lm charge

[mkphc]

dumb question-
do you think lm would up-fit my new wave w/a charge 154cm main blade?

[Grant Lamontagne]

Provided you are willing to pay for it, I am sure Leatherman wouldn't have an issue with painting it pink and building in a cheese grater!

Seriously, I am sure it would be possible, but I can't help but wonder if it would be worth the extra money?  There is very little price difference between the Wave and Charge, and the benefits of 154cm over the standard blade are dubious at best.  The issue with these blades when it comes to cutting isn't the blade steel, it's the geometry.  Multitool blades aren't meant to be used so much as they are designed to withstand abuse, and that's why they generally won't perform at the same level as dedicated knives.  A perfect example is the post I made a while back about installing new weatherstripping in my work truck.  When I tried to cut off the excess with my Kf4 I had a bit of a fight and I couldn't figure out why until afterwards I noticed that there was steel wire (8 of them actually!) going though it and the blade was fighting to get through it.  The thicker blades and heavier grinds are meant for that kind of pounding while the edges on tactical and hunting knives are usually thinner.  Thicker blades create more drag and so don't slice as neatly, but they stand up to more punishment before chipping or breaking.

154cm would be an improvement for edge holding, but I'm not convinced it would be worthwhile to try and retrofit the blade, or as a reason to buy a more expensive tool.

Def

[mkphc]

ok, what an arguement! no honestly I see your point (pun intended) I just got a new wave on a trade, and  I have an original wave and ... the steel on both sucks, my OHT is a much better cutter, again the geometry wins,... but really don't you think the 154 is worth it? i agree $ is $ and I have no intertion to buy another tool (I allready have a LM super tool, both Waves) I mean I love the tool but the steel really gets me down.

I can't live w/o it but I'm really trying to go w/ one tool/knife for work I try and stay light,

I mean OHT and a LM Wave are a little to heavy,.... I guess I'm too hard to please and other suggestions?

Thanks,
Mike

[Grant Lamontagne]

Well if you are trying not to buy another tool I think you are in the wrong place!  

If you don;t want to carry the Wave and the OHT together, you could check out the SwissTool, but that might also be a bit bulky.  The Spirit is a great choice to go lighter, and SAK edge geometry is almost perfect.  Victorinox doesn't use the new super steels and SAKs have been the most effective and popular knives around for over a century.

Or, you could get yourself a smaller SAK- there are a number of models smaller than the OHT that would take the cutting chores very seriously.  I often pair a SAK and multi for EDC- lately it's been a Juice (was the Kf4 but I'm really digging the XE6) and a Soldier type ALOX model, although I'm going to change that up for the Farmer soon I think.

The ALOX SAKs (as you probably know) are built like tanks and I feel are heavier duty than the bigger 111mm models like the OHT.  Pairinf one of them with the Wave might be a great option for you, especially since the Soldier is pretty light- under 70g or 2 and a half ounces.  They literally disappear in your pocket.

That way you'd still have your Wave with the scissors, pliers etc and have the really sweet blade when you need it.  And, of course the ability to hold the bolt with the Wave and unscrew it with the SAK.

Remember, Tim Leatherman's original idea was to make a tool that complimented the SAK, not competed with it.

Def

[mkphc]

Ok great, do you have a copper cadet for me? how about a one handed ALOX?

I really appreaciate your time for  recommendations, allthough i REALLY need a one hander, I'm gonna make this harded on you Def!

[Grant Lamontagne]

I thought the One Handed option was what you wanted the Wave for?  No problem though.  Take an ALOX Solo like this one:

http://felinevet.sosakonline.com/index.php?option=com_phpshop&page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=82&Itemid=

(doesn't have to be red- the silver ones are less pricey) and perform a simple mod on it like this one:

http://www.sosakonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=35

You'll have to be logged in to read it though.  If you can't find a One Armed Bandit like the one used in that particular mod you could just get a standard thumbstud and permanently mount it on the blade.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Oh, and no problem- spending time here and contributing to discussions is kinda my job around here!

Def

[mkphc]

super! where do I get a thustud like that?
would that work on a cadet?
I'll have to contact feline vet

thanks Def!

[Grant Lamontagne]

No problem.  However, the bad news is that it likely would not work on a Cadet unless you are left handed.  Victorinox for some reason always puts other tools in "front" of the blade so a mod like this won't work on anything more than a single layer SAK like a Waiter, Solo or Alpineer.  If you are left handed then you could manage it with a two layer SAK as the bolt would be on the other side of the knife, away from the can opener.

I don't think that the One Armed Bandit is made anymore, and they seem to be getting harder and harder to find.  Your best bet might be to buy a cheap one handed opener at the mall or something and steal the thumbstud off it.  I pick up these knives once in a while simply for parts like that.  If you don;t want to do that, you can check out companies like www.texasknife.com, www.jantzsupply.com or www.knifekits.com for thumbstuds.  They all have several to choose from, but be careful as many of these are designed for heavier bladed tactical folders and may not fit on a SAK so well.  Also, make certain that you get a one sided thumbstud if you are going to use a Cadet.

The other concern about using a Cadet is that the copper color (if using a copper Cadet like you mentioned earlier) is only a coating over the regular ALOX.  Grinding away a bit of the scale to accomodate the thumbstud will leave you with silver ALOX showing through.

Of course, there is also the OH Spirit that Bob speculated on for us here- but again, that would really only work for lefties too, unless you really wanted to spend alot of time modding it.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,215.0.html

The second style on this page, with the thumbstud is what I was referring to.

Def

[Fred]

sounds like you have put lots of thought into the Def.Any plans we should know about?