Leatherman 2023 Range Tier List 

When I got a Leatherman I went straight to the Wave. Haven't really seen any reason to get anything else. It works fantastic, even years later.

The cost, quality, and availability of the bit kits have dropped all of them a LOT in my lists. The P4 is much better than I realized...I originally talked it down...but I carry it a ton now.

I've got to say: Australian prices are absolutely insane.

I've always viewed the Leatherman Micra as a tool addition more useful in a lady's purse...most women will use a knife less than a pair of scissors...In my experience. All about the lifestyle... All my Leatherman waves/charges have been upgraded to the S30v blades (if they didn't have them)...so useful - even around the holidays when the kids all need their toys out of packaging so complex that it leaves gov't intelligence agencies baffled as to how to access it., much less a 5 years old. One year I was removing tie-wrap WIRES to get the toys out...

Pretty accurate, Skeletool, I'd have it in the A, almost a S. Have to take into account size, weight and ability to carry. I've naturally ditched my Surge and Wave and carry the Skeletool. Good fun video though

I recently got a K2 and it sits in my pocket more than anything else. it's not crazy big, where it is a pocket anchor but it is substantial enough in hand. I got it in the states for 90 and honestly i can see the value but do think it would sell way better if it was priced aggressively but i like to think that extra upcharge went to the warranty

The skeletool cx (154cm Plain edge) and Rx (sheepfoot fully serrated 154cm blade) still show on the US site. They are $90 US vs $75 for the 420HC combo edge version. Converts to about a $23 Australian difference. Worth it in my opinion. It's sad if they are no longer available in Australia.

I have reached the point where i rarely use my Leatherman. Been carrying a Wingman and a Wave for years, but my wave had this bad habit of the jaws tightening up whenever i clamped down on something, making them useless for what i do. Since then, i have made an EDC pouch with all the individual tools of the Leatherman wave. Yes its a little bulky, but its just as convenient in my opinion.

A surge the size of a wave with 154cm would be the perfect tool and leatherman knows it.

Always a good day when Pete post up. Thanks mate!! Always great. Always full of actionable information and sharp witted banter. Need more uncle randy though.

Cool video! I have the raptor, signal, sidekick, charge+ g10, and the skeletool cx. I carry the Skeletool literally every day because of its size and weight. I take the signal of camping trips, and the charge on road trips or longer hikes. The sidekick has spring loaded pliers that I prefer for making wire sculptures. The other tools on it suck. Cheers!

Wow those prices are high there. The wave plus is $99 in the US.

Yooo, this is a fresh idea. Tell the knife channels to do this!

My exposure to Leathermans in any meaningful way was to carry one at work, first a Wave for several years and then a Surge for about the same time. I can't say the Surge offered any advantage over the Wave, it was heavier and the hacksaw/woodsaw was a pain in the butt. I suspect the bigger size encouraged me to expect more of it than it could do and while it's still in one piece it is decidedly worse for wear and no longer fit for purpose.

Honestly i dont carry a multitool. Im the head of maintnance for a large building service company and i have to fix large machines all the time. Id much rather have a kit of small but capable tools in my backpack than a mutitool that just isnt really better than having a proper tool. For instance, why carry a leatherman and use its crappy flat bits when i can instead use a klien tools bit ratchet, knipex pliers, and my dedicated pocket knife and it barely takes up more space?

I don’t think you’ll like the P4. It’s essentially a thicker, heavier P2 but with a serrated blade and a saw. If you don’t use those often, why bother with the weight and size?

Does the Bond still have that safety problem with the blade? I recall people putting small magnets inside it to keep the blade in. One thing that's cool about the Micra is that it complements the Rebar and Super Tool, for those who wish those had scissors.

Don't disagree. I have a Wave+, Signal and original PST. But my favorites are the Juice series, and I have three. CS4 with the original long blade is the best.

I have 2 wave that i want to sell them i also want to upgrade

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Happy to see you back posting frequently, thank you, Pete!

9:15 For the record, though we many (and increasing) stupid knife laws here, simple one-hand opening doesn't matter for UK law.

£90 for a Skeletool in the UK right now is a clear sign that someone in marketing is snorting the Columbian marching powder. 4:32

You’ve helped me doze off countless times. I think I’ve played the tier video about knife steels at least 30 times. This kind of video is just excellent for that purpose. Very informative and educational right up to that point where your brain says alright, I don’t give a crap anymore and lets you fall asleep. Much obliged!

For me personally I love my Micra. It's always in my pocket. I find that I have no need for tiny needle nose pliers and the scissors get used often for cutting zip ties instead of my knife. I have also found that often when people ask to borrow your knife, what they really need are scissors. The tweezers, pry, flat Phillips, and tiny flat head also get used frequently by me.

