Leatherman Garage

[Made in Portland]

Got mine yesterday and my biggest issue with it is that the white gets stripped off by the pliers when opening and closing. I also found a spot that looks like they didn't clean the bare metal before applying the white Cerakote and left a area not covered on the outside of the handle...


Love the tool, just feel this missed the mark on its production of a limited edition.

[powernoodle]

Didn't realize it had spring loaded pliers Glad it is a shelf queen I hope that the ARC doesn't have that feature

If this video is correct, the Arc will not have spring loaded pliers, as it does not show the removable pivot that the Garage 5 has (which presumably is for spring replacement).  I like spring loaded pliers, but each to his own on that one.  But the spring is a potential failure point, and a springy plier head prolly is not as durable under heavy use.

[powernoodle]

Got mine yesterday

Welcome to MTO!    

[Cynan]

 Noticed the pilers stripping the paint too.. luckily noticed pretty quickly and it’s not been marred to badly. The rest of the coating looks fine from what I can see. There is a small blemish in the blade but you’d only notice it if really looking.

[Cynan]

How are all your large bit drivers? Are they worrying loose?

[Rich_SD]

What the... ?!  Count me jealous.  Very nice!!   

[Outback in Idaho]

  Received a Completed order notification and UPS shipping label a bit ago. 

[Rich_SD]

I just received my shipping notification    I have to be honest, I was sweating it a little.  I have purchased a lot of Leathermans from leatherman.com, so I get worried that they might think I'm reselling.

[Wessaen]

Also got a shipping notification a few moments ago. Which I thought was odd as it was minutes after I attempted to call customer service twice with both times the CSR being unable to hear me even though I could hear them just fine.

Guess I did the right thing and sat on my hands for over a week to see how things would play out after all of the server issues.

Hoping this will be a user for me, I really like my P2 and haven't handled a P4 yet but I like the longer file and other altered tools.  It really all depends on how the pliers feel, I'm not usually a fan of spring loaded pliers.

-Wes.

[Outback in Idaho]

  So yesterday I got shipping notification for a Standard Rate. As much as this cost I was not really wanting to make the cost worse, so went with the 10 day shipping option. We had a VOA meeting today, and the boss said we could go home if our projects were done. While I was thinking about that Shop notified my that my Leatherman was arriving today! Okay, well then, took off early. 

  Had a short rest in the mesh chair and heard UPS drive up. And.... 

[Rich_SD]

Congratz!      

[Outback in Idaho]

  Not sure how to tell which batch of the 1983 mine was at. Really elated that I actually won a slot in the Garage sales.

  Am liking the pliers. The spring is light. The awl is a small screwdriver which is chiseled on one side. Classy, can be useful. The can opener though, eeeegh that thing is small. Like the Victorinox sized version better. Will have to give it a go one of these days.

  Interesting method of pliers locking. This much unlike all the other Leatherman tools I have owned. Pliers do say Leatherman USA    The pliers feel good, the teeth not so aggressive in which I prefer. The crimper seems different, still it is there.

  Handles feel good. Sort of wished there was an option to move the pocket clip to the other end. Wonder if Leatherman realizes there is another feature they are missing, or have over-looked. When the pliers are closed there is a gap in between the crimpers. Can almost swear that this would be a good way to straighten out bend wire or metal, and in favor for cyclists a disc brake tweaker. May have to pull the recumbent out to test the theory. 

[Outback in Idaho]

  The blade opens oh so smoothly, like buttah!   Still getting used to these new release levers. And opening a tool, guess ya use a thumbnail to flick down on the open grooves to pry them open? Seems odd, a fidget opener? 

  Really, there is only one thing missing on this tool... the Blade Exchanger! Seriously. This essentially a Charge sized Mini-Surge, but without the blade exchanger. Leatherman is oh so close to breaking new territory here. The tool could go wider, or skip that eyeglass bit thing, slider stuff over, put the blade exhanger in place of the file. And ya know someone's going to mod one of these or the Arc and do just that.

   

  Now to find someone that can make a robust leather sheath for this pocket-monster. Thicker leather, a far better snap system with a security loop (or two), one that where the belt clip can slide over onto the sheath (or into a hidden pocket) for security, and offset the snap(s) with aggressive buggers that won't give like these Leatherman snaps do. This is not a knife for Velcro either, it needs cradled in love, luxury, and security.

  As a big guy, trust me when I say sheaths need to be robust and aggressive. They don't need Texas sides thickness or footprint, but they do need quality leather in there to be rigid enough to last the years. And a double loop system with a snap down would be recommended for the price of this puppy. It might not be a quick tool withdrawal, but I woulds rather have the tool in there instead of the "Oh smurf!" moment. Been there.

[Rich_SD]

  , or skip that eyeglass bit thing,

    Nooooo!   

Haha!

I have never used the eyeglass bit on glasses, but I have used it a LOT on the small screws on a lot of electronic devices.  For example, I recently used it to swap a hard drive on a small laptop.

[Cynan]

I prefer a serrated blade over the plain edge. Would also welcome a t-shank which would then allow swapping blades. I’d also ditch the can opener. I do like the small bit driver. If only they’d do something like the GOAT and let us buy spare parts.. then everyone would be happy.

Everyone who has received there’s now, enjoy!

But tell me, is the bit in the large bit driver a bit loose for you guys like mine is?

[powernoodle]

But tell me, is the bit in the large bit driver a bit loose for you guys like mine is?

I think those are a bit (<<pun) loose across the product line.  The bit jiggles on my Leatherman Curl, for example.

