Are $27 Leatherman Raptor Knockoffs As Good As The Real Thing?

Sometimes, I am surprised by a knockoff product. These shears are an much more affordable copy of the Leather Raptor Rescue shears, and they function very well. Definitely worth checking out if you want a pair of Raptors but the $100 price tag is an obstacle.
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Factor 85 Labs is about sharing the things I enjoy, in a practical way that works for dads and families. Every day is an experiment, and I am sharing my interests and hobbies with the ever-changing life of a dad with small kids. DIY, EDC, gear reviews, first aid, whatever the day brings, I present my thoughts as honestly as possible.
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[@jamesgilhooly8922]

Have carried a Leatherman on Ambulance duty for around 10 years, never let me down. Does tend to rust a little though.

[@arrebarre]

I've heard that the raptor response is a lot more resistant to rust with it's polished blades, might be worth a try if the rust gets really bad. :)

[@paulatreides6779]

The main reason why I won't buy knockoffs is that I don't want to support a company that steals someone else's idea. They haven't invested anything in R&D; they haven't done anything except copy the original. So, they are actually intellectual property thieves.

[@Medik2525]

People buy knockoffs because they can't afford the real thing. Not because they want to support these companies.

[@szfszilard]

You're right about that!, but in the USA or Western Europe, in many cases it costs half as much as elsewhere, while if you buy it in a package you also save money. As long as a package in the USA costs $150, elsewhere it is not available, or only $250 purchased individually. It really doesn't matter! Don't forget this!

[@detudoumpoucoedc3417]

Good afternoon, how are you today? Have you tested it, used it? Do you still recommend?

[@cultofcedar]

Feel like I got a 40 year warranty plus discount for military/leo/medical. If I need it I’d much rather have the quality. Knock offs when me or wife work on the hospital because they’ll be stolen and they’re just impractical cool folding shears in that setting.

[@Brian-hx9wy]

Question here, would the knock offs fit inside the leathermans case?

[@Factor85Labs]

Yes, but no. They will fit when folded, but they do not fit it when open. The knockoff blades are just a tiny bit thicker than the Leathermans, so they won't fit through the opening at the bottom of the Leatherman case.

[@Brian-hx9wy]

@@Factor85Labs thank you so much 👍

[@MK-hg9vs]

In Serbia Raptor costs 150$, so unfortunately i will go with knockoffs. Great video. Thanks

[@justinweier4099]

I'm glad someone else noticed this too. I bought a pair of second hand Raptor's recently and tore them down to clean and oil them. While I had them apart, I took apart a pair of the knockoffs I also picked up. They are almost identical with the exception of the hook lock, button springs, and some marginally rougher machine work. When I say "marginally"...I mean I am being really nitpicky. Functionally they work the same, and I can't tell much if any difference in the metal type being used. Now, here is my issue. I love Leatherman. They are a smallish company with 550 employees in Portland Oregon. They've got decent reviews on Glassdoor and by all accounts provide good American jobs. If I had to choose; of course I'd buy the Genuine Leatherman Raptors (and obviously I did as that's the pair sitting in my pocket right now. Having said that, I like having spares. I have 4 each of the other Leatherman tools I cary every day; C33 Crater, and a plain blade modified Skeletool. Do I really want to leave a $100 tool in the truck or car just "in case" I need them? No. So from that perspective I don't mind having a couple pairs of the knockoffs on hand. But, I really don't like the idea of a small US company's IP being stolen by Chinese manufactures and resold at a price that aggressively undercuts the genuine article. That's a problem. Good engineering is expensive. And Leatherman made the R&D investment to develop the Raptor. That Chinese knockoffs are getting as good as they are...should give us all pause.

