This is a short review of the leatherman Wave which is available from my eBay store Handy-Niknaks.

Leatherman and Leatherman logo are registered trademarks of Leatherman, Inc. USA  All Rights Reserved

Leatherman Wave 2006 (LM31252 below) is now available in eBay UK store Handy Niknaks , Next Day UK delivery if paid before 3.00 pm. New & improved with bronze bushings, removable bit drivers, re-designed pliers & all locking blades.

Measures 4 inches closed, stainless steel construction. Needlenose pliers, wire cutters, hard wire cutters, clip point blade, serrated sheepsfoot blade, saw, scissors, wood / metal file, diamond coated file, large bit driver, large screwdriver. Small bit driver, 2 double ended S2 tool steel bits, ruler (8 inches / 19 cm) , bottle / can opener, wire stripper, lanyard attachment . Brand new in box with black leather pouch   (See below for detailed description of all blades)

Leatherman Wave LM10449B (below)

Leatherman Wave model LM10449B, black non-reflective coating (temporarily out of stock)

The Leatherman Wave is an essential gadget which is extremely well engineered, measures 4 inches closed. The main blade is a modified drop point with a 90 percent flat grind and a chamfered false edge. There is a 0.75 inch, oblong cut out which serves as a thumb hole pull and is surprisingly useful for one-handed opening.


 The other cutting blade is a modified sheep foot design with a fully serrated edge, both blades are of 2 mm thick stainless steel.

The 2 other blades which pivot at this end of the tool are the file / hacksaw and the wood saw blades. These all lock in place with a liner locking mechanism. This features a detent on the liner lock which engages an impression on the blade tang to hold the blade closed. The pivot pins are actually two substantial hollow threaded, tamper resistant torx screws. These 4 blades are all accessible without separating the handles and opening the pliers. Each handle may be rotated through 180 degress in order to operate the pliers. The open outside edges of the handles are all rounded and provide a comfortable grip when using the pliers. The pliers themselves are truly excellent, needlenose pliers with hard wire cutters built in.

5 more blades are then accessible, which pivot on the other ends of the handles. The large and small removable bit drivers, can / bottle opener, scissors, large screwdriver, all open from this end. The 2 removable bit drivers have integral springs to retain the screwdriver bit-heads. These all lock in place by means of a 2 locking bars . If not using the pliers it is more convenient to fold back the handle not containing the desired tool, which then encases the plier-head and gives a better grip.

The main benefits of owning one of these:

Classic blade design

One handed opening of 2 main blades

Extremely compact measuring 4 inches cosed

Lightweight weighing only 220g.

Interchangeable screwdriver bits

Although there are many other multi-tools on the market, many consider this to be The Ultimate Multi-Tool.

The Victorinox Swisstool is also a strong contender for this title. www.stores.ebay.co.uk/handy-niknaks

Like the Leatherman Wave, it has all locking blades and is much sturdier than the Wave.

 It also costs less , however, it is heavier with a slightly more prominent profile than the Wave. As this is also available from Handy-Niknaks (Next day UK delivery if paid before 3.00 pm. )

The only way to know for sure is to buy both... There are situations where either one of these would be ideal and it is obviously preferrable to have a choice of multi-tools