Well this isn't particularly timely. The Legend came out some years before I even became interested in multis, which in itself was a depressingly long time ago. I remember it being billed as "the most advanced multitool on the planet", which is a strange thing to say about a tool, but it certainly tries. At the time, I did some cursory research into the matter and narrowed down my search to three tools: the Swisstool the Legend and the Charge TTI (was it even out back then?). Obviously, I settled on the Legend. Yeah, my research was pretty cursory... still, the Legend has been with me for many years now and I even got to use it once or twice. Definitely can't say categorically I made the
wrong choice. I'm a shamefully poor owner, so if you can't bear to see rusty blades and the like - avert your eyes. So, without further ado, the Legend.
I’m a CNC lathe operator and most of the time when I reach for the pouch, it’s to pry loose a horrible mess of steel shavings. For that, the Legend’s pliers are just right. The handles are actually a bit too massive for my hands, but nicely contoured and spring loaded. Very handy for work with dangerous strings of steel, when even wearing thick gloves won’t save you from nasty cuts.
In fact, I use the pliers so much, I actually leave the pouch open for easy access on the job. Combined with one-handed opening knife and scissors, this means I’m always about a second away from cutting a zip tie, opening a package, or parting a sheet of sandpaper. Not that it matters, but you know... That’s why I carry a multitool in the first place.
The pouch, by the way, is flappy and shapeless, so if you DON’T want to leave it open, its going to take you a while to open.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen one-handed opening scissors elsewhere. To be fair, I flick them open with one hand, then unfold the handle with the other. So they’re not so much one-handed, as assisted opening. Kind of.
The scissors are surprisingly good, although their ability to cut tough materials is limited by your tolerance for pain: the handle digs into your thumb quite aggressively. Not being an expert on blade sharpening, all I can say is that they’ve been cutting various things for the better part of a decade now and aren’t any worse for wear. Really, really good scissors. I’ll miss them most if I change tools.
The replaceable wire cutters are the Legend’s biggest claim to fame and they do not disappoint. They handily cut through anything but thick steel wire and even then I’m not sure if it’s the tool’s fault or mine. I lost the torx key that came with the tool, but it doesn’t seem to be a pressing issue... Once again, I need a multi to battle monstrous blobs of steel shavings that accumulate inside a lathe, so good wire cutters are a critical component for me. These are good wire cutters.
Somewhat disappointingly, despite working with steel all day, I never found a use for the Remgrit metal saw, not once. Others have already lamented the lack of additional options for what is clearly meant as a holder for various types of saws, but it’s really dumb, so I’ll lament it, as well: it’s dumb. It’s like they started out building a legitimate competitor for the Surge, then suddenly ran out of money. It makes me really, really angry. It’s like a big white flag. Regardless, after searching for years, I finally found a wood saw that fits in the slot, although it seems a bit underwhelming. I wouldn’t put it through the same ordeals I unleash on my trusty SAK saw. In Gerber’s defense, I never actually tried cutting wood with the default saw. I mean, it’s a metal saw. Why would you even think to cut wood with it???
The file is ok and that’s that. Pretty big, too. The two sides are of different grit, so that’s nice, but the lack of a sawing surface on the side of the file is.. strange. Heck, if Gerber wanted to give me a metal saw so much, this is where they should have put it. Does Wenger hold a patent on that setup?
Drivers are typical stubby Gerber drivers, though I suppose the 3D Phillips is becoming something of a luxury these days. There’s a lackluster bit kit somewhere out there, but honestly, if I’m going to spend 50 bucks on shipping a bit kit from overseas, I might as well splurge on a Leatherman to go with it. Also, I’ve never actually needed and not had a can opener, but the lack of one on a multi makes me feel somewhat anxious. Like at any moment, I could suddenly starve.
Oh, right. This thing has a knife. Again - not an expert. It kind of looks cheapish and I haven’t really challenged it with hardy materials to cut, so I can’t attest to the quality. It did come relatively sharp out of the box and I never had to pretend to sharpen it since. Overall, I’m not a big blade user, so I have little constructive criticism to offer. The blade’s there, it opens easily and locks securely. Great. It could be longer, I guess.
Speaking of locks, whoever thought of these should be locked up. It’s great all the implements lock, but opening them requires both hands AND they dig into your fingers. It’s actually a noticeable effort to unlock the darn things.
In general, while I never EDCd a Wave or anything better, I’d say the Legend is a good, solid tool, but far from the best. It’s clearly trying to be more than it is, taking shots at the big boys with some of the features (and the price), but falling short of a Surge or SwissTool in terms of a tool complement (not to mention fit and finish, sheesh). Still, I’d have a hard time finding another multi with an OH blade, great scissors and a beastly pair of replaceable wire cutters. One thing I failed to mention is that the Legend is bigger than it needs to be. Wider, at least. The thick aluminum handles sure are pretty, but you end up with a lot of multi and not much tool.
Right, bullet points.
Pros:
* The important tools are of excellent quality and comfortable to use.
* The tool is tough. This is no Suspension.
* Design is aesthetically pleasing, which is actually important for me.
Cons:
* Price.
* Secondary tools are tacked on as an afterthought.
* Despite looking ergonomic, this tool will cause you pain.
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