[@ste887]

Will say one difference ive noticed is the china version handles can get a bit loosey goosey, but its nothing that 4 drops of green loctite, and a pair of rubber washers cant fix (had difficulty getting it to stay in place as i tightened, ended up cutting a oring out of a balloon as it was thin enough to slide between the metal pieces and adds just enough friction, and gives you a gnats hair of padding between parts, so you can compress the rubber and wrench them tight though the tighter you go to have them less wobbly, the harder to open them, but for the fractions of a penny it cost to do the tweak, it fixed the one minor issue i had with mine (screws not being super tight) also china, if youre knocking these off, you dont need to use security bits to hold it together, though nothing a tiny metal chisel and 3 taps with a hammer cant fix) though the shears didnt NEED the mod, they have become much nicer to use as a result, and honestly i prefer the china copies that dont lock the rescue hook, cos due to dumb laws here they count the piece of metal as a blade, not factoring its not really a blade, but filing a hair off the end of the hook has it just under the legal length to carry (pretty sure its legal to carry anyways, but murphys law says youll get screwed with that thinking) but with no lock and sub 3 inches on the only 'knifey' part, i can argue that falls in the guidelines much easier than with the lock.

[@akbychoice]

When you buy knock off items you encourage, support and finance the Chinese to produce more.

[@justinweier4099]

@@akbychoice Look, I have had the same take on buying Chinese items for a long time. At the same token, realistically my not buying anything but US-made for a decade didn't stop US tool producers from moving to manufacturing overseas (take a look at Dewalt and their "assembled in the USA with Global Materials" marketing joke) or stem the tide of Chinese knock-offs. Truth be told I tend to buy both (name brand first choice...knock off second). And if you'd read my comment...you'd understand that.

[@baseballhunter42]

I didn't realize they were Portland based, I'll definitely look for China knockoffs or other US brands. Nothing American about Portland. Same reason I don't buy Benchmade anymore, that and quality decline while price increase.

[@antoineb9040]

The knockoffs can be put in the car or the backpack as backup multi-purpose scissors. They are good, but the belt cutter should be sharpened with a fine ceramic sharpener, the scissors "blades" need to be sharpened with a Worksharp. The folding bit need to be re-adjusted, greased or having a blue loctite add, depending how yours work Anyways, great multitool for the price, but for emergency, we should choose bright colors like the orange, fluo, yellow or light green

[@tristan1234567890]

but what about he glassbreaker or ringcutter. dotn you want to be sure that when you need it, it really works? those are moments that seconds count.

[@marksaint2936]

Since it's a "Rescue" tool I would prefer the higher quality of the Leatherman. Seconds and stress count and the imitation failed. I couldn't imagine having to wrangle with the inferior belt cutter whilst dealing with a panicked victim or car leaking fuel.

[@warlantactical]

There is no difference in the shears except for the leatherman name on it

[@tristan1234567890]

exactly. even more so the glassbreaker when for example a car in the water.

[@nickathdd]

I bought a knockoff pair from Temu for about £10 and find them to be very good for the price. As I’m not a first responder and only got them for occasional use they will do for me as I can’t really justify buying the Leatherman.

[@ajrey8457]

or go cheaper and just get a set of medical shears, UNLESS you absolutely need a glass breaker and pointless seatbelt cutter.

[@szfszilard]

In Hungary, the original Raptor Rescue costs $130. I have 3 original Leatherman tools (Wave, Surge, Skeleton) with bit set and ratchet screwdriver set. But in Hungary, for example, you can only buy this separately, there is no package. So I didn't buy an original from Raptor, because the Chinese version is $15, the original is not worth the 8.5 price. The video is great, thanks!

[@Reticulosis]

I purchased the Leatherman and use them on a daily basis at the hospital. I like them, however, within weeks of use I noticed oxidation on them. A coworker bought the Amazon knock offs, he has no such issue, and honestly they are fairly comparable. In terms of hygiene standards his are better, I worry about carrying rusty equipment and using it on Pts. I noticed leatherman moved away from the material used in my version and now has the same one sold on Amazon. I wonder if they are white labeling them and marking up the price 3x

[@matteblack5805]

Ill admit i got the knockoffs, but i did it just to test ride them st my job. If they're good then ill invest the $100

[@nickmartino2839]

Just for the simple fact you don't have to potentially set them down in mud blood or anything dirty if your using them anywhere in the field.... you can simply keep putting them into there sheath!!!! Open i mean!!! That's awesome....besides all the features it has for first responders emts fire fighters all that there absolutely amazing in the shop or anything crafting !!!!leather work basically opening anything there fantastic at!!!I wish I had 3 or 4 pairs!!!! One isn't enough..I need another pair for the toolbox!! These ones I try to keep nice for there potentially live saving features!!!!and worth EVERY penny!!!!!

