Who carries a Charge AL?

[getpower]

The reason that I ask is because the AL seems to have the same appeal of the Charge ALX, but has the same exact tool combination as the Wave.

Since it does have the same tool combo as the Wave, it doesent really seem to look like the AL sells too much. Almost maybe because when people buy a Charge they want something a little out of the ordinary and not necessarily because the handles are black.

I mean, it comes with the premium price that the ALX does, but theres no cutting hook, and if you search, you can pretty much get a TTi for the same price too.

I'll be honest, the only reason that I have an AL at all is because I got it for a really, really good deal because the guy thought he was selling a Wave.

What are other's opinions on the Charge AL?

[cliosguy]

im simple, i wanted something special but the tti was expensive and i didnt like the alx tool selection.....so yeah it was because the handles are black

[Nikos]

The price difference between those two is like $20 and the lanyard attachment, pocket clip, and extra bits you get with the AL sum up to around $10. That's another $10 for a 154cm blade and a somewhat lighter tool (due to the aluminium handles). Not that bad if you ask me... I mean, if I had the option of a $10 surcharge for a "super-steel" blade on my other multis, I'd probably grab it and be a happy bunny...

[getpower]

I see what you mean there I guess.

[Sean]

I bought the alx.  I didn't really want scissors with the two and a half blades and wanted the extra bit driver.   I looked at getting the tti but the new shipment was too much $$ for me.

[Leatherman123]

I get what you mean, but the Charge AL is ALWAYS

[getpower]

I dont know if its because I just woke up, but the above post by LM123 doesent make sense to me.

Could somebody help me out here?

[Crouton]

I dont know if its because I just woke up, but the above post by LM123 doesent make sense to me.

Could somebody help me out here?

It looked to me as if he passed out in mid sentence, maybe he'll finish it later. 

[Leatherman123]

I don't know, I posted a big long post an that's all that remained! I will finish it in a bit!

[Poncho65]

I think I have had a post or 2 eaten by the forum as well

[getpower]

At least thats all thats wrong.

I was a little scared that I have aquired "selective reading" to go along with my "selective hearing" comment.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I carry an SLV or Ti fairly often- does that count?

Def

[prime77]

I carry a AL more often than I carry my Ti. For some reason I like the feel of it more in my hand.

[Leatherman123]

Really? I personally like the Ti handles more than the Al ones...a lot thinner too!

[prime77]

Really? I personally like the Ti handles more than the Al ones...a lot thinner too!

I think that's what I like about the AL. The thicker more squarish handles.

[Leatherman123]

Oh, I will admit they do look nice. The Ti handles are just great because they make a slimmer tool, wear resistant, and extremely comfortable!

[kinskibrain]

Alright, I'm a newcomer but I'm rude enough to go on a rant already. Apologies.
I'm bumping a two year old thread but I think the subject is interesting and there was not many replies. It seems to me as if the AL is the invisible sibling in the Leatherman line up. Strange, for only about 20 usd more than the Wave you get vastly improved ergonomics, more bits, pocket clip and detachable lanyard ring and yet I rather often see something along the lines of "I'd like a Charge but I can't afford the TTi so I'll get the Wave".

Whenever I read around on the web or look at vids on Youtube it is as if the Charge series is synonymous with the TTi. That is strange to me as the AL is, theoretically, the main model in the Charge series. It's the direct successor to the Charge Ti.

I don't see the point in getting the TTi unless you need the gut hook and wire crimper. Tools that I personally have never wished for and I don't like the way the crimper weakens the pliers.

 


 



p.s. The reason I'm not mentioning knife steel is because it gets far far too much attention in the knife world. Manufacturers pretend to go along as it's good for their sales if people think they need to up constantly update their steel. All the steels Leatherman use are good quality and I don't believe for a second that the majority buying in to the fancy steels know how to put a suitable, good edge on them.

[Crouton]

Alright, I'm a newcomer but I'm rude enough to go on a rant already. Apologies.
I'm bumping a two year old thread but I think the subject is interesting and there was not many replies. It seems to me as if the AL is the invisible sibling in the Leatherman line up. Strange, for only about 20 usd more than the Wave you get vastly improved ergonomics, more bits, pocket clip and detachable lanyard ring and yet I rather often see something along the lines of "I'd like a Charge but I can't afford the TTi so I'll get the Wave".

