Remember, while Leatherman and Gerber are popular brands, there are other reputable manufacturers that produce quality multi-tools as well. Exploring different options and considering your specific needs will help you find the perfect multi-tool for your camping, hiking, and survival adventures. Conclusion Leatherman and Gerber multi-tools span a range of prices to accommodate different budgets. Leatherman tools generally tend to be higher priced due to their premium materials and craftsmanship. Gerber offers multi-tools at various price points, including more affordable options. Consider your budget and the specific features you require to make an informed decision.

The pliers themselves are reasonably good quality but the shape of the handles makes them very uncomfortable to use. The knife blade is a good length for the Crucial’s size but doesn’t hold an edge long enough for most people. The same issues apply to the included screwdrivers. The flathead is decent but the cross driver is far too narrow to fit well in most phillips head screws. The Leatherman Wave+ brings heaps of value to the Leatherman line-up. Leatherman takes 90% of what makes the Charge so impressive and sells it for 60% of the cost. What you get is the Wave+ and an excellent value. The Leatherman Wingman is even less expensive, by a significant margin, but has fewer features and is made with lesser quality materials (though most users may not notice the weight savings of steel vs. titanium casing). For a full-featured tool, the Wave+ is the bargain shopper's choice.The Crucial is a decent tool but it has some problems. The Skeletool does everything that the Crucial does, it just does them better. Crucial Vs Leatherman Freestyle Leatherman understands their market, they know what their customers want, and they provide it. How many companies exist nowadays with that kind of dedication and focus? If you’re looking for just about the best multi tools available, whatever your budget, you can’t go wrong with a Leatherman.

Simply put it’s too narrow to work effectively. You might as well use the flathead for phillips head screws as try to turn them with the cross driver. Unless you found a screw that was exactly the size of the cross driver it would frequently slip and scratch your screw head. Strap Cutter One handed opening tools are becoming more and more popular as new models are released. Gerber got into the field early and incorporated slide out pliers into a lot of their designs but Leatherman wasn’t asleep at the wheel either. They released an innovative multi tool designed to allow one handed opening of every tool. Lets see how these two, the Gerber Center Drive and Leatherman OHT, compare. The pliers, with their removable wire cutters, were a revelation. Having faced the annoyance of a small divot in my Curl’s cutters, the replaceable feature on the Wave Plus was nothing short of a blessing. The wire crimper just below the hinge of the plier handles proved to be a nifty addition, making wire crimping tasks a breeze. It allows you to apply more stable pressure as you’re working with screws. The Center Drive comes with many of the tools we like to see on top quality multi tools. One of our favorite features is the included awl, something a lot of manufacturers are pulling out of their tools.

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If your multi-tool use includes a lot of driving screws, choose the Center Drive Plus. It is the best tool we know of for that purpose. Otherwise, it's more average as a general multi-tool. The rattly construction holds up well but doesn't instill high confidence. The pliers are more prone to pinching than more sophisticated options, and accessing tools other than the blade, pliers, and bit driver requires multiple steps. Leatherman and Gerber both offer a wide range of tool options to cater to different needs. Leatherman is known for its extensive lineup of multi-tools, including models with specialized tools for specific purposes. Gerber also offers a diverse selection, with a focus on functionality and innovation. It’s worth exploring the product catalogs of both brands to find the multi-tool that best suits your needs. The combination carabiner and bottle opener on the Gerber Crucial was honestly one of our favorite features. It’s actually built into the handle and folds out like any other tool. Most of the multi tool carabiners we’ve seen before either attach to a keychain/lanyard hole or are aftermarket additions. What it comes down to is that Gerber has a broader range of products that go from extremely entry level to top of the line. If you’ve only experienced their consumer focused stuff bought at Wal-Mart you’ll have a different opinion of them than if you’ve been using their multi hundred dollar products. What is great about Leatherman that Gerber doesn’t offer

One feature that stood out was the bit drivers. The Wave Plus houses not one, but two different bit drivers, a full-sized one, and a micro driver, perfect for those tiny screws on my eyeglasses. Although I found the proprietary sized bits a tad inconvenient, the bit extender was a game-changer, allowing the use of standard ¼ inch bits. The Leatherman Micra is just about the first keychain tool to hit the market. It has been continuously available since the mid 90’s and is one of the best tools of its kind. It has a pair of scissors rather than pliers for a main tool and includes things like a knife, attached tweezers, and screwdrivers. It has all metal construction similar to the the Gerber Dime but it just feels a bit better made. The diamond-coated file was a handy tool to sharpen my blades on the go, a useful trait when out in the wild. The ruler markings along the edge of the outer handles were a modest but handy feature, aiding in small measurement tasks. We wish the main blade were not serrated. Yes, a serrated edge cuts a few things a little better than a straight edge. But that serrated edge suffers or completely fails to cut other things, especially when it is dulled. Once dull, a serrated edge is more difficult to sharpen, whereas the included sharpener on the Signal could be used to resurface an entirely straight-edged blade. The inclusion of a serrated portion on the blade seems like a marketing move more than a practical one. The Signal is unique and functional. It isn't too huge or too clumsy to use. With it, Leatherman comes another step closer to abandoning their proprietary bit driver interface. They built in the expected "squashed" bit driver, but they also included a standard 1/4 inch drive bit holder. We like this. The standard bit holder isn't oriented in an ideal fashion, but it is better than nothing. For survivalists looking for a multi-tool designed with bushcraft in mind, while also functional around the home, the Signal is a great piece of gear to add to the kit. Overall the Juice C2 wins out against the Crucial as well. The C2 was lighter, better made, included more tools, and just generally more comfortable to use. Did we mention it’s also less expensive? We rest our case. Conclusion – Final Thoughts On the Gerber CrucialOne thing that sets the Crater apart from the Obsidian is the carabiner/bottle opener that folds out from the handle. It can be used to clip the knife to your belt loop but we found it more useful at attaching the Crater to bags. The bottle opener works well enough but can be difficult to get open on the first try.