As someone who carries one of these (previously a P4) in a machine shop with lots of metal chips and dust, the magnets are not an issue. In fact, the magnets help prevent chips and dust from getting in the pivots. Dust will collect on the outside of the tool and is easily wiped off. It almost acts like a shield.
Super good to know, thank you. I have a flashlight with a magnet and it's a similar story, it collects near the magnet and I can just wipe it off. I was worried about it with the leatherman though
This is my favorite multitool ever made, and my dream is for them to release a limited in Titanium with all magna tools, making it fully waterproof. It would cost so much money, but in the knife market, it wouldn't be awful.
They can’t use one steel for all the tools. Each tool requires different steel properties. For example, making a screwdriver bit from a blade alloys is a bad idea. It’ll be too brittle.
@@mojaal every tool and the knife are made of 420HC on most of the other Leatherman tools. The tools are heat treated differently depending on the use for each tool. Same is true of the ARC aside from the blade.
@mojaal that may work with a softer and tougher alloy like 420hc but not necessarily with a very specialized steel like magnacut, that was specifically designed for being a blade steel.
Literally carrying one right now. Can't wait to see this review. EDIT: So I used to mainly carry a Wave+, but the Arc has become my primary multitool carry with the Wave+ as a secondary option (I'm more likely to carry/bring the Wave+ if I can't have a multitool directly on me the whole time). The Arc was a Christmas gift to me by someone who was able to combine the student discount with a Black Friday deal (significantly lower price and came with a full bit kit set in addition to the almost complete sleeve the Arc normally comes with). I like it quite a bit more than the Wave+ for a few reasons. The one handed opening for all the tools can be a game changer at times (noticed this a lot when doing work in the backyard). Another small benefit is increased corrosion resistance due to the Magnacut blade, DLC coated sections, and satin finishes on the tools as opposed to the bead blasted finish standard for Leatherman. Another is the, IMO, superior locking mechanism of Free Technology which is easier to operate and likely safer in general (especially compared to the liner locks of the Wave and Charge). Additionally, the Arc's pliers should be stronger as the Free Series pliers are claimed by Leatherman to be their strongest plier head design. I think generally the Wave+ is the better recommendation considering the STEEP standard price of the Arc. However, if you can take advantage of deals that can significantly reduce the price and/or increase the value of what you're getting, it makes sense to splurge on the Arc if you like the specific benefits it has over the Wave.
I carry and use my customized Arc every day as a Network Technician. Although it was expensive, I feel like it was worth every penny. It cant even name how many times it saves me a trip to the toolbag.
If I already had a magnacut knife in my collection, I probably would have skipped the arc... must admit that I love my experience with it so far and I'm glad I did indeed get it!
I think some of the price increase is also due to the fact a higher percentage of the Arc is made in the USA. Enough for them to be able to put USA on the tool, unlike the Wave.
I'm not an expert on it but it was my understanding that they are made in USA but they use enough foreign made parts on them that they can't advertise them as made in USA. But Free series and Arc they changed processes around so they can.
I've had a Wave for 20 years. Great tool. Kept it on whatever bag I would carry day to day. Bought a Wingman to have a multi-tool in my office. Absolutely love it. Smooth. Spring pliers, etc. I upgraded my Wave to the Arc simply because I like the idea of one hand opening and it has a Magnacut blade.
I use my multitool everyday for work was carrying a charge since it came out biggest complaint was having to open it to use the bit. I missed out on getting the anniversary one went to checkout and was denied. Got the arc on release and haven't looked back. Only wish it had spring to keep pliers open. I uae the charge sheath with the rachet extension in the elastic holder on the side. Absolutely love it.
I use it all the time for drilling holes in plastic for wires and other pass through needs and it works great. If I’m needing to do leather work it would work for field stitching since a hole isn’t very useful.
I pour concrete for a living and carry a wave every day. The blade steel on the wave doesn't bother me because I carry a dedicated folder that's in m4 steel. The wave is an awesome tool that I really don't know that I could replace with anything else in Leatherman line. Before I carried a wave I carried a squirt ps4 which was absolutely a heavy hitter for the size. Both of these are amazing tools! I want a bond but don't know that I have a justified need or use for it.
