Thorough - Multi-Tool Face Off

[Water Bug]

I still haven’t found a tool I like better than the first generation Wave. Mine is from the first year they were out and says patent pending on it. I plan on taking it to the grave with me.

I, too, thought the original Leatherman Wave was the best of that particular design... that said, I've yet to find a multi-tool I like better than the Leatherman Super Tool, especially the Leatherman Super Tool 200.

[BLUETYPEII]

I still haven’t found a tool I like better than the first generation Wave. Mine is from the first year they were out and says patent pending on it. I plan on taking it to the grave with me.

I have the same one I really like it!

[Snacktime]

[*]Skeletool CX: The multitool I EDC. Its 154CM blade is one of the best I've used in a multitool. To be honest, I could probably ditch my Spydercos & just carry this everyday & be perfectly fine.

Skeletool was a game changer for me, I carried it exclusively for years. It was just light enough for daily carry and had just enough tools to change a wall switch or adjust a carburetor. After the 3rd one, I kind of got over leatherman and tried to find something. I feel that the early leatherman were a better product, 2000-2010 I think I only bought 3-4 off the snap-on man. He would always have the newest one and **** I had to have it. I also had an early gerber that was awesome with the sliding jaw but that died after 6 months of living in the dirt. In the end I learned that if you can wear the teeth off a knipex pliers in a year nothing else will survive.

Really the spyderench is what landed me on this forum, saw some photos and some googling. I think I need another leatherman for nostalgia.

[zuludelta]

• Skeletool CX: The multitool I EDC. Its 154CM blade is one of the best I've used in a multitool. To be honest, I could probably ditch my Spydercos & just carry this everyday & be perfectly fine.

Skeletool was a game changer for me, I carried it exclusively for years. It was just light enough for daily carry and had just enough tools to change a wall switch or adjust a carburetor.

"Game Changer" is a good way to describe it. At 5 oz., it doesn't weigh much more than most folding knives but there is just so much added functionality with the pliers, wire cutters, and bit driver with the two included double-headed bits. Pair the Skeletool with a bit kit and you have a pocket-portable tool box. And the 154CM blade on the Skeletool CX model holds an edge just about as well as Spyderco's VG-10, which is more than sufficient for EDC purposes, IMO. And used specifically as a knife, it's just way more ergonomic than any other multitool i've used.

[Snacktime]

"Game Changer" is a good way to describe it. At 5 oz., it doesn't weigh much more than most folding knives but there is just so much added functionality with the pliers, wire cutters, and bit driver with the two included double-headed bits. Pair the Skeletool with a bit kit and you have a pocket-portable tool box. And the 154CM blade on the Skeletool CX model holds an edge just about as well as Spyderco's VG-10, which is more than sufficient for EDC purposes, IMO. And used specifically as a knife, it's just way more ergonomic than any other multitool i've used.

Just realized the CX is no longer combo edge, this may make me buy one. I think this is the first time I have been on leatherman website in 2 years.

[stanolszews]

Leatherman Squirt PS4 is my go to. It's small, but it's all you need most of the time. The Skeletool and the Charge/Wave are also great options. The Skeletool RX is probably my favorite (gotta love the full serrated blade), but the PS4 is just super easy to carry and it's so useful.

I used to be a Gerber guy, but their smaller tools are all inferior to the PS4, and I'm pretty sure the smaller ones are not even remotely close to being made in the USA.

[Bill1170]

I still haven’t found a tool I like better than the first generation Wave. Mine is from the first year they were out and says patent pending on it. I plan on taking it to the grave with me.

I have the same one I really like it!

Me, too. I also have a late 90’s Gerber I still use on occasion. It has the slidey pliers and locking tools.

[BLUETYPEII]

I still haven’t found a tool I like better than the first generation Wave. Mine is from the first year they were out and says patent pending on it. I plan on taking it to the grave with me.

I have the same one I really like it!

Me, too. I also have a late 90’s Gerber I still use on occasion. It has the slidey pliers and locking tools.

I had one of if not the first Gerber multipliers, (a gift from my very generous father) they were a total status symbol in our little archery community; I liked the old Gerber but if you slipped when using the pliers it would pinch the out of your hand.

