Leatherman V SAK

Its Hard To Know · **on:** October 31, 2015, 04:04:14 PM

Let me start by saying that I am VERY biased, Ive been a Leatherman owner for about 16 years now and have around 36 LM items at this point, use at least two each day (carabiner and a tool).

But over the past year Ive acquired multiple SAK, including 3 Soldiers and two Cadets (picked up last weekend).

I carry the Cadet or Soldier to classy events like weddings, and I love the light weight and smooth, slim shape of the tool. It fits nicely in dress slacks and doesnt dig into my thigh when I sit down or weigh down my pocket. Its awesome.

But I went to a wedding in downtown Winston Salem last weekend, a black tie optional affair, real nice (groom is the drummer in a popular/well known progressive metal/metal band). I carried my newly bought red Cadet. I parked in a deck two blocks from the location of the wedding, and hoofed it over. When I arrived it was 5:15, pretty busy streets with all sorts of people walking around. I felt fine.
Leaving the wedding two hours later it was dark and the streets were more empty, only people left were vagrants and people who looked... 'rough.' The venue was a nice special events center thats been around for over 100 years...but is also across the street from a bus depot, not a bus stop but the actual hub where all the buses go to pick people up for their journey to wherever, not local.

Honestly, I didnt feel as comfortable. Here I am, all dressed up, feeling out of place with people who likely dont, and wont ever, own a suit. People who are of a different socioeconomic situation than many of us on this board. Im not saying theyre bad people, Im just saying Im not as comfortable.

What I realized with my cadet was how vulnerable I felt should something occur. I missed the OHO blade of leatherman (wave, surge, charge, skeletool etc).

The more I use both types of tools (LM vs Alox SAK) I see their pros and cons. I ultimately look to my Leatherman tools more than the SAK,but I still see a lot of value in carrying an Alox.
Sure, the Alox has less implements on it, but because of that its smaller and lighter.
The LM is more utilitarian, many tools and options, but its larger and heavier.

Both are great, I'll continue stocking up on both.

Thanks for wasting your time on my rant

Kampfer · **Reply #1 on:** October 31, 2015, 04:27:18 PM

Skeletool is a gentleman's Leatherman and my MTof choice for dressy events.

PLSK is great too, same weight class as ALOX and has OHO locking blade.

Or

Look into a Emerson EDC-2.

anditsgone · **Reply #2 on:** October 31, 2015, 06:10:49 PM

For the self defense part i would not want to carry a sak or leatherman. I have studied some footage of knife fights. It is mostly done with kitchen knifes etc.. And sometimes these break when stabbed in to someone. Of course a sak or lm wave blade would scare of a smart person. But for people who have nothing to loose, i dont think they wil care a lot about a 2 to 3 inch blade. I also think the blade would snap of pretty easily.

I do agree that the wave is quicker to open and has a lock. But i would not like to fight against some one with a lm wave, although some times you have to use what is on you.

Overall i dont think it is fair to review these mt's on their self defense capebilities.
It is like complaining about your Ferrari that it's not good offroad. Buy another car.
Sak is not good in a fight. Buy another knife.

But in the Netherlands carrying a tactical folding knife scares people off and if for some reason you would get body searched you are screwed. But with a sak you probably wont have a problem.

Demel · **Reply #3 on:** October 31, 2015, 06:31:41 PM

^^^^Agreed. If you want a self defense tool get a macahete or a glock. Otherwise it will always be an unfair comparison. I understand feeling more "secure" with oho blade but how awkward would it be to carry your wave in dress slacks? Not bashing or anything, but in a self defense situation everything is game, and nothing will be used how it was intended. Whatever it takes to get you in a safe place. Try to keep that in mind

Kampfer · **Reply #4 on:** October 31, 2015, 06:35:59 PM

Agree, but anything is better than nothing at all. Even a 5oz block of steel is still better than bare hand.

BASguy · **Reply #5 on:** October 31, 2015, 06:40:06 PM

Uhhhh this is what CCW is for. Finding comfort carrying a knife (of any favor) for self defense is a bit foolish. I hope you're never in a real self defense situation but if you are I hope you're not relying on a knife. Yikes.

Sent from 9 miles from the face of the sun

Kampfer · **Reply #6 on:** October 31, 2015, 07:00:50 PM

Quote from: BASguy on October 31, 2015, 06:40:06 PM

Uhhhh this is what CCW is for. Finding comfort carrying a knife (of any favor) for self defense is a bit foolish. I hope you're never in a real self defense situation but if you are I hope you're not relying on a knife. Yikes.

Sent from 9 miles from the face of the sun

Agree, but same can be say just about anything.
Pistol is no match to rifle and MT is no match to dedicated tool.

IMO self defense is about protecting yourself with what you have at that time, including sharp eyes, fast feet, speed dial and whatever in pocket.

Lynn LeFey · **Reply #7 on:** October 31, 2015, 07:18:42 PM

I think we covered this fairly recently in another thread, so I feel like I'm repeating myself but...