Try a surge at work itll blow the wave out of the water. I work heavy civil construction on the rail roads. Currently building bridges for train tracks to go over in Toronto. I carry my surge with me and you wouldn’t believe how handy it is! I’m checking this out for after work around the house or with the nephews and nieces.
I 100% agree with the reason they chose the edge geometry. My friends aren’t like me and abuse their knives and chip them up. It’s sad and the reason I don’t sharpen their knives.
I noticed 3 key differences between the previous free platforms and the Arc’s knife blade. The previous knife blade was non-coated, hollow ground, and had a cutout vs a thumbstud. The Arc carries the same warranty as the p2/p4, but has a much more expensive steel for the blade. Even though magnacut is very corrosion resistant, they still coated it. Furthermore, the sabre grind insures more tip strength, and the coating just makes it that much more corrosion resistant. I believe these changes were made specifically because this blade would be much much more expensive for Leatherman to replace under warranty, they tried to make it as robust as possible. I for one broke the tip twice on my P4. Once was my fault for prying, the second was I dropped the tool, and the blade popped out just enough for the tip to snap off when it hit the concrete. The cutting geometry of the older blade was preferable, but I think they did everyone a favor by beefing up the blade.
Putting a coating on Magnacut is completely redundant - it just doesn't corrode at all. In my opinion they ruined the blade - all that coating is gonna do is get scratched up and look crap.
That makes sense honestly. I would hope they stick with magnacut though and use it from time to time still. Probably better for it to prioritize being durable since it's already pretty small. I like Nick's idea of adding a secondary blade with a thinner profile or hollow grind
I get the price thing, but really so many knives come in at the price of the Arc and are just knives. I have two arcs (and a large collection of other multitools and pocket knives), and I really don’t take issue with the Arc.
I agree, I didn't bat an eye at the price. Yes it's expensive for a multi-tool, but it's actually pretty reasonable for a multi-tool with a magnacut blade. It's like, $11 per tool and one of the tools is a magnacut knife blade.
@@chimchu3232 once you start collecting Shirogorovs and other similar knives, the price complaints about the Arc just don’t register for me, imo. Like you said, breaking down the price per tool makes the thing a bargain, imo
I'm not saying you're lying about using the ruler on a multitool on the regular, I'm just saying you must be living a life very different than mine, because I can't think of a single time I've ever used a multitool ruler without stretching to find a way to make it useful. The rare times I do need a ruler, I need something a good deal longer and more precise than the etched side of a multitool. It's interesting to think about how differently two people can use the same tool. You said you never use the saw, I live close enough to the woods where a notching saw could come in handy a couple times a year. Some people love multitool scissors, I find them generally too small to be of any real use to me. We are each a unique use case!
i actually have used the ruler on my leatherman tools, obviously limited usefulness but definitely is a selling point to me and makes me glad i went with the wave myself
I tend to agree with you, I could care less about baby scissors and I think I only used the ruler once or twice, but the fact that they could have put it there but chose not to is kinda annoying. It's one of those things you won't usually need, but when you do it'll save you a trip. I use the saw and the file the most after the pliers and knife blade
Yeah I agree. My Juice has never been on diamond or stone, only ever honed on glass or bottom of coffee cup. Wave 1 couple of swipes on stone then hone on glass or cup. Wave 2 needs a bit more stone work. Sidekick light stone with fine diamond and a quick hone. Surge needs to be stoned every week now that it’s my work edc and I don’t hone it. Leatherman seems to be hit and miss on edge retention in my experience so I’m hesitant to hand out $499aud for the Arc.
I tried carrying the Arc clipped to a pocket, replacing a PM2, pliers, and SAK. Nope. Too many sharp edges (pocket pecker!) both in using the pocket and in using the tool as my primary knife. Haven't heard many reviewers comment on the ten ways the tool handle tears at the hand when using the knife extensively. I enjoy your reveiws.
