Which Multi-Tool ?

pitdog

pitdog

Joined
Apr 13, 2007
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Thinking of getting a Multi-tool, been looking at the Leatherman Blast and also the Victorinox Spirit, anyone have any recommendations ?
I do require it to have a saw !
 
Leatherman wave mine has been in my edc kit for over 3 years... takes a beating and keeps going and it has a saw.
 
RescueRiley said:
Leatherman wave mine has been in my edc kit for over 3 years... takes a beating and keeps going and it has a saw.
Click to expand...

This is gonna be a turn-about Riley, me asking you about RUST !!!
Have you had any rust problems with the Leatherman ?
 
The Blast has everything that the Wave has and a little more tools. I have an old wave and like it better that the new wave. Go with the Blast or find an old Wave. With the New Wave, Leatherman is just selling you locking tools, but less tools. I use mine on sprinkler system adjustments and it has never rusted, even sitting in the sheath wet.
 
I have the old style Wave and the newer Charge XTi. Both are nice, solid tools, but the Wave takes up less space in a sheath pouch.

As for the Vics, take a look at the Outrider. I just ordered one. It has the large locking blade, a longer saw, scissors, and a Phillips screwdriver. Lot of good stuff in a pretty compact package.

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Note that there's an entire Multi-Tool forum here at BF. If you have specific tools in mind that you'd like, make a list, and those folks (probably some of the same folks here) can tell you which tools fit the bill.
 
Pit,

I've carried a wave for about three years including numerous float trips. I do a lot of wade fishing for smallmouth and carry the wave clipped to my shorts so it's in and out of the water most of the day. I clean and CLP it after each trip and it's held up well. There is some light staining on the file and some of the rougher finished tools but nothing too serious. I'd give it a 7.5 on a 10 scale for rust resistence.

The wave is my pick. A lot of usefull stuff in a small package and the new one's have a S30V main blade.

Stephen
 
You can go to Wal-mart and compare the two and you'll see what I mean and will be able to get a closer look.
 
I have the new Wave. I use and abuse it daily. It is my usual EDC, except for a couple months a couple months ago. It does not rust and it works very hard. I think it is the best working tool you can get before you start getting into the real heavyweights. I finally broke a tool on mine the other day. I had tried to break free a rusted screw, and twisted the large standard screwdriver pretty bad. I had a huge amount of force on the tool, due to it being held in an L shape and cranking on it. Later, I took it to a vice and hammered the bit back straight. The next time I used it, a small chunk of the bit broke off.
There you have it... the weak spot in the leatherman Wave. Mine has never rusted, even when used hard and put in the sheath wet or muddy. The plain edge blade does cut quite a bit better since I thinned the edge down some. If there is a downside to the tool, it is that it is a touch heavier than the older standard models.
The scissors are great for cutting moleskin, the diamond file works for touching up blades, the knife makes a nice backup...
All that being said, if the tool will usually ride in a pack, I would probably go for a lighter model and maybe an 84mm Vic w/ a saw.
 
I carry a Victorinox Spirit as my edc most of the time. I have a couple of Leathermans and a Swisstool, but the Spirit is my hands-down favorite. It is compact, comfortable to hold, has a useful array of tools, and is well-built enough to do heavy work. Don't be put off by the odd knife blade; I ground off the serrations and beveled both sides quite easily.
 
If you don't mind a little more weight and size, the Core has almost everything the Blast has and then some.

-Things the Blast has that the Core doesn't: eyeglass screwdriver/ scissors.
-Things the Core has that the Blast doesn't: awl with thread loop/ one medium sized flat screwdriver/ serrated knife.

As a plus, all the tools are bigger than on the Blast.
 
I carry the standard swisstool. Its great. I like how all the tools and not just the blades lock. The saw works well for small branches. I would definitely recommend it.
 
I have a Leatherman Wave and love it, but there is a "but" about it. I bought it because you can get a pocket clip for it and it has the much needed scissors and bottle opener. Scissors because I get hang nails constantly and the bottle opener because Sam Adams doesn't have twist off tops. Here's the "but" part....I love my SAK's, but hate the fact that they don't have a pocket clip and the Wave is HEAVY. I just love that ole pocket clip. I love knowing exactly where my knife is at all times and knowing I can get to it immediately if I should need it. I love the pocket clip so much that I just deal with the weight of the Wave.

For the life of me I can't figure out why SAK hasn't put pocket clips on their knives!
I love SAK's, but don't carry one much anymore because of no pocket clips.
 
I like Leatherman tools a lot. They are great and have excellent customer service, which is an important consideration. Plus, Pitdog, you can get an awesome deal on one;)
 
I used to use the older Wave and then upgraded to the Leatherman Charge Ti. The newer tools are much better and they are way better for one handed opening also now that the knife blades have bronze bushings. The 3" 154CM main blade is excellent and holds a razor edge a lot longer. The 3" 154CM main blade and the easier one handed opening in many ways makes this a tool that can be used as your sole EDC knife.

The Charge Ti is essentially the same tool as the Wave but it has a laser cut main blade out of 154CM instead of 420HC.

The new Charge TTI is the Ti with a guthook and crimper like the XTi and an S30V main blade.

The older Charge models, the Ti and the XTi with the 154CM blade are still available, but as the AL and ALX and they now have aluminum handles instead of titanium.
 
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