Leatherman Arc: My first impressions

[@watapompi4824]

Now, that’s what i call a review.

[@makoygaara]

Free P2 and P4 owners are probably thinking they got ripped off when the Arc came out. Super Tool 300, Surge, Wave, and Charge+ TTi are the still the best MTs IMO.

[@purelyfixedyyc4039]

You are exactly right on my thought process I was like crap, there goes another $250💸 That squeeze test handle deflection removed any more desire to give up my Wave+. If anybody can link me on ware to buy a T-shank adapter for it, I'd really appreciate it. Or what model replacement I can modify to fit.

[@reapertmax1249]

MUT also is great.

[@formermpc10]

If you're considering this think about what your current multitool isn't doing and what else you can do with this amount of money.

[@theartofprepping]

Leatherman needs to dial in the quality control....

[@curtis2472]

I've heard so many complaints about the twisting of the handles and the grip and everything else on the free series but I've had the P4 since 2020 and I have never had a problem with this tool breaking or bending. I'm a fleet mechanic and I go camping all the time with it and this is my initial go to tool. I use this thing everyday for tasks that are probably too large for this tool and it is still going strong

[@MaddawgEDC]

Glad to hear it's working for you! I can see it would, I just prefer the more solid feel of the other tools. I feel like with minimal effort I could wrench the tool apart by twisting the handles in opposite directions. Lol

[@kennywheelus6857]

I recently purchased my new Arc back in December and honestly I don't care,I love it for what it is,I carry it accompanied with my surge.

[@cboc21]

Supporting you from the Leatherman tool user group!! Great video sir

[@MaddawgEDC]

Cool!!! Thanks for the support! Good ol LTUG!!!

[@brentelliott4764]

My favorite thing about the arc they eliminated the pinch point when using the pliers.

[@grega4450]

Thanks for the honest review. Am a charge fan and was not sold on it. Going to wait.

[@MaddawgEDC]

Glad I could help!!

[@kennywheelus6857]

I'm thinking about getting the EOD cutters for my Arc through,I do like your Damascus blade on the surge

[@cc37991]

Been using the Arc for a couple weeks now. Have put it thru some tough tests and it has handled them really well, with the flex being a non issue. A long time Charge user and have moved over to the Arc side.

[@MaddawgEDC]

The flex won't cause any issues, but overall it just sends to the cheap feeling of the Free series....

[@skull995]

Sup dudes! Where did you buy that gorgeous Damascus blade?

[@MaddawgEDC]

That's a Wisconsin Forge Damascus!

[@silverado123]

Good review

[@jenniferjoyjose3717]

Good thing i watch your upload Video, planning to purchase one, but i think, i change my mind. Thank you.

[@MaddawgEDC]

I uploaded a second video not long ago with more impressions. I use it now for when I'm not at work. Give that a view and see what you think. Thanks for stopping by!

[@kennywheelus6857]

Yeah I also disappointed with no thread hole on the awl on the Arc,I love the awl on my surge

[@Dreamhawke]

Got one tonight at Scheel's on impulse. Not impressed at all. Will be returning for a wave+ to compliment my surge.

[@CameronLestagez]

price aside what does the wave do for you that the arc doesn’t?

[@Dreamhawke]

@@CameronLestagezTo be honest, I can’t stand the blade shape on the arc, and if the wave is anything like the surge construction-wise, it will not bend and flex like this model does. It just feels cheap to me. I could totally be wrong though.

[@ThatGuy-sc5rx]

​@@DreamhawkeI used my wave+ to raise the jack on my car via the socket nut that was stiff and rusty and still works like new 😂

[@NevilleSidhu]

Im surprised your Arc pliers are not more free falling. I have 2 Arcs and both, out of the box had pliers that are so smooth. Did not require any break in.... huh weird?

[@MaddawgEDC]

I would have thought so too. But, oh well!

[@btpowers]

Nice review! The grind on mine was even, but not nearly as sharp as the 2 year old S30v blade on my Charge. My pliers seem to be a little better than yours, no rotation when squeezing the handles, and will open completely with just the bottom handle's weight, very smoothly without any binding. Still not as comfortable as my Charge though. I wanted a free series since they came out, but the bit exchanger is kind of critical for me, so this was my first. I can't say I'm disappointed with the Arc yet, but I don't think it's the grail I was hoping for.

