Multitool.org Forum
+-

Hello Lurker! Remove this ad and much more by logging in.


Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)

us Offline Lynn LeFey

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,917
  • Any tool is better than nothing. Some not by much
Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
on: February 15, 2018, 05:13:02 PM
This tool review is part of a challenge I was given, to see what the best tool was I could come up with for $10, tax and shipping included. You can follow this link to the main thread of the challenge if you want to see other contestants in the challenge.
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,75705.0.html

This is an original Leatherman PST, date stamps 0596 and 0696.



This tool has a bit of a story, so I hope you'll stick with me.

So, how much did I pay of it? That's a bit of an iffy question, because I traded for it. The item I traded for it, at the time of the trade, had a minimum new value of $7.44, and was in essentially new condition. It was a previous contestant in the $5 tool challenge. The 'Anti-Explosion plier' knockoff of the Gerber MP600 DET. previously reviewed here...
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,75224.0.html



So, there had been some statements of maybe not playing within the rules to get the Gerber Knockoff into the $5 challenge, because a forum member bought it for $12, then sold it to me for $5 solely to have it included in the challenge. Alright, the lowest cost I could find it for, at the time of the trade for the PST, was $7.44. I assume at that point it will be considered fair price for the tool. And it lets me include the PST in this review, instead of saying it didn't cost enough for inclusion. :D

The pawn shop where I got this is the nearest one to my house. It's easy walking distance, but I don't go to it often because the manager is... well, he's kind of the bad stereotype of a pawn shop manager. He gives you nothing for your trade-in, and jacks the prices up to insane levels on all his items sold. I DID find one of the $5 Challenge contestants there for the first challenge, the Mountain Quest keychain plier tool. And while looking through his items, I noticed the PST.

It was marked at $20. I was interested, picked it up to look at it, and half the tools were frozen shut with rust. I tell him as much, and he says it works fine. I hand it to him, and ask him to open all the tools. He opens the blade, and says 'see?'. I say ALL the tools. He can't get the large flathead to budge. I like the PST, but in that condition, it was not worth $20. I offered $10, he wouldn't budge. I moved on with life. When the $10 Challenge rolled around, I revisited the shop, with a bunch of old tools to trade in, and the MP600 knock-off among them. He offered me $1 for a Tourist, $1 for a Wenger Evo 10, and at this point, I understood he's an a--... Uhh... He's not interested in fair trade-in values. I'm about to give up, then show him the MP600 knock-off. He offers me $20. Wait... what? Okay, so what about a straight-up trade for the PST? Sure, says he.

And THAT is how I got the PST. By trading a greedy man a knock-off. I'm sure he'll be able to sell it for a profit, and I rescued a severely mistreated MT from a rusty fate.

I honestly even thought offering $10 was iffy, considering the severity of the rust. But I hoped I could bring it back to life.

I hope you'll bear with me through a number of pics, to show you the condition of it as received.

Here's what it looked like when I got it home.


Blade and awl, and you can see the rust on the plier head.


The file was fairly badly rusted, and the inside of that handle was quite rusted.


I had to actually pry the large flathead up to open it.


So... I was a bit nervous about its condition. But I proceeded, starting with a hot soapy bath.


Notice that lovely color to the water? Yeah. Apparently, besides being rusty, it was also pretty grimy.

After the bath, there was a LOT of caked rust, but it seemed to be loosening...


Initial wipedown after the bath, and I'm starting to feel a bit optimistic.


Here the tool is with everything but plier head disassembled, waiting for thorough cleaning.


The paper towel in the pic gives you an idea of the grime still coming off this thing.

I used the polishing wheel of a dremel and polishing compound to remove the rust.


Given the chance to do it over again, I'd have used 600 and 2000 wet/dry sandpaper, like I did with the Micra (an earlier contestant in this challenge). After this, it was a simply matter of reassembly.

Last thing was to take a wire brush to the file.


And that's it. One of the things I've really come to appreciate about the PST and Micra is that you don't need special tools to service them. You can take them completely apart with two pairs of pliers. That, soap and water, some sandpaper, and a wire brush, and you've got a tool in pretty good condition. There is still a bit of pitting in the metal. The rust was no joke, but the minor pitting is really cosmetic at this point, and shouldn't affect performance. One of the MAJOR lessons for me in this Challenge is being able to look past cosmetic problems to see if a tool is still essentially sound. I'm also very happy with the stainless steel used. Rust, even when it forms, mostly remains a surface issue.

