The Leatherman is like a reliable pickup truck. The SwissTool is like a precise sports car. And for that, they’re both completely even in my book.
Straight away I noticed something very interesting comparing the Core and SwissTool. They are both 4.5 inches exactly – and you would expect their tools to be the same size – but they aren’t. Look at the knife. The Core’s knife is noticeably longer. The SwissTool knife is about the same size as the Wave’s knife. The Swiss’s knife came out of the box much sharper than the Leatherman’s – but the LM knife -I feel- is much thicker and feels tougher. I would feel more comfortable going through a sheet of vinyl siding with the Leatherman knife and not worry about it snapping. An opinion – because I haven’t actually done this – but that’s how it feels. And that’s going to be a common theme.Look at the saws. The Leatherman saw is much longer. The SwissTool’s saw is again the same size as the Wave’s. I haven’t sawed anything with the Swiss, but I have with the Wave – and it’s too short. I’d have a much easier time sawing with the Leatherman because of it’s longer blade. Knife & Saw – score Leatherman.