Buy-it-for-life multi-tools: which Leatherman to keep for 25 years

For most people, the Leatherman Wave+ is the multi-tool to buy once. It has 18 tools, every one except the plier head locks, and the blades, saw, files and scissors open from outside the closed tool [1]. It costs $129.95, weighs 8.5 oz and carries Leatherman's 25-year limited warranty [1][4]. Pick the Signal ($149.95) if the tool lives in a camp box and you want a ferro rod, whistle and hammer more than scissors [2]. Pick the Skeletool ($89.95) if you'll carry it every day and 5 oz is the most you'll put in a pocket [3].

"Buy it for life" with a multi-tool comes down to two things: steel that holds up, and a company that fixes it when it doesn't. Leatherman backs these tools with a 25-year limited warranty. You submit an online form and mail in the tool, and Leatherman lists exceptions on the same page [4]. That's not a lifetime guarantee, but 25 years outlasts the useful life of most pocket gear. Wire cutters wear first on any plier tool, and the Wave+ has replaceable cutters [1], so the part most likely to dull can be swapped.

The Wave+ is the full-size choice for the truck, the kitchen drawer and the camp box. It has pliers, replaceable wire cutters, a 2.92 in 420HC blade, a serrated blade, a saw, spring-action scissors, a wood/metal file and a diamond file [1]. Every tool except the plier head locks open [1].

Owners like how it feels in the hand and say the tools start out stiff [6]. One five-month daily user says both blades went dull and an overnight vinegar soak cleared rust twice [7]. A new owner says the blade wouldn't come out without prying and the pliers locked up after cutting 8-gauge wire [8]. Full review: Leatherman Wave+.

The Signal trades the Wave+'s scissors and files for gear that matters away from the house: a ferrocerium rod, a safety whistle, a hammer, an awl and a diamond sharpener [2]. It's 4.5 in long closed and an ounce lighter than the Wave+ [2]. A one-year park-work owner hasn't sharpened the blade and says the pliers are still solid [9]. A two-year carrier misses a file and scissors, and another commenter calls it bulky for backpacking [10]. Full review: Leatherman Signal.

At 5 oz and 4 in closed, the Skeletool is the lightest pick. It has pliers, wire cutters, a locking 2.6 in blade, a bit driver with bits stored in the handle and a carabiner/bottle opener [3]. Its weak spot, by owner accounts, is the pocket clip. Several say it rides high and can let the tool flip out of a pocket, and some swap in aftermarket deep-carry clips [11][12]. Full review: Leatherman Skeletool.

• One tool for everything: Wave+. Scissors, files and a saw cover most household and camp jobs [1].
• Camp box or go-bag: Signal. The ferro rod and whistle are the reason to choose it [2].
• Pocket every day: Skeletool. It's 3.5 oz lighter than the Wave+ [1][3].
• Head-to-heads: Signal vs Wave+ and Skeletool vs Wave+.

• People who've worn out cheap multi-tools and want one that a company will fix.
• Desert drivers who want a plier tool in the door pocket for hose clamps, fuses and wire.
• Campers who want fire-starting and signaling tools on the same body (the Signal) [2].

• People who mostly need a knife. A folding knife is lighter. See the CRKT Clever Girl Deadbolt.
• People who want a non-plier tool. The Victorinox Huntsman is the Swiss Army knife we cover.
• Anyone who flies carry-on only. All three have blades. Leatherman's travel guide covers checking them [5].

Grit in the pivots. Fine desert dust works into joints. Rinse the tool in clean water after a dusty trip, dry it, and add a drop of oil to each pivot. The rust one Wave+ owner describes [7] is a reminder that stainless isn't rust-proof, especially after sweat and salt.

Vehicle fixes. The pliers and wire cutters handle hose clamps, zip ties and baling wire. The Wave+ and Skeletool both carry bit drivers for loose screws [1][3].

Fire. The Signal's ferro rod throws sparks onto dry tinder [2]. Check fire restrictions first. Many desert land managers ban open fires during hot, dry months.

Signaling. The Signal's whistle carries farther than a voice in washes and boulder fields [2].

Carry. In heat, a 5 oz Skeletool on a clip is far easier to live with than an 8.5 oz tool in a sheath [1][3].

• Wave+: stiff at first, praised in hand [6]; dull blades and surface rust after five months of daily use [7]; pliers jammed on heavy wire [8].
• Signal: a solid edge after a year of park work [9]; missing scissors and a file, and bulky for backpacking [10].
• Skeletool: owners repeatedly criticize the stock clip and swap it for deep-carry clips [11][12].