Review of function to follow.



us Offline Lynn LeFey

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,917
  • Any tool is better than nothing. Some not by much
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #1 on: February 15, 2018, 06:23:47 PM
Before I get on with the review, some stats. The tool is 5.28oz (150g). It's all stainless steel, and held together with threaded bolts. Like most of the Leatherman tools, it's built on a 4" frame. The tool is fairly flat, only about 1/2" thick. This, and it's rounded corners when closed makes it surprisingly easy to pocket carry, considering its weight. With the pliers closed, the ergonomics of the handle are very good. the edges are all slightly radiused to make a comfortable grip. When the pliers are open, it becomes a different matter, which I will discuss shortly. All of the tools are slipjoint, with no locking. The quality of manufacture is extremely good, with extremely well formed tools, and no rounded corners on the flatheads. There doesn't seem to be a particular 'finish' to the tool, but rather it looks like it's been sanded to about 600 grit, with machining marks clear on all tools. There is an included lanyard attachment point on the plier head side. I have never attached a lanyard to a PST, and it seems an odd and uncomfortable location for it, but I may test it later out of morbid curiosity.

On to the pliers.

The main tool around which the PST is built is a pair of needlenose pliers. The pivot on this one is not lose, but isn't tight enough to cut paper in the wire cutters any longer. There is just a hair of play. The width of handle splay with pliers in the closed position is very good for someone with medium, and probably even considerably smaller hands. The tools in the handles form something of a flat surface upon which to grip, but the ergonomics of the tool under hard grip are bad. There is a bit of flex in the handles using this tool, but it was never unnerving to me.

I reviewed the Ozark Trail 12-in-1 multitool for the $5 Challenge. The ergonomics on that tool are considerably worse than on the PST, but in the same ballpark.
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,75175.0.html

I don't mean to harp on this, but it is probably the single greatest downside to this tool.

With that said, how did it do?

The fact that the pliers are somewhat offset to one side means that they're pretty good at getting at flush bolts. the taper of the nose helps this further, making them good at getting into places.

They worked well to grab the self-tapping screws in my ductwork.


They also worked well on the bolts holding the steel shelving in my basement together.


However, the larger the bolt, and the more resistance it offered, the more you notice the painful bite of the handles into your hands. Untill...


By the time I got to the half inch nuts holding my stair treads together, my hands hurt. A LOT. The pliers had great grip, and there was no issue at the plier end. They seemed to be able to handle a great deal of force. The issue was really only with my pain threshold.

For light work, they're great. For heavy work, they still work, but you're probably going to want to wear gloves.

On to cutting and bending.


I cut a piece of wire coathanger, then bent the cut end to match the original bit cut off. It took surprisingly little effort to cut the coat hanger. This is an older model, with no hard wire notch, but had no problem at all. If you try to bend heavy wire at the tip of the pliers, you'll notice significant flex. Moving the wire further into the jaws prevented that. After cutting and bending the coat hanger, I made a tight loop in the 12-gauge copper wire, which worked fantastically. The fine needle nose worked well for this task. The nose is VERY fine, and pretty precise. I was able to pick a staple and needle off of a flat surface with them.

Pliers: PASS (you're going to want gloves for hard work)
Wire Cutter: PASS

I used these very pliers to disassemble the previous contestant, the Micra, and I will assure you that under strong grip, these things suck, and hurt like a complete mother-smurfer. Other than that, they are fantastic.


us Offline Lynn LeFey

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,917
  • Any tool is better than nothing. Some not by much
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #2 on: February 15, 2018, 07:14:52 PM
The blade.

Cutting edge on the blade is about 2 1/2" long. For my tastes, it has a good shape. The inside folding of the tool puts the other handle somewhat in the way while in use, but if you absolutely need to get the blade flat, you can half-jackknife open the handles. There is no side-to-side play, and even if there was, the bolt holding it together could simply be tightened to remove the play.

As received, the blade would barely cut regular paper. I gave it 20 strokes per side on ceramic rods, after which it would cleanly cut regular paper, thin receipt paper, and phonebook paper.


