By Orion
The first multitool I ever owned was an original Gerber Multiplier. It was a gift from my parents. I still have it, as a matter of fact. It now resides in my get home bag.
The next was an original Leatherman Supertool that was a safety award given out by the company I work for.
The last is a Leatherman Wave that I bought myself.
I’d never really had a hankering to get a multitool, to tell the truth. I mostly carried a Victorinox Camper SAK. The first two multitools didn’t really go a long way in convincing me I needed to carry one, either.
The Gerber was great at pinching your palm when squeezing the handles, the tools didn’t lock in the open position and the pliers were blunt-nosed.
The original Leatherman, while better, in that the tools locked and it had needlenose pliers, was uncomfortable to use because of the sharp edges on the handles. I did, at least, start carrying the Leatherman sometimes, and even used it occasionally.
About a year and a half ago I bought a Wave on sale at Walmart. I guess they were making way for the new Leatherman Charges. I liked the handle improvement over the original and really like the fact that you don’t have to open the tool up to use the knife blades, the saw, or the file. The screwdrivers too, are a great improvement, as well as the locking mechanism.
When I first got the Wave I didn’t care much for the sheath and just used the leather sheath for the old Supertool. The Supertool sheath eventually broke and I had to use the Wave sheath. When I first bought it I didn’t notice the handy little pockets built into the leather and elastic nylon Wave sheath. I now carry a Firesteel, striker and a small LED light in the pockets. I had to cut down the handle of the Firesteel to get it to fit into the sheath pocket properly, but this was accomplished with the saw on the Wave. I then made it a bit smoother with the file.
I imagine I’m not the first to do this, as it’s too obvious an addition, but it does make the Wave a bit handier as a survival tool.