is Leatherman worth the cost?

I have/use Leatherman/Gerber/Shrade but actually prefer Gerber with the one hand deployment. There are times when using two hands to open the pliers is not an option.
That said, my can't be without tool every day on the farm is a pair of 5" Visegrips. I've carried this tool(worn out several over this time frame) on my belt for 30+ years and would be lost w/o it.

I had a Leatherman MUT for awhile, I loved it. Clearly someone else in the platoon did as well, because it has since been stolen. I'd buy another though, it was great.

The skeletool is the best multi tool for hiking. It has everything I need and is light enough to pack everywhere.

Leatherman is absolutely worth it. I broke minor pieces on two Gerbers before switching to a Leatherman Wave in '04 or '05 while in the USAF. I still have the Wave, and nothing has broken on it. Casual observation, but the Leatherman tools held up better than anything else in field exercises and deployments. Broken Gerbers were common. There weren't many SAK or Kershaw plier tools out there, and the few I saw were carried by operations folks rather than maintenance folks, so no idea on how durable those really are.

Been carrying a black Leatherman WAVE with bit drivers for a little over 7 years now. Found a use for it everyday and definitely worth it. Have been issued 6 Gerber multi-tools and ALL have broken under less strenuous use.

1-1 Banger,

Yeah it always makes you feel warm and fuzzy as an Infantryman to know that one of the folks you have to trust your life to steals your knives......NOT!

In my enlisted tour I "lost" a little tree brand two blade folder, two demo kit knives, an Eicorn Switchblade/lock blade, a sheath knife of dubious quality anyway, and the Ol'Grandpa my Grandpa gave me.

Thing is I always loaned blades and tools and never turned anyone away that wanted me to sharpen their knives.

One of my NCOs stated that a Dummy cord is not only to keep a Dummy from loosing gear, but also to prevent other Dummies from walking off with ones gear.

If I was in charge of the US Infantry everywhere I would make Leatherman tools available to everyone as issue.

They did not exist when I was in and so we did as best as we could. Various team and Squad members were expected to carry additional tools. One guy in my squad wore the TL 59 lineman's kit (needle nose pliers and pocket knife/screw driver in a leather sheath) I carried a file, cap crimping tool, and a cresent wrench, another guy carried a hacksaw blade and short handle one of my team leaders carried a hatchet, one guy carried vise grips and.... well you get the idea. I was stationed in Neu Ulm but we trained every where in Germany from down on the swiss boarder to Berlin.

A Leatherman would have been very handy on atleast a fire team basis if not one for everyone.

-kBob

Mobuck said:

.prefer Gerber..

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My main beef with Gerber, though they are still made in Oregon, I think, is that they're owned now by the French. I think they use sintered metal often and don't even offer their old school daggers they made their name on of old.
Kershaw, also of Oregon.. nevermind. I think everything they make is junk.

BullRunBear said:

.Certaindeaf: Our moderator pointed out that the bundle of a Leatherman Wave, the supply of bits for the driver, and a small flashlight that Dick's Sports sells lists China as country of origin. But only the flashlight is from China, the tool and bits are made here..

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I saw that. not made in china. check

That's awesome

Hey!

I'd be turning that house upside down.

Hard to say what else she might have forgot to give you for your birthday through the years!!

rc

I've had about 3 different Leatherman tools.

I bought an original model, basic Leatherman when I was in high school. I used that thing every day for something or other. I ended up breaking the phillips head screw driver, I still don't know how.

I sent it to the company, and I guess that model had been discontinued or something. They sent me a shiny new Leatherman blast.

I used it day in and day out, and lost it somewhere. Not sure what happened to it, so I bought another Blast and the wife bought me a Super Tool on the same day. The super tool rides in her purse and I still carry the blast every day.

The Gerber isn't too bad of a tool, a couple of friends have those. One of the Gerber's got a broken knive blade cutting cardboard, sent it in and Gerber said it wasn't covered under their warranty(this was 7 or 8 years ago). That gentleman replaced the Gerber with a Leatherman.

Leatherman's warranty is great, 25 years, and pretty much no questions asked.

Gerber's is supposedly lifetime warranty, but only under certain conditions

I'd much rather spend 50 bucks every 25 years for guaranteed replacement if it breaks under normal circumstances instead of 50 bucks every time something minor breaks because it may not be covered under warranty.

My 2 cents

If you don't like that Chinese flashlight, there are other useful things that fit in it's place. The tools are US made.
I had a Leatherman that I'd carried for 8 years break. I wrapped it up and sent it to Leatherman and they sent me a new one. 25 year guaranty and no nonsense.

Big thumbs up! I have the Wave and the Core(?).
The Core is the largest one they made at the time with I think 19+ tools!
You can't beat the original multitool!

my currrent Leatherman has been in my pockets for the past 17-18 years. Every once and a while I'll take a magnet and put it on the pliers tips for a few days. It sure makes it handy for pickin up little metal things in tight spots. A little workin of lapping compund also makes it easier to flick the wrist to open and close them.

My experience with the Leatherman is that the difference is in the outstanding quality of the steel. You get what you pay for.

Okay, here's the funny part. I mentioned this thread to my wife this morning. She looked thoughtful then started pawing through one of the junk drawers. A couple of minutes later she hands me a nylon holster with "Leatherman" on the front. It held a Leatherman Super Tool 200 in pristine condition.

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Awesome! Just saved ya some money.

I would throw my hat in for Gerber. I used a Gerber Diedel for a couple years. I love the easy one hand opening. Made it throw 2 deployment where it got very heavy use on a daily basis. Unfortuneatly I needed to replace it after I tried using it to loosen a bung on a 55 gal drum, torqued the pliers to the side too much. Right tool, wrong job.

Yes they are worth it. I have 2 an original and a micro for the keychain. The larger 1 was a present. After 20 years of use and abuse, I had broken the file and the blade and all the bushings were wore out. Sent it in to be fixed, they sent back a brand new one at no cost. these gems have saved the bacon more than a few times.

I like mine a lot. Very well made and very versatile. I've used cheaper knock-off tools and they are crap, and usually fall apart in short order. $100 is not much to spend these days for a quality tool, especially one as versatile as the Leatherman.

I bought a Wingman at the beginning of this summer for work. Used it many many times a day and it is still going strong. I carry it everywhere. Well worth the price.

ZGunner said:

Awesome! Just saved ya some money.

I would throw my hat in for Gerber. I used a Gerber Diedel for a couple years. I love the easy one hand opening. Made it throw 2 deployment where it got very heavy use on a daily basis. Unfortuneatly I needed to replace it after I tried using it to loosen a bung on a 55 gal drum, torqued the pliers to the side too much. Right tool, wrong job.

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I bought a Super Tool 200 back when they were first introduced in 2001 or 2002. Still have it. It's one of their most robust tools ever. I later switched to a Charge Ti (titanium-sided, similar to a Wave), but still have it.

I've owned and used many brands of multi-tools and my all time favorite is Leatherman. They are worth the price.tom.