Whenever I read around on the web or look at vids on Youtube it is as if the Charge series is synonymous with the TTi. That is strange to me as the AL is, theoretically, the main model in the Charge series. It's the direct successor to the Charge Ti.

I don't see the point in getting the TTi unless you need the gut hook and wire crimper. Tools that I personally have never wished for and I don't like the way the crimper weakens the pliers.

 


 



p.s. The reason I'm not mentioning knife steel is because it gets far far too much attention in the knife world. Manufacturers pretend to go along as it's good for their sales if people think they need to up constantly update their steel. All the steels Leatherman use are good quality and I don't believe for a second that the majority buying in to the fancy steels know how to put a suitable, good edge on them.

Fair enough.  Welcome to the forum.

I personally prefer the smoother feeling of the Titanium scales on the TTi.  I think the AL is a great tool but the titanium also wears better than the anodized aluminum of the AL, in my opinion a beater TTi is going to hold up better than the AL scales.  Just an opinion though and it's great that we have lot of those here.
It's all about preference in the end so enjoy your AL.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Rants are always welcome here- no point in having a forum if folks aren't allowed to have their say! 

First off, the AL is the only Charge model I don't have, but I do have an SLV which is the same thing in a different color. 

That having been said, I don't think the TTi is really that great.  I have one (and mine specifically is AWESOME) and I do EDC it but to be honest I don't find it's any better than the SLV.  I think the folks that "prefer" the titanium and fancy super steel are buying into the Tactical Knife experience.  As I've pointed out before, the titanium (or aluminum on the AL/ALX) is no benefit to the tool at all, and is only there to make it fancy and raise the price.

And steels?  Well if steel was really that important, why is Leatherman the only one offering it, and even then only on premium tools?

Def

[kinskibrain]

Crouton and Grant, good posting. As I said, I went on a bit of a rant but sometimes you just need to let some steam out hehehe   

And I don't want to come across as putting down the TTi, that's not my intention, the TTi is a really nice tool at the top of the LM line. It's a premium offering.

The AL to me is more of just a plain tool. The designers made a mistake with the aluminium Charges when they included the metal plate which says to the viewer that this is a consumer object rather than a hard use tool. I don't worry at all about whether my Leatherman is going to get scratched or marked for one second. Do you worry about your hammer or screwdriver getting wear and tear? All black aluminium would have communicated almost the same "toolness" as Leathermans all stainless offerings. The AL and ALX should have been and deserved to be the hard use editions of the Charge series.

[AimlessWanderer]

I got a Charge AL not so long ago. I like the tool set - for me it's the best of the Charge line. I really have no need for plier weakining cap crimpers, extra bit drivers or gut hooks. To me it's one of the best looking tools LM has made - but I know many people will disagree with that.

To be honest I haven't carried it yet, it's the main standby tool waiting for something to get lost/broken or temprarily left away from where it should be before it comes into active duty. I think there's a lot going for the AL over the rest of it's siblings, but to be perfectly honest probably the main reason I decided to get an AL ... it's my name! Sad but true.

[kinskibrain]

I think there's a lot going for the AL over the rest of it's siblings, but to be perfectly honest probably the main reason I decided to get an AL ... it's my name! Sad but true.

That's not sad, that's funny. I had the same thought when I first saw the Fallkniven Tor but then changed my mind when I saw the price tag    .

[Crouton]

Also for what it's worth I find the guthook to be quite useful as a string cutter and it also cuts zipties which is very useful to me.

[getpower]

Glad to see that more people have opinions about this tool than they may have 2 years ago.

I hadn't even payed attention to this thread being active again.

As for my AL, I still haven't carried it for one day since I bought it.

It's kind of funny this thread popping up though, because I have been thinking about edc'ing the tool lately, but haven't done it for a couple of reasons that have to do with my new job training.

But, the thing that's funny is that the cap crimper possibly weakening the pliers is something that has been coming into play. I've never experienced a plier failure, but I can plainly see that on the Charge series, there is a noticeable amount of material missing on my ALX and TTi compared to my AL.