[@1988dgs]

Originals are £90 here, I just got a pair of knockoffs for £10, they look and feel decent so going to get some more, would rather have a pair in the cars, work truck, tool box etc so a pair is never far away

[@bertnl530]

A professional should have a Leatherman, purchased by the organisation he works for. It seems to me an individual is better of with a knock off. The problem with tools like this is that you have to use them in emergency situations and individuals are not really used to that, so in their stress they may loose the thing on the site and first realise that when they're home again or so. It is a pain when you loose tools, but $100 hurts more then $27. In a decent organisation, there should be a stash with equipment like this, so if one is lost, or broken it can be replaced as soon as the user has returned to base.

[@Factor85Labs]

Yeah, every organization I have worked for has supplied only the most basic (and cheapest) scissors and shears. If you want nicer tools, usually you pay for them yourself.

[@bertnl530]

@@Factor85Labs I would think they do it the other way around. I could imagine that an organisazion with say 200 employees can make better deals then an individual visiting a shop or internet site.

[@MegaLynchman]

I suppose the only benefit to buying the real ones is that when they do go dull, Leatherman will replace with a new set for a lifetime.

[@nickmartino2839]

And they used to 69. Bucks.... that's the right price for these.... not counting any of the special glow in the dark versions

[@velocitydreamer]

Here's likely the BIG difference... aside brand, the steels these are made out of are likely very different. From the Steel types to -how those steel types are formed;- both equally important. It'll affect edge retention, corrosion/rust resistence, ease of sharpening, which will hold a better edge, etc etc etc. It seems outside of the world of knives, steels tend to not be mentioned as much, despite being nearly just as important, especially for anything cutting.

[@velocitydreamer]

Whoever nabs them, I do recommend putting a bit of knife or gun oil on the steel to preserve it. A drop in the hinge-area may also smoothen up the action.

[@stouneua]

I don't think that there is more than one factory producing them.

[@jamesgilhooly8922]

The quality of a product is remembered a long time after a cheap price is forgotten.

[@tristan1234567890]

now that is a slogan to live buy for makers of all things.

[@rowdyron4111]

Excellent video. I already own the Raptors, but had wondered how the copies rate. Anymore I'm buy once cry once. Get the real stuff.

[@tristan1234567890]

first of, i am European, so "MAde in America" doesnt mather to me that much lastly i dont pretend to be a firstline law enforcement officer. I just bought a Knock off for 50 euro's because the add made me believe it was the real deal (sneaky bastards changed the add after i send them an email with questions and pretend nothing happened) My problem is this. if i buy something as a Raptor Rescue sheers, i want to be sure, that if and when i need it, it works. cause it means somebody or myself need it to get home or something. i ones bought a folding knife, which had a glass breaker at the back, carried it for 2 years or something. blade went dull but the seatbelt cutter reamained fine. I am little bit of gearwhore, so when a better en cooler looking one from a A-brand company crossed my path i had to buy it. the previous one i took to a car graveyard and the seatbelt cutter worked fine, but the glassbreaker...... i flattened like it was made of tin... so picture that in those previous 2 years i would have had to use it, i coulndt.... that really "hurt"my sense of pride and made me really "step away" from all the cheap but interesting China copy's. add to that the loss of passion form the maker and the added weight that all these knockoffs and there makers add to our world (polution, trash, resources waisted etc) I have one standpoint; if i cant pay for the realdeal, i have do without. cant be that when the time comes, i try to to whats right and some capitalist chinese pig got rich, but myself and the person in need dont go home. ps: i want to be able to relay on minimum the glassbreaker and the ringcutter (i wear alot of rings) and when mine knockoff really could fool anyone (i works better then the knockoff in the revieuw) those 2 things, on mine, also dont give the enough positive feedback to safely trust. pps: any blade can cut, and any shears can be made sharp. its those special tools like the glassbreaker, ring cutter en O2 tank wrench, where the cut is made between "good enough" and "realiable" for when the time comes. maybe the author can "test" these parts cause i am guessing that that is defining foctor

[@DannyChing]

The knockoffs won't be as painful to discard when the TSA says you can't bring them

[@Factor85Labs]

Very true!