The Wave+ RIGHT NOW is S+ Tier. It's on sale for $99.95 US, which is an absolute steal. Functionally though, I prefer the Charge+, I have one in the Orange G10 which supplanted my Wave+ as my EDC Leatherman. I am so tempted to get a black Wave+, but I don't need it at all. My second most used Leatherman is my Micra and the wee Style CS, which is out of production. Why? The scissors, they're SMALL so I have one on my carry bag and the other sits at my desk.

*Knipex cobra water pump pliars* I highly suggest them. I use the smaller ones(not the smallest) the most. Start at the 150 size, it's small enough to pocket, yet big enough to get a full grip on and actually use well. Also their pliars wrenches are awesome.

i'm very sad about the squirt. I keep them on my keys and i need something that has mini pliers as a backup to the pocket sized multitool. it always helps when you can hold onto a nut while you turn with the main tool.

For every leather man I’ve owned the knife sucked, I wish a company would put a better blade on one.

Love this as a reference! Personally, I'd put the Curl in the A category as it does exactly what it set out to do. It's a more EDC, pocket-friendly version of the Wave without sacrificing quality. The slipjoint lock tension is plenty strong and I'd far rather have an awl/scraper than a mini eyeglass driver (despite my ever deteriorating vision). Agree that the best would be for the company to offer alternative blades/tools to swap in and out as desired.

I think if you're not a saw person (and have almost never used one), the Curl makes for a more practical EDC tool than a lot of the others. I actually modified my Curl and removed the file out and didn't add a saw on it. It ends up being very lightweight (close to 5 ounces) with much better pliers than the Skeletool and it's much more carriable than the Wave. I always felt the Wave had a lot of extra tools I never needed which equates to more weight. //If I need a saw I'll grab my Silky Boy or my Victorinox Walker in my car.

I've had the Surge for more than a decade and I love it. It is however large and, IMHO, too heavy for EDC in a pocket. I wear the Surge in a pouch on my belt when I am on duty as a firefighter. When I'm not doing that, I have a P4 in my pocket. My only complaints about the P4 are that it doesn't have a socket bit driver like the Surge, and I feel like the clip should be on the opposite end to make opening the pliers more natural on removal from the pocket. Overall I'd say the P4 is better, mainly because the smaller size and lighter weight over the Surge mean I carry the P4 every day. The Surge is still my favourite.

Can confirm: Raptors cut clothes or anything very well. Much easier than cheap shears. Have also used the ring cutter and it was a breeze. Only downside I've found is it's almost impossible to keep rust forming between the blades at the joint because of the blood / disinfectant used on them afterwards.

I love the micra! been carrying the same one every day for the past 10 years. I use it a ton every single day too. dissappears in the pocket. Personally i wouldn't ever use tiny multitool pliers, so i much prefer the scissors. A multitool for me, isn't something to replace dedicated tools. btw the tweezers are perfect for opening quickset duffer locks around the house.

What does the "S" stand for? Apparently, it's for Super or Special.

I had a Free P4 for a while, and really liked it at first, but after the initial period of excitement about the magnet mechanisms wore off I realized its a really dumb tool. it really felt like it had 9 different flat head screwdrivers on it, because what the tools were really made for they would have been horrible at. the little ruler tool really turned me off. ended up trading it for a wave plus, and im still really happy with that trade

Hello, can you explain what you mean by "flat" and "stamped" (referring to Free P2 and a couple of the others)?

I like the sidekick for work because it not as big of a hit if and when I lose it. I'm on my 4th over about 12 years.

Gotta say, the P2 turned out to be my fav multi tool ever. Bit it took awhile. Now, for me, it is a butterfly pliers that uses magnets to great effect. So underrated. Imo. Full time farmer, so, i DO use em. 🤗

I have the black rebar (work use) and the charge plus TTI for EDC. I thought the rebar was fantastic but once I got a hold of the charge I couldn't believe how much better it was. 295 all in CAD$. Definitely on the high price spec but you can't really beat it. It even comes with the bit kit.

You're the best, mate! 👊🏻

Super tool to me is the best. That thing is a tank, all the tools just feel sturdier that the surge. I can live without scissors, to me though the lack of bit kit is a minus, but it’s easily remedied by buying the bit kit and bit adapter separately

Going to an office job from being a foreman at a construction company I instantly lost my prectical need for my charge. It was just too heavy for not being used. Now I just use a 3 layer Victorinox although I still want to need a Leatherman.

