- Joined
- Aug 23, 2004
- Messages
- 382
Clearly, the best multi tool is in the eye of the beholder. I was reminded of this yesterday, during a family get together with two of my brother-in-laws. Both are big guys ~ I mean REALLY big guys ~ and both make their living as plumbers. Not the TV commercial kind of plumber that shows up with a bottle of Drain-o and unclogs some old lady's kitchen sink. These guys are both construction site union plumbers, installing water mains in new buildings, heating and cooling systems, overhead fire sprinkler systems, etc.
Anyhow, both guys carry a multi tool on the job, and both guys use it every day. And take it from me, they do NOT go easy on any kind of tool, single purpose or multi tool. (I am reminded of this every time I go to use tools in my garage, which these guys have borrowed from me previously!) Take it from me, these guys are tool users and tool abusers.
Mike, the oldest, carries an original Leatherman Super Tool. He's had it for about seven years. The main blade got snapped off a couple years back while he was doing some non-recommended prying with it. A warranty trip to the factory and back took care of the problem. Everything else on the tool is original. It's been opened and closed so many times, and is so loose because of it, that he can "flip" the whole thing open one-handed like a butterfly knife! I think he's almost proud of how clunky the thing is.
Mike uses the pliers on his Super Tool every day. Usage of the knife blade(s) come in a close second. (He hates a blade with serrations, and so has ground them off and sharpened the second blade on his tool to closely resemble the main blade.) He also uses the file a lot, along with occasional use of the flat and phillips screwdrivers. He claims to have never used the saw blade even once.
Paul is a few years younger than Mike, but you wouldn't know it from the bathroom scale. Like I said, they are both big guys. He carries a Leatherman Super Tool 200. Many years ago, he "discovered" the Leatherman PST, and started wearing it on his belt to work. It was so handy that soon all the other guys at his shop started carrying a multi tool. Now they all feel naked without one. The PST lasted a couple years, then Paul started sampling the other brands. The Gerber (original, non-locking) MultiPlier was too flimsy and only lasted a couple weeks. A Bucktool was next, but the first time he tried using the pliers to untwist some hanger wire, he got rid of it in disgust. (A major design flaw of the Bucktool.) Then came a Schrade Tough Tool. This lasted about a year if I recall. Paul really liked the way the big tool fit his large hands, but he kept having trouble with the blade locking mechanism. Every time he would try to get a blade out, the whole group would come out in a "clump", then all engage the lock. The whole clump of blades would be stuck open, and he would have a heck of a time getting them to release and fold up! After about a year, the Schrade got traded in on the Super Tool 200.
Paul also uses the pliers on a daily basis, but unlike Mike, he uses the saw tool very often also. Mostly for hacking holes through wall board, or cutting a piece of PVC pipe. Flat and phillips screwdrivers are also important.
So anyhow, even though both these guys use a multi A LOT more than I do, neither one is up to date on what the newest tools are like. Trying not to say anything to influence their opinions, I grabbed a few from my collection and let the guys play around with them. The results were sort of surprising, sort of not.
On the surprising side, neither guy liked the SwissTool Spirit. The Spirit has kinda been my favorite lately, but these two Neanderthals claim it is too small!
"Not big enough," said Paul, dismissing it entirely. No amount of subtle salesmanship on my part could get him to reconsider.
Mike, on the other hand, looked the Spirit over thoroughly, commented on the fine craftsmanship, but couldn't get any of the blades to come out! I'm telling you, this guy has got fingers like polish sausages, with no fingernails, and he couldn't get one single blade or tool to unfold! Incredible.
Also a bit surprising was their evaluation of the Leatherman Surge. Both liked the big size of the tool, and both were impressed with how you can "flick" the knife blades out without opening the pliers. Paul, however, didn't like the blade exchanger. Or, at least, he didn't like having to choose between the file OR the saw blade. He wants to have them both available on the tool.
"Need to get rid of them scissors," was his in-depth assessment.
Meanwhile, Mike had already disregarded the Surge due to the bit drivers. One glance told him that these stubby screwdriver bits wouldn't work where he needed them to.
Next to go down in flames was the Leatherman Charge, mainly for reasons already mentioned above. Too small, no good stubby screwdriver bits, can't get the blades out. What else ya' got?
Finally came the Leatherman Core. It's big enough for the both of them. It has a file AND a saw blade, along with two knife blades. Fat fingers can easily access all of the long blades, even without using the nail nicks. (I hadn't realized this before.) The Core also has a harpoon of a phillips screwdriver, along with plenty of reach on the flat screwdrivers. Lastly, both guys liked the locking mechanism, which can be easily released by big greasy fingers.
