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Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???

es Offline alexTOOL

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Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
on: October 17, 2017, 02:11:28 PM
Hi buddies!

I am looking for alternatives to the LM Freestyle (Skeletool too bulky for me with the clip and if I cut it the screwdriver bit adapter is pointy in the hip)

So, please, anybody knows any nice alternative to the Freestyle.

I need:
Knife (locking if possible) and pliers. The lighter the better.
And CLIP
No openers, no drivers, no anything more.
ONLY A COMBO OF KNIFE+PLIERS

P.d.: LM Mini is not considered.
And Tool Logic combos knife pliers are bad in pliers.
Crkt Zilla is heavy, like others

Many thanks!!!
« Last Edit: October 17, 2017, 02:15:11 PM by alexTOOL »


us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #1 on: October 17, 2017, 03:17:54 PM
 :think: Have to give this one some thought ??? I am not thinking if anything offhand :ahhh

Why not just get a Freestyle :think: :D


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #2 on: October 17, 2017, 05:23:36 PM
If you ask me, the SOG Reactor is what the Freestyle should have been, had Leatherman bothered to put any thought into the Freestyle rather than just cutting bits off a Skeletool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p36GdLT0Okc

And, they are currently in stock:
https://store.multitool.org/sog/sog-reactor-18.html

Why not just get a Freestyle :think: :D

Because the Freestyle is only pliers and a blade.... and you could get a better knife and dedicated pliers if that's what you really need.  A multitool is about compromise, and in that compromise you need to find a balance of features/function, cost and convenience.  The Freestyle is one of my favorite Leatherman models because I really like the compact size and ergonomics, but it really doesn't help you do very much when you think about it.

The Reactor is similar sized (possibly a bit smaller even) but gives you the compound leverage pliers which allows it to handle bigger jobs than the Freestyle, the blade is assisted opening, plus it has a double ended screwdriver bit on board, and takes standard 1/4" bits so you can replace it is if gets lost.  And, while the bottle opener on the Reactor may not be the greatest, it beats the pants off the bottle opener that isn't on the Freestyle....  :facepalm:

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


gb Offline AimlessWanderer

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #3 on: October 17, 2017, 07:45:27 PM
Most of the other options have been mentioned, I think  :think:

The only other ones that spring to mind are the Buck X-Tract models (though you have to choose between pliers and pocket clip - you can't have both.

Also, you mention that the Zilla is too large, but there is the Zilla Jr too.


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us Offline rdub934

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #4 on: October 17, 2017, 08:04:32 PM
SOG Reactor is what you need, friend  :tu: Lighter than Freestyle. Nice knife. Good pliers. Phillips and flat drivers. Pocket clip.

I've had mine for a year and half, maybe. No issues. I still carry it and use it quite a lot. I'm carrying it today, in fact. I just re-sharpened the blade this past weekend and got her shaving sharp again. I gave it a deep clean and re-lube about a month ago. SOG did pretty well with this one. They could have done better, but they definitely did well  :tu:
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us Offline cody6268

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #5 on: October 17, 2017, 08:53:45 PM
The Gerber Crucial Black (with strap cutter instead of carabiner) is a tool I prefer over the Skeletool/Freestyle.


es Offline ThePeacent

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #6 on: October 17, 2017, 10:06:08 PM
among the few tools that tick the boxes the Crucial would be my recommendation.

As a side note, know that here in our country (Spain) assisted opened blades are frowned upon and often seen as automatic openers, which are illegal to own, sell, carry and buy. Most LEOs here don't know the difference between A/O and autos.

Hopefully you can deassist the A/O feature to avoid that some police officer thinks you are carrying an auto on you     :mail:
My toys:

MTs: Surge (2x), Skeletool CX, Rebar, Blast, Fuse, Micra, Squirt (3x), Wave, Crunch, Mini, Spirit (2x), Pro Scout, MP700 (2x), Diesel, Powerlock, PowerPlier (2x), PocketPowerPlier, Blacktip , ST6 (2x), 5WR, A100

