My Top 5 Leatherman Tools

[@tankt13]

I was a 19 year old soldier in Germany and the very first multi tool I bought myself was the Leatherman Juice back in 2003. I absolutely loved that thing. The next one I bought was the Crunch and that thing helped me so much on my first deployment to Iraq. Further in my military career I moved on to the Wave and Charge which helped get a lot of vehicles back on the mission. Now back home in law enforcement I have the Skeletool CX and the Signal. I’ve broken a lot of Gerber’s over the years but never once broken a Leatherman. Amazing product

[@Genesis992]

The Micra is responsible for getting me caught up in collecting multitools and knives.

[@txtoolcrib]

I can totally see that.

[@jjabberjaw8822]

Thanks for mentioning the Crunch. I'm not a tradesman, but I use locking pliers all the time for home maintenance and small projects. I had no idea that there's a multi-tool with locking pliers, but im looking forward to trying it out.

[@appleztooranges]

Crunch & surge are my favorite! As a civil engineer, I appreciate the design

[@Basement_CNC]

yeah have to agree, the surge is like a tank and noes not care what you throw at it and the crunch is a true marvel of engineering, but i dont really have a use for it 🤷‍♂️

[@GibsonSGJKL]

My first two Leathermans were first gen Waves. One I lost in an apartment fire, the second I got to replace it. After 19 years, I managed to twist the frame near the plier head, so I sent it in for warranty and they're sending me a new Wave Plus, which I'm excited to try. I also have Skeletool CX and Micra, which make a pretty great pair for light EDC.

[@craigmooring2091]

The PST was my intro to muti-tools that weren't "pocket knives". I inherited mine from a co-worker at the home medical equipment firm when I started there. I had always thought that the SAKs were gimmicky, bulky, and largely unwieldy. But for having to deliver, demonstrate, and do spot repairs on wheelchairs, etc. the PST in a belt sheath made a lot of sense. The co-worker had "graduated" to the Super Tool, and it wasn't long before I did, too. The one problem with either of those for frequent use was the discomfort incurred when applying pressure to, say, urine-corroded nuts on a wheelchair. Gerber dealt with that with the OTF design, but at heavy expense to the size/robustness of all the other tools. Schrade, Buck, and others had different solutions but also at the expense of having inferior tool sets (along with inferior pliers). Leatherman took its time and developed the Wave which was a much better solution than any of the others to the handle hurt problem and it did so while improving on the robustness of the long tools. Like you, I had to have one when it came out, and I still have that same classy, mahogany leather sheath.

[@randallkelley3599]

For my use the Wingman seems to be perfect. It's the pliers head and the blade that I use most. I got 5 of them one day at Home Depot, they were in packs of one Wingman and one Micra for , get this, $19.99. I bought all on the rack. Gave em away for Christmas that year, about 15 years ago. I mean what the heck, seemed so great a prie at the time, I still think it was a mistake.

[@stevedriscoll2539]

Had to be a mistake.

[@ELSeeker1]

Great video! For me my Skeletool CX is a must carry. No frills no non sense, just necessary tools. I have purchased 4 for myself and have given many away as gift. Love my Skeletool.

[@weston407]

I'm a FF/PM and I LOVE my Raptor (Rescue) - I use it all the time at work (although admittedly I have never used the seatbelt cutter). That being said, it's a great tool and it's easy to deploy - I love it and recommend it to all of the new guys, especially the ones getting signed off as paramedics.

[@grovesy333]

The wave is definitely my favourite

[@slyfer5321]

The precision scissors in the Wave+ is so handy. I was eating at a food station an hour ago and used the scissors to cut the soy sauce packet. You wouldn't wanna pull out a knife to cut it. Everyone there were using their teeth and making a mess. Scissors keep things tidy and clean.

[@stevedriscoll2539]

It's amazing how hard some of these food packets are to open, but not with a wave scissors 😂

[@soupappreciator8977]

Cool video. I carry the Crunch on me daily. I like it how it goes from tiny to a capable beast. It pairs well with a Victorinox I made (similar to your custom one, but in 93mm).

[@txtoolcrib]

The Crunch is such an underrated tool, don’t you think?

