Looking At Multitools, Leatherman Charge TTi

C

Confederate

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When I began looking at multitools, I started with Gerber's $25 models (advertised in Smoky Mountain Knife Works), such as the Crux. As I continued to look at various models, I ended up at Amazon looking at the Leatherman Charge TTi.

The Charge is a great looking multitool, but the one-hundred dollar price seems to be a bit stiff. I really don't need the titanium, but I do like the S30V knife blade and the other tools. The Wave comes in at about $60 or so, but the Charge has really made an impression. I do wonder whether it has the eyeglass screwdriver tool that the Wave has or not, as I understand it's really useful to have on tap.

The 420 blade in the Wave seems a bit cheesy, but typical of multitools and SAKs, plus the S30V steel is only used in one of the knife blades. I'd really rather have the aluminum grips and the S30V steel used in two or three blades! In all fairness, though, with serrations the difference might not be all that noticeable.

What I'm looking for are some good recommendations. I've really been disappointed in Gerber for the past several years and am really more vacillating between the Charge TTi or the Leatherman New Wave. And should I go for the leather sheath or the nylon? (I like leather, personally.)

Thanks for any inputs!
 
Take a look at the Letherman Juice CS4 - I like the knives, saw, awl and scissor.
Wait for a sale someplace - I think they are all overpriced.
 
The Charge doesn't seem worth it if you carry a dedicated knife on you like I do. I like having a spare on a multitool, but whatever else I'm carrying is usually bigger, more ergonomic, and just better.

That's why I got one of the SOG multitools and added a ClipDraw. I thought the compound leverage on the pliers would make it more useful than yet another knife.
 
I agree they're overpriced, and I don't particularly like the 420HC steel used in them, nor do I care for the steel used in SAKs. Why the Charge TTi is going for more than a hundred dollars is beyond me. Cabela's has a Damascus steel version that's selling for $500.

Leatherman has no real competition, alas, though I'll check out the SOG, but their knives tend to be overpriced as well.

I'd like to see Buck and other companies get away from this wretched 420HC steel. Why they continue using it is a mystery to me.

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions!
 
I am assuming that since you are on BF that you EDC some kind of knife. That said, I have found the best option for an EDC multi-tool that makes sense to me. I bought the Victorinox Spirit.

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The reason I went with the Spirit is that it has only one blade and it is a blunt-nosed 2/3 serrated towards the tip. Some call it a "peanut utter knife". Whatever you call it, I like it and since I EDC a plain-edge knife, I felt this would compliment it quite well. The serrations are different from what I am used too. it is more smooth and rounded like a scallop than the normal pointy serrations. It cuts really well through rope and other fibrous material. It is the same serrations that are on the Vic One Hand Trekker.

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The other selling point on Victinox was the quality and fit & finish of their multi-tools. I have a Vic SwissTool RS as well and it and the Spirit are of much higher quality than any of Leatherman offerings I have used. This includes the Charge TTi, Core and Surge I borrowed and the new Wave and Skeletool that I own.

Now if you do not carry a separate knife, then the Charge TTi would be a good pick since the blade steel is S30V. Also look at the Skeletool CX in 154CM if your tool requirements are blade, pliers, slotted and phillips drivers and a bottle opener.

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Oh, and I agree with others that the Leathermans are overpriced.
 
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In my experience, the S30v blade and titanium scales are worth it even at a premium price. However, considered as a seldom-purchased item, the Charge TTi is not terribly expensive. In terms of cost per year, it is next to nothing on a 5 year basis, less still the longer it is owned

Even so, I must admit that had not one come up for sale at an unusually low price, I might have passed on the Charge altogether. Now, after spending a good amount of time with it, I find it a perfect fit for me, practically replacing everything else I used to carry. Build quality on my sample is excellent, all implements tight and working smoothly. At first, the only thing I found lacking on the Charge was an awl, but a mod fitted to the pocket clip slot fixed that.

My suggestion would be to keep an eye on sales venues. I have a feeling there may be a dip in prices sometime soon.
 
If you like the Charge, go for it. The high price may put you off, but remember, it is a tool for life. Short of losing it or doing something silly, Leatherman's superb 25 year warranty will take care of you.
 
I carry a wave everyday. I want a charge, but I feel it's overpriced when compared with other multi-tools. I find the steel in the wave gets the job done.
 
Yes, the Charge TTi is about $100 compared to $60 for the new Wave. (See review here.)

As far as the Victorinox, where would be a good place to buy it. I used to buy nearly all of my knives at the Smoky Mountain Knife Center, but recently they're getting into all sorts of junk and their prices just aren't what they used to be. I'd buy four or five knives at a time there; now, while their prices aren't as stiff as Cabela's, they're just not very competitive. I'd hate to see them go under since they've been so great in the past, but they don't have much in the way of multitools. A few years ago, I bought a Gerber multitool that was on sale at SMKW, but gave it to my brother.

