Leatherman OHT

[Outback in Idaho]

Although I like Leatherman tools, won;t be wasting my money on this as it is more gimmick than useful.

It has some interesting features here and there. It is a copy-cat from a Gerber, and a poor one at that. Might be great for a collector's item.


Since the Charge TTi there hasn't been a Leatherman worth buying. Myself I'd like to get my paws on another awl and a Wave pliers head to replace the wasted cap crimper jaws.


Might buy a Rebar some day, but would like to see one first. Was so disappointed in the quality of the Wingman. Leatherman seems to be going for cheap production methods and untested/untried models. They won't listen to what their customers want.
Here I thought Juli said Leatherman was sticking to what they knew. Seems like Leatherman is more interested in making toys, not tools.
These latest tools seem more gimmicky than reliable. Only exception maybe is the Z-Rex; am concerned about the handle area that holds the carbon striker for longevity & reliability.


Leatherman was doing good with the Serac light line, and the K503 line of knives. Then something changed. Reliability, quality, and confidence have been slipping. OHT, meh, just another gimmicky wanna-be-something tool.


Sure hope they don't go after Exotac next.

[Scott86]

Yeah, i have been let down by leatherman too. I shipped out some old tools from family that even after 10+ years of use, were solid and firm... Sure, there was rust and some broken parts from over(maybe even abusive) use. But they still felt like solid hardy tools.
The Supertool 300 i got as a replacement does not feel anywhere near as solid. If i shake it, i can hear the locks on both handles rattle and wiggle.

And the quality of sheaths... wow. I received one of the original leatherman PST sheaths from ebay a few days ago and it really feels like a nice, expensive thing. My friend has a original wave with the leather sheath and it also feels and looks like a high end sheath. The new nylon ones dont feel like garbage, but there is a significant step down in quality. And the 'pancake' sheath they were using a few years ago? Man, that thing really is garbage. Cant comment on their current leather offerings, but from what i hear on this forum it isnt very good.

[Outback in Idaho]

And the quality of sheaths...

The only other decent sheath that Leatherman made (discontinued) was the leather Charge & Wave sheaths.
Only regret I have when had ordered an oval Charge badge leather sheath was not ordering two (or more). Good luck finding them anymore.
Have had to sew parts back together, and did sew the bottom hole closed with a leather patch. Bought a sewing awl for sheath upkeep.




Agree on the sandwich nylon sheath, not worth anything it was made from. The MOLLE might be okay but God are they ever noisy when you open one up. Give me a snap over a SSSCCCRRRRIIIIIIPPP any day. Least I can muffle the snap, and no issues of lint plugging it up later with use.

[Breezy12]

Although I like Leatherman tools, won;t be wasting my money on this as it is more gimmick than useful.

It has some interesting features here and there. It is a copy-cat from a Gerber, and a poor one at that. Might be great for a collector's item.


Since the Charge TTi there hasn't been a Leatherman worth buying. Myself I'd like to get my paws on another awl and a Wave pliers head to replace the wasted cap crimper jaws.


Might buy a Rebar some day, but would like to see one first. Was so disappointed in the quality of the Wingman. Leatherman seems to be going for cheap production methods and untested/untried models. They won't listen to what their customers want.
Here I thought Juli said Leatherman was sticking to what they knew. Seems like Leatherman is more interested in making toys, not tools.
These latest tools seem more gimmicky than reliable. Only exception maybe is the Z-Rex; am concerned about the handle area that holds the carbon striker for longevity & reliability.


Leatherman was doing good with the Serac light line, and the K503 line of knives. Then something changed. Reliability, quality, and confidence have been slipping. OHT, meh, just another gimmicky wanna-be-something tool.


Sure hope they don't go after Exotac next.

I would argue that Leatherman is listening to their customers.

1.  I have heard many people (aka potential customers) say something along the lines of, "I'd love to get a Leatherman, but the Brand X multitools are so much cheaper!"  Enter the Wingman and Sidekick.  Yes, I agree with you that the build quality is not up to par with the Wave/Charge, but there's a difference between a premium tool and an entry-level tool.