SAKs: Bantam, Executive, Ambassador, Minichamp, Classic Alox, Champion, Farmer, Explorer, Swisschamp, Golf Tool, Wenger Champ, EVO 52, Pocket Tool Chest


es Offline alexTOOL

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #7 on: October 18, 2017, 12:23:21 AM
If you ask me, the SOG Reactor is what the Freestyle should have been, had Leatherman bothered to put any thought into the Freestyle rather than just cutting bits off a Skeletool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p36GdLT0Okc

And, they are currently in stock:
https://store.multitool.org/sog/sog-reactor-18.html

Why not just get a Freestyle :think: :D

Because the Freestyle is only pliers and a blade.... and you could get a better knife and dedicated pliers if that's what you really need.  A multitool is about compromise, and in that compromise you need to find a balance of features/function, cost and convenience.  The Freestyle is one of my favorite Leatherman models because I really like the compact size and ergonomics, but it really doesn't help you do very much when you think about it.

The Reactor is similar sized (possibly a bit smaller even) but gives you the compound leverage pliers which allows it to handle bigger jobs than the Freestyle, the blade is assisted opening, plus it has a double ended screwdriver bit on board, and takes standard 1/4" bits so you can replace it is if gets lost.  And, while the bottle opener on the Reactor may not be the greatest, it beats the pants off the bottle opener that isn't on the Freestyle....  :facepalm:

Def

Thank you all guys!

Sorry, didn´t say it, the Reactor is not possible. Assisted opening knives are illegal in Spain.

I nearly always carry a 58 SAK in my keychain, so scissors and drivers are covered by it

Greetings


es Offline alexTOOL

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #8 on: October 18, 2017, 12:27:11 AM
among the few tools that tick the boxes the Crucial would be my recommendation.

As a side note, know that here in our country (Spain) assisted opened blades are frowned upon and often seen as automatic openers, which are illegal to own, sell, carry and buy. Most LEOs here don't know the difference between A/O and autos.

Hopefully you can deassist the A/O feature to avoid that some police officer thinks you are carrying an auto on you     :mail:

Thank you compatriot!

I had a black Crucial with strap cutter and it was crap:
- Broken clip
- Stiff pliers when open and close
- Not a quality tool...

And I don´t know how to deassist a Sog Reactor... 


00 Offline Sam Lim

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #9 on: October 19, 2017, 06:53:52 AM
Not sure what do u need to do with the pliers. Not exactly very strong, but decent enough to grip things. Wire cutter doesn't work very well. Blade is nice and locks, minimal tools. I think it came with a pocket clip. Have to go back to check mine. Kilimanjaro Rappel I. Quite a nice smallish tool.


ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #10 on: October 19, 2017, 02:48:20 PM
This thread has me wondering how hard it would be to remove the torsion bar from a Reactor....

Guess it's time to start looking a little closer..... 

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


es Offline alexTOOL

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #11 on: October 19, 2017, 11:52:16 PM
Not sure what do u need to do with the pliers. Not exactly very strong, but decent enough to grip things. Wire cutter doesn't work very well. Blade is nice and locks, minimal tools. I think it came with a pocket clip. Have to go back to check mine. Kilimanjaro Rappel I. Quite a nice smallish tool.

9,5 oz is way heavy, looking for something like 4-5 oz

And too many tools

This thread has me wondering how hard it would be to remove the torsion bar from a Reactor....

Guess it's time to start looking a little closer..... 

Def

Nice!

Thank you all guys
« Last Edit: October 19, 2017, 11:54:05 PM by alexTOOL »


us Offline Breezy12

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #12 on: October 20, 2017, 01:29:33 AM
I can't help but echo Poncho's question...
Why not just get a Freestyle :think: :D
Based on what you originally stated as your criteria, the Freestyle seems to hit every category:
  • Knife (locking if possible) and pliers. The lighter the better. --> check, the Freestyle has a locking OHO blade and weighs in at 4.5oz
  • And CLIP --> check
  • No openers, no drivers, no anything more. --> check!
  • ONLY A COMBO OF KNIFE+PLIERS --> CHECK :D
am I missing something here? :think:


es Offline ThePeacent

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #13 on: October 20, 2017, 03:57:27 PM
I can't help but echo Poncho's question...
Why not just get a Freestyle :think: :D
Based on what you originally stated as your criteria, the Freestyle seems to hit every category:
  • Knife (locking if possible) and pliers. The lighter the better. --> check, the Freestyle has a locking OHO blade and weighs in at 4.5oz
  • And CLIP --> check
  • No openers, no drivers, no anything more. --> check!
  • ONLY A COMBO OF KNIFE+PLIERS --> CHECK :D
am I missing something here? :think:

I din't want to sound rude to the OP but that's exactly what i didn't udnerstand. The Freestyle hits all the points, perfectly.
 ???