Oh, and as far as the knife goes, even though I'll most likely always have a better knife with me, having the S30V blade will always be an asset. Always. So that's worth considering. Like I said, the serrated blades usually do okay with tough steels that otherwise would be unremarkable.

Very good points on cost per year. Nothing like a little logic to spice things up. I may come back for some excuses to buy high definition when it's time to run it past the wife. That may be slightly more complicated, though.
 
I agree with upchuck, since you have a knife, get the Spirit. And the leather sheath is pretty nice.
Same situation as me, I just can't get by without a clipped one-hand opening single blade. Old habits, I guess.
I once had a Charge, now it's nothing but the Spirit for me since I don't think there'll be anything that will top the quality and lifetime guarantee for a long time.

For purchasing, I strongly recommend Felinevet
 
I've got the Charge TTI and the CX Skeletool... both have rusted whilst in my pocket and require constant wipe downs with tuff glide... they are only used in an office environment.

I also own a Vic Swisstool - it rides in my pocket, requires no maintenance, and keeps the Leathermans in the drawer at home.
 
Ozy said:
I've got the Charge TTI and the CX Skeletool... both have rusted whilst in my pocket and require constant wipe downs with tuff glide... they are only used in an office environment.

I also own a Vic Swisstool - it rides in my pocket, requires no maintenance, and keeps the Leathermans in the drawer at home.
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Some have posted they get rust while others say no rust. :confused: This has got me flummoxed. Although I have heard of and seen photos of LT rust, I seem to have dodged the curse. Over 13 years I have owned and operated many Leathermen under a variety of conditions with routine but not excessive maintenance and none have exhibited any rust, ever. Well, maybe a little in the plier jaws gripping surface occasionally, but easily wiped off (in fact, I'm not even sure it was rust, maybe just some mung.)

What could account for this disparity? Different batches of steel, maybe, but I got those Leathermen at different times, so the law of averages doesn't cover that. I live in a geographical area which seldom experiences extreme humidity. This might help, but I have used LTs under rainy conditions and otherwise around water, always wiped dry after. That's just automatic.

Apart from personal experience, I have no insight on this matter.
 
znapschatz said:
Some have posted they get rust while others say no rust. :confused:
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I will post RUST.:p I live in Michigan which has rainy springs and humid summers. My coworker's LM Charge XTi has rust all over it especially between the tools and at the knife/file/saw pivots. My Pulse has some spots but is pretty good but I only use it around the house and usually not outdoors so I expect my Wave to follow suit. My '98 Vic SwissTool is used outside in all conditions and doesn't even have a speck of rust. I expect my Spirit will be the same.
 
znapschatz said:
What could account for this disparity? Different batches of steel, maybe, but I got those Leathermen at different times, so the law of averages doesn't cover that. I live in a geographical area which seldom experiences extreme humidity. This might help, but I have used LTs under rainy conditions and otherwise around water, always wiped dry after. That's just automatic.
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It's had me confused and disenchanted with Leathermans since I shelled out the not small pennies (over here) for the Leatherman products.

I carry carbon steel slipjoints in the opposite pocket to the one my Leathermans ride in, on the very same days under the same conditions and the carbon steel remains unaffected by rust.

Yet I have to get the 0000 steel wool out on the LT's even after I've applied Tuff glide to the affected areas before work.

I'm left feeling a tool just shouldnt require THAT much maintenance.
 
I'll take another look at the Spirit, but I like the tools on the Charge/Wave better. As for rust, that's odd. Given the 420 steel, it ought not to rust at all, but some people have a certain chemistry in their skin, oils and such, that seem to rust more than others'. I have a friend who's bought all stainless guns because his blued guns all developed rust where he touched them. In my own situation, I have a CRKT M16-13Z that I rinsed off once and it began to rust the next day. And it was the old AUS6 version. I guess in some cases that poorly treated steels can also corrode.

The Spirit looks like a nice tool, but I'd like to see some of the individual tools, especially the screwdrivers. That's one reason I'm drawn to the Wave and Charge models. I'm always needing screwdrivers, and I like the fact that I can get a screwdriver kit with the Charge and Wave.

As far as I can see, the primary difference between the Charge and Wave is the titanium, which is of no worth, and the S30V blade, which is nice (in a pinch, it could be quite capable). My regular EDC is a CS knife with serrated blade. In some cases, a plain edge would be better. The Charge also is said to be built a bit better.
 
Confederate said:
Given the 420 steel, it ought not to rust at all, but some people have a certain chemistry in their skin, oils and such, that seem to rust more than others'.
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Stainless is not stainproof. It will stain less but it will stain/rust.

Confederate said:
As far as I can see, the primary difference between the Charge and Wave is the titanium, which is of no worth, and the S30V blade, which is nice (in a pinch, it could be quite capable). My regular EDC is a CS knife with serrated blade. In some cases, a plain edge would be better. The Charge also is said to be built a bit better.
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IIRC, the Charge ALX has 2 bit drivers and the Charge TTi/AL/Wave has one and the eyglass-sized screwdriver.
 