2.  Customers immediately loved the ST300 -- it was a huge hit.  I have used and abused mine on many home/yard projects, yet it's hardly any worse for the wear.  many fans of the ST300 clamored for the replaceable wire cutters on a full-size (4") tool -- hence the Rebar.  (and FWIW, I'm very happy with the build quality of my Rebar; definitely sturdier than the Wingman/Sidekick.)

3.  I am honestly not sure about the OHT; I probably won't be getting one either.  Then again, I never got myself a MUT either.  I can see instances where OHO pliers would be hugely beneficial, especially in military/LE applications.  I'll reserve judgement on the OHT until I have a chance to play around with one.

4.  Leatherman would put themselves out of business if they tried to put out a new premium tool and replace the Charge TTi every year or two.  Keep in mind that a good chunk of Leatherman's customers have no desire to pay more for premium materials and/or tools.

That being said, I agree with you about the sheaths.  I have 3 of the leather Charge sheaths, but I wish I would have bought 3 or 4 more.

[Outback in Idaho]

4.  Leatherman would put themselves out of business if they tried to put out a new premium tool and replace the Charge TTi every year or two.  Keep in mind that a good chunk of Leatherman's customers have no desire to pay more for premium materials and/or tools.

Have heard many Leatherman owners want the CM154/S30v steel blades over the cheap commonly-used 440C soft metals. Know a lot of have asked for better steel on the serrated blades too. Better steel holds an sharper edge longer.

Cheap steel is great for everyday rugged use, for newly introduced tools, and for affordability.
Yet once you buy a Leatherman are also getting a real 25 year warranty. So it comes down to what one wants from their tool, what the tool can do, and what the one can afford.


As for on-board tools is where Leatherman doesn't listen. They instead make new tools with varying levels of quality with some of the ideas - yet lacking. Charge has 3 current models, 3 that were retired. AL/ALX offers pliers with or without a camp crimper, and single or double large bit drivers. None offer a version with an awl, something many Charge owners have been asking for many years.
Charge sales are still prominent, yet I would be curious to see how popular one with an awl w/ threadloop would hold up - I bet would be more popular with farmers, tradesfolk, & firefighters. Hopefully if this should ever happen would also be a non-cap-crimper option available.

[Gareth]

I will say that the vast, vast majority of Leatherman owners probably never ever come on-line and post about them.  Weird I know, but there you have it.

[Outback in Idaho]

I will say that the vast, vast majority of Leatherman owners probably never ever come on-line and post about them.  Weird I know, but there you have it.

Is strange, never knew about MTO until Juli (Lady Leatherman) told me about y'all.   

[J-sews]

I will say that the vast, vast majority of Leatherman owners probably never ever come on-line and post about them.  Weird I know, but there you have it.

Is strange, never knew about MTO until Juli (Lady Leatherman) told me about y'all.   

We'll be sure to thank her for that the next time we talk

[Breezy12]

4.  Leatherman would put themselves out of business if they tried to put out a new premium tool and replace the Charge TTi every year or two.  Keep in mind that a good chunk of Leatherman's customers have no desire to pay more for premium materials and/or tools.

Have heard many Leatherman owners want the CM154/S30v steel blades over the cheap commonly-used 440C soft metals. Know a lot of have asked for better steel on the serrated blades too. Better steel holds an sharper edge longer.

Cheap steel is great for everyday rugged use, for newly introduced tools, and for affordability.
Yet once you buy a Leatherman are also getting a real 25 year warranty. So it comes down to what one wants from their tool, what the tool can do, and what the one can afford.


As for on-board tools is where Leatherman doesn't listen. They instead make new tools with varying levels of quality with some of the ideas - yet lacking. Charge has 3 current models, 3 that were retired. AL/ALX offers pliers with or without a camp crimper, and single or double large bit drivers. None offer a version with an awl, something many Charge owners have been asking for many years.
Charge sales are still prominent, yet I would be curious to see how popular one with an awl w/ threadloop would hold up - I bet would be more popular with farmers, tradesfolk, & firefighters. Hopefully if this should ever happen would also be a non-cap-crimper option available.

