Picked up a Leatherman Wave
I've been looking for a Leatherman Wave
for a while. At ~$100 it was just one of those purchases that I kept putting off. I bought my first Leatherman about 12 years and it's never failed me, though, so I try to keep my eyes out for a good deal on an upgrade. Today I went into a pawn shop and sitting there in the knife section was a like new Wave. The price tag said $40. I walked out with it for $25. Yeah yeah yeah...I should have paid $10. Anyway, I finally have a Wave and I'm happy with the price.
Enough bragging. The tool itself, like any Leatherman multi-tool, is built rock solid. Everything is well thought out. The blades open from the outside and they can be opened with one hand with the tool closed. Unlike every other multi-tool that I've ever owned they don't feel like cheap pieces of crap that will break as soon as I do anything to test them. In fact, I wouldn't feel too bad if they were the only blades I had as long as I didn't have to rely on them for chopping wood or something. There's a file with a diamond hone on one side for my fixed blade that I may use for chopping. The locking mechanism is easy to operate. You can also get a little toolkit upgrade that's pretty cheap that gives you a few more options. The scissors actually work. So does the saw. It's comfortable, compact and light. Have you ever had a screw come loose on your sunglasses in the field? I have and it sucks. If you're sporting a Wave you don't even have to sweat it. There's a small screwdriver on it. No multi-tool would be complete without a bottle opener. This one doesn't disappoint. Don't even worry about leaving your bottle opener at home next time you decide to take some homebrew with you to the field.
Mine came with the canvas case. It's got two small pouches on each side and a small pocket under the velcro of the cover. A very small AAA flashlight, a firesteel and perhaps a knife sharpener should fit perfectly and would complement the tool very nicely. If you want to get crazy you could probably even put together some kind of survival kit that all fits neatly into the pouch. The tool is already a pretty tight fit, though, so don't go too crazy. I've seen some interesting ideas but nothing that I'd go out of my way to try to implement. To be honest just having the tool itself would give you a nice advantage in a survival situation. While it won't replace my Gerber Clutch when I'm rolling around in dress pants I'll definitely start keeping it handy on the weekends when I'm sporting civies. You won't catch me in the woods without it, either.
for a while. At ~$100 it was just one of those purchases that I kept putting off. I bought my first Leatherman about 12 years and it's never failed me, though, so I try to keep my eyes out for a good deal on an upgrade. Today I went into a pawn shop and sitting there in the knife section was a like new Wave. The price tag said $40. I walked out with it for $25. Yeah yeah yeah...I should have paid $10. Anyway, I finally have a Wave and I'm happy with the price.Enough bragging. The tool itself, like any Leatherman multi-tool, is built rock solid. Everything is well thought out. The blades open from the outside and they can be opened with one hand with the tool closed. Unlike every other multi-tool that I've ever owned they don't feel like cheap pieces of crap that will break as soon as I do anything to test them. In fact, I wouldn't feel too bad if they were the only blades I had as long as I didn't have to rely on them for chopping wood or something. There's a file with a diamond hone on one side for my fixed blade that I may use for chopping. The locking mechanism is easy to operate. You can also get a little toolkit upgrade that's pretty cheap that gives you a few more options. The scissors actually work. So does the saw. It's comfortable, compact and light. Have you ever had a screw come loose on your sunglasses in the field? I have and it sucks. If you're sporting a Wave you don't even have to sweat it. There's a small screwdriver on it. No multi-tool would be complete without a bottle opener. This one doesn't disappoint. Don't even worry about leaving your bottle opener at home next time you decide to take some homebrew with you to the field.
Mine came with the canvas case. It's got two small pouches on each side and a small pocket under the velcro of the cover. A very small AAA flashlight, a firesteel and perhaps a knife sharpener should fit perfectly and would complement the tool very nicely. If you want to get crazy you could probably even put together some kind of survival kit that all fits neatly into the pouch. The tool is already a pretty tight fit, though, so don't go too crazy. I've seen some interesting ideas but nothing that I'd go out of my way to try to implement. To be honest just having the tool itself would give you a nice advantage in a survival situation. While it won't replace my Gerber Clutch when I'm rolling around in dress pants I'll definitely start keeping it handy on the weekends when I'm sporting civies. You won't catch me in the woods without it, either.
Comments
keyring on belt clip.
On keyring two sinkers, a whistle, and a squeeze light.
In Wave pouch pockets (folded inside plastic that slides in and out without snagging)
--40' 50 lb test braided Spiderwire line
--a needle threader
--two sewing needles
--red/white Daredevil and 8 other hooks;
also Magfirestarter cut in two lengthwise