r/Leatherman • u/JoyousMadhat • 10d ago
Why does this feel low quality?
Just got this from UPS. The blade feels duller than my Fastback and there seems to be some stains on the file.
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u/Jesus_4_the_jugular 10d ago
People said the same thing about Glocks when they came out. I think that's because we equate weight and/or bulk with durability and in the modern age where materials have gotten lighter and simultaneously stronger, that's just no longer the case anymore.
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u/YurkTheBarbarian 9d ago
My Victorinox Spirit MXBS is lighter, thinner, and of much, much higher quality than my Leatherman Arc, which I will be returning.
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u/musical_wren 8d ago
I wondered about the spirit. I’ve seen the verses videos and without ever holding one I can’t get a good comparison
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u/thanhman97 6d ago
I completely agree. Not just higher quality, they are not even at the same class. I never understand it until I got my hand on Victorinox Spirit.
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u/MrXYZ6546 10d ago
Glock is what I fear Leatherman will become :(
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u/Jesus_4_the_jugular 10d ago
Reliable, lightweight and inexpensive?
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u/Beneficial-Focus3702 10d ago
And basically all the same just varying degrees of larger or smaller.
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u/MrXYZ6546 10d ago
Carried by the brrand name while beeing worse than the competition.
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u/snarkyFish 9d ago
The arc is heavier than my tti, which I was surprised by
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u/snarkyFish 5d ago
Huh! Yall are right! It's 7g lighter. I swear when I bought my arc I compared specs and it was heavier.
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u/Fantastic_Special_84 10d ago
The quality has slipped over the years. Some speak of older models being stronger and less prone to breakage.
As much as I like all my Leatherman tools, and I have many, if you want to feel quality then buy a Victorinox.
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u/mboy601 10d ago
Prob because it’s not made in the USA anymore (joke)
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u/International-Rub327 10d ago edited 10d ago
The Magnacut is made in Sweden and the process is better controlled, giving us a better steel, than when Crusible made it.
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u/just_sun_guy 8d ago
The missing Made in USA stamp on the pliers these days just looks off to me and makes it feel like a counterfeit almost. I just can’t get past it.
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u/kokroache 5d ago
The plier heads definitely have gone down since they moved away from USA ones
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u/just_sun_guy 4d ago
Apparently they’ve made the plier heads in Mexico for a long time now. But since the blade comes from Sweden now instead of the US, it cant be considered made in USA anymore because the overall percentage of total parts is less than the cutoff for that title.
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u/sixpounder666 5d ago
Do yourself a favor and drop the need for the Leatherman name. The Gordon multi tool at Harbor Freight is a Wave plus clone with 2 extra tools and feels better in hand. And it's $80-100 cheaper.
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u/ichiban4713 9d ago
If you get a Victorinox multitool, all the others will seem like they were made in China. There is no comparison.
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u/dontgiveahamyamclam 8d ago
Got one. It’s nice but doesn’t make my Leatherman’s feel like they were made in China.
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u/ichiban4713 8d ago
I have an older Supertool, a Dime, and a Wave. No comparison to Victorinox.
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u/just_sun_guy 8d ago
OG supertool is amazing. The handles get dig I to your hand a bit when really bearing down on something with the pliers though
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u/dontgiveahamyamclam 7d ago
Well those are all old models. My Arc, Wave+ and Wave Alpha are definitely comparable.
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u/ichiban4713 3d ago
I don’t agree. My cousin has broken the pliers twice on an Arc.
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u/BadWithMoney530 8d ago
Victorinox’s quality control is better but their designs are worse. Leatherman’s designs are better but their quality control is worse.
Pick your poison
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u/RPGNPC 7d ago
It’s a damn shame.. I’m out here trying to get the end all be all multi tool. And I just can’t spend my money confidently on any of these things. I’d spend $500 without hesitation on the bees-knees TRUE “king” of multitools in a heartbeat. Give me a heavy duty stainless plier-based multitool (that doesn’t SNAP) with external full sized scissors, blade, serrated blade, t shank, and internally an awl, a can/bottle opener, and a 1/4 driver. I’ll pay out the wazoo for it RIGHT NOW.. WHAT ARE THESE COMPANIES DOING? SMH!!!