This was honestly one of the easiest sharpenings I've done, considering the sharpness when I started. I was also fairly amazed at the condition of the blade, considering the overall condition of the tool when purchased. There are no nicks, dings, or rolled edges.

After the sharpening, and initial paper cut, it got a run at some cardboard. 10 passes across the corrugations.


Then I gave a shot at making some firestick curls in a piece of ash.


Here, I noticed that while the ergos are good, they're not GREAT. It's possible that I was still feeling effects from plier testing, but I could really notice the handle in my palm doing the cuts in the wood. This is a place where the slim width of the handle works a bit against the tool. It was not a huge deal, but noticeable.

This use, requiring pretty significant pressure on the blade, never felt out of control, and i never felt like the blade would close while pulling it free from the cut. The design of the tool is also such that should the blade collapse closed, it will hit the other handle before closing far enough to hit your hand. As with side-to-side play mentioned at the beginning of the post, you can control the tightness of the pivot to increase stiffness in opening and closing the tool, increasing retention in the open position. This isn't my preferred method of controlling blade retention, but it works. Using only backspring tension, blade retention in the open position is about like a Swiss Army knife with somewhat soft backsprings. It's okay, not great.

I don't think I'd want it as my main blade in a survival situation, and I wouldn't pick it for whittling, but for basic knife tasks, it's fine.

Blade:Pass (for light duty)


us Offline Lynn LeFey

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,917
  • Any tool is better than nothing. Some not by much
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #3 on: February 15, 2018, 07:53:48 PM
Drivers.

Hey, kids! Do you like flathead screwdrivers? Well, have I got the multitool for YOU!  :D

The PST has 4 screwdrivers, a phillips, and three flatheads. Brand new, these are very precisely formed. As received, there's just a small amount of marring on the edge of the largest flathead. I have seen a number of used PSTs, and I would say by far the most common damage I've seen to them is to the smallest flathead screwdriver tips, which are very frequently torqued or broken. on this example, the small flathead is in great shape.

I was not going to cut the PST any breaks. From previous use, I knew it would handle a lot, so I went straight to hard use with the phillips, giving it a shot at a 3" wood screw in my back porch bench.


There was SIGNIFICANT flex in the tool, maybe 15 degrees rotational flex, while trying to loosen this screw, but it did it, and sprang right back into shape when done. This is as close as I've been in this Challenge to really feeling like I might be pushing a tool beyond safe limits. The driver held very firmly in the screw, with no sense that it would cam out, and at no point did it feel like the non-locking tool would collapse on me. But to be fair, I was not exerting a huge amount of downward force.

I gave it the usual round of testing on screws in my cabinets, but that was really just formality at that point.

I gave the large flathead a shot at hinge screws, and prying open a paint can, and it did fine at both. Then I did a sort of torture test on it...


That's a 15 degree or so flex while wedged between two 2x10s, and when released, it sprang right back into shape. There was no permanent deformation whatsoever.

The metal of this tool shows pretty good resilience to taking some bend and returning to shape. This is a MAJOR difference from the previously tested Mossy Oak, a tool with a good design and metal that would take and keep a bend fairly easily.

I have broken Leatherman tools before. They're not indestructible by any stretch of the imagination, but are pretty darn good.

The small driver is JUST small enough to slot into eyeglass screws.


The largest driver is a bit too large to slot into the screws in lightswitches and such, but the medium sized one works fine for this.

Drivers: PASS
Flathead for prying: PASS

The tool is really only limited by the force you can apply to a non-locking tool. Newer versions of the PST redesigned the shape of the Phillips and medium flathead so their line of force would tend to push them toward the open side instead of the folding closed side, but this is the original shape, and these drivers can collapse on you. You, and your fingers, are warned.


us Offline Lynn LeFey

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,917
  • Any tool is better than nothing. Some not by much
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #4 on: February 15, 2018, 08:57:54 PM
Other functions

The can opener/cap lifter

Does it open cans?


It sure does. This is about 1/3 of a small coffee can. I had to share opening duties with a couple other tools. The can opener works fine, but because of the width of the blade it has to push a lot more material out of the way than a Victorinox can opener. That requires a bit more force. I, personally, can work one of this style somewhat faster than a Vic's though. YMMV. There was no scraping on the inside of the can when I was done, so no metal splinters, although this can be an issue with this style of opener.

