Multi-tools and Such

[SteeleJ1976]

I carry a Leatherman Wave for work and it comes in really handy. That being said for after hours and at home I carry a Tinker and Rambler combo. I rarely need pliers and both cars have them and my home toolbox does as well.

 

[Knives&Lint]

Side question- what's the folder next to your Spirit in the first pic? I like it but I couldn't quite make out the blade markings on my phone.

Hinderer Jurassic, with aftermarket micarta from Sharp Dressed Knives. I've been quite pleased with it

 

[Chronovore]

I carried a Leatherman for a few years.
It got lost or something & I replaced it with a Gerber.

Despite the Leatherman being better, I'll never buy anything from Leatherman again.
I dislike supporting a company that's at odds with my beliefs - personal and/or political.

What is the issue with Leatherman?

 

[Sharp Steel]

I carried a Leatherman Wave for a long time, until the Wingman came out with the spring assisted pliers. Have 2 versions of the Wave, but prefer the screwdrivers on the original one.

 

[sabre cat]

What is the issue with Leatherman?

Yes, what is the issue with Leatherman?

 

[sabre cat]

My son-in-law’s Gerber arrived today. A MP600 Pro Scout model.

Much to my surprise it is not all American made. I knew the sheath would be made in China. That is a given. But, the package states:

Assembled in USA
Jaw made in Taiwan
Sheath made in China.

Not impressed. I understand that it is a global economy and all but, you would think that with military contracts for these things, the tools would be sourced here.

 

[hexenjager]

Hinderer Jurassic, with aftermarket micarta from Sharp Dressed Knives. I've been quite pleased with it

Thanks! I hadn't been familiar with that model.

 

[x20]

LM Wave in the car, LM Wingman in my work backpack, LM Juice in my hiking pack, and SAK Rambler on my keychain. I tried some Gerber model years ago, and the scales felt painful when squeezing the pliers hard so I gave it away.

My most used tools at work are screwdrivers and open-ended wrenches, making the Leatherman a just-in-case item. At home, I use kitchen knives for cutting food and a box cutter for cutting boxes, so the Rambler sees the most use.

 

[TrapperMike]

I still carry these. I pushed the recruit to far and now carry a hiker. I keep my squirt on my keys with a quick release to easily remove it for use. I use all these tools daily for fixing things and general tinkering.

 

[sabre cat]

I still carry these. I pushed the recruit to far and now carry a hiker. I keep my squirt on my keys with a quick release to easily remove it for use. I use all these tools daily for fixing things and general tinkering.

I am familiar with the Recruit. What is the Hiker? I mean what tools and what size?

 

[Hal]

What is the issue with Leatherman?

The issue goes back to Tim Leatherman throwing his support towards a presidential candidate that would have extended the idiotic 1994 gun ban.

 

[jlyrgr]

I used to carry Leatherman tools, but had a bad habit of pushing them too far. Last year I decided to try dedicated pliers and an SAK, and it's worked quite well so far. View attachment 1487285

What dedicated pliers is that? Knippex Cobra - but what size / Model #

 

[Wild Willie]

What dedicated pliers is that? Knippex Cobra - but what size / Model #

Those are the 5 inch cobras.

 

[PaperKnife]

sabre cat .... a great resource (if you’ve never used it) is SakWiki.

here’s the link to the hiker model you’d like to learn more about.

Link --> HIKER

Be sure to get lost... in the site that is

 

[spoonrobot]

My son-in-law’s Gerber arrived today. A MP600 Pro Scout model.

Much to my surprise it is not all American made. I knew the sheath would be made in China. That is a given. But, the package states:

Assembled in USA
Jaw made in Taiwan
Sheath made in China.

Not impressed. I understand that it is a global economy and all but, you would think that with military contracts for these things, the tools would be sourced here.

The jaws called out are specifically because of the Leatherman lawsuit. The rest of the tools are most likely made in China but do not need to be called out as they are under a certain percentage of the manufactured content. I believe the handles are the only actual part made in the USA, that and maybe the fasteners. IIRC the tools were not in compliance with the Berry Amendment because they were wholly made in China so there was an issue with getting dropped as an NSN item. This is the resolution to that issue - "Assembled in the USA"

 

[sabre cat]

The jaws called out are specifically because of the Leatherman lawsuit. The rest of the tools are most likely made in China but do not need to be called out as they are under a certain percentage of the manufactured content. I believe the handles are the only actual part made in the USA, that and maybe the fasteners. IIRC the tools were not in compliance with the Berry Amendment because they were wholly made in China so there was an issue with getting dropped as an NSN item. This is the resolution to that issue - "Assembled in the USA"

Thanks.