[@mattvanderwalt6220]

I have to agree on the original wave. It was such a game change changer when it came out. It was my first plier based multitool - and defined what I consider an essential toolset. The new one think misses the mark just slightly enough to be on the fence about getting a replacement... in fact I have this issue with all of Leatherman's current offering. Either lack the diamond file, saw file on the small side, scissors...

[@maxlvledc]

If I had to include Discontinued it would be too hard.... for me : it's crunch, signal, curl, P2, and Surge (no particular order)

[@txtoolcrib]

I figured people will generally lean more towards what you like with the more standardize size multi tools.

[@Mike-kc8rl]

Had the same version one wave, came with a bit driver that went between the pliers! My pet hate was that the two halves used to rock about when closed! Did feel good in the hand but wave two was much studier and have carried one for year's in the black oxide in my work bag! I now carry the bond, for nostalgia and Uk law compliance, and its got a tool set not unlike the original waves internal tools. Good review and part of me wishes i still had a wave one!

[@stevedriscoll2539]

Ben, that original Leatherman is an incredible tool. It's amazing to think the current wave is still essentially the same tool, and IMO the best (by quite a margin) all-around multi-tool of all time. I collect SAK's and multitools (and use them everyday) and have 3 2nd gen waves, and two charge ti/tti. My "fuse" gets a lot of use almost every day as a mechanic.

[@enginebae3471]

I still edc my wave from ‘99. I want something new but it still works flawlessly. I’ve been intentionally rough on it hoping it will break so I can justify the free p4 😂

[@kimchan382]

I bought also the Wave back in 1999, after I lost my Swiss Champ. And I still love it.

[@happykt]

I bought my first Leatherman Wave in 1992 as a Christmas gift for my father, while I was serving in the US Army in Germany (at the US Army uniform supply store on base). Leatherman's were new and every soldier wanted one but I got one for my dad instead. When he died, I wanted to keep the tool as a reminder of him but it disappeared (I think my older brother stole it). I bought another Wave for myself in 1999.

[@dax3957]

First leatherman wave was introduced in 1998. Probably was a different model.

[@hvacbudget8600]

Great list! Hard to go wrong with any Leatherman multi-tool!

[@bugstomper4670]

19:52. The bit exchanger could be bought separately. It was this piece that would 'sandwich' inside the closed pliers, and use real hex shaped tool bits. I still have one of those things.

[@Robbajohn]

i edc a sidekick because i liked the separate serrated and regular blades. Ive been looking at what seems to be a knockoff surge to get a pair of scissors. There was also a pretty compelling one that might be a non plier replacement that was blade and scissors on the outside with serrated blade, saw, and combination tool on the inside of just a knife / only one side.

[@onearnedbandit]

I edc a wave gen 1

[@leatherman6495]

Liking my Rebar. So much so, I bought the black oxide Rebar as well. Yea, no scissors ✂️. But a great locking tool set and a slimmer design than my Charge+. It’s my preferred carry for work.

[@2371Anita]

Rebar rules! I prefer it over my wave+

[@marekburza7425]

I have the same Electrical tool (Squirt) it has saved my behind multiple times on the job site.

[@GarrettRockey]

Minor correction: the Signal does not come with a second bit - just the one dual sided bit.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

As an electronics tech, the ES4 is my dream keyring Leatherman. But I never saw it for sale in Australia ☹️ The long phillips driver on the OG Wave is a winner for me because of recessed screws. Great video Ben, thank you 👍

[@Thomamps]

I'm in Australia and bought the E4 at Peters of Kensington.

[@maxlvledc]

🍿 🍿 🍿

[@markumoeder]

Leatherman makes pliers,vice grips and scissors just imagine if they made a whole toolbox of tools not only those 3 main types but also a hammer, wrench etc. They'll could become the best toolmakers in the whole world if they'll use other Base tools, i wonder what a hammer would look like all maxed out. Like a hammer out of titanium or some sort, just some piece of collectors item that costs a lot in production,materials etc but if they'll put a price tag for example of 3000$ on it im sure that someone would buy it if its well made and limited edition, im a fan of that company they reduced my toolbox into a small pouch, thanx leatherman you the man!

[@FriendsOfTheRoad]

Out of all of my tools the micra is probably the most used, I love it although the cutters are getting a little blunt now. The bottle opener is actual pleasure to use lol.