[SteveC]

I really don't get the obsession on their part to include a can opener in this day and age   
They always seem to fall short on the tool load 

[powernoodle]

I really don't get the obsession on their part to include a can opener in this day and age   

There is prolly a deep, psychological basis for that derived from when Timmy was driving around Europe in his 20's with no money, eating beans out of a can. He imprinted on the can opener as the only thing he could count on and believe in.  There is no other explanation.

[Rich_SD]

I really don't get the obsession on their part to include a can opener in this day and age   

I completely agree!!!  I feel the same about cork screws too 

[Outback in Idaho]

I completely agree!!!  I feel the same about cork screws too 

  I happen to like the Swiss styled can opener, and use one about every day. Guess us people that live in rural America still have canneries that package in actual cans - no pull-taps here unless you want beer. And Leatherman's older styled can openers leave metal shrapnel behind, and those do not come out of the hand so well. Can imagine those that hate can openers never used one as an awl, scraper, or thread scraper.

  This can opener though does not have the wire stripper V notch, nor does the flathead or screwdriver awl. Will have to use the pliers like the old days. Oops, did I say that? 

  There is some play in the large bit driver, probably to accommodate varied bit manufacturers. Would not declare it as a defect, although there is an extra metal piece to keep the bit in place when closed. The keeper spring does not have much going on here. The bit driver does looks different.
  Comparing to a Charge TTi the design of the LBD is noticeably different in overall, and the spring on the TTi is more ┐ than #5 at which is angled. Both have the same looseness or wiggle room. Bits still fit the same in both.


  As for being innovative... not having a wire stripper on a tool part was really noticeable to me right away. Did see the sharper angled flathead that appears to be a clam-shell opener or box cutter. Maybe a play from the Spirit's chisel? Scissors could act as a wire stripper, but will miss the V notch.

  Oh, and the flattened end allows #5 to stand on its end (pliers). That is, hmm... something different.


  #5 does fit tightly into a Spirit pouch. Ordered a couple of real tree nylon pouches (sale price) from Leatherman today that this out to fit into up until I find a decent leather sheath. Wished I could find a new Charge sheath with that oval metal badge. Have so liked those. The elastic does not hold up well over time though.

[Cynan]

Great write up!

Hadn’t noticed the lack of wire stripper. Have to say I still use the plier method all the time - didn’t realise it was taboo !

[Cynan]

Thank you for the detailed large bit driver info. It seems a lot better on my Wave+.

I don’t really get how Leatherman has a tool tool like the can opener/wire cutter and then they don’t always use it. Seems a step backwards and it seems that on every tool they choose to include something people want but also something people don’t. It’s almost like they don’t want to make one perfect tool to get people to buy more than one hmm.

My wish for the Arc is same as #5 but…
- t-shank adaptor x2 where the file and saw are.
- can opener with the wire stripper.

[Outback in Idaho]

  Getting a decent sheath is going to be a challenge. #5 is a lot like the Charge, minus the diamond body width of the blades.

#5 is :
Length: 1098.36 mm long
Width: 35.67 mm at the widest (blade), 31.85 mm at pliers end, 32.48 mm at opening end
Thicks: 21 mm thickness at latches, 17.16 mm in middle, 23.55 mm across the belt loop.

Personally I like clipping the belt loop over the sheath, before closing the flap. That trick saved me a few times. Have read others put the belt clip down into the sheath first to have the sheath form over the belt clip.

Since #5 is roughly $100 more than the Arc, why not have it as a user? The higher price is probably due to being made in the USA. - - Hopefully the Arc will have more of the refinements that Leatherman uses. This whole P series I did not care for and this is the first version of those that I bought. Not overly keen on the fidget deployers. Running the thumb or finger over the latches is just weird. 

[Outback in Idaho]

  American Bench Made on Amazon claims to have 18 different types of sheaths for Leatherman, so sent them generalized measurements for #5. Leather gives and breaks in, so the 'extra' parts was not measured, more of the main tool only. Do not want a lot of wobble going on ya know. 🥴

Length:  4.25 inches long
Width:  0.68" inches thick
Thickness: 1.24 inches thick

  This ought to get the word out to everyone on the internet, right? 🤠 🤙🏻

[Rich_SD]

Hadn’t noticed the lack of wire stripper. Have to say I still use the plier method all the time - didn’t realise it was taboo !

I do it the same way, even when the tool has that V-shaped wire stripper on the can/bottle opener.  Still, even though I don't use them, I appreciate how Leatherman consolidates the can opener, the bottle opener, and the wire stripper on many of their tools for those who do.  It would have been nice for them to do the same on the Garage 5 (and presumably on the Arc), but I don't care either way.

[ToolJoe]

File me under those who still use the swiss can opener. I use mine on my Spirit and Super Tinker quite often.

[Cynan]

I don’t use a can opener,  yet I do use the bottle opener. Is the combined can/bottle opener that much worse than the can opener? A dedicated bottle opener does seem to work better than the combined can/bottle opener, but if they want both in a tool then I’d rather the combined one personally so the extra space can be used for something else… and who knows I may use the can opener one day. So yeah can the same be said of the can opener?

[zoidberg]

...so the extra space can be used for something else…

What else would you like?

[Cynan]

What else would you like?

A t-shank adaptor or 2.
I don’t use scissors. I would prefer a serrated blade for  cutting rope. With a t-shank I could add a serrated blade and easily replace it when it dulls.

[Crunchie64]

I’m on the fence about the T - shank blade holder.

The saw and file that came with my Surge fit nicely, but blades from a Bosch multipack have a lot of unwanted movement.

Maybe something like the Parts knife (I’ve never handled or used one) with a selection of knife and saw blades?

It would probably be more expensive than buying off-brand blades, but having a wood saw, a metal saw, a serrated blade with gut hook, a file, all available would be good.