Not what I expected- New Leatherman Tools

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm trying to get as much going as possible here, so I'm a bit sparse on the pics.  I'll keep uploading more, but here's a few to get you started.

First off, these new tools, the Sidekick and Wingman are not what many of you expected, judging by the speculation I saw in the other thread.  These are Leatherman's attempt to enter the ultra low price market.  In fact....



The MSRP on one is $29.99 and the other is $39.99.  The Sidekick is to be the more expensive one, although for all intents and purposes both these tools are pretty well the same.  The Sidekick has a wood saw, while the Wingman has scissors.  The Wingman also has a clamshell opener, while the Sidekick has a serrated blade.



The fancy leather pouch and carabiner come with the Sidekick, while the Wingman is sold as is.



These tools encompass a number of firsts for Leatherman- they have sprung pliers, they have a lower fit and finish and a super low price point as a result.  The body also has an interesting cutout that allows the tools to be pushed out for use, which is kind of neat.

All in all they aren't bad at all, especially considering the price point.  They aren't that exciting, but then they aren't meant to be.  They will also be replacing the Fuse and Kick models, so if you want one of those, get 'em while they're hot!

Def

[Sazabi]

What's the status on the Knifeless Fuse, then, Grant?  Also, I still can't tell:  is the Phillips 2D or 3D?

[Grant Lamontagne]

3D Phillips, and no idea about the knifeless Fuse.  If the standard Fuse is discontinued I would imagine it would go too.

Def

[ari6126]

What's with the CE main blade and the separate serrated blade?

[SlackOne]

3D Phillips is good.  Any pics of the clips on these?

[Grant Lamontagne]

What's with the CE main blade and the separate serrated blade?

My guess is they got a new serration cutting machine and wanted to get their money's worth.

3D Phillips is good.  Any pics of the clips on these?

Coming....

Def

[MTguy]

These pics make the tool look much better than the stock photos. At the price I'll probably pick one up.... I'm liking that carabiner, looks good.

[gafftapegreenia]

Well.....perhaps not as bad as I feared....still don't like pinch cutters.

[scrappy]

is the tool outsourced to china or is it assembled in the USA, I will buy both.

[Sazabi]

is the tool outsourced to china or is it assembled in the USA, I will buy both.

As per the FB snippet, they're made in the US, like the other Leatherman multis.

[ari6126]

I have a great mod idea. Regrind the main blade PE and replace the package opener with the serrated blade. That would get rid of a lot of the redundancy.

[NeitherExtreme]

Well, I guess they seem like a logical progression for LM, and should make some folks quite happy. That said, I'm disappointed about the Kick disappearing. With it's shorter blade and no locks, it was a good option for non knife friendly settings. It was also a tough, bare bones design with good pliers- I'm not too sure about these new ones, especially those cutters. I'm very happy to hear about the 3d pliers though.

[Grant Lamontagne]

This one show the cutout in the handle that allows you to push the tools out the opposite side.  It also shows the 3D phillips.



Here I am actually using to to push the tools out.



This is the pouch and carabiner that comes with the Sidekick.  The carabiner was really neat and I asked them if they would sell it separately.  They gave a very noncommittal answer...



And this pic shows the clip side, and the size compared to the Blast.



Def

[Chako]

Not what I was expecting. At least they won't cost a lot to add to the collection. 

[jekostas]

I admit, I'm interested in the Wingman.  File looks kinda short, but OHO, locking blades at that MSRP?  Not bad.  Also, an option of getting the carabiner tool and pouch separately would be good - my Kf4 would look mighty fine in that.