And as a cap lifter...


It works, although there's the chance of just punching through the top of the cap without pulling it off.

The Awl. I gave it a go at the same trashcan I used in my Huntsman test. It is considerably better at punching through this kind of material, and leather, than the Victorinox awl.


That's the GOOD news. The BAD is that while it's a good AWL, it's a terrible drill. I gave up after a few minutes of trying to get this thing to bore a hole in a half inch piece of ash, having made nothing more than a dent. Literally less than 1/16". It's good if you want to punch a hole in a tin can, or thin sheet material, or leather, or plastic, etc. Also, be warned, non locking awls can be iffy. I had no problem with this, but harder tests might show issues.

The file.

I put a nail in a vice, and used the metal saw on the side of the file to cut the nail head off.


I then took the file and tried to put a 45 or so degree angle on the end.


I was pretty impressed with the speed at which it accomplished both of these tasks. I took down most of the material on the nail with the cross cut side, then tried to smooth it out with the single cut side, and both worked really well. Any problems seemed more a matter of user than tool. :D

Can Opener/Cap Lifter: PASS
Awl (AS an awl): PASS
Awl (as a drill): FAIL
File as metal saw: PASS
File as metal file: PASS


us Offline Lynn LeFey

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,917
  • Any tool is better than nothing. Some not by much
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #5 on: February 15, 2018, 09:22:02 PM
So, closing thoughts.

First, stepping away from it as a tool in hand, this thing is pretty much a piece of genius design. If you look at the use of space inside the tool, it is extremely well used. that lends to a high tool density for its space. The next thing is, this is amazingly simple in construction. The tool narrows at the pliers, so the pin holding them in is not stressed unnecessarily, a point I made against the Mossy Oak MT in this challenge.

There are only two washers in this tool, flanking the file. I believe I know the intended function, but I think it actually works in two ways. I THINK that they're intended to allow a gap between the side of the handle and small flathead driver to keep the file from rubbing on those elements. However, it has a second, possibly unintended benefit, and i got to see it in this tool. It creates enough space for water to come out of the file. Since it's not as smooth as the other tools, it's more prone to rusting if the tool gets wet, and capillary action pulls water in or holds it in. However, in the specific case of this tool, I think what got into it was probably muddy water, and that held the water in place regardless.

Setting aside those design issues, does the PST have any other feature that sets it apart? I'd say yes. It is the lightest and probably most pocketable full size multitool I've ever encountered.

So it's fairly light, slim, with high tool density and pretty easy to maintain. What are the downsides?

The plier ergonomics almost can't be overstated how bad they are. As a PLIER based tool, this is a BIG hit. Less of a hit, but the fact that the tools don't lock puts a real upper limit on what you can safely accomplish with this tool.

So, is it worth $10

 :rofl:

I watched ebay for a month. I feel certain that I could sell this tool in this condition for $30 easily, and it's EASILY worth that.

This is an extremely strong contender for the best $10 MT.

But there's one contender left to come.


gb Offline Fuzzbucket

  • *
  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 9,585
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #6 on: February 15, 2018, 10:04:38 PM
Brilliant, excellent review Lynn!  :salute:


ie Offline Don Pablo

  • *
  • Zombie Apprentice
  • ********
    • Posts: 15,292
  • Yoo-hoo, big summer blowout!
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #7 on: February 15, 2018, 10:25:50 PM
Really cool to read!  :like:
Hooked, like everyone else. ;)

All hail the hook!


gb Offline Fuzzbucket

  • *
  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 9,585
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #8 on: February 15, 2018, 10:30:51 PM
Lovely PST too - it cleaned up nicely!  :tu:


it Offline Mini

  • *
  • Hero Member
  • *****
    • Posts: 747
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #9 on: February 15, 2018, 11:14:48 PM
Very interesting!  :like:


us Offline Lynn LeFey

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,917
  • Any tool is better than nothing. Some not by much
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #10 on: February 15, 2018, 11:31:25 PM
Thanks, all. :salute:

Lovely PST too - it cleaned up nicely!  :tu:

Yeah. I was honestly amazed at the transformation. I think it helped my view of this tool immensely that nothing was actually broken or damaged. Just rusty.


us Offline ironraven

  • *
  • No Life Club
  • ******
    • Posts: 3,071
  • American Clandestine Materials Executive (ACME)
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #11 on: February 16, 2018, 01:44:52 AM
OK, I usually find them for $15 when I rescue them from the TSA- great find, and that guy is an idiot smurf.