[@justusgilbert2050]

Been looking forward to this!

[@MaddawgEDC]

Thanks!!!

[@garrisonboyd1701]

I work with leather and have never used the hole in the awl. I just use it as a drill pretty much.

[@jodymoyer5569]

Great review

[@MaddawgEDC]

Thanks!

[@kevinburke8608]

I just ordered one... I carried the Wave for almost 20 years... on the second one since I had to discard one at the airport... (still hurts). I thought the hammer and awl would be nice additions... Im always hitting things with the Wave) and thought getting all the tools from outside would be better. Also, just a fun factor of how it opens and closes with magnets... I'm a little worried now that you showed how much it flexes... but I'll still have my wave which I still love when I'm not going just to work. I also may consider drilling the awl now too.

[@MaddawgEDC]

I think you'll be just fine on it. The wave is a solid tool for sure, but the Arc will match it well.

[@kevinburke8608]

Thanks! sounds good@@MaddawgEDC

[@reapertmax1249]

Best review yet. I was hoping for so much more from the ARC. I’ll wait till I find one for a good price , not paying $300+ for what I can see just won’t stand up to what I need it for. MUT / Signal have Been so good, I’m going to buy a charge or maybe surge to try them out. I need the scissors , just not sure what to pick yet.

[@MaddawgEDC]

The Signal is so hard to beat.

[@mountainman.4478]

Does it have a lanyard attachment

[@MaddawgEDC]

It does not come with it, but there is a Free series loop you can n get that screws into the handles

[@mountainman.4478]

@@MaddawgEDC actually leatherman reached out to me. And said the clip has a hole on top of it for a lanyard. Can you confirm this? Thanks

[@MaddawgEDC]

@@mountainman.4478 that does make sense. It has the opening that you would use to access the clip screws, so yeah, you could use that

[@mountainman.4478]

@MaddawgEDC leatherman said it has a hole besides the hole for screw access. Supposedly, it's one of two holes on the clip. I can't tell tiĺl I get one. Leatherman keeps running out.

[@Spanky8402]

Can you use the free series in a L shape, to get torque to turn a screw? I have the Rebar, and Charge orange G10, and I seen other people using most other multitools, like me, in a L shape, when sinking a wood screw. I never seen someone use a free series tool in that way, only in the closed position. I didn't realize how much flex this frame has, until this video. I am 2nd thinking getting the Arc. I don't always need to use it in a L shape but sometimes I am tightening a screw over my head or in a awkward position and being able to get the tool in a L shape is so much easier. Thank you so much for the video because even my friends Skelatool can be used the way I use mine and nothing broke on it. The Skelatool has more flex using it that way but it doesn't feel like it will break.

[@MaddawgEDC]

I don't see why you couldn't do that. There's nothing stopping it

[@Spanky8402]

@MaddawgEDC thank you. I was concerned about the handle flex. My other multitools flex a little bit, if I don't have a pre drilled hole. That's why I need to be able to use it in a L shape, but I normally use them closed, if a screw just needs tightened up. For my motorcycle battery I do the L shape just for the extra reach, so that is important that the multitool can do that.

[@alimohammedhaider6611]

@@Spanky8402there’s literally no resistance so it’s really sloppy in that position, nothing like the surge or wave where they’d hold themselves in the L position

[@Spanky8402]

@@alimohammedhaider6611 thank you.

[@Bananeurysm]

The more reviews I see of the Arc, the more I’m convinced mine is a unicorn. From day one, everything has been super smooth. The pliers came more broken-in than the Wave I carried for years, and a lot of people have complained that when they squeeze the handles hard, the plier head binds up worse than usual. However, I’ve squeezed the hell out of mine and there’s no such seizure. I love it. Your review seems to be the only one that points out the uneven blade bevel, which has been the only thing about mine that bugs me. Though my bevel appears to be diagonal to the spine, so I’m probably going to have the blade professionally re-profiled at some point, but overall I’m very pleased. Hope yours breaks in nicely so you can enjoy it as much as I do. Cheers

[@MaddawgEDC]

Hey! Thanks for the comment! I'm glad yours is working for you so well! Nothing like a well worn in tool, am I right?!