So, the options seem to be:

- Freestyle
- Reactor (Deassisted)
- Crucial
- Kilimanjaro (too heavy)

and all others are either too heavy and have too many functions

- MP700, Wingman, Sidekick, Rev, Poweraccess, Powerlock, ST300, Rebar, Spirit, etc...

it's quite hard to understand the reasoning behind this TBH    :think:
My toys:

MTs: Surge (2x), Skeletool CX, Rebar, Blast, Fuse, Micra, Squirt (3x), Wave, Crunch, Mini, Spirit (2x), Pro Scout, MP700 (2x), Diesel, Powerlock, PowerPlier (2x), PocketPowerPlier, Blacktip , ST6 (2x), 5WR, A100

SAKs: Bantam, Executive, Ambassador, Minichamp, Classic Alox, Champion, Farmer, Explorer, Swisschamp, Golf Tool, Wenger Champ, EVO 52, Pocket Tool Chest


us Offline Breezy12

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #14 on: October 20, 2017, 07:44:19 PM
I certainly wasn't trying to be rude... I hope it didn't come across that way. :-[

I was hoping to better understand the reasoning... maybe there is something specific about the Freestyle that OP didn't like, or it's difficult to get, or something like that.

Personally, I am not a big fan of the Freestyle, but it certainly seems to fit OP's needs. To each their own! :cheers:


00 Offline Sam Lim

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #15 on: October 21, 2017, 06:02:20 AM
I can't help but echo Poncho's question...
Why not just get a Freestyle :think: :D
Based on what you originally stated as your criteria, the Freestyle seems to hit every category:
  • Knife (locking if possible) and pliers. The lighter the better. --> check, the Freestyle has a locking OHO blade and weighs in at 4.5oz
  • And CLIP --> check
  • No openers, no drivers, no anything more. --> check!
  • ONLY A COMBO OF KNIFE+PLIERS --> CHECK :D
am I missing something here? :think:

I din't want to sound rude to the OP but that's exactly what i didn't udnerstand. The Freestyle hits all the points, perfectly.
 ???

So, the options seem to be:

- Freestyle
- Reactor (Deassisted)
- Crucial
- Kilimanjaro (too heavy)

and all others are either too heavy and have too many functions

- MP700, Wingman, Sidekick, Rev, Poweraccess, Powerlock, ST300, Rebar, Spirit, etc...

it's quite hard to understand the reasoning behind this TBH    :think:

The kilimanjaro is tiny, probably smaller than the freestyle. OP must have been looking at the rappel 2. It's a entirely different class, a bulky one that is.

I personally like the freestyle alot. More than the skeletool. Skeletool just feels awkward in the hands when using the pliers.

Below are my personal stash of similar size tools. Minimal tools. Mainly knife and pliers. Other tools on it are complimentary.. The True Utility model is total crap though..
IMG_20171021_115646-744x992.jpg
* IMG_20171021_115646-744x992.jpg (Filesize: 110.05 KB)
IMG_20171021_120052-744x992.jpg
* IMG_20171021_120052-744x992.jpg (Filesize: 103.29 KB)
IMG_20171021_120130-744x992.jpg
* IMG_20171021_120130-744x992.jpg (Filesize: 103.24 KB)


00 Offline Sam Lim

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #16 on: October 21, 2017, 06:10:55 AM
Or consider even the Octane. It's a interesting little tool. Light and very slim profile. Minimal tools as well.
IMG_20171021_120733-744x992.jpg
* IMG_20171021_120733-744x992.jpg (Filesize: 101.01 KB)
IMG_20171021_120751-744x992.jpg
* IMG_20171021_120751-744x992.jpg (Filesize: 105.88 KB)
IMG_20171021_120809-744x992.jpg
* IMG_20171021_120809-744x992.jpg (Filesize: 96.36 KB)


us Offline Old Boy

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #17 on: October 21, 2017, 07:00:09 AM
It’s already been said but yeah just get the Freestyle as it ticks all the boxes and nothing more. I would just add that whatever you don’t like about it maybe you can modify.


us Offline ToolJoe

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #18 on: October 21, 2017, 05:32:29 PM
Leatherman Crater C33t or tx and a pair of Kniex Plier Wrench  :think:
I knew my wife was a keeper when she transitioned from calling it a knife thingy to a multi-tool.