Don't think carrying a blade in any way improves your ability to defend yourself, unless you are TRAINED in fighting with a knife, which virtually no one is. In any hand to hand situation, you want the benefit of reach, and knives, very simply put, don't give it. I'd argue that a good sturdy leather belt is better. I'm talking as defensive tool here, not one to inflict wounds. If you desire was to cut someone, obviously any knife blade would be better, but that's really not what we're trying to accomplish.

You're way better off with pepper spray, where you have at least a few feet of effective range. Small containers can give you a 3 second spray in a very small package. In a measure of effectiveness to cost, pepper spray is pretty awesome.

And just FYI, bus stations aren't all that notorious as hubs of violent criminal activity. The lower socioeconomic levels of people are concerned with going somewhere, not mugging you. And the people that DO mug other people don't go where the victims are of low socioeconomic levels, because only an idiot would try to rob poor people. You might get the occasional delusional person. They're usually pretty easy to avoid, since all you have to do is NOT ask them why they're arguing with a fire hydrant. Just my experiences from living in cities.

You want a dangerous place? Go to that area of town with all the nightclubs. Rich, entitled a-hole kids, often with a lot of testosterone flowing, everyone drunk and acting like idiots. Good place to get robbed, stabbed, shot, or a sexually transmitted disease.

As for Leatherman v SAK. This is MT.O! Why not both?

In all seriousness, please don't consider a blade as a good defensive tool. As has been pointed out, knife fights are ugly. Understand if you ever get into one, then fully expect a trip to the ER for lots and lots of stitches in the best case.

Its Hard To Know · **Reply #8 on:** October 31, 2015, 09:44:48 PM

Have a CCP and usually carry a LCP...but Im not carrying that mess to a wedding etc
im not one of those nut jobs that feels like they need a gun everywhere they go.

Am I trained with a knife? No. But for the guy looking for an easy target I'd rather have a blade which might make them rethink things for a second.
Besides, even an untrained person can cut someone if needed.

Marcellus · **Reply #9 on:** October 31, 2015, 10:00:51 PM

Humm, from the title, didn't see that content coming

TheDude · **Reply #10 on:** November 01, 2015, 01:10:30 PM

I have seen the end result of a few knife fights. One near fatal, a couple of people that would have ended up with probably hundreds of stiches and several superficial injuries from scissors, kitchen knves, box cutters and the like. Often people doing stupid stuff on someone elses turf or people at the extreme end of mental illness. Yes it can happen anywhere. But its more likely to happen anywhere that people are taking meth amphetamine.
Listen to your gut. Don't get cornered. If you can't hoof it out of there, and your cornered, you've given up your wallet and its him or you. Sure, go for it. But get your story straight. Cause your probably going to have to give your story to the cops. And if your the good guy, don't admit anything untill you talk to a lawyer. Lastly, spare a thought for the ladies. They have more to loose.

Zed · **Reply #11 on:** November 01, 2015, 01:20:14 PM

I started with leatherman back in 98,it was a wave and with the oho blade i agree better for self defence,a while back i was face to face with 2 18-19 year olds down a alley,one had a smashed vodka bottle and was waving it in my face,now i just came from my maintenance job so had a surge on my belt,now if i drew that mt and defended myself it would be me getting in trouble with the police,so i stood my ground and luckily my build and tattoos did the rest

and they walked off,so sadly due too uk laws ive drifted form oho locking mt's and stick with a good sak

BASguy · **Reply #12 on:** November 01, 2015, 04:12:40 PM

Quote from: Its Hard To Know on October 31, 2015, 09:44:48 PM

Have a CCP and usually carry a LCP...but Im not carrying that mess to a wedding etc
im not one of those nut jobs that feels like they need a gun everywhere they go.

Am I trained with a knife? No. But for the guy looking for an easy target I'd rather have a blade which might make them rethink things for a second.
Besides, even an untrained person can cut someone if needed.

At the risk of derailment......
I'm not at all sure what a "mess to a wedding" has to do with CCW? The point of it being concealed (whether it's an LCP or a blade) is that it is concealed, so where you are really isn't germane.
Also, because someone feels they need a gun everywhere they go doesn't make them nuts, so I'd go easy before flying comments like that out there. If you carry concealed you do it to be prepared. If you choose to pick when it's OK to be prepared and when it's not, that's your choice but clairvoyance isn't a trait most people have.
I personally don't carry everywhere, but always have a gun in the truck. In AZ open/CCW is legal for everyone so a lot of folks carry everywhere all the time. As a result behavior tends to be a little better. About once a year we get to chuckle at local news footage of a moron holding up a convenience store clerk and then finding himself staring down the business end of 2 or 3 pistols of store shoppers (apparently none of them were on their way to a wedding).

Sent from 9 miles from the face of the sun

strmliner · **Reply #13 on:** November 04, 2015, 05:35:17 AM

Get a pepper spray pen for those dress-up affairs when you can't carry. It will be a lot more useful than a LM or SAK in defensive situations.

As for LM vs SAKs, let's talk. Both have value, and as somebody else already mentioned, why not have both?

gregpost · **Reply #14 on:** November 04, 2015, 07:40:30 AM

Prefer Leatherman's formats, think SAK beat them on quality and fit and finish of components. But at the end of the day Leatherman's quality is good enough and I favor them.