Leatherman Free K2

I saw these come up not too long ago. I have one on my Christmas list. I usually prefer a nicer knife blade, but these look like a great little work beater.
 
mnblade said:
On my budget, these are priced a little high to be a work beater. :confused:
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For me, I wang away on a MT costing the same amount. I could see myself keeping the pliers based Rebar for on the jobsite and using a knife based tool for office chores.

My definition of "beater" is a knife I don't rush to goo-gone the tape off the blade:D I don't press my pocket tools into abusive service.
 
So I got this today. I haven’t gotten a chance to do anything but play around with it but I really like it. The blade is not the easiest thing to open. It is smooth but not fast. The opening hole is no Spyderco but it gets the job done. I found using my index finger works about as well as my thumb.

The grip is a bit thick on the rear (some people like that sort of thing), but not a deal breaker. The clip is nice but does create a touch of a hot spot when gripped tightly.

The lock is well thought out and locks the blade securely (tools too) once it is completely locked. It is easy to disengage and close one handed as well. No discernible blade play in any direction.

The tools are easy to get out. The one down side is if you use one hand it can be a bit of a chore to separate them as they all come out together.

Overall it is a quality piece. Extremely well built and I think worth the price.
 
Cool! It’s a really interesting looking tool that caught my eye. Any photos would be welcome too! :)
 
There’s a couple of decent videos on it, but I can only post internet pics as of yet.


I added a little CLP to the pivot area and it is much smoother and easier to open now.
 
The pivot is smoothing up without adjustment. The spydie flick is now very easy. The lock has smoothed up with no hitches as were initially felt. This is a really nice knife, even without considering the bonus tools. I’ve done some cutting with it and it glides through most material. I cut through some thick rubber pad and and it went through a lot easier than my 110. I could see a stand alone knife using this set up as a really good edc. The lock appears to be a modified lock-back style but is operational with either hand. It’s a very cool design. If anyone like this style of tool I highly recommend it.
 
This knife just jumped to the top of my Christmas list. The wife and I set a pretty low dollar of what we spend on each other to make sure the kiddo gets what she wants. This would make a good one and done gift for the Mrs to buy me.

Thanks for the excellent first hand experiences.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
This knife just jumped to the top of my Christmas list. The wife and I set a pretty low dollar of what we spend on each other to make sure the kiddo gets what she wants. This would make a good one and done gift for the Mrs to buy me.

Thanks for the excellent first hand experiences.
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I have acquired several very high end folders recently, but nothing has kicked this one out of my pocket. I think you will be pleased.
 
jstrange said:
There’s a couple of decent videos on it, but I can only post internet pics as of yet.


I added a little CLP to the pivot area and it is much smoother and easier to open now.
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Free series in comparison to SAK:

-Made in USA
-One hand opening
-Locking tools
-Stronger handle
-Better steel

Complains on the price that is some thirty dollars more?

It's hard to watch that guys videos, he always seems to whine about minor things and fails to see the actual benefits.
 
A.L. said:
Free series in comparison to SAK:

-Made in USA
-One hand opening
-Locking tools
-Stronger handle
-Better steel

Complains on the price that is some thirty dollars more?

It's hard to watch that guys videos, he always seems to whine about minor things and fails to see the actual benefits.
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Good points, I usually watch him just because he reviews a lot of stuff no one else does. He is also pretty good about actually using it and giving some action shots.
 
Sorry to necro this post, but I wanted to follow up here for anyone on the internet searching about the Free K series - I've come up on just around a year of ownership of a Free K2 and it has easily replaced other knives of at least 2x it's value as my daily carry. The ability to have a usable #2 philips and a couple flat screwdrivers along with a decent sized knife is really great. I will 100% purchase a premium version if they release one with S30V or better steel because I feel like that is the only area this knife is really lacking. I strop the blade pretty often to keep a decent edge on it, the edge holding capability definitely doesn't seem quite there, but I unfortunately have the bias towards knives with at least 154cm or better steel and haven't used much 420hc or similar outside of the K2 to form a good opinion. The anodizing on my handle scales have worn at the edges and given this knife an awesome patina.

I could go either way on the K2 vs K4 - I didn't feel like the scissors were necessary but if it was a negligible size/weight difference I could see springing the extra few bucks for it. I am currently experimenting with carrying a Benchmade Proper simultaneously for a better blade while still keeping the K2 in pocket for a beater blade and other tools.

If you don't find yourself needing a pliers-based multitool very often but do often need a screwdriver there really don't seem to be a ton of other comparable options that give you one-handed use with a #2 sized Philips and bladed screwdrivers in a pocket-clipped package. The Skeletool is probably alllllmost as good, but the knife is much smaller and I have always thought the clip carried strangely in pocket.
 
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