Really glad to see you posting frequently again. I love your content. Especialy those weird ass videos you used to make.... you know the ones.

The Blast is one of the few disco models worth chasing. The Sog s44 is awesome for a non Leatherman if you can find one. Can be modded with Leatherman parts. The Rebar is my fave nowadays.

Could you please do another knife company tier list? I loved the old ones

Wave is the G.O.A.T. For EDC in blade law restricted places I wish Leatherman would bring back the Juice series they're so good. And the Crunch. Bring that back. It's cool. A bit daft yes. But cool.

Looking forward to the Signal and P4 reviews. I rotate between carrying them and the Wave+ with the clip in my back left pocket and I feel naked without them.

The Raptor Shears are indeed fantastic. I've used them many times on calls and they never fail me. I got them free to test out when they first came out amd still use them today. I do also like One Shear but the Raptor are my go to.

Both the Squirt and Juice being discontinued is a crime against multi-tools.

Interesting...Never really thought of a multi tool as having that “Cool factor”. The Signal looks kinda Cool, but I really don’t have any interest in most of what they offer. The Surge, Wave and Micra have been mainstays for me for year’s. And I would love to be able to replace my beat up Juice S2 and Squirt PS4...Hear that Leatherman!!!

I carry surge every day but on the weekends or off work I carry the smaller p4 love them both sometimes I even rotate the two on edc

I've got a free K4, a Rebar and an Arc. Had the Rebar for about 8 years and thought I'd upgrade to the Arc and picked up the K4 at the same time. I pretty much only use the free K4 now for everything, the knife feels great and the other tools are fine. It feels less overkill carrying around the K4 while I'm at home rather than the Arc 😂🤣 Pocketclip is in an annoying place but I removed mine and it feels great.p Would be an amazing buy and a true pocket knife replacement if they made the knife in Magnacut

I had a Wingman. I hated it so much I just gave it away. It felt so cheap. The pliers would get stuck if you squeezed even a little bit hard and the spring would barely work. The scissors were garbage. The scissors on the wave clones are leagues better. The Wingman was my first Leatherman and it put a sour taste in mouth for the company. After that I got a Gerber MP600 and used it for years until recently. My MP600 still operates like new but I wanted interchangeable bits so I started looking around and settled on giving Leatherman one more chance so I picked up the Super Tool 300 with the driver kit that fits on the 3D Phillips screwdriver. Works great. The Super Tool 300 is a real Leatherman. It's beefy and feels like a reliable tool. Worth the money in my opinion. Leatherman has a few REALLY good multi tools that live up to the Leatherman name like the Super Tool 300, Rebar, Surge, & Wave but a lot of their multi tools just leave you asking questions about the direction of their product lines. Found out too though that I didn't need to buy the Super Tool 300 at all because the Leatherman bit driver kit works with the MP600's short phillips driver too lol.

RIP Squirt😢

Leatherman Cx - 154 CM blade. current production. I have my original wave from 2012 ? Back when I first bought quality knives. Quality Content Peter.

Lovin it. Charge TTI icw the ratchet driver for the win. (m390 replacement blade from aliexpress, cuz S30V dulls from air and hardcore (sexual) abuse (such a bitch))

So even after converting $Australian to $US the cost is far higher in Aus. I bought a Supertool 300 six months ago for $99 US which converts to $157 Aus. But you say the price is $200 Aus. Ouch

I have many but the Sidekick is garbage. Surge is on my want list for the replaceable saw. I have Waves and Charges but sold a Charge TTi because I hated the blasting cap crimper weakening the plier. After my first Gerber, I went Leatherman and progresses from SuperTool to SuperTool 200. Got two SuperTool 300 but have never used them because I have the Charge now.

Bloody hell the Rebar has gone up in price. I got mine at Masters hardware before they collapsed for $50 about 10 years ago i think. Mind you, Aussie dollar was almost parity with US dollar then. Wish i would have bought a bucket of them.

Gotta keep it real, the micra is an excellent and versatile cannabis tool. Side note, the wingman sucks. I should've watched your vid before I bought it. Replaced it with a titanium charge which I've used not nearly enough to justify the investment. But I love it, and I've spent more for things that are much less fun to play with.

I got tired of leatherman and multitools in general. I carry my squirt all the time thats peek leatherman for me. Love the needle nose pliers and scissors are great. I used to carry a charge titanium but I found all the things I wanted it to do didnt work well. I know carry a big idea design inline bit bar and knipex pliers. Im much happy. Course i have my edc blade but I feel with more dedicated tools its vastly improved my edc. Carrying the leathermam first showed me how great it is to have a pocket screw driver. It also taught me how annoying it is with their weird bits and the bit not being centered.