[@Bananeurysm]

@@MaddawgEDC Oh, absolutely. Few things are more satisfying than needing a good tool, having one on you, and it being a joy to use. Mine was already pretty awesome out of the box, but after few drops of oil and some minor adjustments to the pivot screws, it’s just perfect. And if you have any older, black oxide-coated replaceable wire cutters, I highly recommend swapping them out with the factory cutters. It looks very sharp, pardon the pun, lol.

[@vidalvega7467]

Thanks for a real test

[@MaddawgEDC]

You bet

[@clarkkent4608]

Yes I actually just received the Leatherman surge Gen 2 as a birthday present and I want to cerakote the handles like you did and I wanted to know who you went through? And I live in Florida and I went to the main cerakote website and they do have different companies that do it but the gentleman and my area he would spray the handles but I would have to take the whole multi-tool part and I am not knowledgeable with doing that and I don't feel comfortable with doing that so who do you recommend to cerakote the surface of the handles in Florida? And looking forward to hearing back from you and thank you, sincerely Jason​@@MaddawgEDC

[@MaddawgEDC]

@@clarkkent4608 hey Jason! I actually disassembled it myself and let my local gunsmith do it for me.... I would recommend getting on the Leatherman Tool User group on Facebook and asking about. Someone in that group has got to know someone who can do it all!

[@clarkkent4608]

​@@MaddawgEDC thank you for the input and I actually looked up the cerakote company and got a hold of them and then they looked up cerakote businesses that were certified for them and there was actually one of my area that is giving me a good deal so I mailed out the tool to him and he's going to disassemble it and then paint the handles inside and out and then reassemble it and ship it back to me, so it ended up working out great and I'm looking forward to getting it back with the cerakoted handles because it looks just so much better aesthetic-wise and then actually protects the tool and when I saw videos about the Leatherman garage batch 005 40th anniversary I thought it looked amazing and I tried to get my hands on that multi-tool but good luck because it's sold out in I believe 15 minutes when it came out and the big issue was that most people that bought it weren't even multi-tool users and they just snag them so that way they can price gouge people and sell them for $1,000 on eBay which is a freaking damn shame but I don't know if you've seen that particular anniversary tool but it does look amazing because it has the suspension pliers and it And even though it is built on the free tool system from the free P4 and came out right before the arc, from all the reviews I've seen they all seem to love it but it doesn't look like it's going to be a heavy duty tool like the Leatherman surge and I'm a maintenance technician/handyman and I needed something heavy duty so I'm sure I'll be happy with the Leatherman surge and once again thank you for your input, sincerely Jason

[@MaddawgEDC]

@@clarkkent4608 I had the batch 005. Nice tool but I traded it for a different tool.

[@alvarodavila9324]

Yea im using the surge over the free p4 and im definitely not spending 250 on the arc! This is the review i was looking for thanks!!

[@MaddawgEDC]

Glad I could help! It makes a great casual wear/light duty tool, but it's just not there for a heavy duty tool

[@totalmayhemleather4030]

It wasn't designed as an awl, it's designed to be a scraper or reamer not really as an awl.

[@MaddawgEDC]

Leatherman bills it as an awl... They should call it a reamer or scraper because that's really all it is, but they chose to keep it as that so I ran with it as that.

[@rickyricardo3551]

The problem with awls is they are becoming near usless as most things are not made of leather now . and you wouldnt be doing any repairs on nylon or other synthetics . but the awl is now a useble reamer which in todays world has more uses than an awl . they could have put a small spot some place in the tool to put a lesther needle to replace the awl .