[@roycolglazier1061]

Having used and loved an OLD Gerber tool for many years, I was pretty much anti-Leatherman UNTIL the intro of g10 handle scales on the Charge. But when I found out about the Bass-Pro, orange version, w/upgraded steel on the main blade, I pulled the trigger. After living with same, & learning about the other features, I'm now a BIG fan and the Gerber has become the 1st multi-tool for my only grandson! Ben, we are tool-wealthy today, and I know that my life as a Field Service Engineer in the I/T biz would've been greatly simplified had I owned such items! Tho now a long time retiree, I still get quite the vicarious thrill from your indepth & insightful reviews, even IF that Charge is an only child, and functions mainly as the centerpiece of my EDC survival arsenal! THANKS...!

[@alexgarcia3224]

PST 2 is my favorite Leatherman tool

[@david.leikam]

I love my Juice C2 and hope Leatherman relaunch the Juice model/series bladeless for a potentially great TSA compliant travel tool.

[@BelovedDefender]

The CX blade is great! I also really like that they didn’t go 1/2 serrated blade. Love the full plain edge.

[@fcormier]

I have to agree on some because I only have, or should say had, three Leathermans: a Wave II, a Skeletool CX and a Style CS (as a compliment to the Skeletool CX), which I lost. Since the Style CS has been discontinued, I'm going to replace it with a Micra. I really liked the carabiner/bottle opener on the Style CS, but it is also the reason I lost it because it was clipped to my keychain and it unclipped itself when I took my keys out of my pocket. Edit: I forgot I had a PST a long time ago, but it was stolen when my car was broken in. I didn't like much because it was not comfortable to use.

[@SpacecityEDC]

Great list! Personally I EDC the Surge & Crunch almost daily on the job. They're my Batman & Robin 😅 I used to carry the Wave but found the Surge tool set to work better on the job for me. On my keychain the Micra not that I need it on the job site, just everywhere else. Off work I'll usually carry a smaller multitool like the Skeletool or Juice depending on what's going on for the day. Anyway great video 👍

[@haywoodf]

Crunch has a cap lifter on the handle cross link.

[@davepodetz6752]

As a side note a plus on the juice s2 is that the Philips driver also doubles as a red Robertson. If you're in Canada...

[@rabadabadoo491]

Great vid Ben, I carry the squirt every day.

[@TwinGunz]

Long time subscriber, great channel Ben!!!!! Although I loved the blade on the skeletool and the juice, they both had a poor set of pliers on them. Wave+ 4 life!!!!! 😂. With a bit kit of course lol😂

[@jch1013-y4k]

my fav is skeletool rx (improved knife steel, compared to other variants) plus the ratchet driver. gets most of my edc duties done.

[@Grayson_Baker]

Thank to this channel I have a Surge and Squirt. My original were the micra and wingman. Trying to mod it so it has the cable cutter you added in your surge.

[@sammiches6859]

I carry a Micra and a Super Tool every day. The Charge Titanium is next for me, but I am interested in the K4 knife also. I hope to see more handle materials in the future though.

[@Zaque-TV]

My wave+ saw gets more use than anything on the tool. Such a good sawblade

[@Jstarr918]

Wave plus, ps4, and micra are my most used. Probably my favorite is the st300, it’s too big for me to carry so it lives in a tool kit in the back of my Jeep.

[@Grayson_Baker]

I am surprised you didn't include the ES4. Hopefully we will see updates on the PS and ES in the future!

[@pinikpikantv3555]

Skeletool + Victorinox Rambler with pen scales + Raptor. I swap skeletool with Spyderco PM2 and at times Wave 2 on rotation. Raptor + Rambler + One hand deployment knife= my EDC . I agree the Best for me is a wave size with surge set of tools leatherman. Maybe if LM come up with a Wave Surge Series and call it Tsunami. 😂For my need ,Scissors needs to be accessible.

[@Thomamps]

Ben you forgot the E4 when talking about Leatherman electrical tools and it also had a 3D #0 #1 Phillips. My first Leatherman was the Supertool (95 for me) which was available when you bought your wave along with the PSTii

[@TheTuneAce]

I like the micra because you can put all the useful stuff in one handle, remove the scissor head, and put it on your keychain

[@Bit2brain]

Would be cool if Leatherman came out with another model with a dedicated wire stripper tool.

