Having used this for a little while now I thought I'd give my views on it. I originally posted this over at British Blades, but thought you might find it interesting. I appreciate that you lot know more about multitools than I ever will, still I hope it will be of use to someone considering a CS4.
First impressions were very favourable. Only having had a Wave before now I though the smaller tools might be built down to a price and rather cheap-feeling. In fact the Juice is very solid, with good build quality. Tools are all tight without feeling too stiff and with no blade play. The pliers are rather tight, you can't 'butterfly' this one open, but I think they'll loosen up over time as the tool is new.
This is, size wise, truly a pocket tool. Big enough to use comfortably it can also be carried deep-pocket without making you limp round in circles. To save a bit of weight the liners have been skeletonised, which has the pleasing side effect of looking nice too.
One thing I don't like is how the scales don't line up properly - one stands slightly proud of the other. Apparently this is a common moan about the Juice range.
The skeletonised liner;
Tools
The CS4 has the following tools;
Needlenose Pliers
Straight Knife
Wire Cutters
Hard-Wire Cutters
Extra-Small Screwdriver
Small Screwdriver
Med/Lrg Screwdriver
Phillips Screwdriver
Lanyard Attachment
Can/Bottle Opener
Corkscrew with Assist
Scissors
Saw
Awl
Which is pretty much all I need. I can't understand people that buy a multitool and then complain it hasn't got the tools they need. Don't buy it then! Rant over...
Having said that, I would like a file
Except for the screwdrivers (and pliers, obviously) all the tools can be opened with the handles closed. None of the tools lock, & the knife blade is less than three inches making this ideal for EDC in the UK.
The knife blade is very sharp, with a slight hollow grind. It locks up nice and firmly with no play, but is a bit light for 'serious' cutting. The scissors are very good, better than those from Victorinox. Springless, and slightly longer in the blade, they also look like a friendly bird, which pleases me very much.
The awl is useless. Blunt, with no point, it won't even strike a spark on a firesteel. It also interferes with the closure of the saw blade. A common complaint of the Juice line, apparently. The saw itself is a double-tooth design similar to that found on a SAK, but a bit thinner. It works fine, although the added flexibility of the thinner blade means it can hang up in green wood sometimes.
I picked a model with a corkscrew as I like to have a Victorinox eyeglass screwdriver with me. It fits the corkscrew well enough, although it's loose enough to rattle. I haven't tried the corkscrew or assist, as round here we only drink wine in screw top bottles, and Tennants Super
The bottle opener works well enough; the can opener is rubbish, the worst I've ever tried. I might try and sharpen it, or I might just order a takeaway and not worry about it.
The pliers are very good, lots of grip and no play. You can exert a surprising amount of force on the short but comfortable handles. The wire cutters made short work of one of SWMBOs coat hangers.
You get three flathead screwdrivers with a chisel grind and a single Phillips. They work, but no multitool screwdrivers are that great. I'd rather have less tapered flatheads but that's a minor gripe. There is also a foldaway lanyard loop. Sorry about the lanyard colours, it's all I had.
Sheaths
There are two sheaths available for the Juice range. The first is a polycarbonate open affair with a belt clip. This actually works fine, and after extensive scientific testing (holding it upside down and shaking like buggery) I couldn't get the tool to fall out. To my mind though it's a bit too obvious on your belt and, as the tool doesn't sit flush with the back of the sheath, it doesn't
look secure enough for me. Stays on the belt well though, and the tool is easy to get in and out.
The other sheath is an elasticised leather affair, with a press-stud closure and the ability to hold the tool either open or closed. I'd rather have a belt loop than a clip but that's personal preference.
Conclusion
Overall it's a nice tool, much nicer to cart about than the Wave, legal EDC, NKP friendly and good at what it does. A couple of the blades let it down (the awl & can opener) and they're quite expensive new (£69.95 at Heinnies
http://www.heinnie.com/Pocket-Tools/Leatherman/LEATHERMAN-POCKET-TOOLS---JUICE-CS4-GLACIER/p-94-222-551/ )but I'm very pleased with it, and it makes a useful companion to my UKPK or Pioneer.
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