Customer Reviews

Leatherman 831082 Freestyle CX Multi-tool

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is the simplest leatherman plier, and the most useful in my opinion. I've owned larger Letherman tools like the wave, that I found were waaay too heavy to carry in a pocket (they are best if you plan to wear them on your belt in a holster). I've owned the juice tool which lacked a sturdy locking blade, and was too thick and heavy due to seldom used tools (micra is better for users considering this tool). I've owned the skeletool which was really nice, but still a touch too big/long to be truly pocketable (skeletool is 20% heavier and 1/2 inch longer, which makes a difference if you keep it loose in your pocket).

This tool is light and small enough to carry in your pocket every day.

The plier is sturdy and only large enough for smaller nuts or objects, around 3/4in or less. Altogh advertised as a "needle nose," it really doesn't fit into tight quarters like a true needlenose. The blade is non serrated so it's easy to sharpen at home. For righties, the blade opens easily one-handed, locks open solidly, and opens when the plier is folded (having to open the plier to access the blade is the major drawback of a lot of larger multitols).

I don't miss the screwdriver included in the skeletool because I have a leatherman micra on my keychain. This tool plus the micra is far more useful than any one tool on the market.

If you really really need the screwdriver bits and you use the pocket clip, the skeletool is probably a better bet, but this tool is more useful to me because I like to keep my pocketknife inside my pocket. A useful sturdy plier, a really high quality blade, and nothing else. If you're considering this item vs the skeletool because your wave is too big, this is the one to own unless you really want to compromise size for a flimsy screwdriver.

I own a number of Leatherman tools, and the Freestyle is another fine addition to my collection. While the pliers aren't as beefy as the ones on the Wave or similar larger tools, they are perfectly capable of most tasks. The blade is a useful shape and holds an edge nicely. The main advantage to this tool is the small size and light weight. Fit's it's nitch very nicely.

I picked this up today for under $30 at Target, which was significantly cheap enough to entice me.

Pros:
The workmanship of the tool is very good. Fittings are tight and there's no sideways play in the blade or pliers. It does seem quite strong. It's also a very high tech looking tool with an industrial feel.

Cons:
Out of the package the tools are difficult to open. I certainly couldn't open the knife with one hand, and the pliers were stiff enough that at first it appeared to be locked. Even after twenty minutes spent with WD40 and just opening and closing the pliers are still not fluidly opened. This is likely a consequence of the workmanship however, and I expect it will get better with use.

Second, it looks good, but it seems some form was done in place of functionality. Looking at the picture you can see the blade itself has several holes. The largest one is a thumbslot for opening. Unfortunately, it's difficult to get the right leverage on the blade given the shape and the size of the tool. Also, though the holes reduce the weight by a few grams, they make the blade and tool more difficult to clean and maintain (lubricating oil must be cleaned with a qtip or risk fouling the outside of the tool which can be dangerous). There is no spring assist on the pliers, which means you work it more like a scissors.

Finally, there's only a knife and a pliers on this tool. The Leatherman Micra, though smaller, packs a lot more into the size. It can be argued that the Freestyle tools are more rugged, but unfortunately it exists in that middle ground between compact mini-tool and a proper folding knife/pliers.

As others suggest, there are other tools that cost slightly more that have better functionality.

I love my Freestyle and never go anywhere without it. My boyfriend has the carbon fiber skeletool that I admired, and I set out to find a personal knife of my own. I didn't want a dinky little keychain knife but I didn't want to tote around a machete either. And of course, it had to be aesthetically pleasing.

The Freestyle is all this and more. I don't have the convenience of large pockets that men have, and carrying one in my purse is next to useless. The clip is perfect for slipping into the waist of my jeans or skirt where it stays secure, hidden, and unobtrusive but ready when I need it at the flick of a thumb.

I don't like to give up style or functionality for either of the two, and with the Freestyle I don't have to. I have received many compliments on it, and it has all the quality and style you can expect from a Leatherman. Fellas, buy it for your girl. She will thank you. ;)

I am the sort of person that always carries a knife. I was looking for one I could classify as a tool so as to be allowed to carry it on campus. I came across this little gem. It's well-made, fits comfortably in the hand, and the blade is accessible from the outside. This is a very good tool. Of all the multitools I've used in my years, the most used bits include the pliers, the blade, and a screwdriver. While lacking the screwdriver (or rather, anything aside from the first two) this tool is truly useful. I've had it for a few weeks now, and I love it. It's perfect for my purposes. If you have need for anything more than these two features, I would not reccomend this product- invest in a more fully-featured tool. Don't settle for less than you need. This is a simple everyday carry knife for me, and I think it's one of the best buys I've made in the past several years.

Final note- the blade is tremendously sharp. It allegedly will hold an edge about 3x longer than most grades of steel, but I haven't been able to test that.

*EDIT* The backside of the blade is, unlike most knives where it's smooth, very angular. I liked it. It felt very deliberately designed and sturdy. However, even the dull edges are SHARP. I ended up bleeding the other night when I was playing carelessly with it.

