Are you all fans of the Leatherman type tools? If so…… care to brag on it? Carpenter//Electrician here looking for the perfect Leatherman for me.
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I think the idea is great. I have the original Leatherman, wore it on my belt until the pouch wore out, still keep it handy. A Leatherman is kind of like a Dremel tool. It's the wrong tool for the job, except when you don't have the right tool with you, and it's so dang easy to always have it with you.
I also think the realization needs some work. The edges hurt my hands if I have to squeeze the pliers very hard. I cut myself with the knife blade one time when I was pushing too hard and it folded up on me. The screw driver blades have folded up on me numerous times. The knife blade is so hard it's difficult to sharpen. The file is so bad it's a clear waste of space. I'd rather have a pair of scissors.
I'm sure there are newer designs and other brands that address most of these shortcomings. I looked at one other design, I think it was a Gerber that a guy at work had, and it was definitely more comfortable to squeeze.
Tools are still evolving. You used to be able to buy a tool that was a hollow wooden handle with a chuck similar to an X-acto knife, and a variety of interchangeable blades, like a punches, files, knife blades, saw blades, awls, etc. (Maybe they're still available, but I've never seen a new one.) Swiss Army knives are a step forward from that. Leatherman and similar tools are a step in a slightly different direction. It'll be interesting to see where we are in another 50 years.
I have an old Gerber Multi-Plier that I keep in my tool belt at all times, and it gets used nearly daily. The screwdriver removes the temporary latch plates on doors after we nail them up. the knife gets used when I loan my utility knife out to a new guy. The pliers adjust the nosepiece on our nailguns when no one has the proper Allen key. And I don't even think about using the Hitachi Plasti-Tacker without the Gerber by my side!
BTW, I traded a guy a 10 dollar Buck folder for the Gerber.
-Captain Strap
"Quality before quantity"
I have a Schrade...very useful, but not high quality.Do it right, or do it twice.
the leatherman "wave" and the Wave 2" are much better than the standard leatherman. they soften the grip edge so when you use the pliers it doesn't hurt as much. Still there are quality problems with the blade locks. I always have mine around.
Hi, Patrick
Ditto on the Wave model. I used to curse it every day - but that meant that I used it every day! Then I lost it and have missed it ever since.
Uncle Dunc, did you ever have trouble with the "stored" blades, file, screwdriver, etc being too tight to get out? I feel like I'm going to break a fingernail getting them out. Do you have any suggestions about how to loosen them up without over doing it?
Are you asking about the Leatherman or the old wood handled multi-tool?
With the Leatherman, the only problem I've had was when I cut up an apple with it and got juice down between the blades. It got real stiff when that dried. I think I just opened and closed it a bunch of times in warm soapy water and eventually got most of it out. I may have oiled it. I don't remember.
I have thought about replacing the rivets with something like saw handle screws, a hollow barrel and a regular screw, with identical heads. The main point of that would be so I could replace the file with something more useful, but it would also make it possible to adjust the opening tension, and would make it a lot easier to clean up after you dribble apple juice into it.
If you're asking about the multi-tool, I've never owned one, just seen them on eBay. I want one (or several), because they're old and cool. I even thought about making one, since I do a little home shop machining, but it's never gotten very high on my projoct list.
I used the standard leatherman for years and agree with all the aforementioned deficiencies. That being said it is now amongst the missing and I will replace it with the Swiss Army version. The little saw is a real bonus !
http://www.swissarmy.com/webstore/category.cfm?Category=44On An Island By The SEA
>>Are you asking about the Leatherman or the old wood handled multi-tool? I'm talking about the Leatherman. Mine has always been so tight I have never warmed up to using it much. I have heard others say their's was too loose. I may try to loosen it up by racking the handle with the blades in a vise.
My leatherman tool has adjustable tension. I can tighten or loosen the through bolts that hold the thing together. And they don't work loose themselves.
Another advantage to this is that I can replace just a part of the tool if something gets broken or worn out.
The blades are locked in by a tounge of metal that falls in place behind them, when they are opened fully. You have to actualy push that metal tounge back out of the way, to get the blade to close. It is a sideways push. And very specific. Not the sort of thing that happens when applying normal pressure to a knife. I don't think that they would come unlocked and fold back on me unintentionaly. They haven't yet.
I have the Leatherman Wave. Over many years, I bought several different knockoffs. All of them were crap. I would carry them for a few weeks, as a novelty. But as soon as the pliers would break off, or a screwdriver would bend or strip out, etc... It was in the back of the toolbox with them. (Having spent good money on them, I couldn't bring myself to actualy throw them away. LOL)
There was a discussion about these tools here a while back. I made the comment that every tool of the sort that I had tried was crap, and that I always wanted a Leatherman. Gabe Martel sent me this one. I have carried it almost constantly since. As I said, the others were all crap, but this one actualy gets used and does a great job.