[@TwistedFatwood]

That is incorrect leather is not almost gone you got to think about outdoorsman people that hunt people that do Bushcraft and there are a lot more of us out there than you know they took the whole out of the all they rendered it useless to outdoorsman but again I will say this the ark is not a heavy duty tool it is designed for a person who sits behind a desk or a woman and a sewing factory it is not made like The surge or the super tool hell it's not even as heavy as the rebar or the wave it is basically just an overpriced toy for someone to fidget with it's not worth the money it's better to get you a rebar a wave a surge a charge a super tool anything's better than the ark unless you just want it to collect it or you're a guy who sits behind a desk all day you know I mean but if you're an outdoorsman are you a construction worker or landscaper this tool is not the ark is not for you

[@Joinordie718]

Your comparing 🍎 apples to oranges 🍊 my friend. The surge is more of a heavy duty built tool like the ST 300.

[@MaddawgEDC]

Everyone wants to see the Surge vs the Arc.... So here it is haha

[@The_Algorithm_]

I knew this was going to be a disappointment when I first saw the price tag. What a darn shame, especially with how much the handles flex and rotate. I'll happily stick with my Charge models, Wave+, and Surge. Thanks for the video! 😊

[@MaddawgEDC]

Thanks for the comment!

[@rickyricardo3551]

Yea I love my surge but the surge pliers are weaker than the arc and that right there is a substantial upgrade ..

[@MaddawgEDC]

@@rickyricardo3551 thanks for the reply! I'm not sure if it's a significant enough upgrade though...

[@The_Algorithm_]

@@rickyricardo3551 Why would you think the Surge pliers are weaker?

[@rickyricardo3551]

@@The_Algorithm_ It was stated directly by leatherman , the p4 is also stronger.

[@gasken2182]

Surge is the best tool for day to day use at work. Wave and arc, are backup/get you out of trouble tools. Also the QC and finishing on leatherman just isn’t there. Especially for the price and comparison to even victorinox. Dont get me wrong though, they are all awesome tools

[@MaddawgEDC]

Their QC definitely has gone downhill. But you're right, there's really nothing like the surge for work. The Arc is my about town carry

[@Ayrton4everrr]

Great video. So basically the ST300 is king. Well done 👍

[@makoygaara]

ST 300 and Surge are both Kings.

[@MaddawgEDC]

Haha you spelled SURGE wrong haha Thanks for checking it out!

[@kennywheelus6857]

Thank you for that review,your the first one I've seen to test the Arcs handles showing them flexing like that,I also have s surge,an love it,been carrying it everyday to work an around my house,I love the handles too,while reason I got it instead of the super tool 300,to me surge just feels more superior,if they had made the main blade in s30 or hell even in 154cm that'd be ok,but hopefully Leatherman will have that option in the future for other tools to add it on your tool for the particular model you have,I was all excited about the Arc,now I'm not so sure about it

[@MaddawgEDC]

If you're a light duty user, the Arc would be fantastic. Not so much for heavy....

[@MikeBaxterABC]

The latest is the cutter inserts shattering when you try to cut a coat hanger.

[@MaddawgEDC]

The only reason that's a thing is because the one KZbin video whipped everyone into a feeding frenzy and it drove people nuts to be the one to try it next... How often are people cutting coat hangers? Most don't even need wire cutters, and then the majority that do cut softer wire than a coat hanger. Cutting something like that is asking for trouble in the first place....

[@TwistedFatwood]

I mean first of all why would you use the ark to a coat hanger again I keep saying this it is a light duty tool a coat hanger is a little heavy for an arc to cutting and again why the hell would you be coat hanger well I haven't answered that you can use the wire to fix something or make something I get that but I have to admit Leatherman has changed the cutters on all their tools they're all made out of the same material and if you look and pay attention to him you'll see that they're all going to break Leatherman knew that when they made them that's why they made them replaceable think about it

[@vJaxz]

The Free Series is always infamous for its flex, that’s why even the other KZbinr TX Tool Crib, also a Leatherman enthusiast and collector once mentioned in one of his videos he never like the Free series, just too flimsy. It’s a gimmick maybe meant for office white collars but not for more serious ground work. Also the magnets tend to attract iron dusts. I would hope Leatherman comes out with a non-Free series Arc, probably put it on the Surge or Wave body, or basically Surge Plus or Wave Plus Plus with Magnacut instead of 440HC… The 440 are just too outdated! The Free series is just an expensive toy.

