Leatherman Alternatives?

TheDandyLion

TheDandyLion

Joined
Mar 27, 2013
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To my great dismay, I think I'm going to switch to different make of Multitool. I have been carrying a Leatherman in one form or another since i was 8 years old. Recently I lost my old tool and had to replace it and I've been really disappointed with the quality. From absurd amounts of blade play, loose pivots, to pliers that refuse to fold, I have decoded to switch brands. Anyway, I was wondering what suggestions you all have for similar styled tools.

Of course the first thing I considered the classic Swiss Army knife. I love the aesthetics and quality of them but the large pliers of a full sized LM are the most used tool and to my knowledge there's no SAK with that feature. I know about the Swisstool, and as it stands that's probably what I'll go with. Do you have any preferred options/alternatives that I should know about? As far as tools go I'm pretty flexible but I really like a good pair of pliers/wirecutters, a saw, scissors, and a reamer/awl would be quite a plus

So what are your favorite non-Leatherman multitools?

Thanks
 
I recently picked up a Victorinox SwissTool CS and I really like it. The one negative is that it requires two hands to open the blade. The build quality; however, is superb. It comes in a very nice sheath with includes extra tools. Here is an image from Victorinox online catalog:

8799482576926_celum_84336_560Wx490H.jpg


At $140 it's not cheap, but it is nice.
 
A lot of people like the Gerber mp600.
You could also find an older leatherman on the secondary market, personally I love my leatherman fuse from 2004 , it has a bit of play in the blade but I don't use them for the blades anti. I believe that the best multitool made is probably the best multitool made as its basically just the fuse with a few other tools.
What model of leatherman have you bought recently ? Because they do have lower and higher end models, and I know they still make a good product.
 
gordyt said:
I recently picked up a Victorinox SwissTool CS and I really like it. The one negative is that it requires two hands to open the blade. The build quality; however, is superb. It comes in a very nice sheath with includes extra tools. Here is an image from Victorinox online catalog:

8799482576926_celum_84336_560Wx490H.jpg


At $140 it's not cheap, but it is nice.
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That seems like the most compelling option. I don't mind the two handed operation as I've come to expect it in a multitool (my old one was the original supertool). As far as price goes, I use my multitool more than most things so if the quality is there I'll shell out for it. Thank you.
 
The Gerbers are like AK-47's. They seem to be built by retarded monkeys, but they function like they are supposed to and last forever.

The Victorinox lineup is - in my view - the "best" designed and constructed, in that they fit the most tools, the most precisely, into the given space. They are on the opposite end of the spectrum from Gerber in terms of precise design and construction.

SOG is also a good one. Smooth opening, with a plier design that effectively doubles your grip strength. Replaceable tools, unlike the others.

They all do the job. It just depends on what features you are after.
 
TheDandyLion said:
That seems like the most compelling option. I don't mind the two handed operation as I've come to expect it in a multitool (my old one was the original supertool). As far as price goes, I use my multitool more than most things so if the quality is there I'll shell out for it. Thank you.
Click to expand...

I do not think you will be disappointed. I probably have 6 different Leathermans, and I do like them, but the SwissTool is very solid kit.
 
powernoodle said:
The Gerbers are like AK-47's. They seem to be built by retarded monkeys, but they function like they are supposed to and last forever.

The Victorinox lineup is - in my view - the "best" designed and constructed, in that they fit the most tools, the most precisely, into the given space. They are on the opposite end of the spectrum from Gerber in terms of precise design and construction.

SOG is also a good one. Smooth opening, with a plier design that effectively doubles your grip strength. Replaceable tools, unlike the others.

They all do the job. It just depends on what features you are after.
Click to expand...

To be honest I hadn't considered Gerber. I have had pretty bad experiences with them in the past. Could you recommend a model? The price is certainly right.

And I didn't even know SOG made multitools.
 
i just retired a leatherman sidekick today. Bought a Gerber Mp 400 to replace it. I will be putting it through the paces at work this week.
 
TheDandyLion said:
To be honest I hadn't considered Gerber. I have had pretty bad experiences with them in the past. Could you recommend a model? The price is certainly right.

And I didn't even know SOG made multitools.
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My only SOG multitool was a Paratool that I purchased back in 1991. :D I still have it today, but I switched to Leatherman over the last 10 years or so. My friend has a Gerber Suspension multitool. He said that after having pliers with the spring in them he can't go back to multi-tools without them. The knife should be able to open one handed too. That's the one thing I wish I had on my LM Juice (one handed blade opening).