So, what's next? Or are we just going to call it a three way tie for the two Vics and the PST and everyone else starts at 4th place?
"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.


us Offline Yadda

  • No Life Club
  • ******
    • Posts: 3,578
  • Lifelike and remarkably self similar
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #12 on: February 16, 2018, 02:15:00 AM
I've got a beat up PST coming.  Cost was $8.51.  I think it is missing the file. This review makes me more excited to get it in hand.
"It didn't hurt, flirt, blood squirt, stuffed shirt, hang me on a tree
After I count down three rounds, in Hell I'll be in good company" -  The Dead South


us Offline Lynn LeFey

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,917
  • Any tool is better than nothing. Some not by much
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #13 on: February 16, 2018, 02:45:18 AM
I've got a beat up PST coming.  Cost was $8.51.  I think it is missing the file. This review makes me more excited to get it in hand.

Awesome! I think you'll like it, even with a missing file. Someone here might have a spare, too, and they're not hard to fix. As I showed above, two pairs of pliers and the tool's apart. And it's not hard to reassemble, unlike some tools I've messed with.


us Offline Lynn LeFey

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,917
  • Any tool is better than nothing. Some not by much
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #14 on: February 16, 2018, 02:46:51 AM
So, what's next? Or are we just going to call it a three way tie for the two Vics and the PST and everyone else starts at 4th place?

Well, YOU were going to call it after the Vics, so...

Yeah, still a strong contender to come. Not sure if it'll be the winner, but it's good.


us Offline Yadda

  • No Life Club
  • ******
    • Posts: 3,578
  • Lifelike and remarkably self similar
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #15 on: February 16, 2018, 04:15:33 AM
I've got a beat up PST coming.  Cost was $8.51.  I think it is missing the file. This review makes me more excited to get it in hand.

Awesome! I think you'll like it, even with a missing file. Someone here might have a spare, too, and they're not hard to fix. As I showed above, two pairs of pliers and the tool's apart. And it's not hard to reassemble, unlike some tools I've messed with.

 :tu:
"It didn't hurt, flirt, blood squirt, stuffed shirt, hang me on a tree
After I count down three rounds, in Hell I'll be in good company" -  The Dead South


us Offline SteveC

  • Global Moderator
  • Just Bananas
  • *
    • Posts: 67,358
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #16 on: February 16, 2018, 05:48:00 AM
It's the only Multitool I carried for over 20 years and it served me well  :tu:


us Offline Lynn LeFey

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,917
  • Any tool is better than nothing. Some not by much
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #17 on: February 16, 2018, 06:33:59 AM
It's the only Multitool I carried for over 20 years and it served me well  :tu:

Care to give some thoughts on long-term use? How does the blade work for day to day stuff, or did you carry a separate blade? How did you find the ergo of the plier handles? How does the file hold up over time? Do you pocket or belt carry? Etc. I'm very interested to get the perspective from someone who's lived with it that long.


au Offline ReamerPunch

  • Thread Killer 2017
  • *
  • Zombie Apprentice
  • ********
    • Posts: 10,185
  • Born to multitask.
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #18 on: February 16, 2018, 09:04:10 AM
Quite a story indeed, and great job with bringing it back to life.  :cheers:

Very appropriate to test a PST now, too.  :like:


es Offline ThePeacent

  • *
  • Zombie Apprentice
  • ********
    • Posts: 14,599
  • Firm believer of Sturgeon's Law
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #19 on: February 16, 2018, 12:54:40 PM
my OG ST came in similar condition, also cleaned up fine,  :salute:

these tools used are a bargain most times, they come back to business in a breeze with some TLC. Also, this tool you tested was 21 years old, how many Ozark Trails, Les Stroud or Mossy Oak would work as good after two decades...I bet few of them   :whistle:

good tests and review Lynn, you always bring much fun and entertainment to this forum  :tu:
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 Lynn LeFey