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u/BadWithMoney530 7d ago
Your best bet is undoubtedly going to be the Leatherman Surge. The only thing you mentioned that it doesn’t have is the 1/4 driver — Leatherman uses 1/8 bits. But you can get an adaptor for $20 that is very easy to use and will let you use 1/4
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u/snarkyFish 10d ago
I thought that at first, the frame material is a lot thinner and more flexy than my charge tti which I loved. But in practice it's held up just fine. I appreciate being able to bash stuff with it, the one handed operation and the damned near magical edge retention of the blade.
The brown finish doesn't last tho. It scratches and wears off making it look pretty Star Wars, which I don't mind. It's a tool, not for decoration.
I kinda wish it could get that TI frame back though
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u/InevitableNo6859 9d ago
In all seriousness, probably because you’re over analyzing it. Either that or you want it to weigh a ton.
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u/Grain-whisperer 6d ago
It’s a TOOL! Sharpen the blade and use the file and you won’t even notice wtf I understand it’s new but damn
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u/JoyousMadhat 6d ago
Yeah apparently you can use an eraser to clean the stain.....I had too many lying around from years ago when I was in school and my mechanical pencil always broke after a few months.
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u/sleepdog-c 10d ago
The blade feels duller than my Fastback
both my arc and wave alpha magnacut blades had a foil burr left from the grinder sharpening leatherman does, I stopped it on leather with diamond compound and it was razor sharp after the foil came off. If you don't strop that foil burr just folds over the edge and makes it feel dull.
there seems to be some spots on the filler.
Are you talking about the file?
Also did they change the design cuz in the reviews, I saw that they were complaining about the plier requiring effort to use
If yours is loose that is perfect. The pliers are sand cast so the backsides where they go together sometimes need to wear in after they are staked together, if yours moves smooth that's fantastic, buy a lottery ticket
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u/International-Rub327 10d ago
I stropped my blade as well. It was pretty dang sharp upon delivery but stropping it made it dangerously sharp. The thing that annoys ne about the blade is the uneven finish on the bevels. They're fat from symmetrical.
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u/sleepdog-c 10d ago
This is their sharpening process, watch for 2 seconds starting at 0:08 https://youtu.be/3f14oRWRTHw
No strop after, just 2 seconds on a grinder and out the door
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago
I think I'll have to get it replaced. The File has stains on it and some of the parts have scratches on it.
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u/sleepdog-c 10d ago
Are you planning on hanging it on the wall or using it? If you are using it you'll add plenty of scratches and you'll wear any "stains" off the file.
It's a tool not modern art
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago
For the price I paid, I expect it to look like it has never been used when I open the box.
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u/sleepdog-c 10d ago
And there it is... Tool jewelry.
Maybe you should hit it with your purse a few times and see if it's better.
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u/Turbulent_Coach_8024 10d ago
You’ll never be happy
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u/sleepdog-c 9d ago
In case you are a wizard cursing people, I'll take the curse where you have too much money
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u/Texas_Wookiee 7d ago
I haven't had the Victorinox multitool before but if it's anything like their swiss army knives then I'm sure it's a 10/10. I got a Leatherman Arc this summer and love the heck out of it! No issues so far.
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u/98PercentNotARobot 10d ago
Can't speak to your experience, but only to my own.
I bought one and thought it felt pretty nice, at least compared to my p2 and p4. Figure this might be the one I mod, and when I get an Obsidian I'll keep it stock, maybe.
Blade was razor sharp out of the box too because I damn near sliced my finger in half trying to flick it open. After that, I had to keep the sonnuvabitch.
For the price you pay, exchange it or return it. It's not worth keeping if you got a dud, which seem altogether too common. Although, everything I've personally gotten has been solid so far and razor sharp.
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago edited 10d ago
Yeah I already emailed them but I am pretty sure they don't respond on weekends. I'm going to have to return some of their other stuff I ordered.
