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new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show

us Offline J-sews

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #30 on: March 14, 2007, 04:02:49 AM
I'm looking forward to seeing what size the finished product will be. Scaling the ETS photos based on the attached Leatherman flattened hex bit, the tool appears to be about 6" long when opened. That would make it a tad smaller than the old Leatherman PST.

I realize this was just a prototype tool at the Shot Show, but I'm hoping the final product will be somewhat larger.
In order to be certain of having the right tool for every job.........one must first acquire a lot of tools


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #31 on: March 14, 2007, 04:05:33 AM
I was speaking to my contact at Leatherman today and she says these tools will not be available until November.

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline J-sews

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #32 on: March 14, 2007, 04:08:19 AM
I hope you mentioned to her that we have a bunch of eager multitool testers here standing by and ready to help out!
In order to be certain of having the right tool for every job.........one must first acquire a lot of tools


Offline Lion

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #33 on: March 20, 2007, 03:41:58 AM
I really like the looks of this one so far. As someone else said, it looks like the first multitool (plier based) that will also be a good knife. I even like the look of the current scales. Not my ideal, but not bad either. Plain works better on the larger tools, but for something like this, I think a fancier look is better. Collectors aside, The market for these will probably be different than the market for a Surge.

Leo

PS

In case anyone was wondering, my ideal handle scale material would be brown, jigged bone. Of course I don't see Leatherman doing that, well, ever.


gb Offline Raukodur

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #34 on: May 02, 2007, 11:49:10 AM
Hmm if they made a titanium version, I suppose it is too much to hope for that the blade will also be titanium  :cry: ?

I find the idea of just a knife, pliers and bit driver very attractive, especially with the butterfly folding design, and curved handles, but then I keep thinking about all the tools I will be missing on the charge TTI I have atm if I were to use a freestyle instead  ??? I guess the solution to that would be to carry a swiss army knife with all the tools I need on it. Would be an attractive merging of LM and victorinox.

I have to say though, if they did release a freestly with a titanium knife, that would probably sway me, but i really doubt thats going to happen.

Edit: Oh, and of course, if you were to use the awl and chisel Bits made by Bob, then you would have an extra two functions for the freestyle, so no longer just knife, screw driver and pliers.
« Last Edit: May 02, 2007, 01:03:55 PM by Raukodur »


gb Offline Raukodur

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #35 on: May 02, 2007, 03:17:44 PM
I wonder what the pliers will be like on this thing.

From the pictures we have of it already, it has the round pivot rather than oval one, but other than that the pliers look quite strong, quite chunky.

Hmm, I wonder, on a tool such as this, which has very few others tools on it, would it have been possible for leatherman to make the pliers locking? Would make for an amazing tool if they had managed to incorporate that system in somehow.

Or even if not locking, i think they should have made the pliers different somehow, maybe ratcheting to some degree. I think it might have been possible to do something special because they didn't need to worry about having all the other multitool tools on there, only the knife and bit driver.

Edit: I suppose it depends on the size of the overall tool, easy to forget that i think they are going for something quite small and compact, the photo can make it seem quite large. Still, could have had some sort of small, special pliers...


Offline knife-man

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #36 on: May 02, 2007, 03:37:55 PM
why do you want a Ti blade?

From what Ive read and learnt Ti makes a poor knife blade.

I think as far as this freestyle is concerned the bit driver will be awkward to use because the pliars have to be open when your using it .. I alway's close to tool when using a driver ATM.

I don't like the Idea of the clip I don't ever clip my knives to my trousers to dangle a pocket clip in my opinion would be more useful.

I don't like the look of the curved handles because when open they curve the "wrong" way if you look at conventional pliar design.

The skeletonised handle leaves me pretty cold as well.

generally apart from the actual concept of a bare minimum tool I dont really like it.

Given the choice I would have re-designed the sideclip .. lot's of people loved the sideclip and it was an ideal candidate for lighter handles a replaceable bit driver and a general overhaul (including the new pliar head and generally updating the tool's). But then again they didn't ask me.
[


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #37 on: May 02, 2007, 05:56:29 PM
You need a Ti blade so you can sneak it on an airplane so you can defuse the terrorist bombs that they snug on board!

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline 665ae

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #38 on: May 02, 2007, 08:46:24 PM
You need a Ti blade so you can sneak it on an airplane so you can defuse the terrorist bombs that they snug on board!

Def

Hehe... the last time I was on a plane (in January) I was sitting in the exit row.  I noticed on the exit door, there's a safety cable/rope attached to the handle, and in the picture it says to use a knife to cut the cord...  that would have sucked if we crashed, and all of us died because no one was allowed to carry a knife!
If you took all the intestines out of your body and stretched them end to end... you would die.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #39 on: May 02, 2007, 09:14:33 PM
Maybe they want you to use that little plastic knife they give you to spread the butter on your roll?

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


us Offline J-sews

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #40 on: May 03, 2007, 02:30:23 AM
Maybe they want you to use that little plastic knife they give you to spread the butter on your roll?

Def

I think the TSA has plans to ban those as well.... :D


Back on track: Here's a picture of the Freestyle folded up:



I had not realized until I read Knife-man's post above....he's right, you can't use the bit driver unless you unfold the tool.  :(
In order to be certain of having the right tool for every job.........one must first acquire a lot of tools


gb Offline Raukodur

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #41 on: May 03, 2007, 11:39:21 AM
that being said though, a lot of the time, to get greater reach, we unfold one handle of the multitool. However, thats not to say that using the bit driver with the handles closed wouldn't have been a plus.

I do find the design of having the bit driver hidden by the clip quite clever. The whole tool looks quite sleek to me.


Offline I'm Still Bison

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #42 on: May 03, 2007, 03:11:36 PM
I've got to admit;it's growing on me. As a multi,it's kind of minimal for tools,but I always have at least a Manager on my key ring.Paired with a Farmer,or a OHT or Outrider,and you've got a pretty potent duo.
I


gb Offline Raukodur

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #43 on: May 07, 2007, 09:51:44 PM
hmm what SAK would people pair with this to give them an EDC combo that can do everything, or as much as possible (by this I don't mean the biggest SAK, but the most efficient in terms of functions / size ratio)?

And, would people consider EDCing such a combo instead of their regular multitool? e.g. a large leatherman, or swisstool / spirit.


Offline Thargor

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #44 on: May 07, 2007, 10:06:26 PM
I dont like this thing at all, I wish they'd gone the other way and crammed in everything they could think of.

Has Leatherman had a fairly regular release schedule over the years? Are they close to releasing a new version of the Charge or a whole new multitool, a fully featured tool I mean?


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: new Leatherman Freestyle multitool shown at 2007 SHOT show
Reply #45 on: May 07, 2007, 10:19:38 PM
Leatherman just released 3 different Charge models last year- the AL, ALX and TTi. 

Def
Leave the dents as they are- let your belongings show their scars as proudly as you do yours.


 

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