Personally, I like the compact size and feel of the multitools that require you to open the pliers to access all the tools (the Juice does that with many tools on the outside). However, the larger multitools with knife and tools on the outside seem larger, more clunky exteriors, and usually feel more bulky in hand... maybe it's because of the added liner locks and such. Recently, I've tried to go towards a dedicated knife, and a separate multitool. After getting used to a one handed opening knife, it's hard to go back to the nail nick LM's and Vic's. It's even harder to go back to multitools which require me to open the pliers to access everything else. It's taking awhile for my Juice CS4 to break in, but it is much better than when I first bought it. My S2 is perfect, but it's the old model.
 
I recently picked up a Swisstool off the online auction for around half. It looked near mint and pretty much was as it looked when received. The plier engravings indicate that this one is a 1998 model, so I am impressed. Dont know if its just super strong or if I got a good one but it feels like new.

Mustve been holstered all the time as it was thrashed. Well not really; the badge was missing. I have seen a few though with surface scratches, so I may be exaggerating in my enthusiasm.

Same size as the SOG Powerlock and has all the standard SAK goodies attached to some nice pliers. Quality defintely is up there and worth the 100. SOG may look like a tank being all black with military design cues but its got nothing on the Swisstool in feel. Its feels like a solid steel bar

Its quality just makes it one of quality top shelf, display items. This one a multi-tool.

Oh, in comparing the actual tools, the Swisstool is at a higher level. They aee precision grade which the others are not. Well, the SOG and an an older Leatherman. Although made in USA, im guessing precision wasnt a priority. By precision, I mean harder steel, better cut, sharper more defined edges, which are needed for those little things that smoosh easily. Just think precision driver. Im sure you know or will know what im talking about.
 
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Been using the SOG Paratool for ten years now. Great for just about everything.

Zieg
 
Another vote for the swisstool here. I had an RS that I used for a work edc. It held up well and was used a lot, but I replaced it with a CS when I realized I had more use for a small file in my daily work than an extra serrated blade since it already has a regular blade. YMMV.
 
I love my leathermans, but if I had to pick some other brand, the swisstool is absolute multitool perfection. Ive had absolutely zero issues with rust, performance , etc. After buying one a while back I decided to try to stick with leatherman because they have always made good with any of my warranty issues and they employed American workers for many years. I like to keep giving them my business but obviously you buy whatever you like. The swisstool is something that you will have zero issues with, look no further. SOGs and Gerber pale in comparison.

Leatherman does still make a great tool. Which one did you have issues with? The wave , charge and surge are pretty awesome. The OHT is also cool though its a bit of a change from the design most leatherman users are used to.
 
We all have our own experiences with multi-tools, but mine has put me solidly into Leatherman. After having given both makes their trial periods, I found the Leathermen were easier to work with, had much better screwdrivers, plier jaws that opened wider, and in one hand opening versions, no competition. A Charge TTi with accessory items takes up less space than a comparable Spirit and with more capabilities. I have nothing bad to say about either the Spirit or Swisstool, both of which I experienced back when. In fact, if Leatherman did not exist, I would happily use either...great fit and finish, built solid, tough and gorgeous. People who choose these are not wrong, but LT fits me better.
 
TheDandyLion said:
To be honest I hadn't considered Gerber. I have had pretty bad experiences with them in the past. Could you recommend a model?
Click to expand...

The military issue Gerber is the MP600 (with sight tool). You don't really need the sight tool probably, so I consider the regular MP600. Its a little crude and loosey goosey, but it does the job.

Btw, as an experiment I buried an MP600 in the ground at the Powernoodle Compound for one year, then dug it up to see how it survived: link.

Yeah, this stuff excites the ladies. No doubt about it.
 
I love the Swiss tool, but my main attraction to the SOG (I'm considering the Powerlock) is that I can service it myself and replace the tools if need be (something I would've LOVED from my LM). I like the look of the Swisstool but I am curiiouse about warranty with Victorinox, anyone have experience with that?
 
And as far as Lethermans go, I carried a Supertool, A Wave which wouldn't close, A Blast which I broke, then warranty sent me a Rebar that I hate, and I have a dysfunctional Wave.
 
Swisstool blades can be opened without opening the plier handles, which is not something that can be said for SOG powerlocks, Gerber 400/600 series, and some Leathermans. I keep going back to Swisstool for the ease of opening the blades
 
My all-time favorite multi-tool is my Victorinox Spirit, the one with the serrated blade in place of the scissors. I bought it back in 2010, and as far as a pliers-based MT, it's the one I've settled on. For many years prior to that, I carried Leatherman tools, including the PST 2, Wave, Blast, Pulse, etc. Leatherman makes very good tools, but I really like my Spirit. I'll be carrying it again, as soon as I get a replacement sheath for it. The one weak thing about it is the sheath it came with; mine lasted maybe a year. I've been carrying it in an old Benchmade Bali-Song sheath, which has become ragged. I'm going to get a non-Victorinox sheath with horizontal carry option.

All that said, regardless of whether I'm carrying the Spirit or not, I always have some kind of SAK(s) in my pocke(s) as well.

Jim
 
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