Leatherman Buying Guide: which Leatherman will suit me best?

Leatherman multi-tools are famous worldwide. Today this name is almost the same as the generic name for this type of tool. Not that surprising considering the fact that Leatherman produces so many different multi-tools in different classes. There is an appropriate multi-tool for everyone. But how do you choose the Leatherman that will suit you best? We would love to tell you more about all the differences.

The history of Leatherman

At the end of the seventies and the start of the eighties Tim Leatherman and his wife were travelling through Europe in an old Fiat. On the road he used a pocket knife to fix his car and anything that needed fixing in the hotel rooms they stayed at. Every single time, however, he was confronted with the same thing: the pocket knife didn't have pliers. The engineer in him started thinking about a design and not long after he introduced the first prototype of the multi-tool we know today. A salient detail is that Leatherman offered his idea to practically all knife and tool companies. All famous brands. No one wanted to have it. So he just decided to develop the tool with his brother in law and establish a company around it: Leatherman. The father of the modern multi-tool.

The division of the collections according to Leatherman

Apart from famous collections such as the Wave, Charge, Juice and Surge, Leatherman also classifies the tools by size. For many this is already a great first step towards finding an appropriate category. These categories are:

• Pocket Tools
• Keychain Tools
• Pocket Size Tools
• Full Size Tools
• Heavy Duty Tools

Leatherman Pocket Tools

These are the small keychain tools you hang from your bunch of keys. Most tools do not have knives and are therefore suitable for flying. Some are enhanced with a bit holder which makes them very versatile. A tool like the Leatherman Brewzer will always come in handy, and is also great as a gift.

Leatherman Keychain Tools

As the name might already suggest these are also multi-tools you can hang from your bunch of keys. These tools, however, are slightly more extensive than the Pocket Tools. These multi-tools are actually enhanced with foldable tools. Most tools in this range are too small for pliers, so the most important tool is therefore a pair of scissors. There are tools with a knife, tweezers, snap hook, file and screwdrivers. These aren't tools you use for hardcore DIY tasks, they are mostly suited to carry out small tasks on the road.

Leatherman Pocket Size Tools

Perhaps a little confusing next to the Pocket Tools, but the Pocket Size Tools are in fact different. As the name might suggest these are pocket-sized tools. Complete multi-tools but still tools that fit in your pocket without them feeling uncomfortable. They are often (not always) enhanced with a pocket clip to make this even easier. Especially models such as the Wingman, Sidekick and Skeletool are popular examples of what this collection has got to offer.

Leatherman Heavy Duty Tools

These are heavy-lifters. Made for daily use by demanding professionals. Famous models are the Leatherman Surge, SuperTool 300 and the OHT. The target group is largely the same as that of the Full Size Tools, even though you notice that there are small differences to make heavier and long-term use possible. There are, for instance, more interchangeable parts and some tools can handle a little more. As such they are also heavier and larger which makes a belt sheath a must.

Popular models for various purposes

Based on the before mentioned collections you will probably already be able to get an idea of which category will appeal to you most. To help you out further we love to highlight a couple of models.

Leatherman vs.

To help you out with your choice we wrote a number of articles about how you can choose the perfect Leatherman for your purpose. We have, for instance, written a topic about the Leatherman Surge vs. Wave Plus and a topic about the Leatherman Wave Plus vs. Charge Plus TTi. In these topics we will tell you more about the differences and what you should consider when purchasing one of both multi-tools.