emcphers's Full Review: Leatherman Wave with Nylon Sheath 830038
I’ve had 2 or 3 different Leatherman’s over the past few years. I’m hard on them, meaning I use them every day for a lot of different purposes.
The Leatherman Wave w/Nylon Sheath was my latest purchase to replace a worn out Leatherman Kick and it definitely was an upgrade. What You Get
Needlenose Pliers – pretty standard for Leatherman’s Regular Pliers – standard Wire Cutters – used to cut just about everything Hard-wire cutters – Nice tool when working with wiring Clip-point Knife – normal knife Serrated Knife – very sharp knife, used often Saw – very intimidating blade – very sharp dual edge blade Wood/Metal File – Coarse file on one blade opposite the diamond-coated file Diamond-coated file – fine file used for finishing touches Scissors – very nice cut, better than my previous experiences with Leatherman scissors Large Screwdriver – Standard screwdriver Large Bit Driver – removable bit with locking spring – has both Phillips and standard Small Bit Driver – removable bit with locking sprint – both Phillips and standard – nice for small work Ruler (8inch/19cm) – ruler is on the inside of the handles of the Leatherman when you open it up Bottle/Can Opener – do people use these things anymore? Wire Stripper – Very nice when working with standard wires. It works well Lanyard Ring – Does that count as a tool?
What I Think About It
The one big change between the Wave and the Kick, other than having more tools, is the screw driver. Both the small and large screw driver on the Leatherman Wave is a bit driver. Meaning it’s like your cordless screwdrivers, you can remove and turn around the bits and change them out. Leatherman also sells a bit kit with many different bits that will fit into the Kick. This is a nice feature in that both the standard and Phillips screwdriver are on tool and not taking up room.
The problem that I have with it is that I’m pretty rough on my tools and although I’ve only had this tool for about 6 months, I’ve dropped it and lost the large screwdriver bit already. There is a large standard screwdriver also included in the Leatherman Wave, but I’m without a large Phillips head screwdriver unless I order a new bit. Again, nice idea, but can be an issue for clumsy people like myself.
I really like that the knife blades will not come out of the Leatherman unless it’s closed. This keeps them from coming out while I’m working with one of the inside tools. This is a very nice safety item. The blades also lock open to keep you from cutting on something and they come snapping down on your fingers. The locking mechanism is marked with a padlock symbol that you press in toward the handles and the blades easily slide past the lock.
The hinges on the Leatherman Wave are very sturdy. They take a beating. I work around some pretty harsh chemicals, like glues, etc. It doesn’t seem to stop the Leatherman Wave. It still opens great and cleans up very nicely.
Speaking of cleaning up, the all stainless finish is great to repel even the harshest of glues and chemicals. It’s easy to clean up and you can run it under some water and rinse it right off.
There is nail nicks on all the tools on the inside for easy opening. These also lock open, which I really like for the screwdrivers. There is a push button lock release on the outside of the Leather man Wave to release the tools to fold back inside.
I actually ordered a leather case for the Leatherman Wave when I ordered the tool and still have not used it. The Nylon sheath that comes with the tool is very sufficient. It has a Velcro flap over the top and the tool fits snuggly inside. I’ve caught the sheath on many things while working in close quarters and it hasn’t let go of the tool yet. It fits easily over my belt.
In Conclusion
I highly recommend this tool to anyone that needs tools handy to them quickly. The Leatherman Wave is a very compact and easy to use solution.
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