I have a few Leatherman multitools but this is the only one I carry with me every day. The blade is easy to reach and the pliers are good enough for most every day jobs. For example, my dog knocked a cord out of the wall the other day and bent the hell out of the prongs. I straightened them out no problem. I've also used the pliers to pull staples out of heavy cardboard, open bottles, etc. Works perfectly.

As a whole, the knife is very light and the blade is sharp out of the box. The handle feels sturdy and I don't have any reserves about putting the tool through some abuse if the job calls for it.

My ONLY gripe with this knife is that when you remove the pocket clip, the screw that held it on does not sit flush with the knife and it looks kinda funny. I'll just deal with it though - no biggy.

I'm writing this review just to specify a few things for potential buyers. All in all, this is a great tool. Comes out of the box extremely sharp and ready to use. As far as the five tools go, let's be honest, there's two; a knife and a decent pair of pliers. A big plus for me (that I couldn't seem to find the answer for anywhere) is that the blade does lock when opened and has a simple to use unlock/lock mechanism. All you do is push down and it closes right up like any other knife (if that doesn't necessarily make sense, just use Youtube and look up Leatherman Freestyle CX review). One thing I have to say is that I wouldn't really get this if I were left handed. It's tough, not impossible, but tough to safely open with just your left hand. Other than that, as well as it being a little on the small side, I can't say anything else bad about it. I personally love it, and would definitely recommend it.

This little tool is a great tool - if it's what you're looking for. I've been carrying this daily for 7 months, and use it almost every day; it's rare that a day goes past without me using it for at least something. In August, I decided it was time to retire the Gerber knife I had carried for the past 5-6 years, and replace it with something new. I figured it would be hard to find a knife I liked as much as my old Gerber, but boy, was I wrong. I'm a theatre student, and use my hands every day as a carpenter, an electrician, and an audio technician. I'm also an outdoorsman and spend a lot of time fishing. When buying any knife/multitool, I take both of these into consideration.

First and foremost- this isn't a multitool. It's not the "Leatherman" most people think of when they hear the word. It doesn't even pretend to be. It's a Leatherman KNIFE. And it just happens to have a small set of pliers thrown in. A lot of people complain that these pliers are too small to be any good, and yes, they're too small to replace a set of pliers (or even a larger multitool), but man are they handy to have. I've used these for pulling staples out of wood, hooks out of fish mouths, I've twisted broken screws out of boards, and used them to hold bolts while I loosened nuts, stripped/cut countless wires, pull stuck pins from stage rigging, and hundreds of other things.

It really amuses me that everyone complains that the knife is too small/dull on a multitool, then when they buy a knife, they complain that the multitool aspect of it isn't good enough. I think of this tool and my Leatherman CORE in a very similar way: When I'm in a pinch, and I need a tool in my hand, it's great to have. When I'm going to be doing heavy work that will require specific tools, I take those tools with me. And on that note- I don't carry my CORE with me every day, but my FreestyleCX is in my pocket 7 days a week. I feel naked without this thing in my watch pocket of my jeans.

Now, as a knife- It's a wonderful knife. The blade is a little small, and as small as the blade is, I was a little unsure of it compared to my Gerber AR 3.5 smooth blade, which seemed much larger. However, I have yet to run into an everyday use this knife doesn't work for. Several complaints say it will only open right handed, which isn't necessarily true. I can open it with my left hand, I just have to flip it with my index finger instead of my thumb. It's not difficult, only a little different from normal. The blade came extremely sharp out of the box, and I have yet to need to sharpen it. This amazes me, as I end up using a knife blade in ways they are NOT meant to be used, such as prying apart pieces of metal, chiselling into wood, and more. I'm a little bit worried about breaking it, as the tool was more expensive than a cheap knife, but I'm sure after a few years of use, I'll be more willing to REALLY put it through the paces.

The only thing I truly dislike about this knife/tool is all of the space on it to get filled with junk. I've ended up with fish slime, dirt, sawdust, metal shavings, and food stuck in the holes on the blade and inside the handle. It's extremely difficult to keep these clean, and every once in a while I have to spray it out with water or canned air to get all of the gunk out of it. This is the only reason I took one star away from the review. The tool is also a little bit heavy compared to other knives, but in my eyes, this was more than a fair trade to have pliers handy in my pocket every day. If I was worried about weight, I wouldn't be trying to be prepared for every situation, I'd be packing light, and carrying a smaller tool, anyway.

The difference between the Skeletool Cx and the Freestyle Cx
is simple that Freestyle doesn't have the Bit driver and the carabiner bottle opener... and only 0.5 ounces less... I will prefer the Skeletool always.. but the Freestyle is ok...

about the plain blade is just matter or taste i think... I like the serrated blade on the Skeleool cx

So far I have to say it's a wonderful little tool. Smaller than I thought it would be, someone looking for a longer tool or knife might prefer the skeletool. That said it's size makes it fit extremely well loose in the pocket. The pliars are smaller than full sized pliars but useful and the blade is sharp, very, very sharp. It's the perfect blend of what I consider the most useful parts of a multitool. A good, sharp knife is always useful and I can not tell you how many times pliars are the one tool I can not improvise in a pinch.