Opinions Please on Leatherman

lightemup

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Hi all,

I want to get a wine bottle opener as a gift, and need some opinions. I would like the best quality available (i.e. with assist, easy, reliable etc), and I am particularly looking at the waiter's friend style (please feel free to recommend others).

One style in particular is the Leatherman Juice xe6 etc multi tools that have the corkscrew with assist. Does anyone have any experience with these, are they top quality for the intended purpose of opening wine bottles?

Thanks,
Cam
 

Hoghead

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I EDC a XE6 and the cork screw works. If you want this only for opening wine bottles I would recommend you get a tool just for that. There was a thread in the Cafe a few months ago about wine bottle openers.
 

i7r7

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Nov 12, 2003
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My friend has an XE6 and I've used it quite a lot. He claims to have tried the corkscrew and it doesn't work well. I had a look at it and the assist (the metal blade itself) was loose and it was bent slightly so that it isnt parallel with the corkscrew. Bending it back into place fixed to problem to a certain degree. Seeing that the assist is loose, it did move when using it to lever out the cork. So I would say that this particular XE6 didn't work well as a bottle opener.

However... (theres always one in my posts), I would expect this to be a one-off problem and certainly don't interpret wrong. I think that Leathermans are the best multitools available and I EDC a Wave and Micra.

Jeff
 

andybingley

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Apr 17, 2003
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Not used a Leatherman with a corkscrew (I own a Wave) but have used other multitools including the straight pull corkscrew on a SAK to open wine bottles. In my opinion all are compromised. I agree with Hoghead this is a case of the right tool for the job. I own a Chateau Laguiole Grand Cru corkscrew that does the job well.

For more information take a look at this link, they aren't cheap but they are beautifully crafted and work a treat http://www.laguiole.com/chateau.htm

Edited because I can't spell
 

_mike_

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Try this link....
http://www.surlatable.com/ and search for corkscrew (just for examples). They have many styles, though you'd be better off ordering from a state that does not charge sales tax.

There's a reason waitstaff use the simple ones, because they are relatively inexpensive, fit in your pocket/apron and work. Having said that, for about $40.00 you can get one of those cork pullers with the teflon screw which works very well.

Mike
 

Samoan

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[ QUOTE ]
andybingley said:
Not used a Leatherman with a corkscrew (I own a Wave) but have used other multitools including the straight pull corkscrew on a SAK to open wine bottles. In my opinion all are compromised. I agree with Hoghead this is a case of the right tool for the job. I own a Chateau Laguiole Grand Cru corkscrew that does the job well.

For more information take a look at this link, they aren't cheap but they are beautifully crafted and work a treat http://www.laguiole.com/chateau.htm

Edited because I can't spell

[/ QUOTE ]

Ah yes, Laguiole. Love mine. I got a Château Laguiole Grand Cru with RoseWood handle for my birthday from some wine buddies with more money than sense. There is something about the construction and the angles that seems to make for easier opening.

-Fernando
 

xochi

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Nov 23, 2003
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I don't have any experience with leatherman corkscrew openers but I have owned two waves and love them EXCEPT the wire cutters are just too limited in what they will cut. I've damaged both by cutting metal that is beyond it's capabilities (the stainless steel is too soft and the cutters bent and now the pliers 'stick'). If Leatherman made a wave with the gerber type carbide cutter I'd have no complaints.
 

lightemup

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I have a leatherman wave, and it is an excellent tool! That's why I wanted opinions on the juice models for the gift, but from the responses so far they have reinforced what i'd already thought, that you need a thoroughbred for the job to do it well. I agree with you xochi, I'd like to see the carbide cutter too. But I also use the wave for what it is, a multi-tool that is a 'jack of all trades and master of none.' I normally use dedicated wire cutters.

Otherwise, My wave gets the big thumbs up, which is what I was hoping for the Juices. Oh well /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif The Chateaus look great, but is a little out of the budget /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/huh.gif

Thanks for the recommendations so far everyone, does anyone else have anything they can recommend or their experience with the Juice's?

Cam
 

Deanster

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Seattle
I own about half the Juice line at this point, and I think they're great multitools! However, like most things on a multitool, they're pretty average performers relative to a full-sized version of any individual tool.

Like any SAK or multitool wine-opener, the best you can say about them is that you'll actually be able to open a bottle of wine, which is brutally tough when you have no corkscrew. The opener assist on the Juice line is a nice touch - this from someone who has spent too much time using the corkscrew-only approach on older SAK's, and having the assist arm is very helpful. Exactly what you need when you decide to have a bottle of wine while car-camping.

However, for use more than, say, monthly, a dedicated wine opener is a huge win. I like the waiters-friend style very much - the assist is much beefier than that on the Juice, and has two hooks for balance. Other corkscrews are OK, but few (other than the huge 'estate' style openers with a bottle grip and lever arm), do it more quickly, easily and in a smaller package than the waiter's friend.
 
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