I'm sure there are many owners who prefer the premium steel; I know I do.  I have 4 Charges -- a TTi, a Ti (my personal favorite), and two XTis (one of which was modded with the Rebar pliers).  I also have several of the LM knives with the 154CM blades (the Expanse series and older k-series).

however, the Expanse series of knives was recently retired, presumably because LM was not making enough money from them, yet three models from the Crater series (which have 420HC blades) continue to be in production.

Leatherman has stated that their best-selling model by far is the Wave, which does not use any premium steel, and is more affordable than the Charge models.

I'm sure you're right that a Charge model with an awl would be popular among certain trades, and I agree that it would sell well... but not everyone wants an awl.  It certainly wouldn't surprise me if Leatherman comes out with one in the next couple years.

I will say that the vast, vast majority of Leatherman owners probably never ever come on-line and post about them.  Weird I know, but there you have it.

Well said, Gareth. 

[Outback in Idaho]

Had bought an Expanse 33Lx and gave it away to a family member. First thing that needed to be fixed right out of the box was take out that sharp first tooth on the blade (closest to the pivot) as it punctured my finger.
Noticed the mechanism attracted lint & pocket change. It held an edge very well.
It retired to use as a portable steak knife in the end.


When Leatherman designed the H & K knife tools they surely did not take into consideration of using the the tools for any rigorous use - there was no lock-back on the large bit driver. Past that it was a great knife.

With Leatherman's pruners, none of the inside tools locked. Those got axed too.

Leatherman seems to be on a streak of new gimmicks & toys; throw in diversely composed tools, compromise quality for quantity, make them easier to use, change the tried and proven formats, then seen what happens. If it doesn't sell, discontinue them.


Those of us that are making comments do not seem to be making an impact where it counts. Modders are making Leatherman's tools better. About the only thing I can remember where a modder made a difference was that guy that redesigned the Squirt & Style CS into the marketed a Style PS.



PS: Thought I had a Style PS once... family member must have run off with it too. May have to get another one some day.

[Outback in Idaho]

I will say that the vast, vast majority of Leatherman owners probably never ever come on-line and post about them.  Weird I know, but there you have it.

Is strange, never knew about MTO until Juli (Lady Leatherman) told me about y'all.   

We'll be sure to thank her for that the next time we talk

Not sure if this is a comment, sarcasm, or both.   


PPS: Concerning the Wingman promo comments in the past, I retract them, and offer my apologies.

[Breezy12]

Had bought an Expanse 33Lx and gave it away to a family member. First thing that needed to be fixed right out of the box was take out that sharp first tooth on the blade (closest to the pivot) as it punctured my finger.
Noticed the mechanism attracted lint & pocket change. It held an edge very well.
It retired to use as a portable steak knife in the end.

When Leatherman designed the H & K knife tools they surely did not take into consideration of using the the tools for any rigorous use - there was no lock-back on the large bit driver. Past that it was a great knife.

With Leatherman's pruners, none of the inside tools locked. Those got axed too.

FWIW, the Genus had all locking tools.  I bought one for my mother a few years ago, and she loves it.  And it sounds like you and I agree about the knives... they weren't perfect, and they certainly had a few design flaws, but they were nice knives (especially the models with the 154CM blades), they were affordable, and they got the job done.

Leatherman seems to be on a streak of new gimmicks & toys; throw in diversely composed tools, compromise quality for quantity, make them easier to use, change the tried and proven formats, then seen what happens. If it doesn't sell, discontinue them.

I understand what you're saying, and I agree that not everything Leatherman puts out is a 10.  at the same time, if they didn't experiment and try new things, they would just keep churning out PSTs and calling it good. 

Those of us that are making comments do not seem to be making an impact where it counts. Modders are making Leatherman's tools better. About the only thing I can remember where a modder made a difference was that guy that redesigned the Squirt & Style CS into the marketed a Style PS.

PS: Thought I had a Style PS once... family member must have run off with it too. May have to get another one some day.

