Leatherman Wave, CHIPPED!!!

[jcs71]

The only time I broke anything was the phillips head on the original Leatherman and that was beacause I was trying to undo a screw on a rusty engine and torqued it to much. Leatherman replaced it with a Blast model free of charge.

I am willing to bet the only reason you see alot of threads of broken Leathermans is because people tend to post more problems with their tools then they post good comments. If you ever did have a problem, Leatherman will take care of you. They have a 25 year warranty.

Every company can have a bad batch but I wouldn't let those threads worry you. Besides, there are some people, not alot of people, out there who really don't like Leatherman and can't wait to post a problem with one just to try and make them look bad for personal reasons.

I currently have three and looking at getting a fourth one and haven't had anymore problems other than the original phillips that I broke. I have a Micra, Blast and a Supertool. I am thinking of getting a Core or a Wave, can't decide.

[andyw513]

This is weird...I've been looking for the proper thread to put this in ever since I joined. I'd had my Wave for almost two years when this happened, so I was already used to it, and didn't want to bother with repair/replacement.

But i was working on making a camp stove out of a coffee can, and as I pried back and put too much of a strain on the pliers, the tip snapped off. At the time, I didn't mind that, because I regularly used needle-nosed pliers for intricate work, so i turned the pliers around and when i pried back again, the other side snapped off, slightly higher than the other.






I still used my Wave this way, even to this day, as a matter of fact. And the way it chipped made it perfect for shaping thin metal and putting angles in it!

[znaps]

My new Wave was run over several times by cars going 40mph before my buddy found it. I left it on a bumper. It's trashed, bent and nothing on the inside will open. It's strickly a knife, saw and file now. I wouldn't dare try and warranty it. I will buy another one at some point but am using my old Victorinox Swisstool for now. Sort of depressing with no one to blame but myself.

Send it to Leatherman, ask if it can be fixed, see how they respond. Maybe things will work out .

[znaps]

The only time I broke anything was the phillips head on the original Leatherman and that was beacause I was trying to undo a screw on a rusty engine and torqued it to much. Leatherman replaced it with a Blast model free of charge.

In 13 years with several Leatherman models in different sizes I have yet to break any of them, although a couple came out of the box with flaws and needed warranty service to make them right. Each time the tools were returned, functioning perfectly, in 10 days or less. Although there have been reports of rust problems, that has never happened to mine in either earlier or current models.

I am willing to bet the only reason you see alot of threads of broken Leathermans is because people tend to post more problems with their tools then they post good comments. If you ever did have a problem, Leatherman will take care of you. They have a 25 year warranty.

Although I don't know which manufacturer sells the most, I would bet a tidy sum that would be Leatherman, which originated the pliers based multitool as we know it. That means an awful lot of them are in circulation. Even if manufacturing glitches occur (inevitable), they may be in no greater percentage than other makes, but sheer numbers would turn up more reports of problematic Leathermen.

Every company can have a bad batch but I wouldn't let those threads worry you. Besides, there are some people, not alot of people, out there who really don't like Leatherman and can't wait to post a problem with one just to try and make them look bad for personal reasons.

AFAIK, the only thing Tim Leatherman ever did to honk off "some people" was to endorse John Kerry for Prez in 2004. Leatherman was one of 40(60?) people in the outdoor/sporting equipment and clothing industry who signed a statement critical of the Bush administration on environmental policies, supporting Kerry as an alternative. There is no document I could find with an internet search that has him weighing in on any other public issue, yet from that time on Leatherman has been the target of a boycott, accused of being anti gun and on the wrong side of many other hotbutton issues. I regard this as wrong, also nuts. Leatherman supported Kerry on one known policy matter, the other guy won anyway, so why the hate? In that election, the country was divided almost 50/50. Isn't it time to move on?

I currently have three and looking at getting a fourth one and haven't had anymore problems other than the original phillips that I broke. I have a Micra, Blast and a Supertool. I am thinking of getting a Core or a Wave, can't decide.