There is also one more tool! An impact surface, when it is closed , from pliars side. I actually have been hammering a nail on a softer wood, wokred just fine
I love that impact surface. I was using it this week to add nails for my new picture frames since I just didn't want to have to dig out a hammer. Handles it without a problem going into dry wall. Would I use it for hardwood? No, but softer items is is pretty damn awesome.
I couldn't have been more disappointed in the ARC blade heat treat. The magnacut was not hardened nearly high enough for it to be actually better than S30v, Magnacut needs to be way way higher HRC to be worth it.
I've worked summers as a sub-contractor back in the day, served four years in the Army with deployments, worked in a moving company assembling furniture for clients for a few years, and currently own a 30,000 sq ft commercial warehouse. I've frankly never found the weight justification palatable for carrying a multi-tool even though I've honestly tried to like it, owning many versions which are collecting dust in a drawer. I find myself always reaching for or fetching a real tool after the multitool proves inadequate. I do, however use my folding knife (the Drift, Quiet Carry) and pocket flashlight (EDC 27) nearly daily. (I dont recommend the flashlight, though)I like the stuff on the Arc, but can't really see myself using it with any real practicality. Thanks for your frank review, Nick.
ARC is my workhorse at work. I use it to replace screwdriver and pliers and stuff to carry lighter, so I'm always using it. Got it on day 1 and gave it hell 5 days a week since. Swapped the can opener for a comb. Horizontal holster with 711 and leatherman ratchet. It opens so easy once broke in. I used a charge before but i use the bit exchange so often that i actually save time on Free series.
*The wave is $120 _plus_ the $6+s&h for the pocket clip (so as to even up the comparison with multitools that _have_ pocket clips). Which means it's even more inflated. Luckily, the Rocktol/Bibury/Daicamping knockoffs are available to help keep Leatherman prices somewhat under control
Looks like a improved P4.I dont step out the door without my P4.If i loose the p4 ill get a arc.I also have a surge.The best for heavy duty use but its heavy.Good review.
Great review. I have carried the Arc since November an I agree with you Nick, it is too expensive, but it is the best Leatherman that I have ever owned. The downsides that I have with it are similar to what you mentioned, mainly hotspots in the hand, but it is in the end, a jack of all trades, master of none, just like every other multi-tool out there.
I carry this all the time. It's definitely my favorite Leatherman. But why did they coat the blade??? Small nitpick, but we dont need a coating on magnacut!
I carried my charge tti for 7yrs before I got the arc. Been carrying the arc since it was released and I’m still not entirely sold that it’s better. Charge tti is pretty darn good.
Besides the blade difference, the one implement in the Wave that is useless compared to the Arc is the scissors. The scissors on the Wave chew through things. The scissors on the Arc snip 550 paracord with one cut.
Here’s a comment Nick will hate. Check out the Gordon from Harbor Freight. It’s essentially a Wave for $40. It even takes the same Leatherman bits. Since the Leatherman patent has expired, a clone is totally fair game. I’ve been really impressed by its quality.
Great, accurate review. One minor issue. The Wave currently sells for around $120 with a 420HC knife blade. Replacement 154CM or 230V blades run $80-$120. So, something to consider. I already have an Arch, and generally love it. But, I might also pick up a Wave if I can find one with upgraded knife steel.
Honestly, I like the leathman Rebar.It's that 3d phillips head Yeah , the knife isn't one hand opening by usually carry a multi tool and a pocket knife. Namely my buck 110. That Combo has Served me well In any knife And Multitole related activity. To be fair , I do like the old school aesthetic of both tools. ( I edited my spelling.)
My EDC is the Free P4 (Bought it the moment it came out). My Wife surprised me with this (Arc) on Fathers day, but had Leatherman engrave my Companies Name and Logo on it. Also, I love these Multitools as Balisong flipping was my hobby and I can casually flip and do tricks with this Leatherman.
I wish Leatherman would: Make a tool with tools and no blade(s), and make a tool with fully customizable tools, ie: you buy them individually and add in the ones you want. Magnacut and the whole +$100 for it is insane.