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es Offline alexTOOL

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #19 on: January 11, 2018, 08:27:46 AM
Leatherman Crater C33t or tx and a pair of Kniex Plier Wrench  :think:

2 tools = More space + heavier

I think the new SOG Powerpint would be a nice choice:

- 4.2 oz vs 4.5 of Freestyle
- More tools, less weight
- compound leverage (I don't need heavy duty pliers, but it would be a nice improvement for such tiny pliers)
- Locking blade, but unassisted and non automatic.

We will see

Thank you all



es Offline alexTOOL

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #20 on: January 11, 2018, 08:33:21 AM
I can't help but echo Poncho's question...
Why not just get a Freestyle :think: :D
Based on what you originally stated as your criteria, the Freestyle seems to hit every category:
  • Knife (locking if possible) and pliers. The lighter the better. --> check, the Freestyle has a locking OHO blade and weighs in at 4.5oz
  • And CLIP --> check
  • No openers, no drivers, no anything more. --> check!
  • ONLY A COMBO OF KNIFE+PLIERS --> CHECK :D
am I missing something here? :think:

I din't want to sound rude to the OP but that's exactly what i didn't udnerstand. The Freestyle hits all the points, perfectly.
 ???

So, the options seem to be:

- Freestyle
- Reactor (Deassisted)
- Crucial
- Kilimanjaro (too heavy)

and all others are either too heavy and have too many functions

- MP700, Wingman, Sidekick, Rev, Poweraccess, Powerlock, ST300, Rebar, Spirit, etc...

it's quite hard to understand the reasoning behind this TBH    :think:

I wanted to know if there are alternatives to the LM Freestyle simply to compare what to choose

Thanks


us Offline ironraven

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #21 on: January 13, 2018, 02:15:06 PM
I wanted to know if there are alternatives to the LM Freestyle simply to compare what to choose

Leatherman took the Freestyle too far in terms of minimalism. For the bulk, it should have just been a Skeleton without the 'biner but with the bit holder- LM didn't set the bar to jump over but the floor to stand on. Any alternative is going to be more tool with only a tiny more weight and similar bulk.
« Last Edit: January 13, 2018, 02:19:14 PM by ironraven »
"Even if it is only the handful of people I meet on the street, or in my home, I can still protect them with this one sword" Kenshin Himura

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ca Offline Grant Lamontagne

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #22 on: January 13, 2018, 02:18:03 PM
I wanted to know if there are alternatives to the LM Freestyle simply to compare what to choose

Leatherman took the Freestyle too far in terms of minimalism. For the bulk, it should have just been a Skeleton without the 'biner but with the bit holder.

They had to get rid of the screwdriver.  A few months before the Freestyle (in it's current form) was announced, a certain member on a certain internet multitool discussion forum cut the carabiner off a Skeletool and "invented" the Freestyle with a bit driver.   :facepalm:

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


us Offline ironraven

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Re: Alternatives to Leatherman Freestyle???
Reply #23 on: January 13, 2018, 02:25:16 PM
a certain member on a certain internet multitool discussion forum cut the carabiner off a Skeletool and "invented" the Freestyle with a bit driver.   :facepalm:

Yep, I remember. Which is why the Freestyle was so disappointing. It could have been so much more.

If I ever find Skeles on sale for $30 again (or less) I'm going to copy it- I'm just too skittish about moding my only copy of a tool when I find the original form useful.

"Even if it is only the handful of people I meet on the street, or in my home, I can still protect them with this one sword" Kenshin Himura

Necessity is the mother of invention. If you're not ready, it's "a mother". If you are, it's "mom".

"I love democracy" Sheev Palpatine, upon his election to Chancellor.


 

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