Wingman Multitool with Spring-Action Pliers and Scissors, Stainless Steel

There have been excellent reviews of both the Leatherman Wingman and Rebar, as well as all the others, but because there are so many models, it can be hard to choose which one to buy. I hope to help in the choice of economical "Full-size" multitools, as Leatherman calls a number of models. The "full size" line of tools are all about 100mm long when folded, and include the Charge TTi, the New Wave, the Rebar, and the Wingman. The first two are much more expensive than the latter two, and I will only discuss the Rebar and Wingman. Leatherman multitools can be further subdivided between blade-in and blade-out designs. In the former, you must open the tool to have access to the knife blade(s); in the latter they are available just as they would be in a pocket knife The Rebar is a blade-in design; the Wingman is blade-out. If your most common use of the tool will be for cutting with the knife blade(s), then the Wingman would be more convenient. The Rebar has a much superior shear-type wire-cutter with replaceable blades. The Wingman has a butt-type or pinch-type wire-cutter. Both work, but the Rebar works noticeably better, especially for hard wire. The Rebar has two large blades, a plain blade and a serrated blade; the Wingman has only a single combination blade, but it is instantly available because of the blade-out design. The Rebar has a full-size double-sided file with a serrated edge that can serve as a hack saw. Wingman has what can only be described as a toy, a single-sided, half length file. I could consider it worthless. The Rebar has a full-size wood saw; the Wingman has none. The Wingman, however, has an excellent scissor, the best of the whole line, while the Rebar has no scissor. The Wingman's pliers are spring loaded; not so the Rebar. All the blades, even the small screw-drivers, of the Rebar lock; only the knife and scissor of the Wingman lock. A negative, however, of the Rebar is that the lock-release levers protrude enough to catch if you carry it in your pocket. The Rebar comes with a nylon sheath, while the Wingman has no sheath but does have a good retentive pocket clip. Also the Wingman has a somewhat more rounded shape at the end so it carries better than any of the other full-size multitools in the pocket. Both Rebar and Wingman have a good Phillips screw driver, but the Rebar's is superior. Unlike the Rebar, the Wingman has no awl. At around 22 dollars the Wingman is the best value; the Rebar with sheath is around 37. Which to buy? If you want a multitool small enough to carry in your pocket, one that you will keep in your desk or kitchen junk drawer, if you will mostly use the knife, and find a scissor handy, I'd recommend the Wingman. If, however, you want a more fully competent multitool, that can compare well with the much more expensive Wave and Charge, a tool that includes excellent file, awl, and superior wire cutter, choose the Rebar. What if price is no object? I'd still probably recommend the Rebar. It is noticeably lighter (191 vs 241 g) than the New Wave, and it is 3 mm less in breadth and thickness, which seems little until you hold the two together. The Wave and Charge are simply too big for even occasional pocket use. All of the multitools mentioned in this review are of high quality and will last a long time. Some reviews have said that Leathermans are not made like they used to be, and a review here compares unfavorably the Rebar with the Supertool. (They are similar in design but the Supertool is considerably bigger.) In any case, I have an "old Supertool", made when they still forged "USA" into the pliers, and for the life of me I can see no difference in quality. Certainly the wire cutter of the Rebar is superior. (Incidentally, they are still made in the USA, but a stupid California law keeps them from stamping it on the tool.) So, just buy one, or several, they are all good. I have one in each car, pack, kitchen tool drawer, backpack, etc. I guess you can have too many Lethermen, but I have not gotten there yet!