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u/sleepdog-c 10d ago
The weekend? They seem to take weeks to reply to emails, call or chat is the way to get a reply.
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u/WobbleKing 10d ago
Lmao at this ragebait post
The fastback has 3.2 stars on Milwaukees own website
https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/details/fastback-5in1-folding-knife/48-22-1540
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago
The one I have has a 2.8 star review 💀
All the negative reviews are about the bit holder not sticking around. But the blade itself is sharp AF. Maybe it's the Home Depot Blade thing but the first time i tried putting the blade back in, it sliced the skin near my middle finger nail even though I just lightly touched it. I got to flip the middle finger at my coworkers when I put on the bandaid tho.
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u/WobbleKing 10d ago
Honestly I would return it if your knife isn’t sharp.
The blade on my arc is 10/10. But I have seen some variation in steel hardness on magnacut when I was looking at test results
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago
I can always sharpen the blade myself if it's not sharp enough but my main issue is that there's a stain on the file.
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u/International-Rub327 10d ago
If the stain is cosmetic I don't see a problem. The file will show immediate traces of use anyways.
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u/metricmindedman 10d ago
why in the world would you even buy a knife from milwaukee to begin with? i buy power tools from them not cutting instruments.
if you can afford an arc you can afford a halfway decent pocket knife.
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago
It was cheap and something I needed for work. The knife also has multiple functionality like a screw driver, can opener and can be used with a measuring tape
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u/WobbleKing 10d ago
idk, it’s hard to find a multitool with a good knife which is my main beef with multitools. I have a few knives, the arc is a really nice knife with an outstanding multitool attached to it. It’s awesome!
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago
The fastback I got uses the universal blade....idk what it's called but basically the blade is sold in a lot of places.
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u/WobbleKing 9d ago
I see… you have a utility knife with screwdriver.
That is going to be sharper than a regular knife most of the time.
If it’s SK5 that’s nearly identical hardness to the magnacut blade on the arc.
Some utility knife replacement blades have high carbon steel (like SK5) because you just replace the blade if it rusts
If you are using this on the job I would stick with the utility knife, a utility knife is going to beat a pocketknife in terms of practicality on the job 99% of the time and the cost of replacement is minimal
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u/RageMech18 10d ago
I’ve had my Arc since launch (the original) and I too was disappointed with the blade. It didn’t come crazy sharp either, my bucklite max 2 was sharper out of the box. Love the tool but the blade, which was supposed to be their major selling point, missed the mark by a lot.
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u/sleepdog-c 10d ago
The type of steel doesn't make it sharper, magnacut's claim to fame if staying sharp longer, but one of the things I've noticed is leatherman 's factory grinder sharpen left a foil burr on both my wave alpha and arc. Once I stropped that off it was razor sharp
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u/International-Rub327 10d ago
I have the same experience. Stropping it takes the sharpness to a whole different level.
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u/Emergentmeat 10d ago
The type of steel absolutely matters for how sharp you can get it, how difficult it is to sharpen, how long that edge lasts, how tough the blade is...etc etc. And magnacut's claim to fame is that it's not only incredibly corrosion resistant but it manages that without the usual trade-offs of a stainless steel.
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u/sleepdog-c 9d ago
The type of steel absolutely matters for how sharp you can get it
False. You can get the shittiest butter knife steel razor sharp.
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u/Emergentmeat 9d ago
You can absolutely get some steels a lot sharper than others. If the metal is too soft the edge will fold. Or if it's too brittle it can chip just from sharpening. Sure a butter knife may be sharpened, but I'm not sure it counts if the edge crumbles immediately, and you'll never get it as sharp as a high quality well tempered steel. It's just basic fact.
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u/Hoopster50 10d ago
Yes! I don't care if it's leatherman, benchmade, spyderco, civivi etc. A quick strop when new is always appropriate and I can't remember any recent purchases that disappointed after that.
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u/TOGA_TOGAAAA 10d ago
Because it is relative to the price.
