About two weeks ago I got this no-name Mammuth MT clone which is a clone of the Leatherman Wave with some differences. It seems an exact copy of the aforementioned MT tool wise except it has slots instead of thumb studs for one-handed opening.
It was spring cleaning and house maintenance time these last two weekends so I got the chance to test it on an old rocking swing we have outside. It’s at least twenty years old. It’s been holding well all this time but despite the heavy marine-purpose paint coating on it rust has formed on some places. So I had to take it apart to see if it is worth working on it. Turns out it is.
The no-name MT performed well and did almost everything I needed done. It removed most screws, both Philips and slotted ones and turned the nuts on those that wouldn’t move otherwise. It was easier that I thought but still it required some torque.
I was impressed but there are some points I really didn’t like.
At one point I opened the pliers and somehow the serrated blade clumped on them and got deployed. It would have been nasty weren’t I looking at that moment. This happened before I tested the tool. This blade is still the stiffest of them all and not OHO despite this being its intended function so I wonder how this could happen. It was probably due to the fact I need to try hard to unfold the pliers as they are quite stiff and gritty at that stage so I must have moved their end enough for them to catch on the blade. Once open they move freely.
The pliers head seems well made and performs well. I don’t know if using the pliers caused this, however, once I was done the fasteners on the bottom of the handle containing the scissors and flat SD’s got deformed towards the outside. Now when I deploy the big flat SD the rest of the implements fall out in a jolly carefree manner. I can’t take detailed pics of that handle at the moment, there’s not much damage to be seen but it is obvious compared to its counterpart on the other handle.
Then, the metal file. As soon as I applied some force it bent towards me. It didn’t actually bent but the Allen-type screw holding it went loose. I tightened it with my hand and it’s been OK since then. By OK I mean it would stay in place and easily strip paint and dig a little to reveal the metal’s colour underneath the rust but that’s all it can do. The metal saw on it would barely scratch some relatively soft plastic I tried it on.
Also, rust. As soon as I got it the tool started developing surface rust on places I cannot touch, such as the handles’ interior were tools rest. The locks on the exterior blades are now spotty in a fishy way as well. There’s not that much humidity here nor is the tool stored in a dump place. No rust on the implements so far.
The big flat SD should be bigger. Philips SD is OK I think, it will fit a wide range of screws.
The wood saw works well though I suspect it will overheat easily and clog if used thourougly.
The scissors, you don’t want to know about. Let’s say they won’t cut and their spring works only if it feels like it.
The plain edge blade works OK, its edge could be ground much better. I should think that the alloy used for the cutting-piercing implements isn’t the best possible. The chisel grind serrated blade’s best part is the non serrated tip for me. These teeth just bite in and won’t move requiring me to push frantically if work is to be done on rope or wood. That’s not my cup of tea. The awl is useful but stubby and though it’s sharp it isn’t very good at carving some soft, dried berry-tree wood when it should.
In conclusion, I like the concept on the tool, that’s why I got it in the first place. However it is a little rough for my liking and it reinforced my belief that these tools should be better pinned. I think I’ll see if I can take it apart and add the plain edge to my survival kit to use as a spear point if I ever needed one.
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