So, there you have it. Not scientific research by any means, but it just goes to show you that the best tool out there is the one that is best for you.
~Bob
Anyhow, both guys carry a multi tool on the job, and both guys use it every day. And take it from me, they do NOT go easy on any kind of tool, single purpose or multi tool. (I am reminded of this every time I go to use tools in my garage, which these guys have borrowed from me previously!) Take it from me, these guys are tool users and tool abusers.
Mike, the oldest, carries an original Leatherman Super Tool. He's had it for about seven years. The main blade got snapped off a couple years back while he was doing some non-recommended prying with it. A warranty trip to the factory and back took care of the problem. Everything else on the tool is original. It's been opened and closed so many times, and is so loose because of it, that he can "flip" the whole thing open one-handed like a butterfly knife! I think he's almost proud of how clunky the thing is.
Mike uses the pliers on his Super Tool every day. Usage of the knife blade(s) come in a close second. (He hates a blade with serrations, and so has ground them off and sharpened the second blade on his tool to closely resemble the main blade.) He also uses the file a lot, along with occasional use of the flat and phillips screwdrivers. He claims to have never used the saw blade even once.
Paul is a few years younger than Mike, but you wouldn't know it from the bathroom scale. Like I said, they are both big guys. He carries a Leatherman Super Tool 200. Many years ago, he "discovered" the Leatherman PST, and started wearing it on his belt to work. It was so handy that soon all the other guys at his shop started carrying a multi tool. Now they all feel naked without one. The PST lasted a couple years, then Paul started sampling the other brands. The Gerber (original, non-locking) MultiPlier was too flimsy and only lasted a couple weeks. A Bucktool was next, but the first time he tried using the pliers to untwist some hanger wire, he got rid of it in disgust. (A major design flaw of the Bucktool.) Then came a Schrade Tough Tool. This lasted about a year if I recall. Paul really liked the way the big tool fit his large hands, but he kept having trouble with the blade locking mechanism. Every time he would try to get a blade out, the whole group would come out in a "clump", then all engage the lock. The whole clump of blades would be stuck open, and he would have a heck of a time getting them to release and fold up! After about a year, the Schrade got traded in on the Super Tool 200.
Paul also uses the pliers on a daily basis, but unlike Mike, he uses the saw tool very often also. Mostly for hacking holes through wall board, or cutting a piece of PVC pipe. Flat and phillips screwdrivers are also important.
So anyhow, even though both these guys use a multi A LOT more than I do, neither one is up to date on what the newest tools are like. Trying not to say anything to influence their opinions, I grabbed a few from my collection and let the guys play around with them. The results were sort of surprising, sort of not.
On the surprising side, neither guy liked the SwissTool Spirit. The Spirit has kinda been my favorite lately, but these two Neanderthals claim it is too small!
"Not big enough," said Paul, dismissing it entirely. No amount of subtle salesmanship on my part could get him to reconsider.
Mike, on the other hand, looked the Spirit over thoroughly, commented on the fine craftsmanship, but couldn't get any of the blades to come out! I'm telling you, this guy has got fingers like polish sausages, with no fingernails, and he couldn't get one single blade or tool to unfold! Incredible.
Also a bit surprising was their evaluation of the Leatherman Surge. Both liked the big size of the tool, and both were impressed with how you can "flick" the knife blades out without opening the pliers. Paul, however, didn't like the blade exchanger. Or, at least, he didn't like having to choose between the file OR the saw blade. He wants to have them both available on the tool.
"Need to get rid of them scissors," was his in-depth assessment.
Meanwhile, Mike had already disregarded the Surge due to the bit drivers. One glance told him that these stubby screwdriver bits wouldn't work where he needed them to.
Next to go down in flames was the Leatherman Charge, mainly for reasons already mentioned above. Too small, no good stubby screwdriver bits, can't get the blades out. What else ya' got?
Finally came the Leatherman Core. It's big enough for the both of them. It has a file AND a saw blade, along with two knife blades. Fat fingers can easily access all of the long blades, even without using the nail nicks. (I hadn't realized this before.) The Core also has a harpoon of a phillips screwdriver, along with plenty of reach on the flat screwdrivers. Lastly, both guys liked the locking mechanism, which can be easily released by big greasy fingers.
So, there you have it. Not scientific research by any means, but it just goes to show you that the best tool out there is the one that is best for you.
~Bob
I can't really tell from pictures, but my impression was the Spirit scissors is the same as on standard full size SAKs. Is your Wave the original version with the larger scissors or the new one with smaller? It is hard to believe the Spirit has a smaller scissors than the new Wave, which is already too small. 
.