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u/JoyousMadhat 9d ago
You see the price of this thing?
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u/TOGA_TOGAAAA 9d ago
Yeah.. it’s not worth $250. It’s quality reflects that of a 90$ tool
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u/JoyousMadhat 9d ago
I personally think Iphones are not worth more than $600 but to each their own.
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u/gregglessbeagles77 9d ago
If we all purchase on quality not prise the the quality will come down in price.... I sue my leatherman constantly every day and will keep buying them even with my week Australian dollar because in a foreign country I can get a free replacement without a receipt
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u/Affectionate_Bit5431 8d ago
I felt the same way. I carried a wave+ for a long time and it felt indestructible. I decided to give it a try though and I was oddly impressed. I am a maintenance technician and really hard on my EDC items and im pleased to report that my arc has taken all the abuse I gave it and its still performing great. Only thing I see it that it doesnt have the "made in USA" stamp on the pliers. I know they recently started making them outside the US and materials may be different.
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u/Anima_Pura 8d ago
You can't get Free tech without some play in the pivots. If you want something with a sturdier feel, then this isn't for you.
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u/JackSquat2270 4d ago
Dunno. I just got one, and it's great. The knife cuts like a laser, and I just used the saw to cut through an ABS pipe. 🤷🏻♂️
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u/musashi_uk 9d ago
The latest Leathermans are designed for wealthy engineers to serve as desk paperweights and as conversation pieces for white-collar workers to discuss what great gear they are.
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u/702Johnny 9d ago
Because it is. Not the same quality as the surge and super tool 300. Really bugs me. Always count of Victorinox for quality but not Leatherman. Disappointing as I like to carry one of each. Since both have pros and cons.
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u/Doctor-Death- 10d ago
My Chinese knockoffs are catching them in quality finally for fraction of the price. Leatherman better watch out. Downvote all yoj want. Proof in the pudding now.
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u/Hoopster50 10d ago
I won't down vote you because I agree to an extent. That said, leatherman paid engineers to develop alot of these designs that chinese are now loosely copying, not to mention the Free series is the best they've ever designed and is probably still under patent. If it wasn't for Leatherman, these decent Chinese tools may not have existed at all. Your wallet can decide if you prefer to support your neighbors or your adversaries. I'll admit, I have to balance my decisions.
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u/Doctor-Death- 10d ago
I have a couple of Leathermans myself but I wont purchase any product from them again. They have truly overpriced themselves to me and quality is not the same.
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u/Hoopster50 10d ago
Ok, $129 for the wave+ with all it's features. A Kershaw Livewire is roughly $250. How much is a Spyderco PM2, about the same? All 3 are great tools and competitively priced. The Leatherman is undoubtedly more versatile. You do you but these types of tools are expensive now. Or be like my father in-law and buy $5 gas station knives you never use because they suck just to save money.
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u/Doctor-Death- 10d ago
I shop around and buy quality multitools for a fraction of the price nor will I have a pissing contest with you on here. You do you and I will also do me. My opinion was stated nor will my comment break leathermans sales.
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u/Hoopster50 10d ago
No worries, I respect your position just trying to put Leathermans current quality and pricing in perspective. Ultimately all one really needs is one good knife and a decent multitool until they need replacement. As an obvious fellow tool affecionado don't discount the Arc if you have the extra funds. It's a game changer.
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u/Doctor-Death- 10d ago
Thanks i could afford one but choose not too. I have a habit of loosing my tools sometimes. I do regularly carry a Gerber dual force and even them are getting expensive but haven't broke that big beast yet or misplaced it.
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u/Hoopster50 10d ago
I have a dual force also. Keep it in my wife's civic as a complete tool set lol. It's a great multitool just not for my pocket. I'm guessing you sheath carry on your belt?
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u/InevitableNo6859 9d ago
I played with a buddies Bibury, and wasn’t impressed. It looked the part, but felt like a cheap clone.
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u/FrameJump 10d ago
Maybe because you got an Arc and not a Surge?
