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Saturday, 2 March 2013

Leatherman Rebar Multitool Review

Leatherman Rebar Review

Leatherman Included

First of all, thank you to Leatherman for sending me this product to review.

The product arrived packed in a clam shell. Included in the package were the tool itself, a leather sheath and a manual/product catalog. After opening the clam shell, the first thing I realised was the difference in size and weight compared to the Super Tool 300. The Rebar has basically the same tools as the Super Tool 300, but packed in a smaller body.

Measurements

Leatherman Rebar Length

Leatherman Blade Length

When closed the Rebar measures 10.16cm in length, weighs in at 189.94g, and has a blade length of 7.36cm.

Tools

Leatherman Tools

Leatherman Pliers

The most obvious tool on the Rebar is the pliers which has a set of removable 154cm hard/standard wire cutters. These are attached to the plier head by small torx screws. These wire cutters can cut through a bike spoke, but i doubt it for anything much larger in diameter. The tip on the plier head is pefectly crafted and the two ends meet together perfectly. Because the needlenose pliers are so point, the pliers can be used in small spaces, while you can also use them to grab stuff about half inch in diameter. For me, the pliers on the Rebar are the perfect size, and they are very strong. There is no sign of weakness when you put pressure on them.

There is also a wide rangle of screwdrivers on the Rebar. It has one phillips head, and 2 flat head screwdrivers. The larger flast head measures 7mm in diameter and the smaller one 3mm. I find these two sizes to be the most popular in day to day life. The design of the phillips head means it can be used with larger and smaller screws.

The next tool I'm going to talk about is the awl. Many people love to have an awl on they're tools because it's so versatile. The main use of an awl is probably using it as a leather punch. It also has a needle eye near the tip, and the machined edge is at an angle so it can also be used as a scraper.

By now, people consider a saw as a standart tool on a multi tool. The saw on the Rebar has a functional length of 56mm. Its been desied, so the saw is thickest where the teeth are, so it decreases the chance of the saw getting stuck.. The teeth are crafted to the highest standard, and they're all pefectly shaped.

For years, Leatherman files have been much better than those of other brands. The file on the Rebar has a different design on both sides of the blade. On one side the file is designed for wood, and the other side is a diamond file designed for harder materials. At the bottom edge there is also file which can be used as a hacksaw on small tasks.

The can/bottle opener on the Rebar opens cans with ease an it can also open a variey of bottles. At the base of the can opener on the Rebar, there is a V-shaped notch which is designed as a wire stripper.

The most hidden tool on the Rebar is the wire crimpers. These are located inbetween the handles, opposite to the pliers.

There are two knife blades on the Rebar which measure 7.36cm in length. These blades are made out of 420HC steel. 420HC steel is easy to sharp, and it retains a good edge. There is one plain blade, and one sheepsfoot serrated blade. These two blades are easy to access because there is a cut out in the REbar's body. The serated blade is designed to cut through rope, and open packages, while the plain blade is designed to everyday tasks (such as opening letters).

The last tool on the Rebar is the lanyard, which is not exactly a tool but more of an accessory. Some people like lanyards, and some people don't like them. Personally I'm not fussed with lanyard, but the lanyard on the Rebar seems to be of a good size to hold a variety of rope sizes.

There is also another accessory on the rebar which you may not have seen. This is the ruler. It's been machined into the body and can measure up to 20cm. The lock on the Rebar is a very simple one, but it does its job very effectively. It's a rocker-type kind of lock.

The Body/Accessories

At the two joints between the body and the pliers, the body has benn narrowed down so its more comfortable to hold when open. Another way that Leatherman have made the Rebar more comfortable to hold is by turning the edge of the body inwards, so it doesn't cut into your hands when applying pressure.

The leather sheath which came include in the package is held together by 4 rivets. It's very well made but I have one quite major criticism about it. The snap buttons that open/close the sheath are quite stiff and hard to open. Over time, I hope that the snap buttons will eventually become smoother because this is quite a big problem at the moment.

Conclusion

Personally I think that the Rebar from Leatherman is a great value for money tool, which is perfectly crafted with no flaws in the steel work. At the beginning the joints were quite stiff, but after opening and closing the tool for a few minutes, it works perfectly. I think that you can't go wrong with buying the Rebar, especially with it's low price point, for the amount of tools you're having.

You can buy the Rebar from amazon at http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=trissrevi-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B007ERHK3M&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

2 comments:

  1. Hi Tristan, Thanks for the review. I am now tempted by the Leatherman Rebar, I was originally going to buy the wave, but debating this instead. I know you say it is good value, but what would be a reasonable price to pay? I have found this one, http://www.aboveandbeyond.co.uk/.leatherman-rebar-military-tool_037447494000.htm but wondered if this represents a good price? Cheers, Martin

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  2. In my mind, this tool rivals tools such as the wave but its about £20 cheaper. The main differences between this and the wave, is that this doesn't have a bit driver and scissors. I would've been happy to buy this tool for about £70, so that price is quite a good deal. Check Amazon UK, because they're selling this tool for £59.99.
    Hope I've answered your questions.

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