[Wartstein]

..... or the diamond file on the wave, but nothing beats the total package of the rebar for my uses.

Same here.

The Rebar overall is the best larger multitool for me.

And yes, one of the two things I,'d like it to have it is a diamond file for emergency sharpening.
The second one would be scissors, but I have folding scissors attached to my Rebar with a thick rubber band, This gives me better working scissors than any multitool offers plus that band for makeshift repairs of whatever broken atuff.
Of course in this configuration (and actually generally anyway) the Rebar is not a tool for "I use it every five minutes" but great in an essentialls pouch for just in case.

I also always have a Micra on my key chain.

When I go lighter (quite often actually) instead of the Rebar I like to bring the Juice S2 in "urban" enviroment and CS4 or KF4 in the outdoors (with all Juices I prefer the old, discontinued versions).

And a Squirt PS4 permanently lives in my trail running pack/vest. Rarely ever used though.

[Evil D]

I just found myself looking at other tools and I came right back around to the same conclusion, that my Spirit is still the best for my preferences. I was thinking about stepping up to the bigger Swisstool but the tool layout isn't really any better and the Spirit has a better pry tool and is lighter. The one thing I wish it had that I envy from Leatherman is a higher quality blade steel, even though I carry a dedicated pocket knife I still wouldn't mind having a better steel on my multitool just in case and I also wouldn't mind having one handed opening on the knife blade along with it. The problem is always compromise, because the multitools that offer these features always have other things that I don't like so I'm always choosing the lesser of evils.

[Wartstein]

• Skeletool CX: The multitool I EDC. Its 154CM blade is one of the best I've used in a multitool. To be honest, I could probably ditch my Spydercos & just carry this everyday & be perfectly fine.

Skeletool was a game changer for me, I carried it exclusively for years. It was just light enough for daily carry and had just enough tools to change a wall switch or adjust a carburetor.

"Game Changer" is a good way to describe it. At 5 oz., it doesn't weigh much more than most folding knives but there is just so much added functionality with the pliers, wire cutters, and bit driver with the two included double-headed bits. Pair the Skeletool with a bit kit and you have a pocket-portable tool box. And the 154CM blade on the Skeletool CX model holds an edge just about as well as Spyderco's VG-10, which is more than sufficient for EDC purposes, IMO. And used specifically as a knife, it's just way more ergonomic than any other multitool i've used.

I am the opposite - I could never get into the Skeletool (had two, a combo edge 154 cm and the regular one).
Totally subjective of course, but here is why (especially compared to the Juice models):

- IF I carry a dedicated folding knife (exclusively Spyderco in my case) the knife function of my multitool is pretty obsolet or at best a rarely used backup.
- The Skeletool has a a sturdy, but also really not slicey and not "piercy" blade. The thin, hollow ground Juice blade (though long enough only in the old models!!) performs much better in actual cutting tasks, it also pierces better. So for me certainly better as a backup, but probably also if I´d carry no dedicated folder (though then the one handed opening of the Skeletool would be an advantage)
- The Skeletool actually does not offer much functionality for me in relation to weight and size. Even the Juice S2 offers more (like scissors, mulitfunction bottle-/can opener / scraper, three sizes of flatheads...), is lighter and much less bulky (I never needed that Skeletool carabiner clip, which only increases size for me - even thought of sawing it off). The Juice CS4 is just a tad "heavier" than the Skeletool, smaller in size and has a ton of functionality more (good saw, awl...)
- The srewdriver / bit part of the Skeletool is not very useful in many tasks, cause it offers very little reach in tight spaces. The Juice is a lot better here, especially the very long Phillips driver. Now of course there is that extension part for the skeletool (and Wave...), but this has to be carried as an extra part. Now if one does so, they could as well bring the removable bit driver kit for the Juice: This can be attached to the anyway long Phillips driver, gives a REALLY long reach and all regular bits fit in there.
- Pliers: The Skeletool has small and rather blunt pliers. I don´t like that, but find the also small, but more needlenose pliers of the Juice a lot more versatile (also I´ve read several accounts of Skeletool pliers breaking, but no idea if this has any truth to it).
- What still speaks for the Skeletool? The pocket clip IF I carried it as only-tool (and no dedicated knife). But I have a glued on pocket clip on one of my Juices - holds up perfectly (and actually surprisingly for me!).