It's important to keep in mind that "better" is a subjective term.  Some of the mods I've seen on here are amazing.  Metropolicity's Black Tide mod inspired me to try my hand at modding and create a ReCharge.  But Leatherman is a business -- they have to consider how much it will cost to produce a tool, how much they can sell it for, how many they think they'll be able to sell, time to develop the product, etc., etc.  And as vocal as we may be here on MT.org, we do not represent a good market sample for Leatherman; we are more of a niche market.  There are plenty of LM owners who have been using a Super Tool or PST for 20+ years and see no reason/need to upgrade.  On the other hand, I have around 50 Leathermans to my name, but around here, I'm pretty sure we're the exception rather than the norm. 

Just because Leatherman doesn't implement specific ideas that we have doesn't mean that they don't listen to their customers.  that being said, I'll be surprised if we don't see a Wave/Charge model with the replaceable wire cutters in the next couple years. 

Re: Style PS -- as a father of two young boys, the Style PS makes a great kid-friendly tool.  I got one a few months ago for my oldest son for his 5th birthday, and he LOVES it. 

[Gryffin]

I would argue that Leatherman is listening to their customers.

1.  I have heard many people (aka potential customers) say something along the lines of, "I'd love to get a Leatherman, but the Brand X multitools are so much cheaper!"  Enter the Wingman and Sidekick.  Yes, I agree with you that the build quality is not up to par with the Wave/Charge, but there's a difference between a premium tool and an entry-level tool.

I agree wholeheartedly with this whole post. 

I hate to break it to you folks, but we are NOT Leatherman's primary customers, no matter how much we apparently like to think we are.

If you took the total number of subscribers here at MTO and divide it by the number of customers who bought a Leatherman last year, we're a smurfing rounding error. Heck, toss in the membership of the bigger EDC and preparedness forums, we're still just a little blip on Leatherman's radar. Sure, Leatherman could make tools that cater to just this demanding crowd, but they would be bankrupt within a year. We're a boutique market at best.

Which is why I have to laugh when I read stuff like this:

Have heard many Leatherman owners want the CM154/S30v steel blades over the cheap commonly-used 440C soft metals. Know a lot of have asked for better steel on the serrated blades too. Better steel holds an sharper edge longer.

"Heard" where? Around here, OK sure. In the aisles of Home Depot, REI or WalMart? Not smurfing likely.

I'll betcha dollars to donuts, the 420HC-blade models outsell the "premium" models at about ten-to-one. And I'll also betcha the cheap Sheffield, Husky, and assorted no-name Chinese tools outsell ALL Leatherman tools more than ten-to-one. The vast majority of buyers can't see the difference between a ST300 and the $10 P.O.S. they buy at Wally World, beat the crap out of, and throw away when they break. (Or just when the blade gets dull.)

If Leatherman wants to grow their business, it won't be by catering to this crowd; we're already sold. Hence "entry level" tools like the Wingman and Sidekick, to tempt the customers who could never justify the Leatherman name in the past, to take the plunge. Hopefully, some of them will see the light, and invest in a higher-end Leatherman the next time.

If you want tools built with premium material and finishes, there are always Atwoods, and they're priced accordingly. Personally, I'd rather see a good product at a price that most people who need one can afford to pay.

But that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.

</rant>

[kd8fre]

Ok, I figure I'll toss in my 2 cents here.

I, for one, am looking forward to the OHT.  Being involved in Emergency Response, as well as IT work / cabling, it is going to be quite, pardon the pun, handy.

There have been many times I've been on an emergency scene, and needed my pliers, or worse yet, a screw driver, and had to take off gloves to get to it. 

For those of you who may not know, the point of the large thumb holes in the tools is so they are easily deployed with gloves.

On the IT / Cabling side, I literally cannot count the number of times I've been on a ladder holding cable or something similar, and needed to get my MT out for some reason.  Trying to open screw drivers or even pliers one-handed or with teeth just doesn't work well for me.

Am I brand-loyal, yes.  Do I believe that everything one company puts out is superior to every other company, no.

I own a few different brands of MT, but the only ones that see use are my Leatherman tools because they fit my needs. 

