April 2009
The Improviser
Hi, I'm a mechanically inclined tinkerer who likes to make things work better or more efficiently. Here is my story:
I used to own Gerber multi-tool the kind where the pliers slid out. After pinching my palm for the last time, with use of the inferior plier handles, I decided it was time for something better. I bought the original Wave as a gift to myself almost ten years ago.
The uses were numerous. When outdoors it was handy for cutting small limbs, making hiking sticks, whittling, opening cans, at work (at the winery) I would tighten clamps, cut hoses, file off sharp ends, put screws back in, hammer with it - you name it. If I could improvise a use with it, I would. It was the best all around tool.
It was at work one day that one of the tips busted off of my pliers as I was tightening a clamp I admit I may have abused it in my eagerness to get the job done. Torquing a large wing nut (with a round hole in the middle), one tip in the middle the other on the outside -- twist and SNAP! I was initially upset and use of the pliers was greatly diminished, if not awkward. I was let down for a moment. I eventually grinded down the good tip, rounded off the broken one, and squared off the shorter tips.
What resulted in my opinion was better than what I had prior to the break. I now had a real solid pair of pliers! I could now really grip and pull with my Leatherman like never before, for instance pulling out nails. Yet the modified tips still had enough taper for most tight spaces. Those improvised pliers got a lot of abuse and I loved my Leatherman even more.
Unfortunately, long story short.... It's time for a replacement multi-tool. I'm liking the Leatherman Charge AL. I can think of only modification/improvement: grinding off the tips of the pliers to where there is enough left for aggressive gripping at the tip. It doesn't appear that I can do that with the crimp pliers on the ALX or TTi. The crimp tip pliers seem even more susceptible to breakage with not enough pinching tip left for modifying properly (to my needs) due the cutout for Crimping.
With Leatherman's history of engineering multi-use tools with cool functions, I'd like to give Leatherman a new challenge: Could you guys make a set of multi-tool PLIERS with the best of both worlds? Regular pliers for the tough jobs, with finer points for the tight spots. Idea: retractable/foldable tips. I know you guys do a lot of research and testing. I know what will happen if I buy a Leatherman Wave (with needle nose tips) and put it to work. I'd rather get to point B from the package instead of through breakage and modification. The fine tips are in the way most of the time. I'd rather not have them. If I had a choice then that would be even better.
Thank you for making the multi-tool what it is today. The WAVE, in my opinion, is the best overall multi-tool out there, especially the improvised one I used to own.
Most people don't do demolition work, i.e. crimping blasting caps. Will the TTi be available without the crimping feature on the pliers (in my opinion a point of failure/weakness)?
Thanks Again,
Rick H. (The Improviser)
Templeton, CA
OK, you voyeur, you. Enough of reading other people's stories. It's time you told your own tale of gripping heroism or even just neat DIY'ism. We know there's a Shakespeare in you somewhere. Don't make us use the Steens to find it.