Leatherman Rebar Multitool Review

Leatherman Rebar Review



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





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

Tools





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

Leatherman Skeletool Review

Leatherman Skeletool Review: by Tristan Jones

The Leatherman Skeletool is classed as a pocket-size multi-tool on the Leatherman website (www.leatherman.com). As with all of the products from Leatherman, the Skeletool's build quality is second to none. All the moving parts move smoothly and the body is finely crafted. The body is made out of stainless steel.



Specifications

Length: 4in/10cmClosed                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Weight: 5oz/142g

Tools (as stated on Leatherman's website)

Needlenose pliers                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Regular pliers                                                                                                                            Wire cutters                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Hard-wire cutters                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    420HC Combo Knife                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Carabiner/Bottle opener                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Large Bit Driver

Pliers



The Main tool on the Skeletool is the pliers. The rest of the Multi-tool is built around the pliers. The tool opens up with the familiar butterfly-opening style which reveals the pliers. The tool locks into place with a very satisfying click. Because of the way the Skeletool was designed there is only one possible way to hold the tool when open. The pliers on the Skeletool are very similar to the pliers on the Juice line of multi-tools from Leatherman. The pliers are blunt-nosed, and have a set of wire cutters at the bottom. There is also a set of hard wire cutters below the standard ones. I find these pliers very strong and reliable.

Blade



The blade is 2.6in/6.60cm long and is made out of 420HC steel. 420HC steel is easy to sharpen and retains a good edge. The Skeletool CX (Skeletool's big brother has a 154CM blade which is harder and preferred by many. I personally prefer 420HC because it's softer and easier to sharpen and holds a decent edge. The blade has a thumb cut out, which means the blade can be deployed one-handed. I personally find the size of the cut out, and its placement perfect for one hand opening. When the blade is open it locks securely into place with the liner lock. I find this kind of lock easy to function, and it does a good job of keeping the blade locked. There are also little cut-outs in the blade which helps to keep the weight down to a minimum. I think that the shape of the blade is really good. When the blade is open, there is a notch in the frame for the index finger to sit in. I find this position a very comfortable way of holding the tool with the blade deployed.

Large Bit Driver/Bits

The bit driver is situated at the end of the right handle (same side as blade), while the spare bit is situated inside the left handle. The driver has a nice locking mechanism to hold the bit in, and its easy to operate. The bit driver is designed to be used with one of the handles opened right out. Personally, I find it very comfortable to use the bit driver in this position. It can also be used with one of the handles opened to a 90 degree angle. This position gives you a lot more leaverage if you need it, but i find this position a little less comfortable and user friendly. The spare bit is held in a notch in the frame of the left handle. It is held in entirely by friction. I find it to be fairly secure but it is possible for the bit to fall out when in vigorous testing. If you want extra bits for the bit driver, Leatherman sell a bit kit for use with any of the large bit drivers. If you want to use hex bits with the Skeletool, you can buy the Leatherman bit extender. A downside of using the bit extender in this tool is the fact it doesn't lock into place.

Carabiner/Bottle Opener

The carabiner can be clipped onto almost anything, from belt loops to D-rings. When using the carabiner on some D-rings i found out that the carabiner is a bit big to be versatile. The carabiner also doubles as a bottle opener. It function very well as a bottle opener, and the only downside i can see with it as a bottle opener is that, when applying pressure to open the bottle the top edge of the blade digs into your hand.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a multi-tool, and you're thinking that you are not going to use half the stuff on the multi-tools like the Leatherman Wave, then the Skeletool is possibly the perfect tool for you. It only has a few tools but these tools are the most important in day to day life. The Skeletool looks fantastic while still having the versatility of other multi-tools with much more tools.                                                                                                                                                        Personally, I rate the Leatherman Skeletool a 9 out of 10. It lost a mark because of the few design flaws (e.g. knife digging into hand while opening bottle, and that the spare bit isn't fully secured into the frame). I am very happy with my purchase of the Skeletool, and i'm sure you'll be too.

You can buy it from Amazon at http://rcm-uk.amazon.co.uk/e/cm?t=trissrevi-21&o=2&p=8&l=as1&asins=B000XU9NXW&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr