Inspired by the Do you carry a pocket knife thread. I’m feeling frivolous and I’ve got a camping trip coming up.
Recommend a general-use Leatherman-type multi-tool. Pro’s and con’s and blessings and horrors of what you’ve used.
-B
I’ve got a Leatherman Juice C2. I was looking for something small and light.
Only problem I’ve run in to so far is the corkscrew tends to bend. Well, that and the fact that it’s still too big to carry around in my pocket on a regular basis. For that, I’ve got a Utili-Key.
The Leatherman lives in my laptop bag. Which I’ve also stopped hauling back and forth to work in favor of a laptop sleeve with space for a notebook and a couple of pens.
So no, I guess I can’t recommend a multi-tool.
Is there any decently sized multitool that has a corkscrew that works?! I have the Juice, and the thing bends and doesn’t work. I got it just for the corkscrew, because I’m always not having one when I travel.
Please permit this slight hijack, but I always thought it would be neat to have a combination telescope and sledge hammer.
Oh - an update. I’ve already got a Gerber Shortcut and Leatherman Micra - both mini-tools. This is a request for full-sized multi-tool opinions.
I have a Gerber multi-tool that I carry in my ‘grip bag’. It’s come in handy on shoots, but other than that I haven’t needed to use it. I like the pliers. I have a Victorinox SwissChamp on the hook in my backpack I carry every day.
Victorinox Swiss Army knives are about the best multi-tool IMHO because you can keep them with you always. The corkscrew supplied on some of the bottles is rather basic but I have used it on hundreds of bottles without any problems.
I have the Leatherman “Surge.” It’s a truly great tool. The only reason not to like it is that it is a bit heavy–a few more ounces than other tools. But everything else about it is top-notch. For example, the diamond file is removable, so you can actually use it to sharpen the other blades.
I think I own every Leatherman Juice model ever made. People kept giving them to me as gifts. The one that lives on my hip is the Pro model. The down-side to the easily carried models is that they lack a locking knife blade. For general usage I’d probably go with the Wave model.
i’ll second this.
the higher-end models are very good.
I’ve owned a Leatherman, & liked it.
But Swiss Army/Victorinox wins the day.
I have a leatherman wave and it’s been good to me. when looking for a tool, it’s CRITICAL to make shure the handle won’t pinch or gouge your hands when using the pliers. leathermen have rolled edges and others flip or extend the pliers at an angle to avoid this…the cheapest crappiest ones don’t…and you discover that when you really need it.
I go with a full size Leatherman myself-I own a ‘Wave’ and it has thoroughly impressed me. The blades (1 clip point, 1 serrated) are easy to open (and lock), as are the needle nose pliers, plus it stainless steel, so upkeep is minimal. The interior tools (3 flat screwdriver blades, 1 philips, pair of scissors and bottle opener) all serve their purpose, which isn’t always the case (especially with store brand knock offs). Also the diamond file is excellent and the wood/bone saw is impressively functional for its size.
Downsides would be bulk (it is monstrously heavy-I like that, but could turn some folks off) and the stainless steel blades are too hard to be sharpened effectively with regular stones-you’ll probably need a diamond file to sharpen them. (Oh yeah, price-they are expensive, but I think the cost is justified.)
For camping/miscellaneous, I would recommend the Wave-if you are talking more about mechanical emergencies, I’d look into the Charge XTI (I think) which comes with an assortment of removeable bits, or the Crunch (or is it Surge?) which is aimed at cyclists and comes with locking pliers.
No I don’t own stock in/work for Leatherman
I have a swisstech Micro Plus 8-in-1 and a utili-key 6-in-1 (even though this means some functions are duplicated. They’re on my keyring and I use them every day. They’re obviously not wilderness survival tools, but they’re pretty useful for lots of everyday urban geeky stuff.
I also have a Wave and love it - the TTi is on my list, but at the price (and since the Wave isn’t likely to wear out any time soon) it’ll probably stay on the list.