Hey I'm thinking of gifting my son a multitool for his 14 years old birthday. He's starting to develop a knack for these things. Leatherman is the name that comes up the most when the word multitool is mentioned. Are there any other multitools I should look at? from the like of Victorinox or Wenger and so on? As a background, he's biking a lot and helping me with small projects around the house (mostly assembling stuff, so far) and he likes to disassemble/reassemble all sort of stuff that falls into his hands. Is there any multitool below the 150USD price mark that provides good value for the money? Or is there a multitool that would be suitable for the activities I mentioned earlier?
You are inserting the bit kit holder wrong (upside down) in the case. The bit holder has that little knob in one side for the purpose of grabbing it easily when pulling it out of the case.
I have been carrying mine as my work EDC, since work has a "weapons policy" and it has proven to be worth every dime. So many times multitools are 1) capable of lots of things, but not the best and 2) always niche because no tool set is universally applicable. That being said, my biggest critiques are the scissors are a little lack luster and I wish the bit holder was on a thumb stud.
Damn, i didn't know this had magnets. I was sold right until that. I work in a machine shop where that will get full of grinding dust and chips instantly. Ask my poor AirPods case
Cedric and Ada did a review where he dragged it through a bunch of metal shavings and it was not an issue. May be different in your shop but might want to check out his review!
The last Leatherman I got was the Rev and the Style CS. They came in a double pack. The problem in using the Rev as an everyday carry is that I find it too heavy. The style was a different story. I carried it to work every day. I’m used to carrying my Benchmade and my Spyderco or lately my Joker slip joint. Much lighter. Thanks 🎸🔪
got an ARC about a month ago. It's been getting a ton of use at my work lately. The blade is top notch. my only issue is the gray case that it comes with. its cheap and when its snapped shut there's a large gap above the tool itself. So, it ditched it and typically carry in pocket like a pocketknife while working.
I own the Arc and I was skeptical at first but now it's a edc with minimal exceptions. That blade is exactly what letherman needed to be a real edc contender.
I loved my surge and it served me well until I went and lost it, I picked up an arc as a replacement and Ive really liked it so far. I’m gonna return it simply because I ordered an obsidian today lol, but its a great edc and the magnacut blade is soooo nice
Nick it's also worth noting that the pliers are the only ones if I'm not mistaken stamped USA. Meaning while its assembled in the USA like all are it's also using USA materials if that's important. It's too costly for my tastes to replace a wave plys
Hey Nick, long time viewer. I’m curious for a bigger tool what are your thoughts if you compare the Arc to the Surge? Being the Surge is clearly a bigger brother to the Wave
Thinking about ordering one. Really wish it had a scale engraved on it and is it just me or is the saw just a waist of space and weight? Rather have just a serrated knife than a saw. Everything else looks great.
It looks nice. I have had a wave and the skeletool. Every time I think of multi tools I realize I’d prefer carrying pliers. I’m a service tech, fixing security cameras, network, printers. I’ve always got a pliers and screwdrivers on me. When I’m not at work, I have another tool bag with my car or on my belt in my home shop. It isn’t something I’d ever use because I always have pliers. It’d be like carrying a slightly worse pliers and screwdriver when I have beautiful 14 inch CK screwdrivers and Knipex pliers on me.
"If you can't see the needle nose pliers, this review isn't going to save you...." Love it. At the moment I like my G.O.A.T. multi tool because I can configure it to what I need for a particular day. Also if you want a better pliers, the Knipex XS Cobra beat all of these.
I have one for about a year and l use it for fishing the Blade is great no rust that the good side Now on the other side the rest gets very rusty I clean it up with WD 40 it is a great tool you will have to keep up with the cleaning the tool Love the channel ❤
Lack of ruler is a weird choice. Would love to hear the inside story of how that happened. True that two different scale pieces would need to be used for engraved cm and inch scales, increasing LM's cost. But maybe: linked to presence of magnets, and without rulings to the edge, easier to wipe off iron filings when used in a machine shop? Would laser etching solv/mitigate both these problems?
