like it more than the orginal because the tools lock. I liked it so much that I bought two one for home and one for work. I would like to buy the LM "Wave" but I haven't worn out either of my "Supertools" yet. The only downfall is if your cutting barbed wire the edges are hard on your hands. The LM "Wave" seems to have eliminated this problem by rounding the edges. I don't like the "Gerber" because if the pliers slip the handles come together and pinch your hands. Although most people I know who own the "Gerber" like it because they can snap the plier feature out quickly. I don't know any reason that I would need pliers that quickly.
 
Originally bought a Gerber Multi-plier. Traded it a few weeks later for a used Leatherman PST. Later gave that away and bought a PST II. Gave that away when I got a Wave as a gift. Each step has been an improvement, especially the first one. I find the two easy-access blades on the Wave so handy that I no longer carry a "beater" knife (the shame!), though I do carry a 4" folder for emergencies ONLY.

I use the Wave every day, and sometimes even when the "right" tool is available. While locking screwdrivers would be nice, I find it handy to use them at a right angle to the handle sometimes for tight spots. No big problems. I was concerned about the Wave's complexity affecting its sturdiness, but I kept pushing it harder and harder and now am fully confident in it. A great multi-tool.

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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)
 
I carry the LM Supertool while on the ambulance. Love the durability and the range of tools. The Wave gets carried off-duty and occasionally on-duty when I want a change of pace. The Micra is on the keychain.

I just got my Supertool and Wave back from Leatherman, the ST had about an eigth of an inch broke off one of the plier jaws and the Wave had a chunk of blade edge missing (NEVER let someone borrow your tool to cut a LIVE freaking reading lamp wire in a ambulance, lots of spark light and a damaged blade!!!!!). They fixed both of them and I am ecstatic. Later, Jeff

With this kind of customer service,Leatherman rules in my book.

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Anybody seen the bactine, please?!?!?!?

 
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