The only real problem that I have with it is the knife blade. It is easy to make razor sharp, but doesn't last through much cutting at all. I'd like it to have a harder blade. I don't mind the extra work involved in sharpening the harder blade.
Hey, maybe I'll take it off of there, and have ArtB, the rocket scientist-blacksmith, show me how to temper it to make it hold an edge better.
: )
Quittin' Time
You may want to change the angle of the edge. If your putting a razor edge on it it's too thin. If you change it to a chisel point (I think) it will be more durable. I used to know all this stuff in a former life but I've forgotten alot of it now. I do remember that the few knifes I made from scratch had chisel points on them so they would hold up to chopping a lot better.
You know, that just might work.
Thanks.
: )
Quittin' Time
No problem. I used to really be into that stuff but found other hobbies to occupy my time.
Luka, what do those adjustable bolts look like? I have my Leatherman here in front of me. the heads of the holding "pins" are knurled, about 1/4 diam, about 1/16 thick. If these are bolt & nut my problem is just adjustment.
Here is a pic I just took.
They have "star" heads. The kind with an extra post in the middle. Sorry that you can't see the picture very well. That's the best my camera can do on closeups.
I also took a shot of the tabs that lock in place when a blade is open. These tabs are not just kind of locked into some small notch on the back of the blade, like most locking blade knives. The tab fits the entire rear end of the blade. There is no way to make that blade fold back up without pushing the locking tab back out of the way. (I just tried. The amount of force it would take to do so, would break the blade.)
Quittin' Time
Luka, your's is a newer design. I don't think mine adjust, and boy are they tight. I want to loosen just slightly without over doing it. Here's a picture of mine:
Man, have you ever oiled that thing ? Try working some WD-40 into it. Spray, and then open end shut a few times. Repeat. Repeat. Etc.
So what can happen if you grab one of those knurled nuts with a pair of pliers and give it a 16th of a turn counter clockwise ? With your obvious skill at that sort of thing, I'm sure that you can do it without booggerin' up the knurled nut.
The amount that you would have to turn it to loosen it up a bit, should not be anywhere near enough to cause any real damage if it turns out to be just some sort of rivet.
Quittin' Time
Yes, I have "pumped the Tri-Flo" to it (like the smell better) but with no results. Today I'm going to try what you said. I saw the design like yours at Wal Mart and there are several improvements. That blade lock is a great safety feature.
Luka, today I tried grabbing hold of those thin knurled heads-wouldn't turn. So the other guy & I decided the way to loosen up a rivet might be to hit it right in the middle. It didn't take much of a tap to knock it clear out (both of them), I think because it was stainless (brittle). I'm going shopping for some kind of bolts & locking nuts. I want it to be adjustable. This was part of their learning curve on these. Thanks for going to the trouble to give me input on this.
Excelent. Most excelent.
Get grade nine bolts and nylocks. Yes, there are grade nine bolts, washers and nylocks available. Have been for at least 4 years. And you know, of course, to get them overlong, so that there is a blank shank on them. Get the right length so that you have smooth shank almost all the way through the tool. Put on the nylock. Cut off the extra length of bolt. Remove the nylock. File the cut end of the bolt smooth. Reapply the nylock.
Now you'll be able to make/refine/replace the attachments as well.
Quittin' Time
Here is what I decided on. She is sweeeet!! It's a Buck, so I have lotsa confidence in here. About $56
Ok, working on this attach thing!!
Looks nice but why did you get it in camouflage? I had a camping buddy who broke himself of a camouflage addiction when he dropped his camo pattern wallet in the woods at dusk. It took us a couple of hours on hands and knees with flashlights to find it. After he got back he bought a bright yellow wallet.
I would hate to think you might loose your new toy in the general mud and grunge of a construction site.
Good point and I am prone to losing stuff no matter what color it is! The short answer is because that is what the store had in stock. I went with it because it is a Buck and I have owned several Buck knives and they have really held up well. I also bought it because it is about 20% smaller than the Gerbers or Victronix that I looked at. Time will tell :)
Just wanted to report that I found stainless steel cap screws and locking nuts and the results are good. The heads of the screw and nut stick out farther than the newer improved adjustable leatherman's adjustable bolt/nut but it doesn't seem to be bad to have that just on the one end.
That was my one conern when I suggested it.
