Which Leatherman?

[dancrane]

I never owned one, so I've no idea how wide is the current and past range or which is best. For all I know, there's only one style so it isn't even a good question. But I expect various manufacturers are making them and I've no idea which are as good/better/cheaper or have features that rival the original.

I never much liked Swiss Army knives which tried to include too many functions without doing any of them half so well as a dedicated tool...

...but I'm tired of finding I've left pliers, shackle key, knife and flat/Philips screwdrivers at home or in the car when I'm at the boat.

Is there an all-stainless one which is genuinely corrosion-proof?

 

[Kukri]

Here are two; a Leatherman Wave that I have carried around for twenty years and a (very much cheaper) Draper Multitool which lives in my splicing bag. Both are good. Note the Leatherman has an additional trick with the blade housings but the Draper has a nice trick being spring loaded to open in the “pliers” mode so you can use it one handed in awkward spaces.

Neither shows any sign of rust but the Leatherman leads a harder life.

 

[KompetentKrew]

IMO you should just have a proper toolkit for the boat - a cheap one or a good one, depending on how much maintenance you do. Spray CRC SP400 or similar on tools to prevent them rusting.

However, having said that, I have a genuine Leatherman and have to say that it is over 20 years old, spotless and rust-free. Before writing this reply it had not occurred to me, but it appears to have resisted corrosion better than anything else on the boat; furthermore I realise that the knife and pliers do seem quite good quality - better than any others I have on the boat, although I usually only pay a few quid for pliers. However my Leatherman is relatively basic compared to current models and I don't know if they still use the same quality of stainless. The pliers and knife are basically the only tools I use on it.

If I lost mine over the side, I doubt I'd spend the money on replacing it with another genuine Leatherman. I might buy a cheap clone when they're on sale at Lidl though.

IMO you could get a much better toolkit for the money just buying a socket set, screwdriver set and pliers from Screwfix. It looks like genuine Leathermen range in price between £70 and £140, and you could get an absolutely massive kit for that.

Without even trying:

• Mixed Drive Socket Set 94 Pieces
• Magnusson Ratchet Screwdriver Bit Set 46 Pieces
• Mixed Screwdriver Set 12 Pieces
• Locking Pliers Set 3 Pieces
• Magnusson Pliers Set 3 Pieces
• Total price: £88

 

[Kukri]

I would replace the Leatherman. It’s actually my third. The first two were carelessly lost to airport security before “9/11”. It sits in the much re-stitched leather belt pouch that it’s predecessor came in; Leatherman stopped those years ago.

 

[sarabande]

Just given a Leatherman Wave + as a significant birthday present to future SiL. I lashed out , but he gets chocolates or a bottle in future.

A leather sheath is available as an accessory, as is a Bit kit ( Leatherman Bit Kit.)

Accessories | Leatherman UK

I don't take my own (Titanium) on the boat. Beefier knife/pliers/shackle key/spike belt set is better, with proper tool box only seconds away.


Leatherman tools confiscated at airports are sold off at Bristol Auctions. They go for about £50 each, and each month there are about 15 available plus other makes.

The BCVA - Commercial Auctions in Bristol

 

[Sandy]

I carry a "riggers knife", blade, shackle key and marling spike when sailing (£10 at an army and navy surplus shop). For everything else the boat has a toolkit.

 

[Northern Star]

I buy these ones so if they are dropped overboard or stolen it is not too much to lose: Stanley 12 in 1 Multi Tool

I also have a full toolkit on board but nothing expensive as it rusts or ends up in the sump \ river.

 

[Bristolfashion]

Leather man wave - I've had it for 30 or more years and it's fantastic. No corrosion & everything still works. It lives on my belt in the leather case. I have the driver adapter which is occasionally useful.

I do have a complete tool kit for each of house, boat & bike, but being able to do that unexpected / small / emergency job right now without fossicking for a tool is priceless.

 

[billyfish]

Wave for me as well on my second one which they replaced free when something came lose. Great tools.

 

[Gin]

Here are two; a Leatherman Wave that I have carried around for twenty years and a (very much cheaper) Draper Multitool which lives in my splicing bag. Both are good. Note the Leatherman has an additional trick with the blade housings but the Draper has a nice trick being spring loaded to open in the “pliers” mode so you can use it one handed in awkward spaces.

Neither shows any sign of rust but the Leatherman leads a harder life.View attachment 110013View attachment 110014View attachment 110015

I never owned one, so I've no idea how wide is the current and past range or which is best. For all I know, there's only one style so it isn't even a good question. But I expect various manufacturers are making them and I've no idea which are as good/better/cheaper or have features that rival the original.

I never much liked Swiss Army knives which tried to include too many functions without doing any of them half so well as a dedicated tool...

...but I'm tired of finding I've left pliers, shackle key, knife and flat/Philips screwdrivers at home or in the car when I'm at the boat.

Is there an all-stainless one which is genuinely corrosion-proof?

I may be out of touch with what Leatherman tools offer but I still have a pre-wave one which looks and works very well, my only criticism which Kukri comments on is that the pliers function is rather fiddly as it needs two hands to open and close the jaws which is difficult and sometimes impossible. My Gerber multi tool scored points on that front but it wasn’t stainless and the alloy construction quickly became corroded in my foul weather jacket, even though it wasn’t ever directly exposed to moisture.To be fair the manufacturer replaced it under their guarantee but the replacement soon showed similar signs, so the Leatherman is superior.
I am pleased that I don’t need to replace my multi tool as I wouldn’t want to consider spending around £100 and still perhaps not having spring loaded pliers jaws

 

[lustyd]

I'd vote for the Gerber suspension. Mine is 10 years old and no corrosion, I just bought a second one for home too. Very good as pliers, very good as a knife and saw, average as a screwdriver (but anything that's pliers will be).

