Why not? Vice Grips.

[FinneganMckinney4000]

Where is all of the extreme versatility in the Crunch? 
Lately I’ve been using my Vice Grip alot, light, easy, one-hand-accessible,+ my Super Surge.

What do you think?

[LoopCutter]

Nice, versatile combination, 👍

The CRUNCH has its faithful!

I have only encountered ONE in the wild. At a fast food establishment, a gentleman was sitting at the table next to me , facing me and his wife to my right.  I noticed his Leatherman sheath on his belt when he got his wife a coffee refill.  It was smaller than my ST300 sheath on my right side yet larger than my REBAR sheath in the truck.

After he returned I HAD to ask about his tool.  HE SMILED, a wide smile, his wife gave me a side eye!   He said it was a CRUNCH and removed it from the sheath. Oh, I never saw one other than online, I replied. He attempted to put it together, fumbling a bit.  His wife said, it is the first time he has taken it out of the pocket, though he wears it every day.   

He got it together, proudly said it was a birthday gift from his daughter when I retired.   And, no not had a need to use since! Wife added, it’s been 3 years!!!

Explained, I was curious as I carry this, revealing my ST300.    We when chewed the fat for a bit, he had been a maintenance director for a school system in Southern Indiana for 40 years.  His wife a teacher and him were in route to Indy for a teacher conference.

He broke his tool down put it in its box sheath, we shook hands, said our well wishes.

I always wondered how much use that tool ever saw???

This occurred maybe 7 years ago, I was 63, he maybe 65.

FWIW, I carried a few Vice Grips in my tool box when doing field repair work, some now on my work bench, a couple in my pickup tool box😉

Never, felt the need for a CRUNCH!  But, I do have a ST300, a few REBARS, a couple WAVEs, a SURGE, Rev, Wingman, SideKick, PULSE, ST200, and fe PST, PSTII, original SuperTool, OHT,  A BOND, and some others, BUT NOT a CRUNCH😵‍💫🥺

[FinneganMckinney4000]

It is a beautiful story, the crunch is engineered very, very well. But the versatility is limited in a way most other leathermen are not, but I see the appeal. However, A normal Vice-Grip can do plenty (one costs $ 300$ on eBay, while the other $ 15$ on Amazon).

 True, the Crunch has its faithful.

[Crunchie64]

Sometimes it’s handy to have something other than the standard needle nose pliers.

For the last few years I’ve volunteered with a circus project across the UK and Europe. A lot of the equipment is old, cobbled together from scrap, and held together with a dozen different sizes and types of fixtures and fittings.
Ten clowns building a stage with one spanner between them is a nightmare, so being able to pull out a Crunch to grab a rounded nut, clamp a hacksaw blade, or file a splintered stage edge is a real blessing. 

You can bet everyone else will have an Opinel and petrol station PST clone, and the tool box will be upside down under a pile of unicycles in the van a mile away!

[SteveC]

 

[powernoodle]

What do you think?

When I put all of the variables into the Powernoodle Statistical Analyzer and Food Processor, including availability, cost, utility and so on, a pair of Vice Grips comes out way ahead of the Crunch.  Even so, I think I own 4x Crunches (and 2x Mr. Crunches) for the collectability and cool, retro vibe of the Crunch. 

[Craig_S]

If someone thinks they can EDC a Surge AND a pair of vice grips, good for them. It will work out better than a Crunch any day.

But, I EDC a Crunch, 10 double sided Wiha bits, 4" Knipex Cobras and pliers wrench, bit extender, 711 ratchet, Volty Switch, and a flashlight all in a large LM sheath on my belt. Depending on the day of the week, it's usually complimented with a PST, or a mini, or Wave, or Surge in a cargo pocket just to add variety to my life and be able to post here. However the second multi tool is almost never necessary and the size of most other Leathermans would not allow me to carry all the other stuff in the sheath with them.

My Crunch is used regularly for holding things when I use the grinder, removing rusty screws, and for normal things like cutting tape on boxes.

Craig

[the-accumulator]

Nice, versatile combination, 👍

The CRUNCH has its faithful!

I have only encountered ONE in the wild. At a fast food establishment, a gentleman was sitting at the table next to me , facing me and his wife to my right.  I noticed his Leatherman sheath on his belt when he got his wife a coffee refill.  It was smaller than my ST300 sheath on my right side yet larger than my REBAR sheath in the truck.

After he returned I HAD to ask about his tool.  HE SMILED, a wide smile, his wife gave me a side eye!   He said it was a CRUNCH and removed it from the sheath. Oh, I never saw one other than online, I replied. He attempted to put it together, fumbling a bit.  His wife said, it is the first time he has taken it out of the pocket, though he wears it every day.   

He got it together, proudly said it was a birthday gift from his daughter when I retired.   And, no not had a need to use since! Wife added, it’s been 3 years!!!

Explained, I was curious as I carry this, revealing my ST300.    We when chewed the fat for a bit, he had been a maintenance director for a school system in Southern Indiana for 40 years.  His wife a teacher and him were in route to Indy for a teacher conference.

He broke his tool down put it in its box sheath, we shook hands, said our well wishes.

I always wondered how much use that tool ever saw???

This occurred maybe 7 years ago, I was 63, he maybe 65.

FWIW, I carried a few Vice Grips in my tool box when doing field repair work, some now on my work bench, a couple in my pickup tool box😉

Never, felt the need for a CRUNCH!  But, I do have a ST300, a few REBARS, a couple WAVEs, a SURGE, Rev, Wingman, SideKick, PULSE, ST200, and fe PST, PSTII, original SuperTool, OHT,  A BOND, and some others, BUT NOT a CRUNCH😵‍💫🥺

You don't own a Leatherman Crunch?! Why would you even bother getting up in the morning! I own at least one crunch and rarely use it. If I'm called upon to visit a friend perhaps for dinner and have been informed I might have to fix something while I'm visiting, I might grab the crunch along with my everyday carry surge so I'll have two tools to get whatever job faces me when I get there. Otherwise, my crunch lives in a drawer. If I were you, I would keep my eyes open for a reasonably priced used one. They have a great fidget factor! T-A

[LoopCutter]

   oh!   I thought for a moment you were going to lend a CRUNCH for me to try!🤪

I can not explain my CRUNCH less status,  awl others I own, were part of my quest searching for the ultimate MT for my needs. 

A 2nd gen WAVE was my first in 2004, a gift from my son, 🥺 and to this day never used.

My first working MT was the ST300, found a t Lowe’s marked down for under $40 with leather box sheath.

Then a REBAR for home carry and less demanding work schedule.

Tried others. The Surge, lasted only a couple days after first obtaining after following a 30 Challenge. 🤨

Always returned to the ST300 for construction gig and the REBAR.  The REBAR, became my goto for part time maintenance gig at the local YMCA for 5 years after retiring.

The BO OHT even won out after a 30 day challenge, I knew I was stepping out on the other two, so I gave it to a member here after the challenge as he followed along.
But the separation anxiety got the better of me and within a few months that the pain did not leave I found another.

The CRUNCH never came into focus🤨, surprising I know!

[LoopCutter]

This thread mentally prepared me for this mornings challenge…

At Menards (a U.S. Big Box Hardware type store), I walked how the hand tool aisle like I always do, and  from below a lower rack of Vice grip pliers is this darling little 5” Pliers by Masterforce, so cute and it’s pleading convinced me I needed to rescue it.  This thread prepared me for the quest🙄

 

IMG_5751.jpg (Filesize: 149.2 KB)

The No8 freed it from its bonds and now examine and plan to insert it in my waist bag with a couple other hiking tools.