Unless you can find some with a low profile, yer kind of stuck with that. Still better than chucking the old one and having to buy a new one.
I'm glad it worked. And thanks for the update.
Quittin' Time
The knurled thing on the original Leatherman is a nut.
I have the original and finally started using it. I have the black Gerber and it is a little awkward but has lots of features. I really like the vice-grip tool box ( the one with large arched jaws). It is like the guys said, not the right tool but the right there tool.
My favorite tool--how did I miss the discussion line. I have the SuperTool, the Wave and the (more urbanized, office version) the JuicePro. One cool feature of the Juice Pro is the holster, which is made so that you can store the tool unfolded, as a pair of needlenose, in the holster, and the flap snaps down between the handles to hold them in place.
Great products from a great (American) company.
From what I understand the better of these tools make fine gifts for anyone serving in the armed forces. Many people use them for the never ending minor, some not so minor, mechanical problems that people in the field face without the benefit, or weight, of a real tool kit.
Just a reminder for any of you who are looking to send a gesture of caring to the good folks doing the dirty work.
Thats a damn good Idea, My G/F's company is asking for contributions like TP, Deodarent stuff like that to send over to one of the girls husbands that is over there. Might suggest it to her and have her see if she can get a couple people in on it.View ImageGo Jayhawks
Got my first Gerber in about 90. Finally broke it about 99. I like the replacement even better, the handles got changed so you don't get blood blisters from closing it. Still have it, still use it. It lives on the belt right between the tape and the phone, unless I'm wearing a nailbelt. (Then they all move outta there!) My pref is the needlenose. Still have the original holster. It lasted longer than the pliers.
" To the noble mind / Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind" - Wm Shakespeare, Hamlet, III,i,100
things to look for:
pinching,
blades folding up in use
pliers open one hand
knife open one hand
Still looking for it.
I have the original leatherman. I like it because it's the right size for me. Small but handy, I never really notice it until I need it,because it doesn't stick out enough to snag or get hung on anything.. It's just so dame handy. And it saves a lot of leg work when you need to pop open a cover plate for a quick check, or tweek a nut. I never go to work without it.
I'm an electrician by trade, but with the company I work for you can get into anything. From framing to computer repair,(sometimes I use the same hammer on both) so it really covers a wide variety of trades.
I carry a first generation Leatherman on my belt. It gets nearly daily use. Not as good as the real version of the tools it pretends to be it is close and very often good enough. It has got me through loads of difficult situations, midnight repairs and covered for tools left behind. Where I go my Leatherman goes.
I keep thinking about getting the updated Leatherman but every time I get too close I balk at the price. I even left one at the check out counter when I changed my mind about getting one while buying a larger order.
My Leatherman remains rugged, dependable, always at hand. That it can be cranky, is not the perfect tool for any particular job and sometimes bites when the blades fold or slip just reminds me of myself.
Like you and Gunner I do alot of electrical work. Is there a model that you have seen that you like?
Also, a problem that I forsee is that I would want to keep the tool on my belt (the one that holds up my britches). My reasoning is that then I wouldnt have to have my entire tool belt everywhere. (just pulling off a cover plate at an esti. etc.) THEN it would get in the way when I put on my tool pouch. Seems cumbersome. What do you all do?
That's why I like the original. I can wear my tool belt over it. It doesn't stick out enough to bother it.
cool...will be looking for the original then!
there are fancier and better versions out there than the original... but they are ALL too thick for this plumber to wear on a jobsite. I squeeze through too many tight places. so I stick with the original
I carry mine on my regular belt. It rides behind my right hip far enough to the back to avoid it catching on doorways but on the side enough not to get in the way when sitting or driving. I wear my tool belt and pouches nearer the hips and not very tight. At least half of the loaded tool belt rides on the suspenders.
In tight attics, in an attempt to limit the number of things that can catch, I take the Leatherman case off my belt and slip the tool in my pocket. I also remove my wallet and hat. Anything to get it over with faster.
The Leatherman has saved me many times in attics when I find I forgot a tool, usually after a harrowing 30 minute climb at 140F, or loose a vital tool down a wall.
In my latest Mitchell Instrument Co. catalog I see there is a multi tool made by Klein. I suspect it's made by another company and relabeled. They are asking $95 so I suspect that you can get it for $70 or less elsewhere. Mitchell is a good and reliable company but they have always been a bit proud of their products.
The tool looks nice with wire stripping notches for 10-18 AWG on the file blade, accepts universal 1/4" hex bits and comes with six. They throw in a rather stubby drywall saw, awl/reamer blade and two knife blades.
