Equipment review – Leathermans Multi-tool

Give you an idea of the size of the Leatherman

Give you an idea of the size of the Leatherman

Over the past few years I’ve owned a few different multi tools varying from the bargain basement ones that come free with a torch at a service station, to the more expensive Leathermans. In that time I  have found them a very useful addition to my archery, camping and skiing kit.
Based on my experiences a few months back I started a survey on  Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/ArcheryNeedsYou/)  as to whether Leatherman or Gerber were preferred,  for those interested in the results it is presently standing at about 50/50 split.
Anyway I thought I would review a couple of Leatherman multi tools I have, both of which can fit easy into a quiver or belt pouch.
The two I have are the  Wingman and Sidekick. Essentially the two are nearly identical,  the second one (sidekick) being purchased as I thought I’d lost the first.
The only real difference is the sidekick has a small saw blade instead of the scissors that can be found on the wingman.
Leatherman opened up

Leatherman opened up

Tools breakdown
Here is a quick break down of the tools, both are made from stainless steel, are pocket sized and covered by the Leatherman 25-year warranty.WINGMAN –  described by Leatherman as having 14 tools in one
Tools:
420HC Combo Knife
Bottle Opener
Can Opener
Medium Screwdriver
Package Opener
Phillips Screwdriver
Ruler (1 in/2.54 cm)
Small Screwdriver
Spring-action Needlenose Pliers
Spring-action Regular Pliers
Spring-action scissors
Spring-action Wire Cutters
Wire Stripper
Wood/Metal FileMeasurements:
2.6 in | 6.6 cm (blade length)
3.8 in | 9.7 cm (closed)
7 oz | 198.4 g

SIDEKICK again it has 14 tools, and mine came with a Carabiner Bottle Opener Accessory.

Tools:
420HC Serrated Knife
Medium Screwdriver
420HC Knife
Bottle Opener
Can Opener
Phillips Screwdriver
Ruler (1 in/2.54 cm)
Saw
Small Screwdriver
Spring-action Needlenose Pliers
Spring-action Regular Pliers
Spring-action Wire Cutters
Wood/Metal File

Measurements:
2.6 in | 6.6 cm (blade length)
3.8 in | 9.7 cm (closed)
7 oz | 198.4 g

Uses in the field
I find the pliers useful when extracting  piles after the shafts snap in the boss,3d targets or more often trees and need removing.
A sharp knife is always useful if you spend any time outdoors whether it be camping, walking or archery.
Quick note here is I wouldn’t use it to cut a wayward  arrow from a tree though, as whilst sharp I would expect the tip to snap under the pressure. I use an old flat headed screw driver that I have in my quiver for this.
I have found the crosshead screwdriver is perfect for tightening the screws on my archery tab. This being on both the sidekick and wingman.
The wingman comes with a small pair of scissors which I’ve found surprisingly useful for archery, when fitting servings etc.

Leathermans knife blade and scissors

Leathermans knife blade and scissors

The sidekick  comes with a small saw blade, which isn’t going to chop down any redwoods but I have used to saw through branches of about an inch thickness with ease. For that reason I tend to have the sidekick to hand when camping or working in the woods.

Give you an idea of the size of the Leatherman saw blade and knife blade (the knife was not fully opened and locked in place)

Give you an idea of the size of the Leatherman saw blade and knife blade (the knife was not fully opened and locked in place)

Workmanship
The workmanship is good and the pivotal joints haven’t slackened off, which I seen on cheaper multi tools.

Leathermans pllers close up

Leathermans pllers close up

The finish on the back of the sidekick  serrated blade is a little rough which you notice more when folded up but that is the only criticism I have.

Close up on the rough part of the back of theblade

Close up on the rough part of the back of the blade

The rolled metal handle makes using the pliers more cumfortable in the hand which I  noticed when compared to cheaper budget copies.
I now make a point of always carrying one of mine when out and about.

So if you are looking for a birthday present or early Christmas present I’d say they were a good buy and addition to a kit belt or pouch. If you are looking for something a bit more then have a look at what I think they call the expedition range.
Rating 9/10

N.B. I  bought one of the tools from eBay and it was supposed to come with a leather case. It didn’t, instead it had a cheap nylon one and this is not uncommon looking at reviews.
Thanks for reading.

3 comments on “Equipment review – Leathermans Multi-tool

  1. Good review Rob. I’ve used a Leatherman Charge for some years now and I can’t recommend the brand highly enough. The charge has both a saw and scissors so you get the best of both worlds. Leatherman tools are solid and they are also covered by an excellent warranty – on the one occasion I had a problem they not only rectified it without any fuss but they also returned the tool fully serviced and sharpened.

    Liked by 1 person

  2. Pingback: A year in review | My Archery Experiences

Feel free to leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s