Leatherman Tool

2.2k · May 13, 2004

I discovered the Leatherman back in my military days in the early 90's and I've carried one with me ever since. It has come in handy on many occasions and I wouldn't leave the house without it.

I carry the Leatherman Wave. While it does have a locking mechanism for the 2 knife blades, the saw and the file, there is no lock for the remaining tools. However, those tools snap in place with sufficient force to have never once caused me a pinched finger.

May 13, 2004

WHAT CAN YOU NOT USE IT FOR. Me and my wife are both US ARMY. We were both issued them. Could not imagine what I would do with out it. Case in point. Found a cache that was in a paint can. Well I don't know about you but I do not carry a paint can opener and this can was not opening. Grabbed the gerber, opened the can. *Logged* TNLNSL...

May 13, 2004

WHAT CAN YOU NOT USE IT FOR. Me and my wife are both US ARMY. We were both issued them. Could not imagine what I would do with out it. Case in point. Found a cache that was in a paint can. Well I don't know about you but I do not carry a paint can opener and this can was not opening. Grabbed the gerber, opened the can. *Logged* TNLNSL...

May 13, 2004

I get out of the Army and they start issuing everyone a Leatherman & a Camelback... 2 things I always said would be nice and never thought it would happen! I was turned off by the old Leatherman that had no locks and were very prone to pinching, so I carried a Gerber for a few years. I now have a new style Gerber that blows the older ones away, so I haven't had a need to look at the Leatherman lately - just like Garmin/Magellan or Ford/Chevy, don't matter what'cha got, just how 'ya use it! Even if you don't use it, it's nice to know it's there and ready to do so many different jobs, just in case.

May 14, 2004

I think if MacGuyver had a leatherman,we`d still be watching new episodes every week!! :unsure:

3.8k · May 14, 2004

EASY there, buddy.

I'll be ok. Thanks.

No problem, just checking.

May 14, 2004

I use mine to fill up that one little spot on my belt that doesn't already have something clipped to it. It fits perfectly between my cell phone and FRS radio. One time I put it on the other side between my pager and my handcuffs, but when my pager went off, I grabbed the Leatherman and... well, that's another story. We'll save that for another day.

May 14, 2004

I have a generic multi-tool and cary it everywhere - even to Church! Last Sunday I not only fixed the sound system but tightened a loose bolt on the back of a pew during the sermon.

While Geocaching I've used it for personal equipment repair, car repair, cache container maintenance, reaching into a tight spot, and used it once to drive in a nail that was dangerously sticking out of a wood stair case on the trail.

By the way, I got my multi-tool out of a Cache before the pocketknife became politically incorrect.

May 15, 2004

I'm--plain and simple--a gadget gal. :lol: I got a Leatherman Juice at the same time I got a locking blade knife and my Garmin Vista. I was also the only girl in high school to wear a Texas Instrument calculator on my belt for chemistry.(I'm dating myself, huh?)

I was shamed into never doing anything like that again--until cellphones, PDA's, pagers, etc. became de rigour in the '90's. Whew! Did I feel better!!

Why just two weeks ago I had to pull a big chunk of barbed wire out of my tire (sorry--the rhyme can't be helped) while geocaching. True the Juice did nothing to help me with the tire change, but pulling the barb out of the tire kept my 13 year old protoge busy while I wrestled the tires on and off.

So, double duty for a Leatherman (are you reading this "Leatherman"?): keeping an easily bored child busy with cause and effect AND providing me a way to stop the hissing of air from my tire. Heck, I've even been able to pull a cactus hair (what would grow up to be a cactus spine, but is still in a developmental stage, and therefore harder to get out) with the pliers on the Juice!

Of course, I could've resorted to using my Swiss Army Knife for that, too, but I felt so much more...(dare I say it?) BUTCH...using pliers instead.

See? Gadgets just rock!

May 16, 2004

I'm brand new to geocaching, but I actually used my Gerber for one today! The lid was stuck on a cache, so I used the pliers and it opened easily.

I'm a syadmin/network/pc technician, and I've had the Gerber 400 for about two months and I use it EVERY DAY. Probably one of the two or three most useful tools I have. I looked at both the leatherman and the Gerber and bought the Gerber because it looked easier to operate with one hand, and it was on sale with a free pair of scissors. Takes a few minutes to get the hang of the opening-mechanism, but once you've mastered it, you can have it open to any tool in less than five seconds. I'm sure the Leatherman is great too -- I'll definitely have a look at one if I ever need to replace the Gerber.

May 16, 2004

Pickin' my teeth!