[@groundfog]

Great video!

[@Flockingtheherd]

The PST and micra are definitely the best looking combo

[@Gman-26]

As always I enjoyed your video.

[@txtoolcrib]

Thank you very much.

[@vg452]

In my experience, I personally found the Surge a better fit than the Wave since the larger size fit my larger hands quite well, while I would pinch my hands more often than not clamping down on the Wave. More of a personal preference though and it is worth noting that blade length can be a consideration depending upon city or state laws (For example, it is technically illegal to carry a Surge in Rochester since blade length is over 3 inches, but the Wave or Free P4 (my backup) are not)

[@HBSuccess]

I currently have a Surge and a Wave+ Both great but because I am not using it for “Work” very much the wave is my fave 😂 I love the little scissors for precision gardening. For hard core work the Surge wins but it’s just a little too heavy in the pocket IMO

[@fuloplehel]

My first multitool was the Victorinox Swiss champ. I also have the Leatherman rebar, wave plus, and the surge. I also have one from gerber. And more recently I got the Victorinox spirit mx clip. My favorite one is the Leatherman surge, it is one of the most robust tool and used every day. Second place is the Leatherman wave plus and the Victorinox mx clip, I am undecided. Third place is the Swiss champ, fourth is the rebar and the gerber is the last one with the front deployed pliers. Your first gen wave is a very nice tool,actually I like it more than the wave plus.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

I totally agree, the first Gen Wave has advantages because of the number of flat drivers and the long phillips which fits in recessed screws👍 The only reason I upgraded was the locking tools function on the Wave+..

[@fuloplehel]

@@edwardfletcher7790 Yes, the Leatherman Rebar has a great Phillips screwdriver, but they want you to buy multiple tools to have all the functions you need. One have scissors, the other not, but it has a saw blade. Finally you end up with several multitools.

[@edwardfletcher7790]

@@fuloplehel Ummm nobody buys an extra Leatherman just for scissors. LoL

[@johngennusa1317]

Looking for a good leatherman (I'm a Maintenance Technician at the Grand Canyon Lodge) I really like that the crunch has vise grips, but I don't like the accessory tools. The fact that it doesn't have a regular blade option bothers me.

[@mattconklin4026]

I have the sidekick since 2016 & I carry a pocket folder as a secondary, I'm looking for a new Leatherman something with all locking tools & a pocket clip with a saw, no scissors

[@caueflaitt9850]

Do a top 5 victorinox if possible. Love you content.

[@colinmartin9797]

Still just gotta point out that the raptor is a truly awful tool for real EMS work, because leatherman won't sharpen it, the blade is too thick and gets jammed on all sorts of material (motorcycle CE protection in particular, god that dude nearly died because I couldn't get through his jacket and had to find some fresh unused penny cutters in the rig) the hinges work loose, they won't warranty it, the handle is a nightmare of hotspots and the thing is impossible to clean properly without an autoclave. The SOG version has a better grip, proper thin blade that's thusfar lasted twice as long, includes tweezers, a little screwdriver and a nice little rope cutter (all of which I've used in EMS) and SOG will warranty it forever, including when the blade dulls, they'll just replace it for free. It also costs half the price because SOG gives first responders a 50% discount on their entire product line. The only thing the leatherman has that's better is the oxygen wrench and the lovely belt clip. I've seen on aliexpress that some chinese knockoffs of the raptor are being made for like $5 each... I normally don't condone counterfeit products but since trauma shears are kind of disposable, I'm curious about how they work - it'd be cool to see you check them out. That stupid old cheap Roxon S801s continues to be the multi tool I can't replace. My car and bicycle in particular have seen so much of that tool. So glad I saw your review for it. Still waiting for my toler tools union, I'm so close to his current delivery number

[@naturecalls3465]

I really hope someday the'll take a look at the Wave and Surge and return to the quality of those tools.They produce these Garage tools but I dont seem to see the reason behind it. I guess they make enough money wih their existing tools and just dont have nothing better to do. Maybe they should only upgrade their existing models and or start listening to us by making the tools we want. They dont listen to us because they dont need to. :) Anyway the Surge and Wave are fantastic tools so we can be very grateful anyway.

