Alternative to Leatherman Sidekick

rbstern

rbstern

Joined
May 12, 2022
Messages
8
I'm looking for a multi-tool to potentially displace my Sidekick. I've had the Sidekick since it originally came on the market (8 years?). From a design standpoint, it's perfect for me. My priorities:

- Reasonable pocket carry with pocket clip
- One handed opening knife blade, without deploying anything else on the tool
- One handed opening saw blade, without deploying anything else on the tool
- Spring loaded pliers/cutters

All of the other functions are secondary. I do use the screw drivers and file, but not often. It's the knife, saw and pliers that get used.

My disatisfaction is with the knife. It doesn't hold an edge very well, and my resharpening efforts (various methods tried) produce marginal results. The knife blade is wearing. To me, it's the weak point of anotherwise nearly perfect (for my use) tool.

There seem to be dozens of tools out there now that integrate a lot of the same features. Hoping to get some feedback on specific models to look at, as well as quality comments.
 
There are a few options.
The charge series come with upgraded main blade S30V & 154cm. Or skeletool with 154cm.

Things you need to be aware of,

Charge is bigger and heavier for pocket carry. I carry mine with pocket clip with no drama.

Pliers are not springloaded.

Versions with upgraded blades are more expensive, check out the secondry market.

Another option that a lot of people do is carry a multitool with a singlr blade folder in better steel.

Don't know your history, be aware that upgraded steel will hold an edge lonnger but can take more work sharpening than 420, something to keep in mind.

Good luck.
 
Thanks, Mitch.

I sat down at the Lansky this evening to give the sharpening one more try. I worked on the Leatherman, along with 3 other folders (a Buck Bantam, a Harbor Freight Gordon folder, and a Winchester branded cheapie from a long-ago Walmart gift set). All of the knives took a very good edge. Except the Leatherman. Frustrating. My eyes aren't what they once were, and I may be missing a geometry issue. I'm sharpening at 25 degrees. The biggest problem is the belly and the tip. Just not getting sharp.

And then I remembered I also have a Wingman, which I bought before the Sidekick, when it first came out. Never took a liking to it because I didn't care for the scissors. But the blade...very mildly serrated (almost an afterthought). It was still fairly sharp, but I put it on the Lansky, and got it very sharp.

I think my solution is going to be to switch the Wingman blade to the Sidekick, and see how it holds up. Just gotta find my Torx security bits.
 
I was going to suggest the Leatherman Curl. I modified mine by replacing the file with a Wave saw, so that I now have the same outside accessible tools as the Sidekick. The blade is the same as the one on the Wave, so it’s still just 420HC like the Sidekick. But the blade is interchangeable with the Charge blades, so you could replace it with a 154CM or S30V blade. All of this would be a rather expensive process, though.
 
hsherzfeld said:
I was going to suggest the Leatherman Curl. I modified mine by replacing the file with a Wave saw, so that I now have the same outside accessible tools as the Sidekick. The blade is the same as the one on the Wave, so it’s still just 420HC like the Sidekick. But the blade is interchangeable with the Charge blades, so you could replace it with a 154CM or S30V blade. All of this would be a rather expensive process, though.
Click to expand...

Maybe I'd be better off just buying a Wave+. But I have an allergy to spending $109 for a pocket multi-tool. :)
 
Leatherman Wingman, it has a pocket clip, spring-load pliers, OHO knife. Lacking a saw but honestly you can thug it out with the half serrated blade, or carry a SAK. I love the Leatherman Wingman.
 
Hashishiin said:
Leatherman Wingman, it has a pocket clip, spring-load pliers, OHO knife. Lacking a saw but honestly you can thug it out with the half serrated blade, or carry a SAK. I love the Leatherman Wingman.
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Have one. Not a fan, purely because of the scissor. The saw blade is my favorite tool on the Sidekick. Used it six or seven times today.
 
If your favourite tool is the saw, a combo might be 111mm swiss army & knipex pliers, the saw works great on these size saks & a lot of members really like the knipex. The swiss army knives take a wicked edge and hones up easy. Have a look at the forrester or trailmaster models.
This would also be a much more cost effective option.
 
I'm considering a swisstool x to replace Ms. Wild Willie's sidekick for her birthday in August. I'm not sure if it's a regular problem, but the wire cutters have never quite worked properly. I've switched to victorinox products over the last couple not years and I'm curious as to how it'll work out.
 
All of the tools on the Wingman and Sidekick are interchangeable with the tools in the same position on the other multitool. The Sideick’s saw fits in the Wingman’s scissors position with no problem. You can always swap them out.

In fact, I suspect that the scissors/saw locking system was designed for the Sidekick’s saw first, and then the Wingman’s scissors were adapted to it. That might explain why the saw locks well but the scissors often don’t lock.
 