[@trainconductorx]

They are allowed by TSA! www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/scissors

[@dereckjtbear2175]

Yesterday I purchased a generic (Leatherman)raptor 6-1 scissors, In hindsight I found genuine Leatherman raptors online for an incredible deal today,So I have two on the way,Also got he holster separately.. Ouch🤕, expensive for chunky plastic however I guess you pay for what you get.. It's truly amazing and somewhat daunting challenge to navigate the pitfalls of buying online especially with all the Chinese rubbish: Amazon's advertising beside Leatherman,money 🤑 💰 money

[@ainhatda8807]

I think the knock off one is as good , i don't want to under estimate the chinese but if you take a look at the high-speed trains or the batteries for ev you can draw conclusion.

[@darrenerickson1288]

Really looks like the O2 wrench is blocked by the blade on the knockoff pair, would make it harder if not impossible to use, where the raptor is open and easy to use. Then again, it’s been forever since I’ve seen a tank that doesn’t have a permanently attached regulator and no wrench required (YMMV…)

[@jameshankinsii4372]

I appreciate the video. But I have gone with the the Leatherman simply because as a first responder when someone's life is in my hands I want something that is tried and true and battle tested. The Leatherman name alone has seen it's share.

[@joash480]

you can easily tell the real from the not is that the fakes do not have the liner lock on the seatbelt cutter so that does pose a risk when using the pin type oxygen valve wrench on it.

[@erikroelinkcitizen2302]

Cool video thanks for sharing 😊

[@brianduarte6045]

I heard from vid these save lives

[@form4li7y]

If I were an EMT or some other first responder I would probable go with the more expensive Leatherman for the better seatbelt cutter and better quality control. When it's other people's well being it's not worth taking the chance. For the hard cutting multitool tasks I want them for the knockoff will likely be just fine. Especially if you catch them on sale. I just ordered a pair for about $8.50 thanks to aliexpress welcome deals.

[@ajrey8457]

think the seatbelt cutter is kind of stupid since you already have a set of round nose scissors that will cut threw the seatbelt with no issue

[@ELPRES1DENTE45]

Spend the extra money. Enjoy the 25 year warranty that you'll likely never need.

[@Reticulosis]

Yea but the leatherman rust. The knock offs don’t seem to have that issue, and leatherman considers it “cosmetic”. I think the newer versions are very similar to the knock offs in terms of metal.

[@ELPRES1DENTE45]

@Reticulosis - Based on what extensive testing, exactly? First off, rust is just a preventative maintenance issue, regardless of metals. Especially given your last assumption that the metals are nearly equal anyways. I'm all for objective analysis, and "cheaper" doesn't always mean "worse," but there needs to be a lot more than an assumption and lack of maintenance to properly judge/distinguish products. Leatherman and other big name companies behind quality tools didn't get so successful because of shoddy workmanship and poor quality products. If they were definitively slipping in those areas, the market would respond accordingly and there'd be a massive decline of the company's overall performance and reputation. Another factor to consider is that companies don't waste time/effort with warranties this extensive on products that aren't going to stand the test of time and have a far lowered likelihood of a catastrophic failure. It'd be way too time-consuming and expensive.

[@SiliconDrifter]

​@Reticulosis if you're tools rust, you're lazy, plain and simple.

[@alexleon619]

Спасибо за очень полезное видео ! 👍👍👍

[@warlantactical]

There not nock offs there the same

[@kennethlerma75]

They probably are...the real ones are not worth the money

[@pitstop_calvin]

I look at these the same way I look at all the Leatherman clones. I would only use them in a "get home bag" or something as a backup. If you're making several bug out or get home bags for multiple family members or multible vehicles and you don't want to fork out $100+ for each bag, then these clones will do the job. Statistically speaking, the vast majority of people will never use the get home/bug out bag so there's no use in investing $100's of dollars for top of the line items. If you need something very temporary and possibly only once, go for clone/knockoff.