I have been under the impression that the MP600 series was American made with US parts.

I know that other models are outsourced overseas. I think the Diesel is all foreign components.

What can you tell me about the Leatherman lawsuit?

 

[spoonrobot]

Thanks.

I have been under the impression that the MP600 series was American made with US parts.

I know that other models are outsourced overseas. I think the Diesel is all foreign components.

What can you tell me about the Leatherman lawsuit?

This is a good summary: https://www.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2006/01/23/story7.html

I wrote an article about this back in 2008 but it's lost to the internet so here's a link to the case law documents with my selected quotes recalling what I wrote about: https://cite.case.law/cal-app-4th/135/663/

Leatherman’s assertion that the trial court granted summary adjudication because of only one component—the jaw half of the pliers—is unsupported by the record. The trial court concluded that multiple parts of the tools at issue (e.g., plier jaws, Phillips screwdrivers, saws, files, corkscrews, and tweezers) were substantially made outside the United States.

Leatherman introduced the testimony of an executive describing the manufacturing processes undertaken in the United States on the plier jaws used in the Leatherman tools after the plier jaws were investment cast in Mexico, and videotapes depicting the domestic processing. Leatherman also presented videotapes showing the assembly of certain Leatherman tools in the United States. A Leatherman executive testified that with respect to certain tools, the majority of parts are made entirely in the United States. When plaintiffs objected that this evidence was relevant only to the summary adjudication motion the trial court had already granted in plaintiffs’ favor, Leatherman stated that the evidence was being introduced solely for the purpose of refuting plaintiffs’ punitive damages claim, and the trial court admitted the evidence for this limited purpose. Plaintiffs ultimately declined to seek punitive damages.

with respect to the plier jaws—coining, reaming, cleaning, hardening, riveting, torque and tension testing and adjusting, grinding and sanding;

Essentially, the pliers were under great scrutiny because they were cast in Mexico with "Made in USA", with the overwhelming processing being done in the USA. Gerber ran into a similar issue with their pliers and handles - the solution was to call out the pliers as foreign manufacture. For the handles, which actually bore the "U.S.A" they kept (or restarted) production in house.

The lede that got buried at the time was that a lot of Leatherman's parts were actually stamped in Switzerland by Wenger or Victorinox. As this was more than a decade ago, I do not believe this is the case anymore. There are "how it's made" style videos inside the Leatherman factory where many of these components can be seen being made start to finish from a roll of steel to a final implement.

Leatherman tools at issue underwent manufacturing processes outside the United States.
These components included: a file that was fineblanked in Switzerland and that had its
teeth cut and hardened in Switzerland or Austria; plier jaws, Phillips screwdrivers, bolster
file sides, and bolster knife sides that were investment cast in Mexico; a clip plate that
was fineblanked, deburred, formed, hardened, and polished in Switzerland; a locking T
that was fineblanked and hardened in Switzerland; a bit holder that was machined in
Canada; a saw blade that had its profile cut in Switzerland or Germany and that was
fineblanked and hardened in Switzerland; handles that were fineblanked in Switzerland; a
serrated knife blade that was fineblanked in Switzerland; and corkscrews that were
forged, coiled, hardened, and polished in France.

 

[TrapperMike]

I am familiar with the Recruit. What is the Hiker? I mean what tools and what size?

It is basically a tinker with a saw. It has the philips instead of the corkscrew.

 

[Pilsner]

When I carry a Leatherman, these days it is the Skeletool CX. Pliers, drivers, blade, bottle opener.

I have a Charge TTi, which always gets taken on holiday. We often rent a house for a couple of weeks, and it is surprising how many times I will need to ‘fix’ things in the holiday rental.

Lastly, I have a Squirt, living in my guitar case. But, overall, the Skeletool occupies a useful middle ground for me. I take it camping, and usually climbing. However... having just jumped on the forum bandwagon and bought 4” Knipex pliers, I think that the Skeletool might not make it on climbing trips anymore! It’ll still be useful in camp, though.

 

[tiguy7]

The Swiss Tool is really impressive. It is just a little heavy.