May 18, 2004

I'm new to geocaching too but I have had a Leatherman for years and always take it when fishing/biking/hiking/backpacking/camping, etc. I also always carry a standard Swiss Army knife (and when fishing a mini Swiss Army knife with just a tiny blade and scissors is a must for cutting line and when biking a high quality bike tool is an absolute must). I also take a sheath knife if I'm doing anything where there is any chance of needing it. As you can tell I'd rather be safe than sorry and the extra weight in neglible.

Have used the Leatherman mostly for working on equipment (everything from reels to stoves to bikes). It is also perfect for freeing snagged flies/lures from branches It can be used as a makeshift vise in a pinch; the saw is very handy especially if you need a certain length of stick for a stake or just to cook something over the fire. It works better as a screw driver because it allows for a lot more leverage than a SA knife. It's also handy for lifting hot pots or pans from a campfire. I rarely use it as a knife but for everything else it is great.

May 18, 2004

I use it for sharpening pencils and pulling out micro logs. That's about it.

May 18, 2004

I have a Schrade Tough Tool.... Schrade is the manufacturer of the "Old Timer" knife series that many of you may (or may not) be familir with. Anyway, they Schrade knife factory is in my town so i had to support the local economy... the being said it is a GREAT tool (21 functions) and i wouldnt go out caching w/o it! I also bring it hiking, camping and especially fishing. Has anyone ever used this tool?

C.

May 22, 2004

I recently used it for setting declination on a Suunto compass. Most often I use the screwdrivers, but pliers, wirecutters, scissors, bottle opener and knife all get used from time to time. Plus I've used it to measure things. The only feature I don't remember using is the file!

2.6k · May 22, 2004

I had to use the saw on my friends Wave. We were doing cache maintenance on my hydro. I was walking around on top of some flood debris, and I slipped. I thumped down on a log and I watched my Spyderco Harpy knife flash is it slipped down through the logs. :blink:

I wasn't interested in losing it. I crawled down through the logs and sawed through many branches and roots 'till I found it.

I didn't have a saw on my Pulse and I don't have a Wave anymore. This incident has made me carry my Supertool more often.

edit:spell :lol:

Edited May 22, 2004 by leatherman

June 19, 2004

What do I NOT use my Leatherman for??? I've had a Leatherman since they first came out and carry it with me everywhere. I constantly use it for any and everything where a "quick and handy" tool is needed.

I've used other multi-tools but prefer my Leatherman.

June 19, 2004

My first multi-tool was a generic knockoff that broke in a matter of days. I often borrowed a friend's Leatherman, which I liked, except that it often pinched my fingers. Then I found the Gerber Multi-plier and it's one-handed operation - that was wonderful for me, as I was working as an aircraft electrician in the Army at the time. Admittedly, the best things about it were the easy-to-use pliers and the knives (two of 'em!) were shaving sharp! The other tools weren't much use, but in a tight situation, they were better than nothing. After the army, my Gerber went in the toolbox and I started carrying a nice Wenger Swiss Army Knife. The Wenger has a cool auto-locking/unlocking mechanism for the screwdriver - very handy when you are torquing down on something. My only complaint was that it didn't have a phillips screwdriver, and the next model up, was too big for my pocket (the main reason I stopped carrying the Gerber). Then I "lost" my Wenger and broke down and bought my first Leatherman - one of the Squirt models, with cool blue handles and the pliers (not the scissors) - I later found the Wenger I thought I had lost, but it doesn't even compare to the Squirt. It is now the one thing I never go to work, or geocaching, without. Oops - a little off-topic - what do I use it for? Pulling those dadgum tiny logsheets out of Micros, prying out micros from their hiding spots, poking at things inside micros, thorn and splinter removal when searching for micros hidden in trees, and , oh yeah, pinching shut those dadgum micros made out of Altoids tins, so they can never be opened again! :lol: Okay, just kidding about that one, but I COULD, if I wanted to. If Leatherman/gerber ever made one with a GPS/combo - I'd be all over that! :-)

Edited June 19, 2004 by TimasaurusRex

2.6k · June 19, 2004

Leatherman Pulse(My Favorite)
Leatherman Original(2)

Leatherman Crunch

Leatherman Supertool

Leatherman Wave(I lost this one, didn't like it much anyway)

Just added the Supertool 200 to my list.

The same tools as the Supertool. Now with the Pulse improvements. Pulse locking mechanism. Pulse curled(softened) edges of the plier handles. :lol: Very nice.

2k · June 19, 2004

Have you seen the new Titanium Leathermans that our coming out?

I lost my Leatherman Supertool 200 at work a couple of weeks ago.

I looked every were for it for two day's befor I went and bought a new Leatheman Wave.

