So, I got my Les Stroud MT in today. In case you want the short, up-front version. It sucks. Seriously.
Here's the entire review.
The tool comes in a decent soft nylon case. Along with the tool, you get a small combo flashlight/whistle, and firesteel.
The entire pack weighs 10.8oz (307g), 5" (127mm) long, 2.75" (70mm) wide, and about 2" (50mm) thick at it's thickest. Stitching on the sheath seems pretty good, and tool retention is moderate. The velcro tab holding the flap shut is not very large, and I suspect would wear out pretty quickly.
The flashlight/whistle and firesteel that comes with it are both straight-up from the 'Les Stroud Mountain Ultimate Survival Knife'. The flashlight is about 10 lumen. The beam has a very slightly bluish tint. Here's the beam compared to a fresh fauxton (fauxton on bottom).
The whistle is bad. It is not loud at all. I can get much better sound from a pen cap or spent .22 lr casing.
The firesteel, while a little stubby, threw good hot sparks once the black exterior coating was scraped away.
On to the tool itself.
The tool is made of steel, with plastic scales, and rubber grip inserts on the scales. The tool, by itself weighs just a hair over 9 oz (256g). It's just over 4" (103mm) long, 1.875" (48mm) wide at its widest, and 1" (25mm) thick.
All tools are accessed by first opening the plier assembly. The pliers are sprung, and close with very moderate force. Retention of the plier head in the open position is weak. Flex through the handles is very noticable. Due to the thick plastic scales, gripping the pliers is reasonably comfortable.
Plier assembly is attached to the tool in the same fashion as is seen on all 'Suspension' clone types. However, the backstop piece seems to have a single steel pin running across the entire tool, through steel scales. This might make it somewhat more durable than those held together with screws.
The plier jaw itself is fairly precise in it's needle nose. The tool cut 12-gauge copper wire with reasonable force, and cut coathanger, but required extreme force to accomplish this. The regular plier portion of the plier head is disproportionately small, and the wire cutting surface is disproportionately large, Also, because of the thickness of the tool, and the central placement of the plier assembly, getting the plier head close to a flush bolt would be impossible
So... see in the above picture, how the scissors are sticking out? I didn't pull them out for the pic. The retention, both open and closed on ALL tools is so light that the scissors just push themselves out of the tool body when the pliers are open. This seems like a pretty major safety hazard.
And speaking of the scissors. Based on the rating system I've devised in the scissor test thread here...
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,36798.0.htmlThe scissors performed as follows.
Right Handed: Failed: Corrugated Cardboard, Heavy Plastic. Barely Adequate: T-Shirt, Khaki, Suede Leather, Cardboard, 550. Pass: Paper, PETE. For a score of -2
Left Handed: Failed: Corrugated Cardboard, Heavy Plastic, T-Shirt, Suede, 550. Barely Adequate: Khaki, Cardboard, Paper, PETE. For a Score of -5
That makes these the worst scissors I've ever tested on any multitool for left-handed use. Almost as bad as any cheap swiss army knife knockoff for right-handed use. This, coupled with their dangerous propensity to stick up out of the handle (because while being terrible scissors, they're still able to stab your palm with their blade tips) almost singlehandedly ruin this tool. But wait... there's more.
On the same side of the tool as the scissors is also a can opener. Time on a #300 can is... who knows? It won't open a can. The opener is too far buried in the fat handle to hook onto the rim of a can. Total fail.
Next up is the combo flathead driver/file. It's... uhhh... you remember how I said that this tool basically had NO tool retention, open or closed? That's the ONLY reason I can think they did this. All the drivers are... 'bent'. Like, they go out a bit, then just turn, so they're not in line with the tool body. This is the flathead/file combo and what i can only assume is a Roberson on the other handle. They are as extended as they go.
Okay, so I guess this is one method for assuring that your tools won't collapse closed as easily, but it makes using ALL of the drivers a terrible experience. In addition, the flathead is really pretty small. And, unlike most every other tool EVER, it is pretty terrible as a basic pry tool.
The blade. Okay... So, this tool is 4" long, and the blade is only 2" (50mm) long. Plain edge (it's at least got THAT going for it) sheepsfoot blade. due to being both short AND an inside opening blade, it's pretty terrible. Also, it was very VERY ragged paper-cutting sharp out of the package. This blade could only be made worse with the addition of serrations along part of its length.
Okay, in the other handle, we have a saw. It is a pull cut, and like the blade, suffers from stubby tool syndrome. However, it seems to be sharp, and I think would cut branches if needed. Here's a pic of the saw next to a Wenger Evogrip.
Next would be the Robertson, but I think it was well covered above, so I'll skip to...
The philips. Same weird bend as the other drivers, VERY fine head, and a rather thin shank. This tool would have good reach, but it doesn't seem any stronger than the philips on a Micra. it's not fine enough to fit the small philips screws in my camera, but while it looks very small, it slots into #2 philips screws securely.
And... finally... (sigh)... the fish scaler. Again, stubby. It's printed with a 2" ruler on one side. The other side has a (surprisingly aggressive and good) file. I can't imagine, because of the inside folding, and the thickness of this tool, that it's actually physically possible to scale a fish with this while the handles are closed. you'd have to do the strange, half-open jackknife thing with the handles. Untested, don't care.
So... the big killer for me. Setting everything else aside. Thickness.
That's the tool alongside the absurdly bulky Walmart Ozark Trail tool and the Even more absurdly bulky Home Depot husky MT. And it makes both of them look positively SLIM.
This thing is absurdly thick. Uncomfortably so. Maybe if I were in the Alaskan Wilderness, and my hands were numb, I'd bless its fat, easy form, and weak tool retention and tool clumping, so I could extract those stumpy little tools. But I'm not. And every time I touch this thing, it feels like it ought to have 'Fisher Price' on it, instead of 'Les Stroud'.
The Good
- Decent package, with sheath, tool, light, and firesteel.
- Robertson Drive. You don't see those much. Beauty, eh?
- relatively affordable
The Bad
- Wonky Drivers
- Dangerous Scissors
- Made for Giants, apparently
Final Verdict.
Oh, dear Smurfing God. This is the worst fail of a name brand tool I've ever seen. Seriously. I like the firesteel. I'd be tempted to pitch the rest in a lake.
Do yourself a favor, get a 50 cent fauxton, a $6 firesteel, and pretty literally ANY other namebrand multitool.
And remember gang, I wasted my money so you don't have to!