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24 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Compact and Useful, December 4, 2003
By A Customer
I ended up getting the Leatherman Wave for its one-hand opening blades, good needlenose pliers and compact size.Pros go first: Compact in size - really important for me as a EDC (every day carry) tool. If it weren't a EDC, I probably would get a SwissTool, which is...cheaper now at amazon.com. Solid - All tools have solid feel (except the scissors). Blades are locked positively. Pliers are strong. So are the rest. Here come the Cons: All tools are stiff to open - Only the serrated sheepfoot blade is relatively easy to open. Lubrication doesn't help. Break-in may eventually help. It's not user servicable as it uses tamper-proof torx-plus screws all over. Send it back to the factory for any adjustments. Too many flat screwdrivers (4) - I'd rather replace one flat screwdriver with something else. Handles wobble in closed position - No play in deployed position but has < 1/8" play when closed. It's very noticable when you open blade using one hand. It's not mentioned in web reviews but talked a lot in newsgroups. Every Wave does that and it doens't seem to hurt the durability. Just doesn't match the overall quality of the tool and yes, annoying. Poor scissors - Scissors wobble. The pivot rivet is not tight (probably for a reason because scissor blades are slightly curved for better shearing). When handle is fully depressed, blade points cross each other by 1/8" which is really annoying for fine cutting. However, I don't expect to use it very often. Scissors on SwissTool or Gerber multi-tool (no wonder, it's a Fiskars company that makes excellent scissors) are much better. Fit and Finish - It's good but you won't be happy if you are a Swiss knife owner. Handle, bolsters and pliers are finished smoothly. All other tools have clear signs of machining. Random nicks, marks on handles and pliers. I went to a local store to check out all Leatherman Wave (8 of them) in plastic package and they all have nicks or marks. I guess workers just toss the products into the bins in the factory. I'd rather put the sign of heavy use by myself. A combination of Wave and SwissTool will be great. It doesn't exist for now and I chose Wave.
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