[@thedownwardmachine]

The thumb grip on the Raptor Response looks like it would gouge into my thumb

[@gambitm7480]

Nice tools!

[@txtoolcrib]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[@Thestripper1]

Leather case is a no brainer.

[@username6265]

That was great!

[@caidagreat2079]

I only have a micra I use the scissors almost everyday!

[@diannbruce9542]

I wish they had one with a hoof pick !

[@Gogogordy1]

My Swiss Army Knife has a toof pick….

[@PLBW81]

How about a small patch of TX Tool Multitool?

[@Sophos1964]

Huh. No mention of the Charge + TTi.

[@5to522]

When I started watching this I was like I know that voice! Who is this? Andy Bernard from The Office.

[@thebigoaktree8401]

Very helpful reviews.

[@OliverHinz]

Hey, I dont have the Juice but the Skeletal CX as my daily, the wave clip always felt to bad thats why I went away and have a surge for real work in my pocket. Any idea for a supplier with a more CX like clip (with a wider opening)? And yes, the Scissors are on my fire department load out.

[@davidkeil6225]

Am I the only one that has never used the scissors on a multi tool? I've carried multi tools of some sort starting in highschool. I'm 41 now. To this day I've never found a use for scissors, that the knife couldn't do. If I'm missing something, please explain. Genuinely, I mean that. Perhaps Im just not seeing something. Let me know. Thanks.

[@gumballer133]

I too have had a Leatherman since probably 94-95. Original PST, then Wave, now Surge. Honestly, the scissors on the Surge are really good. Even if it's trying to cut off a fingernail when you snagged it and only half ripped it off, they have their uses.

[@johnraymma]

I use them as nail cutters, that's about it though

[@johnnyolson258]

The scissors are probably my most used tool, idk, I thought they'd be completely useless when I got my first Leatherman but ended up needing them often

[@roundtheloopandback]

Use mine every day

[@strikenryken]

Do you never use a scissors in your daily life? I use scissors way more than knives especially in the kitchen.

[@appleztooranges]

Crunch should have been in the garage series

[@oicwexatxlarge8125]

The charge didnt make either list!?

[@buddyduddyful]

The micra is $47 to $52 on Amazon now. Crazy.

[@LacayoDe]

Wait where is the SURGE?

[@Hexsyn]

I could swear they discontinued the crunch!

[@whiskersmcmeow6224]

Klein 32900 in a drill

[@RockyMountainBlades]

Just looked and saw that the Micra and Squirt PS4 are discontinued

[@txtoolcrib]

I just checked myself, they are still available on the Leatherman website.

[@RockyMountainBlades]

@@txtoolcrib yeah i saw that too, what do you think this means? BladeHQ was the one that listed them as discontinued

[@txtoolcrib]

@@RockyMountainBlades hard to say, I hope they are not on the chopping block.

[@RockyMountainBlades]

@@txtoolcrib i sure hope not either! That’s one of my favorite mini tools

[@RockyMountainBlades]

Just talked to leatherman they said it certainly is not discontinued and won’t be for a very long time. They said that BladeHQ had made an error

[@michaelk487]

C00l😀😀😀

[@jimbeaux89]

If leatherman truly wants to revitalize their brand, they need to start listening to their loyal customers, like Ben and stop with gimmicks like “leatherman Garage”. The downfall of companies is usually when they stop listening to their consumers and you can tell that leatherman hasn’t been listening to theirs. leatherman has gotten stale and has lost their momentum and is now being surpassed by competitors.

[@rbrazz]

Surge all day every day. Micra for wife.

[@peddypeoples941]

My first plier base multitool was the charge tti. expensive, cool materials, fit and finish was not so great. Sold that for a swisstool mainly because of german knife laws (oho locking blades are not streetlegal). That same design from 97 was only slightly refined with even sturdier pliers and more agressive file and even better action, everything else stayed the same. Compared to the original Supertool from my late father it was far ahead in terms of craftsmanship, function, selection of tools and usability. Even compared with my 2nd generation Surge the new Swisstool x comes on top overall.