 

[duncan99210]

I have a Leatherman Wingman (couldn’t have told you which one I have until I got out of bed and had a look at it....). Had it for 5 or 6 years now as a replacement for the Wave lost overboard when I dropped it.
The Wingman is a better all round tool IMO. Both the knife blade and scissors lock out, the handles when using the pliers are rounded so they don’t dig into your palm and the pliers are spring loaded like the Gerber. It’s corrosion resistance is fine: no signs at all from normal use.
I carry mine routinely whenever I’m on either boat in a canvas pouch on my belt. The boats have tool kits but often all that’s needed in a hurry is something on the Leatherman. Not a substitute for a tool kit but a to hand additional collection of things.
Just one point: I usually strip it down every couple of years to give it a really good clean: keeps it looking nice and removes the grit that accumulates in the hinging parts of the tool.

 

[davidpbo]

My vote goes to to a Swiss Army knife. Victrinox Champ. I agree that it does not do a lot of jobs as well as a dedicated tool, neither does a Leatherman or other mulit tool. I find the range of tools on the Champ extremely useful, partly for work as a sound engineer, the range of screwdrivers were good for tweeking and tghtenning things, but the scissors, blades, saws, files, awl, pin, bottle & tin opener, tooothpick tweezers etc. are all regualry used.

On a boat maybe a multitool is more use. I found a Stanley version at about £15 to be pretty good.

 

[lustyd]

Oh yes that's the other thing I like on the Gerber is that all of the blades lock out easily. My penknife occasionally gives me a scare in that department!

 

[Dino]

I have a Leatherman Skeletool. It’s very handy as it has a built-in caribeener to clip it onto your lifejacket or rigging. Regular ones often slide off a slippy grp deck.

 

[Stemar]

I'd vote for the Gerber suspension. Mine is 10 years old and no corrosion, I just bought a second one for home too. Very good as pliers, very good as a knife and saw, average as a screwdriver (but anything that's pliers will be).

Me too. The blade locks open which is great for protecting fingers, but less good if you forget it's on your belt when you go shopping and Plod gets nosey. This one claims to be UK legal but, at that price, it may be made of cheese

I agree that the right tool for the right job is an ideal, but having one of these on your belt allows you to deal with a lot of things NOW, instead of it being a faff to go and get the right tool, so you make a mental note to do it later. At my age, mental notes have a half-life measured in milliseconds...

 

[anoccasionalyachtsman]

Have a look at the Leatherman Juice CS4. It's an order smaller than most and by comparison unnoticeable in the trouser pocket.

I had its predecessor (the CS) for nearly twenty years before it shed a spring, which was quickly replaced under lifetime warranty. That shed a spring a year later, and was again replaced, but this time for the updated CS4. That's at the bottom of the Hamble now, and I balked at the cost of replacing it until I found Negozio Militare - who are incredibly cheap. Being foreign, you have to submit an order for approval, which takes a while. Well worth it though, I bought two for only slightly more than you could pay for one in the shops.

 

[JumbleDuck]

My vote goes to to a Swiss Army knife. Victrinox Champ. I agree that it does not do a lot of jobs as well as a dedicated tool, neither does a Leatherman or other mulit tool. I find the range of tools on the Champ extremely useful, partly for work as a sound engineer, the range of screwdrivers were good for tweeking and tghtenning things, but the scissors, blades, saws, files, awl, pin, bottle & tin opener, tooothpick tweezers etc. are all regualry used.

A few years ago Sailing Today (when it wasn't a lifestyle magazine for the Chelsea set) did a comparative test of multitools, on the basis of which I bought the surprise top-equal winner, a Victorinox Skipper knife. The pliers are a bit of a joke, though occasionally useful, and the shackle key / spike is a little small, but the knife is superb.

I see they have since brought out a Skipper Pro, which has a nice looking marline spike instead of the pliers and a loop to make opening the knife easier - I may upgrade this year. I have an inherited Leatherman on board, but very rarely use it because the Victorinox has a better knife and my toolbox has a better everything else.

Thinks: Somewhere I have another inherited Leatherman, this time with a Mole style locking plier built in. Must remember to put it on For Sale.

 

[Paul HD]

I like the Gerber crucial. Simple useful tool
Crucial Multi Tool (Green/Grey)

 

[RJJ]

I never owned one, so I've no idea how wide is the current and past range or which is best. For all I know, there's only one style so it isn't even a good question. But I expect various manufacturers are making them and I've no idea which are as good/better/cheaper or have features that rival the original.

I never much liked Swiss Army knives which tried to include too many functions without doing any of them half so well as a dedicated tool...

...but I'm tired of finding I've left pliers, shackle key, knife and flat/Philips screwdrivers at home or in the car when I'm at the boat.

Is there an all-stainless one which is genuinely corrosion-proof?

You can actually have both. I have one of these reassuringly expensive items, it's far superior to Leatherman and Gerber (which i have also owned)

Victorinox Swiss Tools ++ explore online ++