Leatherman Signal - is LM making a survival multi?

[Aloha]

Have we got a confirmed buyer yet? 

[gadgetman7]

Just contacted Leatherman. They have shipped some to Canada but not the U.S. Yet due to packaging delays. Looks like the Canadians get first shot at this one.


Sent from Tracy Island

[leatherman-shop.de]

no confirmed release date for europe yet

[babola]

Just contacted Leatherman. They have shipped some to Canada but not the U.S. Yet due to packaging delays. Looks like the Canadians get first shot at this one.


Sent from Tracy Island

So any Canadians here to report in on their Signal acquisition or is all that just a myth...?

[gadgetman7]

No myth. My wife surprised me this morning with an order from a well known dealer on Amazon. I wanted to wait for other's experiences but maybe I'll be a beta tester. It's shown in stock and should be here by the end of the week.

BTW it looks like the boxed version is shipping. That falls in line with the comment by Leatherman. I just hope I can get past the plastic parts.


Sent from Tracy Island

[Aloha]

Can't wait till you get it in hand and can let us know what you think.

[Gareth]

Hinnie Haynes have just listed the Signal as in stock.  Unsurprisingly it's not cheap though.

[SteveC]

Hinnie Haynes have just listed the Signal as in stock.  Unsurprisingly it's not cheap though.

That's close to $180 isn't it ?     

[gadgetman7]

Mine just came in today. Took a few pictures and I have some initial thoughts. First, please excuse the poor quality of the pictures. All I have with me is an iPad and iPhone. Unfortunately, in this lighting, they don't take the best photographs. First, some photos. These are comparison photos with this "family" of tools.

MUT, Signal and Skeletool



Sent from Tracy Island

[gadgetman7]

It looks like I'm going to have to make separate posts. Thanks Tapatalk.

The Signal is definitely in between the MUT and the Skeletool in much the same way that the Rebar is in between the Supertool and the Juice series though the Signal has more in common with the MUT.

When I first took it out of the box the knife was not sharp. A few minutes on the Spyderco Sharpmaker fixed that problem. I also tried to use the attached file with little success. It's too short to effectively sharpen the blade and quite honestly it seems a little flimsy. The serrations are mediocre at best. Perhaps Leatherman should take a visit to Spyderco. The serrations did sharpen well on the Sharpmaker however, and in fact included file does fit the serrations.


Sent from Tracy Island

[gadgetman7]

***Edited to clarify driver info***

The tools in the handle do not seem quite as sturdy as the tools on the Rebar or on the Supertool however, I just checked and the can opener and bit driver seem to be the same as the wave. The awl in particular seems a little flimsy although the point was adequate unlike the juice. There's one bit included that has Phillips on one end and a flathead screwdriver on the other. The can opener seem small but did work on the can I tried it on. They lock in place with no play and in fact would probably be perfectly fine. Notice how the pliers head fits on top of the bit driver.



Sent from Tracy Island

[Kampfer]

 
Can I see the driver in use with pliers head rest in hammer side handle?

[gadgetman7]

Now the plastic parts. The whistle does work and the flint seems barely adequate. Not what I'd want to depend on in a pinch but better than nothing. On the other hand, the file just doesn't seem up to the job. It's hollowed out, I assume to save weight but frankly it just feels flimsy. It also rubs against your hand when you hold the tool. The feel of the file may or may not bother you. Honestly, these pieces seem like gimmicks. They should definitely be replaced with a bit holder and storage compartment.


Sent from Tracy Island

[SteveC]

Don't like the shape of the awl.

[gadgetman7]

Ergonomics. Quite frankly, not as good as I'd hoped. The handles have a lock the has to be used or they simply won't stay together. (I've tried to capture that but it didn't come out well.) Also, the carabiner pinches when you grip the knife tightly. (Tried to show that as well.) Finally, the tool weighs 7.6 ounces. My Wave weighs 8.4 ounces. Given the choice I'd carry the Wave. Extra tools and you only lose the hammer, kind of hex driver and the awl. 

On the plus side it is thinner than the Wave and does feel good in the hand. At this point I would say this is at best a $60 tool. It's not better than the Rebar or Wave IMO. Odd for me to say that since I love Leatherman. I think this one is too many flaws at he moment.

If Leatherman changed the steel to S35VN and changed out the gimmickry plastic parts and changed the saw to a blade exchanger, I'd probably say it's a good deal even with the carabiner pinching. As is, I don't believe it's worth the $100 street price.




Sent from Tracy Island

[gadgetman7]

Can I see the driver in use with pliers head rest in hammer side handle?

Here ya' go.




Sent from Tracy Island

[Kampfer]

Can I see the driver in use with pliers head rest in hammer side handle?

Here ya' go.




Sent from Tracy Island

Does it feel a little better this way?

[gadgetman7]

Yes. It's actually better than the MUT in that regard.


Sent from Tracy Island

[gadgetman7]

Whoops. Here's the hammer side.



Sent from Tracy Island

[Kampfer]

Thanks for taking one for the team

[AimlessWanderer]

Thanks for the heads up on that gadgetman Looks like they made it as least as bad as I thought they would. I'll certainly not be replacing my BG Strata with that, even if it was half the current UK price.

You might just have saved a lot of people a lot of money there 

[gadgetman7]

I'm going to carry it for a few days and see if my opinion changes. I find it odd that I don't like it. I carry either a Rebar or Skeletool every day and really thought this might be a good Skeletool replacement even if it was a little expensive.


Sent from Tracy Island

[gadgetman7]

Duplicate post.

[sawman]

Thanks for taking the time/money to review this

Obviously, they have much room for improvement as I suspected. I'll stick with my Rebar

[Gareth]

Nice write-up mate.

[AimlessWanderer]

I can see why Skeletool fans might have been a little excited on a potential upgrade, but for me this tool embraces everything about Leatherman that I don't like, and then added a few extra sprinkles of disappointment on top.

Just working on what gadgetman here has shown us:

Leatherman's trademark ruined main gripping area (impeding wire cutters)
Leatherman's trademark overly splayed handles (wider angle than MUT)
Leatherman's trademark "too fat to do anything useful" awl
Leatherman's trademark SkeleFool weak driver configuration
Leatherman's trademark bit driver that makes you buy a whole Leatherman bit set just for one bit
Elevated prices
Multiple ergonomic failures
All finished off with crappy accessories, a poor sharpening job, and a cast hammer with thin section in critical places and that looks to me like it's going to be a cause for a lot of warranty returns

Casting + impact + thin section = 

Well done Leatherman, you've excelled even my expectations in your ability to disappoint

[sawman]

^^^^^

He's much better at explaining these things than I am 

[gadgetman7]

Just edited the post. Found a Wave to compare. The can opener and bit driver seem to be the same as the wave. Odd since the can opener seemed smaller. Probably because I don't use it much.


Sent from Tracy Island

[Demel]

-_- tapatalk problems

[Walter2]

Thank you for the review.  I looked at the promo ad and as many pics as I could find, like you I think the wave is a better tool.