I was really hoping to wait until the new Ti leathermans were out befor buying a new one :lol:

2.6k · June 19, 2004

Have you seen the new Titanium Leathermans that our coming out?

Awesome! :lol:

I like the Incorporated bit drivers.

June 20, 2004

I carry a generic multi-tool picked up at Target for next to nothing. I keep it in my daypack and rarely need it, but when I do I'm grateful that it's there. It's been a handy item. I'll probably break down and purchase a better one but not until I've replaced my digital camera...

June 20, 2004

I have both a Leatherman and a Gerber. The Gerber is on my belt all the time, the Leatherman is in a drawer somewhere. The prime reason being that most Leatherman tools I've used or seen require the outer sheath to be folded "inside out" to use the pliers, which makes for a very uncomfortable grip. The Gerber's design is in this respect much better.

Of course, this is merely my opinion, and I'm not trying to start a religious war or anything.

I also own a Garmin.... :lol:

June 20, 2004

Everything. Just today, I tightened a screw on the motorhome, cut open a couple of envelopes, tightened a screw on the wall switch plate, cut an onion, used it to remove screws from a computer case, cut some wire....

Ok, I'm busted - I use it for cuttin' up and screwin' around. :huh:

June 20, 2004

I for one have to give the Leatherman type tool it's props. These tools can fix just about anything, get you out of just about any kind of jam you can think of. I even got my wife a mini one and she loves it. If you don't have one, and don't understand what they could possibly be used for, than perhaps you have to question your reason for being more than 20 feet away from your house at any time. You obviously have never been put (or put yourself) into a tight spot in your entire life. I am NOT trying to sound mean here, I just HAVE to be an advocate for these items. I have carried one since around 1990, and could not imagine being without it. Just one small example I will give you is a few years ago I was on a forest fire and the ditchbank road I was on collapsed behind our brush truck. the fire was coming and we HAD to move. I used my Leatherman to cut two entire sections of fence, and later went back to mend it as well... I can justify carrying one about a million times over. They can fix your car, your tools, boat, claymore, generator, your well, ANYTHING! :huh: Just get one OK! oh ya, as far as caching. well, how about removing stuck logs/pencils, fixing smashed ammo box lids, removing spinters, tightning the small retaining ring on the back of the Meridian GPS, opening a can of tuna, popping the top of an ice cold beer after a long hike, etc, etc.... :huh:

Edited June 20, 2004 by Fireman78

June 20, 2004

I for one have to give the Leatherman type tool it's props. These tools can fix just about anything, get you out of just about any kind of jam you can think of. I even got my wife a mini one and she loves it. If you don't have one, and don't understand what they could possibly be used for, than perhaps you have to question your reason for being more than 20 feet away from your house at any time. You obviously have never been put (or put yourself) into a tight spot in your entire life. I am NOT trying to sound mean here, I just HAVE to be an advocate for these items. I have carried one since around 1990, and could not imagine being without it. Just one small example I will give you is a few years ago I was on a forest fire and the ditchbank road I was on collapsed behind our brush truck. the fire was coming and we HAD to move. I used my Leatherman to cut two entire sections of fence, and later went back to mend it as well... I can justify carrying one about a million times over. They can fix your car, your tools, boat, claymore, generator, your well, ANYTHING! Just get one OK! oh ya, as far as caching. well, how about removing stuck logs/pencils, fixing smashed ammo box lids, removing spinters, tightning the small retaining ring on the back of the Meridian GPS, opening a can of tuna, popping the top of an ice cold beer after a long hike, etc, etc....

OK! OK!! I'll go get one now just because I'm scared of what you'll do to me if I don't! :huh: :huh:

June 20, 2004

Well my leatherman and a snapon screwdriver allows me to fix about 80-90% of the problems we have on aircraft doing line maintenance. Many times I have took off running across the ramp with only a flashlight, screwdriver and my leatherman. Jump in fix the problem and the passengers stay happy. I tried the gerbers, hated them, hated the generic imitations. 99% of the people in my shop carry leathermans. If used correctly it can fix most anything. The saw will even rip right through aluminum and composites like its butter.

Gotta have my leatherman. Without it the planes take delays.

MH

June 20, 2004

CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT MY WAVE. It's in my pocket--wherever, however I go. It's for EVERYTHING. I feel absolutely incomplete without it. And I feel safer with it too, because I can flip the knife out as quick as a switchblade.

2k · June 20, 2004

Well my leatherman and a snapon screwdriver allows me to fix about 80-90% of the problems we have on aircraft doing line maintenance. Many times I have took off running across the ramp with only a flashlight, screwdriver and my leatherman.