Again: The OLD Juice models are better than the current ones - the former seem to be more solidly build and offer a longer knife blade with a tiny bit of belly towards the tip.

Just my two cents of course! No right or wrong here, just personal preference based on my individual use and experiences.

[JRinFL]

I have an old KF4 Juice ( and two backups) that has a Nite-ize clip on it. Very nice smallish tool that is fully functional.

[Wartstein]

I have an old KF4 Juice ( and two backups) that has a Nite-ize clip on it. Very nice smallish tool that is fully functional.

I was lucky enough to still also find a (used) KF4 some time ago for not too much money (people ask for crazy prizes for this long disco'ed model, if there's one to find at all).

Like the CS4 and even the S2 for me the KF4 beats the skeletool easily:
About the same weight, but in a smaller package, and one gets a quite capable PE as well as SE blade, plus a saw and that very usefull (for on the road "emergency" sharpenings) diamond file (and of course the more needle nosed pliers, 3 flatheads/scrapers and the long Phillips driver).

And I think he "Solar yellow" of the KF4 is a cool and pretty rare color

/ I think the "glued on" clip on one of my Juices is a nite ize too. Works just fine!

[aicolainen]

Again: The OLD Juice models are better than the current ones - the former seem to be more solidly build and offer a longer knife blade with a tiny bit of belly towards the tip.

I'm not sure what you mean about current Juice models, as far as I know they're all out of production.
Sadly I missed out on the whole line. Back when they were widely available I was all about bigger is better, and didn't realize how unique they actually were.

[aicolainen]

I still haven’t found a tool I like better than the first generation Wave. Mine is from the first year they were out and says patent pending on it. I plan on taking it to the grave with me.

Agreed. I'm not totally sure when mine was made/purchased, but it's probably from 1999, so quite possibly made within that first year of production. I got it in the spring of 2000. I was in the army at the time, and carried and used my OG LM SuperTool. Visiting my uncle, that was both an avid outdoors man and gear geek, who lived near the base where I was stationed at the time he proudly showed me his LM Wave. I was so impressed, I must have drooled all over it. And he must have noticed, cause come time for my birthday he gifted me that very LM Wave. He's now sadly passed away, but just that act of gifting me a tool that was so important to him means that it will always be much more important to me than just the utility of the tool. Which is great BTW.



I still use it regularly on my spare time, but as with folding knives, since my day job is mostly office type work, carrying large tools as EDC is hard to justify.
As a sad side story to this already long post, I can mention that in my infatuation with the Wave I totally lost track of the original SuperTool. Mostly miss it for the nostalgia, but I'm sure it would still be very useful as a stash tool in a vehicle or similar.

[Wartstein]

Again: The OLD Juice models are better than the current ones - the former seem to be more solidly build and offer a longer knife blade with a tiny bit of belly towards the tip.

I'm not sure what you mean about current Juice models, as far as I know they're all out of production.
Sadly I missed out on the whole line. Back when they were widely available I was all about bigger is better, and didn't realize how unique they actually were.

Man!!
You´re right, and I totally missed that the Juices aren´t made any longer... crazy, since these, as you say, were really unique in the leatherman linup, heck, in the whole mutiltool world as far as I know. So small and light, but a ton of functions - as said "function to weight ratio" for me much better than the Skeletool can offer.

And now they ALL seem to go for crazy money on ebay, not only the already long ago discontinued KF4.
Just had a look, found a single one (a CS4) for a reasonable price (all others really expensive)---seemingly, cause then I read the text (quote): "Shows signs of use. Multiple springs are broken, scissors bent/broken. Awl tip bent" - and still the seller wants $ 50 for that (clearly broken) thing (actually leathermans warranty would cover even this in my experience. I damaged one Juice once, sent it in for repair - they said that they could not do it, but offered me to choose ANY leatherman mode I´d like instead - for free...)