[@brewman6218]

It would be nice if they would upgrade the blade steel, but with something more budget friendly like Nitro V, since Leatherman tries to stay with American made steel. Nitro V is just as tough and stainless as 420hc but has twice the edge retention and is easier to sharpen.

[@brewman6218]

Or BD1N would also be interesting. They could at least upgrade all blades to 154cm, or better yet cpm 154.

[@makoygaara]

I got down voted in Reddit just by saying that the Wave is a tool and the P4 is a toy. Yep it's just a gimmick. The Arc is incomplete and the overpricing does not justify the incomplete tools Leatherman put on it.

[@joroni1906]

First time viewer. You convinced me to save my dollars for now and keep using what I have. I appreciate the straightforward, practical review.

[@MaddawgEDC]

Welcome aboard! Glad we could help!

[@ekoulak]

What is the utility blade holder?

[@MaddawgEDC]

That's the Exceed Designs TiRant v3 knife. I love this little blade. It has almost replaced a dedicated folder for me.

[@realismisreal77]

It depends what for you’re using it, but of course $229 is too much🤦🏻‍♂️

[@MaddawgEDC]

I do agree. It's not worth it over the Wave honestly

[@Whatyoutakinbout]

Bro stop being so strong. You gonna break the arc. - yours truly - your neighborhood hipster.

[@h0gheadS]

The Surge is great but man it's heavy. Like having a can of soda in your pocket.

[@MaddawgEDC]

4.5oz over the others tools doesn't add up to much. It disappears well with a good very system.

[@EriclesMH]

tighten the handles, it wont flex like that anymore

[@appleztooranges]

Mad dawg bro 😎 glad you got one! Applez coming at you hot

[@MaddawgEDC]

Yes sir! I had mine reserved with a dealer months ago! Haha back when everyone was saying the Arc was a myth.

[@appleztooranges]

@@MaddawgEDC lol . Nice.

[@vgman94]

Is this flex just a possible dud or have others experienced this? If this is common, that’s a huge manufacturing defect.

[@MaddawgEDC]

It's due to the design of the handles ...

[@silvercommander]

Use it to trim your eyebrow

[@MaddawgEDC]

Never

[@sheltonblalock4941]

First thing i did was tighten my handles. Good review.

[@MaddawgEDC]

Right on!

[@xderiwx]

How do you tighten them? Is this to limit the amount of handle flex/movement? Have you found that tightening them affects any other parts or operation? Thanks!

[@sheltonblalock4941]

@xderiwx take the pocket clip off. T6 screws. Then tighten the screws as much as you like to limit flex. T9 screws. Loosen and re apply loctite if you like. The tool isn't floppy but still opens one-handed. And it doesn't have flex like this video.

[@xderiwx]

@@sheltonblalock4941 Thanks! Do the ARC’s come with loctite from the factory? Blue or red?

[@sheltonblalock4941]

@xderiwx a lot of times they miss it. But yes, it is supposed to have loctite. They can use red. But I've only ran into that on the supertool. I use blue whenever I do one.

[@tomquirin4231]

hey my brotha, new sub for ya here n i am a u.s. marine vet here 93' to 97' active n only have email here , def. wanna talk more , i e.d.c. a leatherman sidekick now , thanks n talk soon bro > tom !

[@MaddawgEDC]

Thank you for your service!!

[@dodsonhaycattle]

Well said Reed. Surge is king

[@TwistedFatwood]

Everyone is hell-bent on the ark I think it's a piece of crap personally I'm not fond of it it's overpriced I get it it's got magna cut whoopee no big deal the tool is a light-duty tool is made for a guy that wears a suit and tie that's behind a desk and need something to fidget with and just something to look pretty and spend his money on I'm a I'm a Leatherman surge man all the way I have a surge I've used it for a long time I love it and I'm going to stick with it they can keep the ark

[@MaddawgEDC]

I am inclined to agree with you 100%. I only wear my Arc now for light duty casual. If I'm at home or work? It's Surge all the way!! #Surgeisking