Wild Willie said:
I'm considering a swisstool x to replace Ms. Wild Willie's sidekick for her birthday in August. I'm not sure if it's a regular problem, but the wire cutters have never quite worked properly. I've switched to victorinox products over the last couple not years and I'm curious as to how it'll work out.
Click to expand...
The Swisstool is a much better mutitool than the Sidekick, but it’s also much larger and heavier. Be ready for that.
 
hsherzfeld said:
The Swisstool is a much better mutitool than the Sidekick, but it’s also much larger and heavier. Be ready for that.
Click to expand...
I just realized I forgot the spirit part of that. The SPIRIT x seems likely to be closer. The original swisstool itself is likely in my future though 😉
 
mitch13 said:
If your favourite tool is the saw, a combo might be 111mm swiss army & knipex pliers, the saw works great on these size saks & a lot of members really like the knipex. The swiss army knives take a wicked edge and hones up easy. Have a look at the forrester or trailmaster models.
This would also be a much more cost effective option.
Click to expand...

While the tool performance would be superior, I don't want those tools on me in my daily routine. The great convenience of the Sidekick is one, unobtrusive tool. It's a good knife blade short of being great. That's the problem I want to solve.
 
I find Leatherman's 420HC to hold a great edge. However, that comes with some caveats. It took a few sharpening to get to that point, as it seemed like the steel was pretty weak at the edge from the factory. I also don't go past the coarse plate on my Worksharp benchstone. I'll maintain it with a ceramic rod or strop, and then when those no longer work to bring back the edge I go to the diamond plate.

When you say you're sharpening at 25 degrees on the Lansky, are you talking per side, or total? Also, one of the downsides to those clamp systems is that you may have to reposition the blade slightly to be able to get the entire edge.
 
StuntDouble said:
I find Leatherman's 420HC to hold a great edge. However, that comes with some caveats. It took a few sharpening to get to that point, as it seemed like the steel was pretty weak at the edge from the factory. I also don't go past the coarse plate on my Worksharp benchstone. I'll maintain it with a ceramic rod or strop, and then when those no longer work to bring back the edge I go to the diamond plate.

When you say you're sharpening at 25 degrees on the Lansky, are you talking per side, or total? Also, one of the downsides to those clamp systems is that you may have to reposition the blade slightly to be able to get the entire edge.
Click to expand...

I've always assumed 25 degrees on the Lansky was inclusive/total blade angle. So, 12.5 degrees per side. I do typically go from medium to ultra fine. I only use the coarse stone if the edge is really mangled. And, to be 100% clear, I I use this blade for all manner of things that are very destructive to knife edges. For example, within the last couple of month, I've used it to open dozens of bags of concrete mix. That's very hard on a knife edge, and something I wouldn't do to a nicer knife.

I've experimented a bit with the Lansky clamping position, but not a lot. That could be it, but in theory, the stone is contacting the curved edge/tip area at the same angle as the flat portion of the blade. I may have to try it again and experiment more.

It's not just the Lansky. I have a "chefs somethingorother" electric sharpener (the type with internal diamond wheels and slot guides) that typically does well with kitchen knives and larger blades. The Leatherman has been through that sharpener many times over the years, also with marginal results. It never gets extremely sharp, and gets dull really fast.
 
It could be a variety of factors, ranging from bad heat treat, to a wire edge that isn't being completely removed. After hearing the kind of use you've put that blade through, and that you've also used one of those electric chef knife sharpeners, it could just be that the edge needs a good reprofiling. Do you have a loupe or good magnifying glass? It could be that you're not getting a good apex when you're sharpening with the Lansky.
 
StuntDouble said:
It could be a variety of factors, ranging from bad heat treat, to a wire edge that isn't being completely removed. After hearing the kind of use you've put that blade through, and that you've also used one of those electric chef knife sharpeners, it could just be that the edge needs a good reprofiling. Do you have a loupe or good magnifying glass? It could be that you're not getting a good apex when you're sharpening with the Lansky.
Click to expand...

I do have a loop and magnifying glasses. I will try to get a more detailed view. Probably something I should have done previously. Middle aged eyesight is one of those psychological barriers that's hard to overcome ("Why can't I do this as well as I used to?!?"). I should adjust my methods, if I'm going to make a big deal out of something like this.

Appreciate your insights. I'll try again, pay more attention to the details, and post how it works out.
 
I hope you're able to get it figured out buddy. I know I've had the same thing happen to me in the past, where I wasn't able to get a blade to perform how I wanted, and it just took a little bit of work to fix the issue.
 
rbstern said:
I've experimented a bit with the Lansky clamping position, but not a lot. That could be it, but in theory, the stone is contacting the curved edge/tip area at the same angle as the flat portion of the blade. I may have to try it again and experiment more.
Click to expand...
Actually, I find that the stone tends to contact the edge near the tip at a shallower angle, especially if the clamp is positioned near the blade base and the tip extends far out from the clamp. Simple geometry, if you think about the clamp and stone as a triangle.

On some knives, the angle near the tip is so shallow that the stone doesn’t even reach the apex of the edge. That’s where the Sharpie test comes in handy for me, since it shows where the stone is contacting.
 
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