You're right it is an improvement but the bottom dollar is the deciding factor. By the way, how about a long-term review of your Spyderco Chaparral frn which I hope you still have and use?
I'm genuinely considering the arc I have a wave and a couple of budget knives. But I live in Australia and people and police hate knives but multitool all good most of the time and I find I do multitool tasks almost more often than knife tasks so I think the arc may be my solution
I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but if you notice the wave and charge, dont say it is made in the USA because some parts are being imported where the arc says, made in usa
I pick up an arc when they launched. Used it for three months and really tried to love it but it just didn’t work as well as my Swistool with the ratchet kit for me. The only thing I really liked on the arc was the on hand opening on the tools.
Hi Nick, pretty complete review. But you missed a couple of aspects - 1) the bottom of the tool is advertised as a hammering surface 2) the internet controversy of the removable wire-cutters cracking when cutting wire hangers (check out the multi-tool-focused YT channels).
@@GeertSawek not to mention - multitools with replaceable cutters from other brands also have problems with breaking cutters. Just seems to be an issue across the board.
I never understood the hype for the Magnacut blade in the Arc. Yeah, sure, it's an improvement over S30V, but why do you want that? A multitool knife is a beater knife. You don't use it to cut and cut and cut and cut, for that you use an actual knife. A multitool knife is used to scrape and pry, as much as it's used to cut, and Magnacut doesn't make sense for me for that usecase.
While it's arguable if it's worth the price difference, Magnacut is a noticably tougher steel than S30V as well as being very stainless, moreso than S30V. Edge retention between the two probably won't be massively different. The stainlessness is probably kind of moot, as the rest if the tool isn't made of it. But the toughness of Magnacut, with as you mention a multitool being for scraping and prying, is a legit improvement.
I don't beat on my multi tool knife, I only use it for light duty stuff. I carry a small utility knife or a small fixed blade for a beater knife. The multi tool knife is supposed to be lightly used imo, it's really small and doesn't have the best lock up compared to a dedicated folder. It stays razor sharp for a long time if you're only using it to open packages and stuff here and there. There's pry bars and scrapers built in, I wouldn't use the knife blade for that personally.
The ability to access all the tools without opening up the pliers is the primary advantage over the Wave. The Magnacut blade is worth $100 on its own. So if you can afford the Arc go for that. If money is an issue then buy the Wave and have the benefit of two blades, one serrated and one plain edge, but in an inferior steel. For anyone working at height who needs one handed access tools, the Arc is a no brainer.
I probably wouldn't have bought an Arc if I had not gotten a Free P4 for my birthday a few years ago. The P4 was a disappointment, but the things that it got right convinced me to spring for the Arc to replace my aging Wave. The Wave moved out to the car, and the P4 went to my wife's car.
I'm sorry Nick, it does not do EVERYTHING better than the P4. 1. The P4 has a left hand accessible blade. 2. P4 has a serrated blade with a chisel leading edge 3. P4 has long implements that will work better on recessed screws. 4. P4 has ZERO components that can fall out or get lost during use. This is particularly important when using the tool in outdoor/camping/fishing/hunting scenarios. (using the hammer end of the Arc will launch the micro bit or the flat bit out of the tool. 5. Blade grind is very thick on the Arc, P4 blade has a great hollow grind. 6. Its also.... $80 less than the Arc... that is not a small number. Is the arc excellent? Definitely, but STRICTLY better is a bit of a strong statement.
How are you launching the flat bit out of the tool? I can see the microbit coming out (though I've yet to have that happen to me), but the flat bit has a piece of steel that keeps the bit from coming out when it's folded shut.
@@NickShabazz 100% agree that wave would be better for general use. Especially when it comes to Magnets Vs. No magnets. God forbid you have an expensive watch that can get degaussed.
On your version they replaced the wire cutters in the mouth of the pliers, because on mine the theres a slight gap between the two blades on the bottom you can see through it. On yours they are flush with no gap.
