When Leatherman announced they were retiring the Curl, it reminded me of what that tool was: a lighter, cheaper take on the Wave. Which led me to a realization — the NexTool Flagship Captain is to the Surge what the Curl was to the Wave. It’s been around for a few years without much attention, but if you want a Surge-sized multi-tool that weighs less and takes standard Leatherman bits, and for a lot of dollars less, the Captain might be worth a second look.
Read MoreThe Leatherman Wave+ is the tool everyone knows, the one people default to when someone says ‘just get a Leatherman.’ But the Leatherman Rebar? It’s a sleeper hit — compact, beefy where it counts, has all the right tools, and sitting at a price point that makes a lot of sense. So which one actually deserves a spot in your pocket? I put them head-to-head to find out.
Read MoreIf you’ve ever carried a Leatherman Wave and ended up with sore palms by the end of a hard day’s work, you already know the problem. That pinching, that weight, that price — it adds up. The Leatherman Rebar quietly solves that issue while packing in a surprisingly complete toolset at a price that makes it one of the best value multi-tools Leatherman has ever made.
Read MoreI’ve had the NexTool Mini Flagship F12 for a while now, and I think it is the best keychain multi-tool currently in production — but now NexTool went and dropped not one, not two, but three brand-new color options, and that just made this diminutive multi-tool even better.
Read MoreThe SOG Power Access Assist is SOG’s current flagship multitool. So I was expecting a full-sized full-featured multi-tool — and it delivered on that front with a big beefy build and a plethora of no-nonsense tools. But the experience also came with a letdown (or four), a minor injury, and a feature I think is a gimmick. But if you’re in the market for a full-sized heavy-duty multi-tool with some genuinely good ideas, this one might be worth a look.
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