Would that be a snap-on ratcheting screwdriver?

I use one daily at work, there great!

Did someone say "flashlights"?

I never leave home without my favorite flashlight in my pocket.

Leatherman, snap-on screwdriver and one of my surefire's and I'm ready for anything. :huh:

Edited June 20, 2004 by Milbank

June 20, 2004

Hmmm Starting to drool at the Leatherman TI's very nice looking. I have broken my supertool a few times while it got me out of a jam. Nice thing is buy a replacement take the old one back to walmart and get the money back. Since its a lifetime garantee I think its cool.

Flashlight try some real power. This is my Favorite

http://www.streamlight.com/sting_hp_info.htm

40,000 candle power and still short enough to get into tight spots on the aircraft.

Screwdrivers nothign but the best. Love the new snapon handles and thier old ones were always great. This is my fav that I use all the time:

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/pro_det.asp...ore&dir=catalog

yes spendy but if its something you're going to use alot why not spend a little more and get something of great value and excellent quality. Hmm Reminds me now tht payday is here time to get the Garmin 60CS on order too to start Cachin in texas now :-)

MH

3.8k · June 20, 2004

just used the phillips on my pulse to unscrew the lattice from my deck to get one of my dogs out :huh:

June 22, 2004

Leatherman provides great tools, no doubt about that. I have used mine (SuperTool) at various occasions over the years, while caching and while other activities (sailing, hiking, camping). I never go without it on a serious trip. :unsure:

Most of all, they added a corkscrew, eventually (at least to some tools). In the end, the corkscrew inevitably turned out to be the most wanted tool on our camping trips... :unsure:

BTW, Victorinox, the well-known suppliers of Swiss Army Knives, also provide a Multi-Tool. But although the corkscrew is, besides the knife itself, the one feature present in all Victorinox swiss army knives, they forgot it at their multi-tool! What were they thinking? :tongue:

Cheers and happy hunting!

HoPri

Edited June 22, 2004 by HoPri

June 23, 2004

I got a cheapo version for christmas last year, within a week or so the screws started to fall out so I took the insides apart and kept just the folding plyers, and since I had them so long and can't ever recall using them I just threw them in the garbage last week. Next year I am asking for something way cooler (that has no moving parts)

- graciious

June 24, 2004

I've had a little Leatherman on my keychain for years and use it all the time. I think I use it most often to trim super long straws for Sweet Pea when we get sodas at restaurants! Saves her from jabbing herself in the eye (she can be klutzy, takes after her mom :blink: ).

We've also used it on caches for sharpening pencils, used the screw driver to open a cache (could have used our fingers I suppose, but it would have taken a lot longer). I always carry it, never know when you might need it!

~Rhubarb

June 24, 2004

I haven't needed my multitool for anything while caching. I keep one in my boat that's seen use once or twice, but overall it's a pretty expensive toy if you ask me.

June 24, 2004

I started carrying one about 8 years ago when I started working as a roadie for a couple of bands. That and a mini-maglite with a bit of gaffer tape wrapped around it so I could hold the torch in my teeth. Still carry them now, graduated up to a Leatherman Wave, (possibly the finest multitool I've had althought that jigsaw blade attachement on my Gerber is a dadgum fine idea ) and I'm on my second mini-maglite after the first got run over by a rather large truck. It still worked, I just couldn't ever get the battery compartment open again. These two bits of kit are permanently on my belt and I really feel quite odd if I haven't got them.

Danegar

June 25, 2004

I carry a Gerber multi-tool on my belt at all times. Have used it to open a couple cache containers. One had a test plug on one end to keep it dry. At another cache I had to use the needlenose pliers to cut and fashion the wire from a spiral note book to pull the log out of a dinkie container. (more than once for that use)

It's also a great bottle opener, use it like a sheath knife sideways, leavering off my hand to pop the cap off. Miss C and I are knife nuts and carry on our person or in my backpack/her purse 10 to 12 knives or multi tools. From a Swiss Army knife to a #7 Opinel. Buck sheath and Gerber folder. We wait to be flamed now.

June 26, 2004

Untill I read this thread I never thought about one in my cache bag. Odd thing is they are so handy I have one in each car and a couple others floating around. I guess it is time to put one of them in the cache pack.

June 27, 2004

Miss C and I are knife nuts and carry on our person or in my backpack/her purse 10 to 12 knives or multi tools. From a Swiss Army knife to a #7 Opinel. Buck sheath and Gerber folder. We wait to be flamed now.

No flames here. You're in good company. I carry two knives and thought I was excessive.

Leatherman Tool

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