I’m about to order another one to add to my gear and was thinking of maybe looking into other options, either Leatherman models or other brands entirely. Please no “about to drop” options like the MUT or Emerson, etc. Just currently available models.
I’m somewhat intrigued by the Gerbers with the “out the front” one-handed plier opening, although I confess I’ve always been able to open my Waves with a kind of butterfly knife technique. The question I have re: the Gerbers is how are the knife blades accessed? Is it a question of giving up easy access to the blades in exchange for easy access to the pliers?
If you are talking about the 600 series, they require you slide the pliers out so you can open the handles to access the blade. It’s nowhere near as handy as the wave. Gerber also makes some new models with one handed opening knife blades like the flik. http://gerbergear.com/index.php/product/id/29
I have no idea how they compare to the wave since I kind of swore off gerber years ago.
If you want access to all implements without opening the pliers there is always the swisstool series from victorinox. You lose the one handed opening knife blade though. Is easy access to the knife blade important to you?
You have to slide out the pliers to get to the interiors of the handles, where the accessory tools and knives are stored.
It’s just a different manual-of-arms.
EDIT: I’m of the opinion that the metal used in the Gerber tools is a good chunk more brittle, anyway. I’ve always managed to break the knife blades and flat-tip screwdrivers, whereas I don’t do so with the Leatherman series, doing the same sort of work with either. Also swore them off, though I still have one that I’ll use until I destroy it completely.
Take a look at s.o.g.'s offerings. The paratool and the power assist have really caught my eye. Both seem like they’d be pretty versatile and quite useful.
I’ve tried most of the available brands of multi tools, and I keep going back to the Leatherman Wave.
I’ve broken one pair of the Gerber pliers, and one Gerber knife blade, so I agree that the Gerber’s seem more brittle.
I find that I personally use the one hand opening blade feature of the blades on the Wave much more than the other tools, so that seems to be the most convenient multi tool feature for me.
But, the single handiest multi tool I own is a Leatherman Micra, as I actually carry it in my pocket every day, whereas I find the larger multi tools relegated to my day pack or training chest rig.
Considering the Surge TTi. Like the idea of the “gut hook” on one of the blades. Adds about $40 to the price of the Wave though…
Plus I actually like the shiny surface on the Wave. One of my current Waves is the black and I’m constantly worried about losing it on the range. Much prefer bright & shiny objects out there.
I prefer the angle of the Leatherman’s handle (where the handles won’t picnh the palm of your hand when the jaws of the pliers make contact. I have caught the meat of my palm several times in my Gerber (whose handles make contact when the jaws of the pliers are closed) when using the wire cutters to cut wire when I didn’t have anything else. I have had screws loosen on the Gerber. My Leatherman has never worked itself loose.
I 2nd the Victronix SwissTool. I have been running a Spirit X since last August. It replaced a Gerber 600 series which I did appreciate for the one handed opening feature.
The SwissTools have the tightest lockup of any multitool I have found. I also like the shape of the standard Swiss Army knife blade. I think it is great for food prep like cutting apples or cheese. The saw has been used to trim small limbs from a holly tree in my yard in no time flat. I like the scissors as well. The shape of the handles when using the pliers insures that you can’t pinch your plams if the jaws slip on a nut and lose their purchase.
I find myself carrying and using this tool daily and highly recommend it over the other options currently available. I think I paid 80.00 for it.
Good luck in your search and feel free to PM me with any questions.
1700 Shadow
i haven’t found a good alternative to my original (pre-2004) wave (the one without the removable bit). i like it better than the charge TTi i have.
the crunch is another fave of mine for the vice grips. not many tools, but still very useful.
in a full size multitool, I really like the Leatherman Core.
Leatherman says it’s: “One of two Leatherman 4.5" tools, the Core has our most powerful pliers, longer blades, and easy-to-use locks. It’s also the first Leatherman to feature hollow-ground screwdrivers in the standard sizes that professionals use. The Core’s comfortable handles are rounded to give even the biggest hands a firm grip on the toughest jobs.”
The bottle opener on my Micra gets quite a lot of use, too. But, you’re probably faster on the draw with the skeletool since you don’t have to fold the opener out of the handle.
For some reason, I love my Gerber Suspension(s). Mine has traveled around the world twice, fixed satellite equipment (that a leatherman broke itself on), and has been reasonably easy to clean. It’s not the best multitool, but at the price they’re at I went ahead and got three more.
I like how easy the extra tools are to get to without opening up the tool, and the edges on the knife and saw are quite durable, and reasonably sharp.
Dirt does get into everything if given enough time, the phillips screwdriver on it sucks, and the locking mechanism isn’t as easy to use as the leatherman or SOG models, but on the whole I’m really happy with it.
My Charge TTi has a stainless finish despite the handles looking black in the pics I’ve seen…I’m not sure if there’re different options or what the deal is.
I thought they may have sent me the wrong tool.But it has Charge TTi right on the handle and it has all of the features that it should.Bought new from Amazon(directly) and it certainly doesn’t appear to be a knock-off.