Pete, thx for ranking, your opinion is worthwhile. What do you think about Leatherman Arc?

Ooooo! I need to do this too

The arc (magnacut blade) accidentally dropped at REI… so some ppl actually got them in hand early!

The only Leatherman I like is the Skeletool. Midsize and small leathermans make no sense to me, Leatherman are all about the pliers. Makes no sense to have weak pliers. So you always should get the surge or supertool.

Would like to hear your thoughts on Giantmouse knives. Unless I missed it, I have not seen you make any videos about them.

The Skeletool CX is still available on the U.S. site.

Ahh yeah pro

The rev is like, the worst tool from Leatherman I have ever used, it would get a F in my book.

The only multi tools I have ever broken were all leatherman. Just saying.

MagnaCut replacement blade. I would sell my mother

Watching this makes me glad I got a Rebar for $105 AUD about a year ago, it was on sale and only about $20 more than the stamped models. Really sad they discontinued the Style PS (and the Squirt PS4),. Thinking about the Skeletool but it's hard when it has less tools than the Rebar for more money.

I got my dad a Free P4 for christmas a couple years ago and he loves it. I've played around with it too and it seems like a fantastic tool, I might get myself one some day. The only multitool I own is a Squirt P4 (and some SAKs).

Pete...bro. You need something on your walls.

I have several, for pocket carry the bond, and P2 are my favorite. For best performer, the wave is my preferred tool, even more than the surge. I haven't had the surge long, but it doesn't feel as refined. I know it's supposed to be a big bruiser of a tool, but i was honestly a bit disappointed when i got it.

I don't see the free t2, your opinión about that tool?

The crunch is NOT gone. They make it in batches and it sells out EVERY year. It'll be back. That aside, decent list. It's not the list I would have made, but it is pretty subjective.

I was waiting up until now to start some shit if the surge wasnt in the S tier 😂

Love your stuff mate, quality, genuine information that you can trust, keep up the great work it’s appreciated.

Where is oht?

Thanks for this tier list. I never thought about all the tools in this way before. A couple of the A tier items would probably complement my Wave and Squirt combo. I’m loving the channel these days 😊

Letterman rebar & Gerber m600 blunt nose…

Crunch is NOT gone. Just not available. I spoke with Leatherman.

BRING BACK THE JUICE S2!!!

Glenn Hughes - S Tier.

Long live the Juice ✊

Skeletool CX is king.

Love my MUT. Good video!

The CX is available in the US. and agreed -I'd love a skeletool expansion: better steel, titanium (or maybe aluminum??) frame. Maybe an XL in a lightky larger size- bigger blade, saw...

I agree with you on scissors on multi-tools, 99% of the time they're either too weak or too small to actually be worth having on there because... just the straight blade is gonna cut most things at least as well. There are very rare exceptions, sure, but I'd rather have a different more useful tool... or one less tool and a lighter overall weight... than the bad basically-decorative most multi-tool scissors actually are.

I think maybe they just don't sell the skeletool cx in Australia anymore. I just checked the website here in the US and they have the CX with the 154 cm blade for $90 USD

I have the surge in two waves. They are wonderful. What a carry almost every day is my skeletool CX. If I was a MacGyver want to be I would be toting one of the other two. I love you stuff, Pete.

just clicked to confirm what i already knew since it came out, surge is the pinnacle of multitools. i have never bought another multitool since it came out.

free t4 is my regular edc. a modern take on the traditional SAK, but with one-handed convenience. I've owned both this and the wave for a few years now, and the t4 stays in my pocket. The wave stays at home.

I have the squirt p4 and the charge TTI. I love my charge thinking about getting a wave but I can't give up the charge I keep it in my pocket every day.

If they made the knifeless Rebar with outward opening tools and ditched the can opener for a dual edge knife, that would be perfect.

Got a micra, and I think one of the last of the Squirts to be sold in the UK. Can't find them anywhere. Got a surge and wingmam in car as well. Great tools for the odd job.

Love my MUT. I think I bought mine for 119 before the massive price hike.

I enjoy my Signal. I feel it is a great urban tool with a pair of scissors modded on them. I converted my can opener over to a wave scissors. (You can also swap the wingman scissors for saw). I use the whistle for my kids when outdoors, I have also used it at work to get a persons attention(I cant whistle so yeah). Honestly, it just feels like a no-nonsense multitool. No extra or unneeded implements like four drivers. The micro bit can work on the signal, too. There is a trick to it. Also, I use my MT as a persuader all the time to hammer stuff so it has become a necessity for me to have that feature on a tool as well for a edc.