 Leatherman thinks it adds value as a general purpose tool for prying and scraping. You are far better served by adding one of the available bit kits for your screwdriver needs. You always want to match the bit size to the screw head and plus if you damage a bit you haven’t permanently affected your multitool.
Adding a Leatherman bit kit with extension brings a lot of additional functionality. The bit kit includes a wide selection that covers most situations, including hex and square drive heads, Torx, Phillips and standard screwdriver bits. Leatherman’s proprietary design has been around for decades now and proven effective. Initially there was a lot of concern that that the flattened design wouldn’t work well and strip screw heads. This only becomes a concern for the larger Phillips, hex, and Torx heads that get cut off on top and bottom. In practice we have not noticed any significant impact. On very stubborn screws we’ve stripped heads using the Leatherman bits, but using a full-size driver was no guarantee either. Simple engineering says there must be a drop in performance, but the real impact is not enough to worry about.
One surprise for us was how many people don’t know that the small bit driver is double-ended. The small straight eyeglass screwdriver pulls out of the bit driver and reverses to a Phillips tip. It is designed to be snug so the bit doesn’t fall out and the spring arm gives consistent tension. Replacement eyeglass bits are available if you do lose or damage the bit.
In 2018 Leatherman added replaceable 154CM wire cutters to the Wave+ and addressed the biggest complaint users had about the multitool. With the upgrade you don’t have to worry about having your multitool out of service because you damaged the wire cutters – just screw in a replacement set and get back to work. The bypass style wire cutters make short work of copper wire up to 4 AWG although the cut is not very clean due to the bypass design. We were able to cut up to #11 nails in the hard wire cutters. We noticed a slight flex in the handles as we were squeezing to make the hard cuts. As we noted in the pliers section, be careful to keep your fingers clear of the pinch points at the top of the handles when cutting.
The spring action scissors on the Wave+ have 3/4 inch blades and work well for cutting fabric and other light materials. The pivot is tight and the blades are straight and sharp so they cut and not bend or fold between the blades. We tested the scissors by cutting denim and paper and they were still sharp and aligned to cut hair with ease. Twine and shoelaces were no problem, but we had to chew a few times to get through 550 paracord. Overall great utility from these little scissors.
The saw on the Wave+ is standard Leatherman quality. It is 2.9 inches long with an aggressive tooth pattern that makes quick work of both dry wood and green limbs. Multi tool saw blades are one of the least used implements on multi tools so consider if you want the extra bulk.
The diamond coated file is an upgrade from the files found on most multi tools. One side is a standard wood/metal double cut file and the other side is embedded with diamond. Many people on the forums misuse the fine grit diamond side for bulk removal, it is really for fine honing an edge in the field. Used properly for sharpening and minor touch up it should last for years before the embedded diamonds wear away. The bottom edge of the file is ridged so you can use the file for notching and cutting metal.
The combination can and bottle opener on the Wave Plus is serviceable. The blade necessary for opening cans can also penetrate bottle caps if you are not careful but this is easily avoided with a little technique.
The crimper is between the handles opposite the wire cutter, right next to the pivot. It will get you by in a pinch (pun intended) but is not a tool you want to use on a regular basis. The crimp will be sloppy weaker than if you used a proper tool sized for the crimp needed.
To use the ruler on the Leatherman Wave+ unfold the handles so they are in a straight line with the pliers pointed up. Ruler markings are on the top edge, with Imperial units in 1/8 inch increments to 8 inches and metric to 19 cm in mm increments. Because the markings are on top of the handle and not next to the surface it is more difficult to use the full ruler length and retain accuracy.
The blade design on the Wave+ does not have the same weakness that shows up in the Skeletool or Freestyle blades. Since the Wave+ shares a common design with the Charge+ there is an active group of users that modify their Wave+ and replace the knife blade with the S30V version. Leatherman doesn’t sell knife blades to the public so you need to search the forums for sources. Once you have the knife blade, disassembly of the Wave+ is straightforward. You need two T8 torx security bits (one for each side of the pivot). We recommend getting a torx security set that goes from T6 to T10 to cover future needs.
This weak point isn’t unique to the Wave+ but it needs to be mentioned. When using the pliers or wire cutters a pinch point exists near the pivot between the handles. On most multitools this is just the handles squeezing together but on the Wave+ the thumb holes protrude above the handle surface. When using the Wave+ for detail work we naturally move our hand forward on the handle for additional control, not down the handle for additional power. This puts our fingers near the pinch point danger zone.
The Wave is Leatherman’s most popular multitool and there have been several versions in its history. Starting with the Original Wave from 1998-2004, the New Wave 2004-2018, and now the Wave+ from 2018 to current. Along the way there have been several special edition Waves, including the Leatherman 25th Anniversary Wave in 2008, the limited-edition Damascus Wave in 2009 (only 1000 produced), and the limited-edition Black & Silver Wave+ from 2018. Leatherman includes a sheath packaged with all the versions below currently available for purchase. The stainless and black Wave+ come with a Nylon MOLLE sheath with a snap webbing strap for attachment, a grey Leatherman logo, and velcro closure. The Black & Silver Wave+ comes with a ballistic nylon sheath with a metal snap rivet closure.
Most tools on the Wave+ get a solid 4-star rating and all of them are middle of the pack or better.
There is a reason why the Wave+ is the best selling tool from Leatherman – it is a great value that works for every user. As a full-size multitool with 18 tools, the Wave Plus doesn’t sacrifice utility like pocket sized tools. The 4 inch handles are comfortable to use and long and strong enough to give leverage for those stubborn tasks. Yes, the heavy-duty multitools are stronger and more capable, but at the cost of size and weight. At 8.5 oz the Wave Plus is still easy to carry with a belt sheath and that is the best multitool you can buy – one that you will carry all the time. The Leatherman Wave+ just works.
With the addition of replaceable 154CM wire cutters and plier redesign in 2018, Leatherman removed the only real reason not to purchase a Wave Plus. If you want to spend more money there are premium options like the Charge+ TTi and the Free P4, but for the money you get bells and whistles. The core multitool functions are already well served by the Wave+.
The Wave+ and Charge+ TTi are identical designs except for minor differences. The Charge+ TTi adds titanium handles and different style cutouts, upgrades the main blade to S30V steel, adds a cutting hook on the back of the serrated blade, and comes with a removable pocket clip. Leatherman also includes additional accessories but to get these upgrades the Charge+ TTi is nearly double the price of the Wave+. We think the Wave+ is an incredible value at its normal retail price, even more so if you find a used Wave+ in good condition.
The Rebar is the big brother to the Leatherman Wave+.List Rules People on this list must have gone to Central School of Speech and Drama and be of some renown.
List of famous alumni from Central School of Speech and Drama, with photos when available. Prominent graduates from Central School of Speech and Drama include celebrities, politicians, business people, athletes and more. This list of distinguished Central School of Speech and Drama alumni is loosely ordered by relevance, so the most recognizable celebrities who attended Central School of Speech and Drama are at the top of the list. This directory is not just composed of graduates of this school, as some of the famous people on this list didn't necessarily earn a degree from Central School of Speech and Drama.
List ranges from Judi Dench to Laurence Olivier and more.
Timothy Irving Frederick Findley, OC, O.Ont was a Canadian novelist and playwright. He was also informally known by the nickname Tiff or Tiffy, an acronym of his initials.
James Alekos Alexandrou is an English actor, best known for playing Martin Fowler in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders. He is currently the presenter of Bizarre Crime on BBC Three.
Paul Bailey is a British writer and critic, author of several novels as well as biographies of Cynthia Payne and Quentin Crisp.
List Rules: People on