Leatherman 830039 New Wave Multitool with Leather/Nylon Combination Sheath
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Leatherman 830039 New Wave Multitool with Leather/Nylon Combination Sheath
Customer Review: Close, but not perfect.
Summary: 4 Stars
Everyone has already sung the Leatherman's accolades and praises, so I won't do that. I'll point out some flaws that I think should be rectified. Well, I may be one of the very few users to find flaws in this tool, but I have found a few. First off, the bottle opener is a joke. I'm serious. Have you ever found yourself wanting to open a beer, reach for your Leatherman that you surely always carry with you, and find that the "bottle opener" doesn't work like it should? It's not cool when you have to use the pliers to open a beer! Secondly, and this may be a nitpick more than anything, but the scissors are certainly the weakest part of this tool. It's really flimsy and loses its edge entirely too fast. If you find yourself using the scissors a lot, this could be a major inconvenience. The design also seems to be awkward. And lastly, though this really isn't a flaw in the quality/workmanship of the tool, the stainless finish seems to attract surface rust quicker than any similar tool I have ever used. I presume that this is from using a higher-strength tool metal, but why couldn't a teflon (or similar) coating be used to "seal" the tool? It is a pain to go hiking/boating/traveling in humid and wet conditions and find that when you wake up, the Leatherman has surface rust all over it! Hate to just point out the negatives, but there are a lot of other reviews that cover the Wave's praises in more glory than I could.Customer Review: Could've been perfect, missed it by a micron
Summary: 5 Stars
First let me start by saying this tool, in conjunction with the flat-pack bit set, is probably the best portable toolkit I've ever had. I've carried (and still carry) a Victorinox Swiss Army Knife for over thirty years but had resisted getting a Leatherman despite the obvious utility of folding pliers until they resolved the floppy blade and painful handgrip problems.
Which they have on this wonderful tool, one of which was given to me by my wife (thanks, Wife) for Christmas a couple of years ago.
The knife blades, the wood saw - very sharp - and the diamond file(!) all lock in a nice positive manner, and the lock is easy to disengage when time comes to put the blade away again. The serrated blade is identified by a ripple milled into the top (blunt) edge, so you know which blade is which before you unfold it without the need to take your eyes of whatever it is you are about to cut, saw or file.
The internal blades (screwdrivers etc) are a bit stiffer to unfold, but also lock positively. The lock is easy to disengage with a thumb.
The screwdriver adapter is probably the neatest folding knife/multitool idea I've ever seen, and the odd-looking "shaved" bits in the bit kit all work perfectly. I've used these bits to dismantle computers (big-ass servers) from racking equipment, stop cubicle walls from going "Office Space" on me, strip a vacuum cleaner and about a dozen other classes of fastener-related on-the-spot jobs that would normally require a box o' tools. The bit supplied with the Wave is a MEGA-useful reversible slotted/Phillips #2 that will probably serve most people for all their needs.
I found myself wondering why they had included a traditional slotted screwdriver in addition to the adapter/bit tool until I realized that the screwdriver wasn't a screwdriver, but a pry bar for opening e.g. paint tins. It works as a screwdriver too. Bonus!
The can/bottle opener/wire stripper is very rugged and I've found it absolutely fit for all three purposes.
The scissors are nice and tight, but only useful for small, light duty. What do you expect with jaws around an inch long?
The eyeglass screwdriver bit, mounted in its own rather large adapter, is somewhat less useful. The adapter gets in the way of most jobs and I've found the Phillips bit (the bit is double ended with slotted and Phillips ends) less positive in a typical screw than the same-sized miniature screwdriver from Radio Shack. I've been able to use it for some jobs, but overall it's not as well executed as the other blades on this wonderful tool. The bit needs a redesign in my opinion.
The lanyard loop is so well hidden it took me two days to find it, and I've spoken with other owners who didn't know it was there at all. Mine is difficult to deploy, requiring something to pry it out with, and difficult to stow - I usually end up pressing it back against a block of wood after use) This needs a redesign in my opinion.
Leatherman have rearranged the blades in the Wave to eliminate the painful grip problem, but in doing so have introduced a problem you only find out the hard way, picking up a blood blister in the process. When used as pliers (the obvious reason for buying the tool) the natural grip results in the fleshy part of the hand at the base of the index finger resting against the handles. Should whatever it is that is being gripped slip out of the jaws, the hand can get caught between the back of the knife blade and the back of either the saw or the file (depending on handedness) giving it a tweak you won't forget in a hurry. I found this out while trying to clear a problem with an ice-maker that had jammed. I gripped a chunk of ice with the pliers and pulled, the chunk shattered, the Wave gave me a hickey and I told the world about it for a few seconds. The fix? Wear gloves or be very careful how you grip the pliers when using the tool that way.
The moans I have are not worth deducting any stars in my opinion, but are worth a look when Leatherman decide to have the "lessons learned" discussion with the design team. The total usefulness of the Leatherman Wave has me jonesing for a Leatherman Crunch in the worst way.
Customer Review: Definitely a better Leatherman
Summary: 5 Stars
Within the first week of owning the Wave I've had numerous opportunities to put it to the test on a construction site and around the house/yard. Pliers are much more rigid than the older tool I owned, and I really like being able to use the knives without having to open the whole unit. I've already used almost every tool on it except the jewelers screwdriver, the scissors, and the can opener. I don't see any real weaknesses. Great piece of hardware to carry or keep in the truck!Customer Review: Disapointed
Summary: 2 Stars
My daughter has developed a use for a multi tool so I gave her my original wave and bought the new wave for myself. While there some improvements in the new wave, there are problems with the new wave that makes it a much inferior tool to the original wave.
1. The pliers are very, very stiff to open and close. I am hoping that with time things will loosen up with time. But out of the box, opening and closing the pliers takes a lot of work.
2. There are a lot of sharp edges on the new wave. When you have a knife blade open, the back of the closed blades stick out and cut into my hand. If you look at the pictures of the new wave you will see one that shows the new wave closed and you can somewhat see how back of the blades stick out. Trust me, it is a lot worse than it looks and the back of the blades have sharp edges. This as a serious shortcoming in that the palm of my hand is sore from using the new wave. The original wave was much more comfortable to use.
3. The case that comes with the new wave is made of a combination of leather and nylon and is much less convenient to use than the all leather case of the original wave. The snap of the case is hard to close and usually takes several attempts to close. The case has several pockets that are completely useless but that make the case a lot bigger than it needs to be. In short, the new case is bulkier and not as functional as the old case.
I am really surprised at how good the reviews of the new wave are but in my mind it is vastly inferior tool. My advice is to try the new wave out in a store before buying it.
Customer Review: Do not buy it!
Summary: 1 Stars
This is one of the worst multitool I've ever gotten with nothing but cheap steel, cheap nylon, a couple little slots that you can't fit your finder into. This tool hurts my hand when gripped hard. Buy a good tool instead of this one.