Since the Core is basically an upgraded Super Tool, which you already own, why not go with a Wave (for now) so you can experience the joy of OH opening? It could change your life . Then take a look at the Super Tool 300 when it comes out in September. Despite the name, it replaces the Core, may be worth it but not a known quantity as yet.

[SimpleIsGood229]

Leatherman will do you right. No worries.

I sent in my Charge TTi which I broke with hand pressure attempting to cut some (overly thick) wire. The metal in the handle, immediately behind the jaw, snapped. To cut to the chase, I got a brand new one in the mail yesterday. Leatherman's CS is right there with Surefire, I think.

For those of y'all who don't want the interchangeable bits, take a look at the SuperTool 300.

[alpg88]

yea leatherman has great cs, last time i send my wave with broken off flat screwdriver, they replaced EVERYTHING on it, the only reason they didn't send me new one cuz mine was engraved.

[eebowler]

considering the amount of returns in this thread alone, I wonder if there's any way to buy a tool from Leatherman at a significant discout of course, that has a small defect? just a thought.

[OCD]

About a year or so ago, I returned my 1st gen. Wave due to a broken plier tip. I tried prying out an interior door hinge pin that was out about 1/4". I got in a hurry and instead of using a screwdriver to pry it out, I used the plier tip since it was open. I used it for a long time with one tip broke as I couldn't stand to be without it even though I usually only carry it on the weekends as I EDC a Squirt P4.

Leatherman replaced it with another 1st gen. tool.

I think it may come down to inventory. Once they warranty out all the 1st gen. tools (if they havn't already) they will probably start replacing them with the 2nd generation. Just my thoughts.

I give them an A+ for customer service! Everyone I know that uses a multitool uses a Leatherman Wave and has had them replaced (usually due to misuse) various times...no questions asked!

[Styerman]

The warranty on Leatherman is great . You might consider getting a Gerber artifact ( keychain prybar with a built in exacto blade ) , much as I hate Gerber products , these are great . The exacto feature ( locking ) is very handy . I gave one to a Warehouse Fella , he's taken it thru hell and back , and swears by it .

If you have a pre 2004 Wave , it has a plethora of slot drivers , you could consider grinding the chipped one into an awl/chisel/scribber thingy .

Chris

[LEDLynx]

I have the old Wave, and I broke about a half-inch off of the plier-tip while trying to free a jammed wing-nut (1/4" threaded rod, or thereabouts, not huge).

Leatherman's customer service fixed (or maybe replaced) the tool, no questions asked.

Since then, I've gotten bitter about their dismissive refusal to make or customize a left-handed tool with one-handed blades. Then, a few weeks ago, the liner-lock of one of my external blades bent, and the blade (not one of the sharp ones, thankfully) closed on my hand.

Between those two factors, I've decided against another Leatherman, and, while I'll be sending this one for repair so that I have a spare, my EDC is probably going to be a SOG from now on.

[spoonrobot]

Since then, I've gotten bitter about their dismissive refusal to make or customize a left-handed tool with one-handed blades.

[4SevensDeven]

I just sent in my leatherman Blast a few days ago. The entire locking mechanism on the one side just busted out! I wasn't even putting that much stress on it either is the scary part. I'm starting to doubt the leatherman "legacy". If they don't stop this "build cheaper to save money" thing, their company will probably go down.

[LukeA]

I just sent in my leatherman Blast a few days ago. The entire locking mechanism on the one side just busted out! I wasn't even putting that much stress on it either is the scary part. I'm starting to doubt the leatherman "legacy". If they don't stop this "build cheaper to save money" thing, their company will probably go down.

Happened to me in December. A flaw in the metal injection molded lock. It's not a good design. There's too tight a radius on the lock lever's pivots.

A month later they sent me back a barely refurbed POS with every tool dulled and abused. Not the brand new tool I sent in, not even close. I returned that one with a letter and got back a different but no better POS. I'm going to call and see what the limit of number of broken features that they will refurbish is on that model, break off every single tool, and send it in and claim that "The tool has sentimental value" the way the RMA sheet tells me I can so that they will fix it and not grab another POS from the bin.