Glad I am covered, concerning LM Juices (see pic below, the ones I own).

/ Should you ever look on the secondary market: What I meant by "current" vs "discontinued" (now they are ALL discontinued)

- "Discontinued OLD version": Better in my view, especially the longer knife blade.
They single colored (so just orange or just blue) and the scales have a smooth surface

- "Discontinued NEW version": Not as good imho.
One half colored, the other half silver (on each model); the colored part of the scales is a bit textured; Shorter knife blade.

On ebay there are more of the "old" ones anyway, as far as I can see.

[aicolainen]

Again: The OLD Juice models are better than the current ones - the former seem to be more solidly build and offer a longer knife blade with a tiny bit of belly towards the tip.

I'm not sure what you mean about current Juice models, as far as I know they're all out of production.
Sadly I missed out on the whole line. Back when they were widely available I was all about bigger is better, and didn't realize how unique they actually were.

Man!!
You´re right, and I totally missed that the Juices aren´t made any longer... crazy, since these, as you say, were really unique in the leatherman linup, heck, in the whole mutiltool world as far as I know. So small and light, but a ton of functions - as said "function to weight ratio" for me much better than the Skeletool can offer.

And now they ALL seem to go for crazy money on ebay, not only the already long ago discontinued KF4.
Just had a look, found a single one (a CS4) for a reasonable price (all others really expensive)---seemingly, cause then I read the text (quote): "Shows signs of use. Multiple springs are broken, scissors bent/broken. Awl tip bent" - and still the seller wants $ 50 for that (clearly broken) thing (actually leathermans warranty would cover even this in my experience. I damaged one Juice once, sent it in for repair - they said that they could not do it, but offered me to choose ANY leatherman mode I´d like instead - for free...)

Glad I am covered, concerning LM Juices (see pic below, the ones I own).

/ Should you ever look on the secondary market: What I meant by "current" vs "discontinued" (now they are ALL discontinued)

- "Discontinued OLD version": Better in my view, especially the longer knife blade.
They single colored (so just orange or just blue) and the scales have a smooth surface

- "Discontinued NEW version": Not as good imho.
One half colored, the other half silver (on each model); the colored part of the scales is a bit textured; Shorter knife blade.

On ebay there are more of the "old" ones anyway, as far as I can see.

Thanks for the rundown, Wartstein!

I wish Leatherman would have kept these in the lineup, preferably the old ones. I would have bought several versions without a doubt, but I'm not spending crazy money on this. These are just tools for me, not collectors items, and although they seem to be the most densely implemented pocket sized MT, I wouldn't know in advance how much utility they'll ultimately provide for my type of use.

A light in the tunnel. A few months back, someone made me aware of the SOG Powerpint and I have to say I'm quite convinced it's the best option for my work/EDC type of use. I don't expect the quality to be even close to LM, but that aside, the combination of implements and how densely packed it is, is something I've been missing from Leatherman for a long time (ever since they retired the Juice lineup). This is a much more tech/electronics/electrical/EDC oriented tool combination and size than what we've been seeing from LM the last couple of years.
I'm definitely giving this one a shot, and with that a 25 year era of exclusively using Leatherman pliersbased MTs comes to an end.

[aicolainen]

I've actually been looking to optimize my multitool selection for a while now. It's not a big priority, but I find great value in having the right tools easily accessible without adding too much unnecessary bulk, so I hope to get there eventually. Being a topic I find interesting I started commenting before I had time to watch the video.
Now I just gave it a shoot, but I couldn't get through it. It was just too stressful to watch, and from what little I was able to endure watching, I wasn't to impressed with his style of reviewing either.

Mind you I don't spend a lot of time researching multitools, so there might be much better resources out there that I wouldn't know anything about, but I once stumbles upon the YouTube channel TX Tool Crib
I find his style very easy to watch and he comes across as a skilled blue collar worker that actually uses his (multi)tools.
Not to take anything away from the OP or anyone else that finds the video to be of value, just realizing that different people appreciate different approaches to a topic, so putting this out there for those who might be my kind of different.