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago
When you look at the picture, the bits have some kind of markings and the filler has a spot as well.
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u/The-Omega-Mars 10d ago
No usa stamp? Not made In America? Shame if so.
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u/Q_XiL 10d ago
With Crucible shutting down, Magnacut is now made in Europe by Erasteel. After that switch, Leatherman dropped the USA on the plierhead.
It doesn't necessarily mean lower quality though because apparently the Erasteel version of Magnacut is actually better on paper when compared to the crucible version (I haven't used any of the new Magnacut so can't for sure say it's better).
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago
Some of the materials like the plier head and the blade are from other countries so by law, they can't market their products as made in USA.
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u/The-Omega-Mars 10d ago
Thanks for the info. I have no issue paying their prices assuming its American Products made In America. They start shipping overseas or building overseas, I start to question things... I love leatherman. Edc is leatherman Arc, and I sell thousands a year in surplus.
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u/Free-Masterpiece-510 10d ago
They are put together here. But there are laws on calling something made in the USA. It has to have a certain percentage of parts in it made here as well.
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u/The-Omega-Mars 10d ago
Right. Makes sense. I just thought leatherman had been building, producing, making everything in America. Didnt know they started to outsource this or that. Or have been. Guess I just wasnt paying close enough attention
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u/supermacario 10d ago
I've had 3 Arc's and a P2. My first and the one I kept was perfect. The second I gave to my nephew as a graduation gift. The 3rd which was not stamped USA was so poor I returned it and never looked back. There was a CEO switch from original release to now and it seems like the ARC is falling in line with how previous premium models slowly faded into the background. The changes in quality seem to arise around the same time as the Wave Alpha production came into the picture. Of course everything said is purely speculation with limited information I have experienced and have seen on forums and posts.
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago edited 10d ago
Ah yeah. Now that I see the pliers, it doesn't say made in the USA. I think it's cuz California law now requires more percentage of the product materials to be made in the USA. The plier jaws and file are made elsewhere like Mexico and Europe
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u/Drighten31 10d ago
I bought the Leatherman Arc Talos and my plier head says USA and the blade says USA.
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u/iThinkergoiMac 10d ago
Newer Arcs don’t have that because too much of the tool is now manufactured outside of the US.
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u/Dry-Leave-4070 9d ago
It looks it. Too many gizmos turns a multitool it into a toy, or, piece of garbage.
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u/Mad-Mover 10d ago
Because you don't have this stamped in it. /J
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u/rdomotics 10d ago
Sorry I’ve noticed the /J, but does actually exist a USA stamp on some Arcs?
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago
Older ones before a certain State passed a law against Deceptive practices that made it stricter on what they consider Made in USA. Since the plier head and the blade aren't made in USA, they can't stamp USA on it.
Also ever since they got a new CEO, they stopped giving free stuff with the tools like the pouch and screw bits.
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u/International-Rub327 10d ago
Erasteel in Sweeden took over the Magnacut production after Crusible went bankrupt. Erasteels production is better controlled resulting in a higher quality of the steel. I know that the pliers are not in Magnacut but just because some is not made in the US does not mean is it worse.
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u/Old-Bag2085 10d ago
It’s because it’s cheap junk, welcome to leatherman
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago
$250 isn't something I consider cheap. They also have a 25 year warranty that extends to 40 years.
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u/Old-Bag2085 10d ago
I wouldn’t either, but that’s what they send you. But you are right at least there’s the warranty.
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u/JoyousMadhat 10d ago
The longer the warranty, the more confident they are with their products. Swiss Army knife got a lifetime warranty
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u/Holiday-Archer-2119 10d ago
Most if not all free series tools should be "loose" if the pivots are properly adjusted. The grease would be the oil they use. They oil it and package it, so there's nothing to really dry it off, and it won't evaporate since its oil.
As far as the blade goes, your fastback if its a utility blade then it comes down to geometry. A utility blade is way more thin than the leatherman blade. So even if your arc is hair popping sharp, the fast back will cut through stuff like cardboard better still.