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,917
  • Any tool is better than nothing. Some not by much
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #20 on: February 16, 2018, 04:11:18 PM
Very appropriate to test a PST now, too.  :like:

With the collector's edition one released, and a general thought of "how much would YOU pay for a PST", I had to bite my tongue while thinking "I guess at least $8".  :rofl:

these tools used are a bargain most times, they come back to business in a breeze with some TLC. Also, this tool you tested was 21 years old, how many Ozark Trails, Les Stroud or Mossy Oak would work as good after two decades...I bet few of them   :whistle:

While this is very true, it's also true that the tool as purchased was almost unusable. It's not just a question of how long they last. It's a question of whether or not you have the time and interest in doing the restoration work. If I had worked a minimum wage job for the amount of time I worked to fix this thing, I could have bought a new Rebar. Okay, maybe a gently used Rebar. :D


es Offline ThePeacent

  • *
  • Zombie Apprentice
  • ********
    • Posts: 14,599
  • Firm believer of Sturgeon's Law
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #21 on: February 17, 2018, 05:39:09 PM
Very appropriate to test a PST now, too.  :like:


While this is very true, it's also true that the tool as purchased was almost unusable. It's not just a question of how long they last. It's a question of whether or not you have the time and interest in doing the restoration work. If I had worked a minimum wage job for the amount of time I worked to fix this thing, I could have bought a new Rebar. Okay, maybe a gently used Rebar. :D

fair enough.
That's why when the tools you tested drew blood in this challenge and I read about how you spent "30 mins"  :o sharpening a blade or nearly and hour between those two SAK's badly ground and sharpened edges, I thought to myself that not even I spend that much time on edges, especially if they're from cheap knives.   :ahhh

If they're so damaged or bad, I put them through the Dremel   :D and forget about "surgical precision sharpening"
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 Lynn LeFey

  • Absolutely No Life Club
  • *******
    • Posts: 7,917
  • Any tool is better than nothing. Some not by much
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #22 on: February 17, 2018, 06:24:10 PM
That's why when the tools you tested drew blood in this challenge and I read about how you spent "30 mins"  :o sharpening a blade or nearly and hour between those two SAK's badly ground and sharpened edges, I thought to myself that not even I spend that much time on edges, especially if they're from cheap knives.   :ahhh

If they're so damaged or bad, I put them through the Dremel   :D and forget about "surgical precision sharpening"

The time I spent is for two reasons. Until a few days ago, I didn't have a good way to sharpen a blade very quickly, with any degree or precision. So it was a slow process. Second, I don't want my results of 'this blade sucks' to be because I did a half-smurfed job.

However, I have a new sharpener that should speed things up for future testing.


us Offline ironraven

  • *
  • No Life Club
  • ******
    • Posts: 3,071
  • American Clandestine Materials Executive (ACME)
Re: Used Leatherman PST (Lynn's $10 MT Challenge)
Reply #23 on: February 19, 2018, 12:01:22 AM
That's why when the tools you tested drew blood in this challenge and I read about how you spent "30 mins"  :o sharpening a blade or nearly and hour between those two SAK's badly ground and sharpened edges, I thought to myself that not even I spend that much time on edges, especially if they're from cheap knives.   :ahhh

I had a similar thought.

Then I remembered times in my life where $10 was food for three or four days. If I could get a SAK or LM for less than $10 that I had a high degree of confidence that I could recover, I would have. Even if I had to make the soapy water by boiling wood ash and some grease.

They took time to recover. If I was back in those kinds of circumstances again, I MIGHT go with the knock off pliers based because it performed OK. But back then, there weren't a lot of knock off multitools other than Gerber, and the only cheap options to a SAK were things like Lynn's old Colman and "Q-army" knives.And I still think I would think about recovering the LM or a SAK.
« Last Edit: February 19, 2018, 01:33:56 AM 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

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.


 

Donations

Operational Funds

Help us keep the Unworkable working!
Donate with PayPal!
March Goal: $300.00
Due Date: Mar 31
Total Receipts: $379.86
PayPal Fees: $19.62
Net Balance: $360.24
Above Goal: $60.24
Site Currency: USD
120% 
March Donations

Community Links


Powered by EzPortal