Yes, unsure if the gap was intentional but it was good to use it as a wire stripper. That being said many people complained about it, so the newest Arcs and cutter refills will fill the gap up for a full cutting surface.
Great multitool. Buy once, cry once. Great video by the way. The way I look at it is, what do you generally have to pay for a Magnacut pocket knife? I don’t think the price is too bad. There are some differences with all the American made parts on this model vs their other models. Would be nice to get it cheaper, but I understand that they spent more money to make it with better quality parts and more American labor is off course more expensive. Luckily they have their great warranty on their products so it makes it easier to spend the extra money. I would say my Surge is probably the one that I would pick for heavier jobs and for my more mechanical types of tasks.
My K4 came with gritty action and hard to open. I took it apart, cleaned it, and covered the magnets with a couple of layers of tape until the action was acceptable. This experience has kept me from purchasing the Arc cuz if I had to service the Arc at that price I would freak ($300 CAD). All these new innovations have made me appreciate the Wave even more. I purchased a Surge on sale 6 months ago and it required adjustment/cleaning as well. I feel that Leatherman has lost their focus and are spreading themselves too thin instead of focusing on their customers needs rather than sales. There is no excuse for sloppy work at these prices.
@@GeertSawek ..and spend even more money on an already very expensive tool just to make it worse? No thanks. I have no intention of buying one of these anyway, the point of my comment was merely to highlight the absurdity of the law here.
Got a Free P4 during the prime sale for $104. Seemed like a better bang for buck for me. Don’t get me wrong, the Arc was very tempting but I probably wouldn’t use it enough to justify the price.
i have both the charge ti, and the free p2, and tho there a couple thing's i wish were different. like the file, or the measuring/flathead/wirestripper tool... they failed with those two parts a bit.. but i find the charge is useless without the bitkit and i dont like carrying it on my belt and really appreciate the one handedness of the free p2. but i was looking at ur vid very carefully thinking of getting the arc, cus it's like a baby between the two (i also have an old school rebar model that i keep in the glovebox for heavy jobs that might get really dirty), BUT, i noticed how much thicker the arc is next to the free... and that's a big selling point to me, when i use the clip, i don't like too many layers cus it get's too thick. that's why tho it's not 100% the best leatherman i have, i carry it daily cus i can just clip it to my pocket without another thought. i might add that belt real estate is limited cus i always have one of my buck 110s on me, chain for wallet, keys, etc. if i can get something that clips on my pant's, i'll much prefer that seeing's i carry a buck already. (sometimes adding a buck 120 if i'm going in the right/wrong areas, lol, like i said, belt room is limited for me.) PS: i just got to the point where u pointed out there wasn't any ruler.. WTF. i thought the one one the free p2 was a joke.. but it at least HAS one... wow. even the old school style rebar has a ruler... damn..
Just want to point out the new Benchmade 940 in MagnaCut is $275, for 230 were getting alot more than a knife🤷. But yeah, all these prices are ridiculous.
100% Agree! Just imagine they would sell this in two options; .30 bte or .10 bte + replace the saw that nobody ever uses unless they live in a fantasy world with their serrated straight blade which is perfect for emergency + package opening .That would instantly make me buy it and replace my pocket knife! Now it doesn't. As for an EDC tool that has the max amount of uses per gram and is used occasionally in an unexpected situation, which is the most realistic use for a multitool, i much prefer the victorinox swisstool spirit mxbs. As for the price of this tool; i completely disagree that 230 bucks is a lot of money. We edc people buy knives for 500-1000 bucks like it's nothing and they don't get used 1/10th as much as a multitool would get used.
I don't mind the arc is longer than the wave. the arc has a file and, as a rule, a longer file is better. I upgraded to the arc after getting the p4 mostly because i wanted the warranty, the arc had all the tools I modded my p4 to have which voided the warranty. I hate the bit driver, it is horrible anytime i ever have to use it, better off using a dedicated bit driver but since I always have the tool I do use the bit driver. Oddly enough I do use my p4 still to take off the thumb stud on the arc knife so i can sharpen it, or more accurately, fix a chip I put on the magnacut blade.
