The great (broken) multitool picture thread

styx · **Reply #90 on:** August 09, 2013, 08:36:28 PM

Looking back trough this thread there are a lot of broken Leatherman and Gerber tools, followed by SOG. Now I've seen too many Leathermans break just like Gerbers, but never a SOG (never even saw a SOG mt in person) and Swisstools.
I can' help to wonder if this is due to the popularity, people being more willing to show their tools to be broken or is there another reason?

enki_ck · **Reply #91 on:** August 09, 2013, 08:55:10 PM

I've broken two Leathermans so far, a Skeletool CX and a Juice CS4 and the locking tab on my Wave broke but I didn't consider that a warranty worthy break and kept using it. I've abused my Victorinox made multitools much more than I have any Leatherman, the pliers have cut wire that I tried to cut with full sized Leatherman but felt like they could break and chose to use dedicated wire cutters instead. Never felt like that with the Swiss multitools. It's often the common sense what your tool can handle and how it feels. Mostly you can tell if something is too much of a job for a implement on a multitool. For instance the Phillips driver on the SOG. Not really a heavy duty tool, can't compare to the ones on the Spirit/Swisstool or the dedicated ones on a Leatherman. I tried to tighten a screw on my chair with it and felt it bending. I knew it would have snapped if I applied any more force to it so I stopped and used a Spirit.

styx · **Reply #92 on:** August 09, 2013, 10:00:39 PM

Well that is common sense. But considering some events I've been thinking back and looked up trough this thread again and it was a bit unnerving.

Namely in my roadie days (2008 to 2012) most people had Leatherman, Gerber and el cheapo brand tools. Only 1 had a Swisstool. Gerbers broke almost as much as the cheapo tools but they didn't go as trivially, for instance where a cheap tool literally spilled it's guts (implements) out because the tightening screw just got undone.
Leatherman tools were a bit of a hard read. some broke during fairly trivial use, some went screaming and kicking trough crazy abuse (like undoing a welded bolt). The last one standing was a Charge ALX. It had dings, scratches and rust but it was the last Leatherman standing at that point.
Now when you look at this thread it just feels like all those crazy days and nights are getting a conformation

Jothra · **Reply #93 on:** August 13, 2013, 08:35:08 AM

Quote from: styx on August 09, 2013, 08:36:28 PM

Looking back trough this thread there are a lot of broken Leatherman and Gerber tools, followed by SOG. Now I've seen too many Leathermans break just like Gerbers, but never a SOG (never even saw a SOG mt in person) and Swisstools.
I can' help to wonder if this is due to the popularity, people being more willing to show their tools to be broken or is there another reason?

Funny this has come up, because look at the poor sucker I stumbled on during my long bike ride on Sunday:

Remember, this Evo s18 was somebody's baby once...

The scale is unattached, and coated in some kind of gross-feeling lacquer or something. The backspring for the blade layer is madly bent, so the lockblade no longer...well...does. I have no idea how anyone accomplished this, since my s18 has done the batoning thing to no ill effect.

Interestingly, when I look really closely, I can actually see where the Scouts Canada logo has worn off of the scales. Based on the locations of Scout stores around here, I can just about guarantee this unfortunate soul came from the exact same store as mine.

styx · **Reply #94 on:** August 13, 2013, 10:03:28 AM

That really poses the question of what the hell happened

J-sews · **Reply #95 on:** August 14, 2013, 02:08:39 AM

Someone certainly must have abused it in order for that to happen.

Jothra · **Reply #96 on:** August 15, 2013, 06:03:35 PM

My guess is dinosaurs.

styx · **Reply #97 on:** August 15, 2013, 07:04:37 PM

JNieporte · **Reply #98 on:** September 03, 2013, 12:47:06 AM

From J-sews:

That's my Surge, before it was sent in for warranty work. There was also a broken Core in that photo set. I'll find the other images to go with it...

Oh yeah, car tire.

J-sews · **Reply #99 on:** September 03, 2013, 02:04:33 AM

Ah good, I can't wait to hear the story behind that one!

detron · **Reply #100 on:** September 03, 2013, 02:12:24 AM

that broken surge looks like the eye of sauron

stealth007s · **Reply #101 on:** October 04, 2013, 11:17:11 PM

I think this would count as a broken MT. The mrs broke this ratcheting bit driver this morning as she was assembling a floor shelf in our office. She was heartbroken when it happened and immediately went to the local Sears and Home Depot who didn't have anything like it. She wasn't beaten by that though and went to Ace who didn't have it in stock but ordered it for her. She's had this thing for more than 15 years. Not only does it ratchet but it has a right angle and 45° angle on it to get at the odd spots a normal straight driver won't get to. Hopefully the new one will hold up to her abuse

Sent from Endor via an Ewok

Aloha · **Reply #102 on:** October 09, 2013, 06:30:01 PM

I bought this Swiss tool at the fleamarket as is for dirt cheap so I didn't care about the broken serrated blade. it was interesting to see a broken part on a swisstool tho. its hard to see from the picture but it was realling bent over to the outside of the tool and I had to open it with my wave to get the broken blade out. there had to be some serious force by flexing that blade to break it I imagine. I bent the broken blade inward to make getting the other implements out easier. this is a 98' plier head that definitely needed a new home and im glad to have her.

sawman · **Reply #103 on:** October 09, 2013, 07:08:57 PM

Ouch! That's gotta suck! $:-\$

Aloha · **Reply #104 on:** October 09, 2013, 07:41:02 PM

I cant imagine what the heck the owner who broke it was doing. I got it for very little so it was a must grab. I don't mind as I have a formerly NIB one and another 98' head in great shape.

enki_ck · **Reply #105 on:** October 09, 2013, 08:51:15 PM

Very likely the result of prying something with the blade.

styx · **Reply #106 on:** October 09, 2013, 11:01:35 PM

Why pry with the blade when you have a flat head screw driver

Aloha · **Reply #107 on:** October 10, 2013, 02:35:06 AM

Quote from: styx on October 09, 2013, 11:01:35 PM

Why pry with the blade when you have a flat head screw driver

heck there is a crate lifter that's really thick. I also was thinking maybe they got it stuck in what ever they were cutting and then bent it sideways.

styx · **Reply #108 on:** October 10, 2013, 10:07:02 AM

They don't break that easy. aren't the large flathead and crate opener the same thing?

Aloha · **Reply #109 on:** October 10, 2013, 11:30:55 PM

Quote from: styx on October 10, 2013, 10:07:02 AM

They don't break that easy. aren't the large flathead and crate opener the same thing?

YES, i guess i always considered the large screw driver to be the one with the bottle opener as the other large screwdriver/crate thing for me is never used as screw driver and only a pry bar.

quite a lot of force however was used to snap the implement.