Yes, I know stainless will both rust and stain; however, some grades will rust and stain more than others. The 420HC steel is more resistant than steels with greater carbon content. Stainless guns also resist gas cutting to a greater extent than carbon blued guns.

Having said that, there are people with poison body chemistry, and stainless resists rust and corrosion to a much greater degree than carbon steel. When stainless handguns first appeared, gun writers loved putting them under their lawn sprinklers and then leaving for a weekend trip. Upon their return, if the gun was still there (it always was), they'd take photos, with water drops glistening on the gun's unsullied surface.

Polished stainless also resists rust to a much greater degree than satin finishes, because polishing brings a protective chromium film to the surface. One reason I love Cold Steel Voyagers is their high polish. CS also watches its heat treat as well.

Too many manufacturers still use 420HC. It's easy to work and I imagine the profit margins are enormous. The Charge/Wave has tool extensions which are both desirable and, to a degree, impractical. Where would one carry all the bits?

The Spirit is beautiful, but it, too, isn't cheap. For the $$$, they should be made of better steels. For a hundred dollars for the Charge, I suspect you're paying mostly for the titanium. I really feel they could use a little more competition. A Wave with better steel would be fantastic.

Still, for the use it's cheap. That said, I think I'm going with the Charge. With inflation coming, it will only go up in price.

One other point. According to the review cited above: "On our Charge samples, initially we didn't push in hard enough to secure the bit, stopping when we felt what seemed to be the bottom, but once we figured it out it worked fine. In the case of our Wave sample, it wasn't very tightly secured to begin with and with only a few removals and inserts it stopped retaining the bit at all." This is a very damning criticism of the Wave. I suppose if one never removes the bit, all is fine, but there's no excuse for the bit failing to stay in the tool.
 
Confederate said:
The Charge/Wave has tool extensions which are both desirable and, to a degree, impractical. Where would one carry all the bits?
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Congratulations on deciding on the Charge. The Charge comes with a partial bit kit, a more comprehensive one is available seperately. If you get this additional kit, you can compile your commonly used bits onto one card and these can be carried within the pouch as there is an elasticated pocket within.
 
Yes, but I may also end up buying a Victorinox just because, well, why not? I've got to give it to the Charge on so many other aspects: 1) locking tools; 2) extra bits; 3) room in case for small LED light; 4) S30V blade, and 5) titanium handles. The latter is said to be discontinued because of the rising price of titanium, so it's basically a nice touch that really doesn't mean much otherwise. If the TTi and New Wave were identical except for the titanium, there wouldn't even be a debate, I'd go with the Wave. Considering all the other perks, I can't justify not going with the Charge.

I have one of the old Waves (a gift from my mother). Will just have to wait and see on the Charge and see how it compares.
 
Well, just got my Leatherman Charge TTi, and I must say it is HUGE! It also weighs much more than I thought. Some had complained that their knife blades were dull, but my knife blade came very sharp, but unevenly ground. Whoever ground it did so in a hurry and it was just dropped into a bucket and moved on. Had I been an inspector at the factory, I probably wouldn't have let it go through. One side was fine; the other side wasn't. For an S30V blade, I expected a little better fit and finish.

The titanium is nice, but again, the overall look and feel was on the massive side. No one can deny that these tools are much more than just tools you have in case you don't have your toolbox. The design is brilliant and the tools are rugged and fully capable of first tier use. The knife can be used as a full fledged knife; the screwdriver also is capable of fairly heavy use, as are the pliers, saw, file and the other knife blade. The only two that are lightweights are, of course, the scissors and the bottle opener. As for the diamond coated side of the file, that remains to be seen. I'm sorry it's not detachable, as it could most likely be used to sharpen the S30V knife blade.

I got the leather case, which while initially appealing, soon had me wondering if I shouldn't have gotten the version with the nylon case. I love leather, but the tool's a tight fit, and I believe the nylon case might have been a bit roomier. I also see that there's room for the screwdriver extender, but at ten dollars I'm not sure it would be worth it. Oh, and the tiny eyeglass screwdriver? It's one I hope I never have to use, but it's very nice to have. I see increasingly more devices these days that open with tiny screws, and eyeglass screws also tend to come loose on occasion.

It's a bit bulkier and heavier than I would have liked, but it's like having a tool belt on one's...belt. In the end, I don't know whether I'll end up using it a lot or not, but the quality is there. It's certainly just the right tool for a bugout bag but, of course, with a better set of knives. Even so, the smallish blade would be good on more detailed work and the file looks like it would be a workhorse.

All in all, it's a great tool and is robust enough to be worth the hundred dollars it cost. As it is, I may want to try out something smaller and lighter down the way. Perhaps I should add a Victorinox to my collection and go from there.


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