Now of course there are always going to be folks who want more, but a multi-tool or Swiss army knife is all about having a *usable* tool on hand when needed, or saving many walks back to the toolbox for the purpose-made tool. With that in mind, this tool excels. Compared to a similary-equipped Swiss army knife, it is thinner, since the tools are split between two handles, instead of one, but heavier. The pliers is much more useful than that of a folding Swiss army knife, but not quite as useful as that of a full-size or Heavy Duty series Leatherman. + Spring-loaded pliers are not strictly needed, but once you've tried these, you won't want to go without them ever again. They just make it so much handier! + Combo knife blade and scissors are externally accessible; brilliant! + Unique and useful package-opener tool is not currently found on any other Leatherman. This is a good way to open clamshell packaging without risking hurting oneself as much. Just remember to move your shoulders to do it, not your arm joints, so that if you slip, the knife doesn't move as far and slice you up. + #2 Phillips and large flat screwdrivers are generally useful + The can opener/bottle opener/wire stripper is a great compromise tool. I used it as a can opener the other day just for fun; it takes a while but does the job. As a bottle opener, it works great. The wire stripper, not so much, unless you cut a ring around the wire insulation with the knife blade first. It is not sharp enough to get through THHN home wiring insulation. + Pocket clip instead of a belt pouch is a nice touch. This is a multi-tool that actually fits pretty well in a pants pocket, even if it is on the heavy side - The wire cutter works much better for either solid gauge wire or stranded wire with thick strands than it does for very small flexible stranded wire with many thin strands. It is a "pinch-style" cutter, not a scissor-style. It should be noted that the scissor style wire cutters are initially more useful for that small flexible wire, but once the plier joint loosens up over time, they're almost completely useless. The pinch style cutter used on this one will always work the same; it is not dependent on a tight joint. Since it is not particularly sharp to begin with, it should never deteriorate - Tools don't lock open. However, it should be noted that if you are using them properly, with the pliers closed, there is still no danger of them folding up on you to the point of causing injury. Their open position puts the pressure line past the joint, so that they don't tend to fold up anyway. Some folks don't like the combo knife blade, but if you think about it, it makes sense in many ways: a) When we need a sharp plain edge, it is usually toward the tip half of the blade, right? Like for cutting open boxes and such. b) A lot of people who buy this either don't know how, or are too lazy to sharpen a knife blade. Therefore, it is useful to have a serrated one that will stay sharp a lot longer, right? c) When you have something tough and fibrous to cut through, having a serrated blade can be useful. I'd rather see a combo blade like this one than to sacrifice the scissors, or relegate the scissors to a small inside tool, as is done on other Leathermen. This one has a polished finish, as opposed to the brushed finish most other Leathermen have. I kind of like it. This is a great tool, and I think it will get a lot of people into Leathermen.

Habe den Leatherman nun seit fast einem Jahr und nutze ihn beruflich (überwiegend die Zange und das Messer). Das sind meine Erfahrungen: - gute Verarbeitung - bis jetzt kein Verschleiß erkennbar -> Feder der Zange funktioniert einwandfrei, die Klinge des Messers ist noch scharf - keine Korrosion Leider fehlt ein Gürtelholster, aber passende gibt es schon für ein paar Euro. Insgesamt stimmt hier die Preis / Leistung wirklich sehr gut! Zwar gibt es aus dem Hause Leatherman oder Victorinox noch qualitativere Tools, aber zum 3, 4 oder fünffachen des Preises. Was wiederum meiner Meinung nach nicht gefertigt ist und dieses Tool als optimal erscheinen lässt!

Bought as a gift. Looks and feels well made. Nicely presented.

La calidad indiscutible de leatherman, esta herramienta es perfecta para el edc o el cajón de la oficina te facilitará muchas tareas; funcionan mejor las tijeras de las multiherramientas Roxon; pero el acero de Leatherman es superior. La multiherramienta no es tan chica como crees. Excelente artículo 👍

C'est un outil parfait: il est solide, simple mais complet et il se glisse dans ma poche. Je suis très content d'avoir mis quelques euros pour un produit de qualité et que je garderai longtemps.

ナイフ系の多機能ツールを数本使い分けていました。レザーマンは知っていたのですが、高価、重い、ペンチ系は使わないだろうと関心がありませんでした。しかし、アウトドア雑誌でその便利さを認識して購入を考えました。このウィングマンは価格も手ごろで、試に一つ持つかと思い購入しました。価格からサイズは小さいだろうと思っていましたが、届いてから開けてみて、うれしい誤算でした。その頑丈な作り、手に馴染む感覚、カチっとした収まり感、非常に所有感を満足させてくれます。実際はナイフよりもその他のハサミやドライバーなどのツールを使う方が多いんですよね。もちろんこのウィングマンのナイフも満足できるものです。購入して正解でした。