I have been a big fan of the ST 300 since it came out. I have the BO model, and the SS model. Same thing there as far as the plier material missing in order to put the cap crimper in.

Now, the other thing that has popped into my mind as I was typing this response is that I have been a mechanic for around 3 years. And I can't personally remember any time that I was using a pair of needlenose pliers in such a heavy duty application or squeezing force that would have broken them.

The point is, as far as my experience, any heavy force is most-likely going to be lower on the LM pliers where the knurled part is.

JMO.

Of course there are knife blade steels to think about-but, most of us that carry multitools also have a folder on us also. If you are going to carry a multi to replace any other blades on you, then the premium steels are a nice option.


As far as the cutting hook. I personally don't like it. I have used one quite a few times, but only to see what it would do. In situations where the thing had to just be cut and done fast, I always reached for the knife blade for the same task. I also find it difficult to sharpen-even with tri-angle stones. The cutting hook is just not for me.

[Flying Dutchman]

Personally, I like the ALX. I liked the feel of it in my hand over the TTi. I also liked the idea of having 2 large bit drivers instead of a scissors. Being a truck driver, a slip-seat driver at that, there is always work with drivers to be done and its nice to have the bit option. I didn't opt for the scissors, because at the time I did not see a use for them. I have yet to regret that decision, but I probably wont b/c I also have the Micra and Style CS which are much easier for me to use if I do need scissors. And if I dont have either one of those, the Vic Rambler on my keys has a small scissors also.

I don't EDC my Charge ALX right now, mostly because I do not like the leather sheath. Once I fork over the $5-10 for a new nylon sheath, I will probably carry it more.

[Carlos]

The Charge AL was my first leatherman, after an extensive research (yeah right  ). The main reasons of this choice was the featured tool set, same as wave, and reports that the wave is uncomfortable to the hand when closed.

When I got it, I found it so nice and pretty that I saved it from regular use. It's not a shelf queen, it's more a backup tool to keep mainly at home for occasional use.

As a side note, my current beaters are the swisschamp and the surge.

[New_World]

I have a charge AL and TTI for sale.
anyone interested?

[asupernothing]

Glad to see that more people have opinions about this tool than they may have 2 years ago.
 And I can't personally remember any time that I was using a pair of needlenose pliers in such a heavy duty application or squeezing force that would have broken them.


As far as the cutting hook. I personally don't like it. I have used one quite a few times, but only to see what it would do. In situations where the thing had to just be cut and done fast, I always reached for the knife blade for the same task. I also find it difficult to sharpen-even with tri-angle stones. The cutting hook is just not for me.

Well I guess now I have to chime in on this one. I have broken the pliers on a ChALX and they snapped right at the crimper (go figure). Till I broke the pliers on that it was my EDC tool, since it had everything I needed. I happened to really like the cutting hook and I probably used it more than the other blades. Its hard to beat a hook for pull cuts on twine and zip ties. The dual bit drivers also happened to be more my style than the tiny scissors on the AL. I think that Leatherman would have been better off replacing the serrated blade on the AL with outside scissors as found on the Surge.

[kinskibrain]

Good discussion here. I enjoy reading your preferences and uses of the tools. So many possibilities and configurations.

Getpower: Well I don't carry a folder since my main EDC is the Skeletool CX, and there is no point in carrying a folding knife when you have the skelly in your pocket. Last month I've carried the Charge AL, which is not nearly as good as the Skeletool as an EDC blade because of poor ergos (big lump of metal in the hand, the balance is completely off). But your reasoning is sound if one carries something like the Super tool or Juice. Then one needs a folding knife as well.

I would like to add that if Tim Leatherman bought an EDC today it would be the Charge AL 

(info from the MTO visit to LM factory that Mr. Leathermans Leatherman of choice is the Charge Ti, which mirrors the AL in tool set. Only difference is the titanium scales.)

[kinskibrain]

I understand people like pictures. Here's some of the Charge Al. Also included my watch - a Tissot PRC 200 and a fixed blade I always have in the knife pocket of my Fjällraven trousers which I have on me today. Fällkniven WM1 knife.