At $10 a pop for shipping, this $40 multitool is certainly costing a hell of a lot more than a $30 Victorinox OHT and a separate $10 pair of pliers, neither of which have poorly-designed MIM parts.

I'm done buying Leatherman tools, at least as long as their designs, cost-cutting methods, and CS stink.

[soapy]

So you are saying you want great customer service and returns policy, but don't want to pay for it? What a shock.

How about you go buy a bit of tat off the internet direct from China, at disposable prices. When it fails, you can see just how good their returns policy is instead. If it even arrives in working order.

Hopefully there will still be enough people buying a good quality knife for a lot less than you could make one at home for, with a great warranty and fair customer service, and Leatherman, Gerber and every other decent brand out there won't have folded for lack of sales and joke warranty replacement repair bills.

But if not, I'm sure you'll be fine, having saved that $30.

[Pöbel]

I have been carrying my Pre2004 Wave Gen1 for over 7 years. Maybe even 8, 9 or 10 years (can't remember) - it's with me every day.

I use it for all tasks, sometimes I even abuse/misuse it - as needle nose pliers are not built for torquing. I used it as a Hammer, prybar.. whatever is need.

Once i snapped the little screwdriver because i had no torx bit on me. I told leathreman that I broke it off and it clearly was misuse. They replaced one half of the tool with new parts at no charge (though stating that it was not a warranty thing).

What else could you ask for?

[LukeA]

So you are saying you want great customer service and returns policy, but don't want to pay for it? What a shock.

What I said very clearly was that I expected, but did not receive, the quality of warranty service supposedly intrinsic to the Leatherman name.

How about you go buy a bit of tat off the internet direct from China, at disposable prices. When it fails, you can see just how good their returns policy is instead. If it even arrives in working order.

Totally irrelevant.

Hopefully there will still be enough people buying a good quality knife for a lot less than you could make one at home for, with a great warranty and fair customer service, and Leatherman, Gerber and every other decent brand out there won't have folded for lack of sales and joke warranty replacement repair bills.

The point of my post was that the level of warranty service of Leatherman is, in my experience, not up to the standard to which they openly aspire.

I do not know why expecting the replacement of a new, defective tool with a new, fully-functional tool would be considered a 'joke' by a rational person. Either you did not read my whole post or you did not comprehend it.

But if not, I'm sure you'll be fine, having saved that $30.

The $30 to which I referred was money I spent, not money I saved. That reading comprehension thing again. Well, either that or a poor reference to the ridiculous China tangent.

Thanks for playing.

[soapy]

Ah, it must be your attitude then, because everyone else seems to have not been hard done by.

[Aebleskiver]

BTW, you don't get a brand new tool back from Leatherman when you return one under warranty.

The way their warranty processes work these days is that they collect all returns centrally, they are fully disassembled at the factory in Portland and then the good parts are refinished and assembled into 'new' refurbished tools, which are then shipped en-masse to distributors in different countries to do warranty exchanges for more broken ones.

It's very rare that a local distributor for Leatherman does any of their own repair work now. It's supposed to be cheaper and more efficient for Leatherman to do it this way.

If it's a special tool with sentimental value though, you can request special repair at the factory rather than a swap out.

[Shagrath]

Leatherman is an awesome company. All the stories in here are real confidence boosters in the Leatherman brand. Yeah, it seems like they break often, but at least they will repair it. I just ordered a SOG Powerlock, but my next multi tool will be a Leatherman, just because of their awesome warranty.

[Murray B]

My first Leatherman was a PST. That one was made in Japan and worked just fine. It was stolen and I replaced it with a PST II and that one has been good too. Back then they only sold about 30,000 tools a year.

Today it must be a lot more than that and that is why a thread like this may give the wrong impression because there is no sense of proportion. What is important to know is how many failures there are per 100 or 1000 tools and not the absolute number of failures. The failure ratio could then give some sense of the likelyhood of an individual experiencing a failure.

[kaichu dento]

I think I've only broken three of them since getting my first PST in 1988, and although I have worn some of the others to the point of not wanting to use them anymore, will always carry a version of the Wave after having bought my first one of that model in 2001.