The doubts: Strip notches, if not properly executed, can be about useless. While I like the idea of having replaceable hex bits versus having to replace the entire tool to replace a worn Phillips tip the hex tips are small and easily lost. On the up side they say there are dedicated slots on the tool pouch to hold they. If well done it might work. If not every time I jump off something I will have to hunt down the bits.
While a reamer sounds good I can't remember the last time I needed one. The reamer seems to me not any better than a decent knife. The drywall saw looks mighty short and dull to be very effective. It might be better than cutting in a box with knife but not by much.
I would like to give it a try for a bit before investing anything like $95 on it. Klein does not have a sterling record for knives. Klein knives fail to hold anything resembling an edge even after the lightest duty cutting. Easy to sharpen it seems a waste of time as after cutting open a single corrugated cardboard box it was so dull it would be safe for a six year old to run with open. Less a knife than a flat folding spoon. Being relabeled this might not be a problem.
Edited to add last five blocks.
Edited 2/22/2003 7:43:36 PM ET by 4LORN1
Gerber with the blades on the inside is much more comfortable to me. I've also got a Schrade that is a total piece, pliers don't work at all...my most used multi tool is a Victorinox Cadet swiss army knife. It gets used every day and is less than 20 bucks... EliphIno!
I used to have the original Leatherman on my toolbelt every day. Now the original is in my toolbox or fishing tackle box and I have had the Wave for about 4 years. Like the other people said, it's never the right tool, but it's always the "right there" tool. The Wave solved a lot of the problems of the original, with locking blades, a saw, scissors, etc. Also, the handles are much more comfortable. The external blades are great. It doesn't do you much good if you don't wear it on your belt, but if you do, you will use it every day.
I even wear mine to weddings and other formal occasions.
People are very opinionated on multi-tools, but I say you can't go wrong with the Wave. cheapest I have seen them is on toolcrib - amazon. about 60 bucks or so, and worth every penny.
IM with ya on the Klein knifes,one of the Best Electrican knifes I ever bought was a Buck workMan, I still have it and does it ever hold a edge..
ToolDoc
My old boss gave them to us employees for Christmas when they first came out. They're as big as most cell phones. And the screw driver tips are removable and store in the pouch. It's only a matter of time before they're lost. I packed mine for a week to be nice, then went back to old trusty. Overall opinion. Junk.
Pete: Im a Building Maintenance Tech - I carry a LeatherMan in a pouch on my belt that holds a Mini-Mag lite and my Buck Knife, I do a lot of Electrical & Hvac I would never go to work with out the LeatherMan..
ToolDoc
I have had a Gerber for about 8 years. I'm on my 4th one because I either break the screwdrivers or break the pliers. Fortunately they have a lifetime warranty. Every time I mail it in, they send me a newer better one. I like the Gerber better because of the comfort issues raised. If the pouch gets in the way, I carry them in my front pants pocket.
I also carry a Leatherman micra. It comes in very handy for removing splinters, cutting open plastic packages or ties (scissors), or just scraping the crud out from under your nails.
Good luck,
John
J.R. Lazaro Builders, Inc.
Indianapolis, In.
http://www.lazarobuilders.com
I have a Gerber my wife bought for me one Christmas,and i love the slide out pliers and the handle design.the Gerber pliers have a more squared nose with side cutter.I also have a SOG (http://www.dantesknife.com/s_o_g__knives.htm ) brand i received as a gift for being a groomsman for my pals wedding.The SOG is also a great tool has needle nose style pliers with side cutter and multiple blades, very comfortable handles ,razor sharp knives,and you can order addtional bladles etc. from the SOG company.The jaws on both pliers fit togather tight enough to pull splinters out of my hands and fingers and those razor sharp knives allow me to do the minor surgeries to access the really imbedded wood in my fingers etc. I think the Gerber and the Sog are better than the Leatherman. I also carry a Swiss Victornox "tropper" model knife which i use often throughout the day and have carried with me for 20 + years.
I have the old style gerber which is very handy but has a few drawbacks such as the knife blades and other tools in the handles donot lock out. My son just got a new gerber 600. The knife blades lock out and it also has a holder for a 2 3/4" universal jig saw blades. This feature alone could prove very handy. I was very envious since his employeer sold it to him for $ 10, its new in the package and way below there cost.
Ive tried the rest now Catch the "Wave" Leatherman Wave that is. Knives are easier to get to, sharper and have a lock when in use. Pliers are a bit nicer too.
Men do not quit playing because they grow old; they grow old because they quit playing! Holmes Sr. Oliver Wendell