Leatherman blade options

Buffalohump

Buffalohump

Joined
Sep 7, 2006
Messages
6,184
Hey guys,

By some miracle it seems Leatherman is now shipping to my country. I have long drooled over the Arc because of the Magnacut blade but not sure if I need another full-blown MT.

Problem is the heavier it is, the less likely I am to carry it. Currently I tote around a very old Leatherman Pulse. Mainly because its small and relatively light and the tools all lock.

I was keen on the Skeletool CX and actually bought one on eBay. Unfortunately the idiot shipping company I used at the time wouldn't send it on because of the blade. No amount of reasoning worked and I had to divert it to friend in the US.

My question (if you can forgive the long ramble) is this: does any other model have a decent knife steel? I liked the Skeletool because of the 154CM blade. Apart from the Arc does any other Leatherman use a decent knife steel? (What can I say, I'm spoiled!)

There are so many now its a bit bewildering.... to note I already have a Wave and a Victorinox Swisstool. And the aforementioned Pulse.

Thanks!
 
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I wouldn't drop money on an arc if you already have the wave, but many people have and don't regret it somy opinion there doesn't matter. If you been drooling over it might as well just get one, otherwise you'll be stuck "never knowing" if you really should have
Or
Buy the bond, it doesn't lock, has a set of practical tools, a wicked sharp blade and a stiff strong back spring
 
Well I don't carry the Wave because its heavy and doesn't have a clip. That's the other thing I like about the Arc, the pocket clip. I just wish they'd make 154CM the standard on all their MTs. It seems only the Skeletool CX has it.
 
It seems like the skeletool cx is the leatherman for you. It’s a solid choice. I bought one probably 7 or 8 years ago and it got a decent amount of carry time. Definitely more than my wave for the exact reason you mentioned, the wave was too heavy. It disappeared a few months after I bought it. Years later it reappeared, turns out my brother shared my appreciation for the skeletool haha.

I honestly never had a problem with the basic leatherman steel. I tend to see the blades on a leatherman as kind of a back up to a main folder anyways. Even then they take a quick edge.
 
If you think the wave it heavy, the arc will be like having a brick in your pocket.

I was really opposed to the arc for a long time. Especially after owning a free p2. It just felt cheap. I came across a good deal on an arc and jumped on it to see what it was all about.

I’ll admit, I love it…… but I also hate how heavy it is. I mean it feels really heavy….. it’s great but definitely a chunk in your pocket or on your hip.

Now with that being said…… I can see how it could completely replace your main edc blade al together. When I carry the arc, I usually only carry a small slip joint in my pocket for small cutting tasks. But I find myself just using the arc for everything.


I say buy it, worst case, you can resell it for what you paid…
 
I love the arc. I've carried every day since jan of 2024 and use it for all tasks. To me the blade steel is a huge upgrade but the biggest thing is the one-handed opening for all the tools. I use this thing constantly when I only have one hand free! It does have some weight to it but I've gotten used to it...
I would totally recommend it overall
Linus
 
If I didn't have a couple Waves, I would have tried the Arc but I don't carry mine (vehicle glove box and kitchen drawer) and have little actual use for them. Kinda the old have it and not need it thing and dudes need to be dudes. Still, I'd try an Arc if they weren't so silly expensive. While I don't shop for that model very often, every time I've looked, they've always been MSRP.
 
Daedric Panther said:
It seems like the skeletool cx is the leatherman for you. It’s a solid choice. I bought one probably 7 or 8 years ago and it got a decent amount of carry time. Definitely more than my wave for the exact reason you mentioned, the wave was too heavy. It disappeared a few months after I bought it. Years later it reappeared, turns out my brother shared my appreciation for the skeletool haha.

I honestly never had a problem with the basic leatherman steel. I tend to see the blades on a leatherman as kind of a back up to a main folder anyways. Even then they take a quick edge.
Click to expand...
I had another look at it but honestly, I MUST have a scissors and I rate the LM scissors highly so a bummer it doesn't have one. Would far prefer a scissors over the bit driver as I don't much like those Leatherman bits.
 
Gizler00 said:
If you think the wave it heavy, the arc will be like having a brick in your pocket.

I was really opposed to the arc for a long time. Especially after owning a free p2. It just felt cheap. I came across a good deal on an arc and jumped on it to see what it was all about.

I’ll admit, I love it…… but I also hate how heavy it is. I mean it feels really heavy….. it’s great but definitely a chunk in your pocket or on your hip.

Now with that being said…… I can see how it could completely replace your main edc blade al together. When I carry the arc, I usually only carry a small slip joint in my pocket for small cutting tasks. But I find myself just using the arc for everything.


I say buy it, worst case, you can resell it for what you paid…
Click to expand...
I suppose it would be.... didn't really think about that. Its about 3 grams heavier than the Wave but yeah, heavy!
 
ShaiHulud said:
I wouldn't drop money on an arc if you already have the wave, but many people have and don't regret it somy opinion there doesn't matter. If you been drooling over it might as well just get one, otherwise you'll be stuck "never knowing" if you really should have
Or
Buy the bond, it doesn't lock, has a set of practical tools, a wicked sharp blade and a stiff strong back spring
Click to expand...
I've checked that out too, old school is cool! But no scissors so no deal! My most used tools are the pliers, scissors, can opener and the diamond file oddly enough.

That narrows it down quite a bit as most of them don't have a decent diamond file.
 
It's a fun game but eventually I end up in the same place. Reason being the Arc ticks all the boxes. It has a Magnacut blade, check. A diamond file, check. A scissor/s, check. It DOESN'T have the serrated blade which is fine with me as I don't see the need for it with a Magnacut blade. It has a clip though not standard issue (bummer) and it has the 'free' action which is a bonus.

The Charge TTi has a S30V blade, but extra stuff I don't need/want like a serrated blade. The Skeletool CX has a 154CM blade but not much else.

Way I see it the Arc isn't much more than a Spyderco Military in Magnacut. So, if you look at it that way, its a bargain! 🤣
 
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