Plier type

[ringzero]

So which do you guys prefere needle nose or blunt pliers

For my part I like blunt or blunter style pliers as most of the time if I'm using pliers it's strength I need more than reach and precision

So what about you

Depends on which tools count as being blunt nose?

-Obviously the Gerber 600 Blunt Nose counts.

-Swisstool - or does that count as a hybrid between blunt and needle? 

-Wenger Swissgrip looks blunt to me.

Other blunt nose?

.

[Smitty44]

Needle,good for removing fish hooks.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

So which do you guys prefere needle nose or blunt pliers

For my part I like blunt or blunter style pliers as most of the time if I'm using pliers it's strength I need more than reach and precision

So what about you

Depends on which tools count as being blunt nose?

-Obviously the Gerber 600 Blunt Nose counts.

-Swisstool - or does that count as a hybrid between blunt and needle? 

-Wenger Swissgrip looks blunt to me.

Other blunt nose?

.

I'd class the Swisstool's (at least the later one's) as blunt

[Dtrain]

I disagree somewhat concerning the SwissTool.I like the "Hybrid" term better myself.I would not be suprised if the Engineers at Victorinox looked at the two most popular selling Multi-tools out there (Leatherman/Gerber) and Pro-conned the differences.Then bieng the ingenious Engineers that they are split the difference to try and appeal to both Markets.

Dtrain

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I disagree somewhat concerning the SwissTool.I like the "Hybrid" term better myself.I would not be suprised if the Engineers at Victorinox looked at the two most popular selling Multi-tools out there (Leatherman/Gerber) and Pro-conned the differences.Then bieng the ingenious Engineers that they are split the difference to try and appeal to both Markets.

Dtrain

Yeah you are right in as much as they are a hybrid design (and a superiour one at that) but if you had to lump them into one catagory neddle nosed or blunt?...I'd still call them blunt

[Leatherman123]

I like needle nose because they are so versatile. On LM's they work so well you can almost use them as tweezers. You can also crank bolts with them too! 

[Biru]

I do like the Leatherman pliers and prefer that style. The ONLY thing I don't care for on the Swisstool pliers is the shorter, blunter plier tips. While arguably the thicker, blunter tips can make the pliers stronger, they do preclude reaching into tight spots.

[Benner]

I do like the Leatherman pliers and prefer that style. The ONLY thing I don't care for on the Swisstool pliers is the shorter, blunter plier tips. While arguably the thicker, blunter tips can make the pliers stronger, they do preclude reaching into tight spots.

Those are my thoughts too.  At least they aren't Swissgrip blunt.

[Biru]

You know, this is weird, but when I began to look at Leatherman tools, I found a site which was based in Finland, I think. I didn't have an IP identifier then, but I believe the origin was Finnish.

Anyway, this site had a couple of stories about rather unusual uses for Leatherman tools. For the Wave, they had one about a mother whose car had slipped off an icy embankment and into a river. She had to one-hand the Wave (showing it's obvious merit) and cut the belts holding her child in before they drowned. In another story (about which this post is most concerned), a medic in the Middle East had to perform emergency surgery aided by a Wave. He used the very sharp Wave pliers to remove shrapnel and to dress the wound (there was a gory bit about the saw, but I'll skip that).

These stories (I believe I've accurately recalled them) made quite an impression on my choice of the Wave over other tools. The stories could be fabricated, but at any rate I'd imagine the pliers of a Leatherman are quite capable of doing the moderate emergency medical work described. Imagine trying to do such fine work with the Swisstool or Gerber Legend pliers. I wouldn't want to be put in such a situation, but were I then I'd probably prefer the pointier Leatherman pliers.

Just noodling, Bill.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

It's a fair point, but on the whole I just don't find myself doing much impromptue surgery these days

[Biru]

I still prefer the Swisstool spear-point blade for scalpel use. 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I still prefer the Swisstool spear-point blade for scalpel use. 

And the saw's pretty good for dealing with those pesky chest injurys too

[Dunc]

Like you guys have already said the Swisstool is a hybride , neither true blunt or needlenose although like Micky said you'd have to put it in blunt catagory if you had to .

I still prefer the Swisstool spear-point blade for scalpel use. 

I once heard of a German doctor doing an amputation with a Swisstool after the tsunami that hit Asia  . There was also one with a LM Supertool in Afghanistan that was used to amputate a leg .
Dunc

[Biru]

I believe the site I mentioned contained a story about a leg amputation in Afghanistan. One thing, for whatever reason, if ever I have to have surgery done by multitool, I want it to be with a Swisstool. With that excellent finish, it seems more like a precision instrument. Just promise me not to use a Schradetool...

[Mike D]

For my edc multi's I prefer the Leatherman needle nose plier. I just think there are more daily jobs that requite precision from a multi then shear brute force from the blunter style pliers. If I think I'm really going to have to put monster two hand force on something that a proper sized wrench wont fit, I grab a pair of channelocks...my name is Mike and I'm a multi-tool user not abuser

[bobofish]

Don't call the Swisstool blunt, it might get offended.

I honestly like both, and can see myself buying a blunt nosed Charge. That said however, I use my needlenose tip all the time.

What I'd really love frankly would be slightly longer jaws, to save my knuckles a bit.

[Dtrain]

I disagree somewhat concerning the SwissTool.I like the "Hybrid" term better myself.I would not be suprised if the Engineers at Victorinox looked at the two most popular selling Multi-tools out there (Leatherman/Gerber) and Pro-conned the differences.Then bieng the ingenious Engineers that they are split the difference to try and appeal to both Markets.

Dtrain

Yeah you are right in as much as they are a hybrid design (and a superiour one at that) but if you had to lump them into one catagory neddle nosed or blunt?...I'd still call them blunt

Yeah,I will go with you on that one.I can see your point on this as well.

Dtrain

[scrappy]

I don't like the plier in between
one or the other.

[Teofilo]

needle nose plier. So easy to remove girlfriend's hair in the armpit

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

needle nose plier. So easy to remove girlfriend's hair in the armpit

Yuck

[Leatherman123]

Indeed! 

[bobofish]

Better than the needle nose Brazilian wax!

[duckman1975]

needle nose plier. So easy to remove girlfriend's hair in the armpit

Yuck

Prefer needle, use mine for emergency grooming removing thick wandering nose hair. SAK tweezers can't seem to do the job.

[Teofilo]

duckman, besides removing nose hairs with the needlenose, its also easy to pull-out loose eyebrows.
Blunt-nose pliers  can't do that!

[Teofilo]

not unless you have a super big nosetrils! lol

[duckman1975]

not unless you have a super big nosetrils! lol

Imagine using a CAT multitool

[josekym]

Needle-nose is my preferred plier-head type, but my EDC is a Swisstool so I get the best of both worlds with a combination blunt-nose (strength) and needle nose (dexterity; albeit shorter reach, admittedly). 

[duckman1975]

Needle-nose is my preferred plier-head type, but my EDC is a Swisstool so I get the best of both worlds with a combination blunt-nose (strength) and needle nose (dexterity; albeit shorter reach, admittedly). 

josekym, I believe you also have a LM wave aside from your swisstool which you EDC. How does the wave compared to swisstool? My first and only plier based multitool is the LM charge in happy with it but it's time to buy a new multitool  Read many very good things about the swisstool,my only gripe with it,is that it doesn't have one hand opening capability on its knife.

[Leatherman123]

WOW, needle nose wins by a LONG shot!