I have obviously not gotten my hands on an OHT yet, but I really believe it will be a good tool in the right circumstances. 

[Outback in Idaho]

Which is why I have to laugh when I read stuff like this:

Have heard many Leatherman owners want the CM154/S30v steel blades over the cheap commonly-used 440C soft metals. Know a lot of have asked for better steel on the serrated blades too. Better steel holds an sharper edge longer.

"Heard" where? Around here, OK sure. In the aisles of Home Depot, REI or WalMart? Not smurfing likely.

Definitely not around here.   But glad you got a laugh.

Discuss with various tools fans on facebook, and people around the area. Live in a suburb area where there are tradesfolk of all types here and most carry a Leatherman.

When a new tool is to debut I go to each of the local stores to see if they will be carrying them. The only store that seems to have predominately Leatherman tools is Farmer's Co-Op. They seem to put up stock up on fairly current models - but on a 1 to 3 month rotation. BiMart carries popular models of Buck, Gerber, Leatherman. Of the Leatherman consumers in the area favor goes to the Charge/Wave.


No word if any will be carrying the OHT or Rebar yet. Been showing off the PocketToolX Piranha, which often gets parried by a crescent wrench. 

[AHB]

We'll be sure to thank her for that the next time we talk

Not sure if this is a comment, sarcasm, or both.   

I know Bob isn't being sarcastic and it's good to see you around again Jim.


Sent from my Iphone 4S

[Outback in Idaho]

We'll be sure to thank her for that the next time we talk

Not sure if this is a comment, sarcasm, or both.   

I know Bob isn't being sarcastic and it's good to see you around again Jim.


Sent from my Iphone 4S

Thanks mates.


Am looking at the pliers of this OHT in ways that perhaps I shouldn't. They look promising. But will leave the modification up to the professionals. 
Can't help remember the dreaded palm pinch from a previous Gerber. The same week it slipped down the fender well of a '67 Cadillac was the same week I bought the first Leatherman Super Tool. 

[MeadMaker]

I came up with a reason to buy an OHT if they become available before the end of October. 

My son is in the US Army and has a Gerber MT that the Army issued to him.  He will be home in October just before he deploys to Afghanistan in November.  I'll ask him to take the OHT with him and evaluate it in comparison to the Gerber. 

[Gareth]

I came up with a reason to buy an OHT if they become available before the end of October. 

My son is in the US Army and has a Gerber MT that the Army issued to him.  He will be home in October just before he deploys to Afghanistan in November.  I'll ask him to take the OHT with him and evaluate it in comparison to the Gerber.

Well that would indeed be one heck of a review.

[Gryffin]

But glad you got a laugh.

Thanks, the way the last month has been going, I could use one!

Discuss with various tools fans on facebook

Kinda like here, a rather self-selecting bunch. 

Live in a suburb area where there are tradesfolk of all types here and most carry a Leatherman.

Where you live must be different than here. Last year, I had a lot of renovation done to my home, worked with several contractors, some of them brought along helpers... Outta the whole bunch, none of the contractors carried a multi; three of the helpers had one either on 'em or in their tool bags, and every dang one was a Sheffield or no-name piece of junk.

In addition, both of The Love O' My Life's brothers are professional contractors; one hasn't ever carred a multi, the other has one in his bag, another P.O.S. I tried to talk him into trying a Leatherman, he couldn't get his head wrapped around spending more than $15 for a multitool. Seriously.

In my experience, professional tradesmen rely on dedicated tools; if they carry a multitool, it's as a "beater" they can use so they don't mess up their "real" tools, and they're considered disposable.

High-quality multitools seem to be used mostly by either non-tradesmen who don't carry around a full bag or belt of dedicated tools (most of us here, I'm guessing), or military/police/EMS who need to be prepared for the unexpected, but with minimum bulk and weight due to all the other gear their job entails.

[J-sews]

We'll be sure to thank her for that the next time we talk

Not sure if this is a comment, sarcasm, or both.   

I know Bob isn't being sarcastic and it's good to see you around again Jim.

Yep, just another of my lame attempts at humor.