LEATHERMANWingman Multitool with Spring-Action Pliers and Scissors, Stainless Steel with Nylon Sheath

I will start off by saying I LOVE multi-tools. I have at least a half dozen of them, from the original PST, to the very large Surge. The Wingman is one of my favorites.I will start off to say that while I already own several multi-tools, it seemed that each one was bigger, and had more tools than the last. Not wanting to damage my original PST (the original ones are getting pretty rare to find in good condition) I decided I wanted to go the direction of 'less is more' in that I wanted a multi-tool that had the tools I find most useful, but in as small and easy-to-carry package as possible.I narrowed it down to either the SIdekick or Wingman, and decided on the WIngman. They both seem to be built on the same frame, and have the same pliers. The differences between them seem to be that the Wingman has scissors and a box/package opener, while the Sidekick has a wood saw, and a second (small) knife blade. Since the tools I use the most are the pliers, scissors, and knife blade, I went with the Wingman, and haven't been disappointed yet.The Wingman is small enough, it doesn't come with a pouch, and for most of us, it isn't needed. Unless you have very small/shallow pockets, or like to wear extremely tight pants, just slip them inside a pocket, using the included clip to keep them from falling all the way in. When folded, they have a fairly strong spring, that keeps them folded, and all edges are rounded off somewhat, to make them comfortable in your pocket.Now, on to the tools.Knife blade: small, but big enough to be useful. While never to be confused with the blade on a Charge or Super Tool, it is right along with the theme of the tool in that it is big enough to be useful, while fitting in a compact package. It comes reasonably sharp, and is easy to resharpen. It is made of 'decent' steel, but won't be confused with a blade of the new,exotic steel.Scissors: Again, small, but big enough to be useful. Great for snipping loose threads, opening small packages, or shortening the soda straw in a child's sized cup (my kids spill far less when a short straw is used in a short cup), and that sort of thing. They work very well, but don't take a very big slice with each snip.I might mention that both the scissors, and the knife blade are accessable without having to 'open' the tool's handles, a very nice feature. They also both lock in the open position. The first few times you open them, they are a little stiff, the scissors especially needed a bit of effort to open all the way to activate the lock, but both are loosening up with use. Either CAN be opened with one hand (now that they loosened up a bit) but it is easier to use both.Screwdrivers: I was surprised at how substantial the large flat bladed driver was. All are precisely made, and the phillips, while looking a bit 'flattened' is made with precision, and works very, very well. There is a small screwdriver built into the end of the file, which works well, but because of the way it is built into the end of the file, doesn't fit into tight places all that well.File: Works well, but is quite small. You can't make a tool this small overall, without sacrificing something. It has teeth only on one side, instead of the usual Leatherman coarse on one side, fine on the other.Ruler: This is on the backside of the file. Little SAE and metric marks, that while precise, are a bit hard to read because they are not labeled very well. Personally, I'd rather have a two-sided file, instead of the file with teeth on one side, and the measure on the other. Honestly, what can you do with a measure under 2 inches long?Can/bottle opener: Works (I actually tried it) but is a bit smallish, so it takes a lot of little 'bites' to go all the way around a can. The wire stripper built into it is sharp and works as well as any of its kind.Box opener: I was surprised to see this, and it took a bit to figure out how it works, but what it is, is a small hooked blade, designed only to make shallow cuts, when pulled towards you. It turns out that it works great for opening boxes without damaging what is inside, and also for opening things in that dreaded hard plastic shell wrap. Leatherman should get an award for designing something that makes opening those shells less of a chore (it works that well, once you get onto it - it works best when pulled at a certain angle)The only tools that truly lock are the knife blade, and the scissors. The others have a spring loaded cam mechanism that holds them open fairly securely, but isn't a true 'lock'.Pliers/wirecutters: I LOVE that the pliers are spring-loaded. Makes them FAR easier to use, and the folks at Leatherman really got it right in that there is just enough spring tension holding them open to make them easy to use without losing your grip, yet keeping the action smooth and easy. The wire cutters are not as good as on the bigger Leatherman tools, but work adequately. Build quality overall, is better than I expected, given the price I paid (right around $20)To sum it up, I belive that the Wingman (and it's brother the Sidekick) are probably the smallest 'quality' multi-tool you can buy, that is still big enough to really do the job, and includes the tools you really need, without much extra. While the many-bladed multi tools are great for when you can carry a big/heavy tool, the Wingman is a very good balance of small/light enough to always have on you, yet big enough to do the job. Any bigger, and you might as well get a full-sized one with a pouch, and any smaller, and it would be less useful.

I love these multi-gadgets, and this one works fine. Easy to carry in its case, many useful tools -- especially the pliers, which Swiss army types lack.

Good product as always. If I could just quit misplacing them.

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 knifeThe 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!

Great product! Very functional and easy to use. The size is convenient and it is easy to store.

This multitool is the best seventy dollars I have ever spent. I have used it for about a year and am never without it. This tool feels like it will last a lifetime, although I did have a couple problems with it.Pros:Has all the tools the average guy needsGreat 25 year warrantyScissors and pliers are spring loadedDurable stainless steel constructionThe package opener is phenomenal and is one of the most used tools on WingmanMade in the USA!!!Blade and scissors are easily opened with one hand, came very sharp and lock into the open positionFlat heads double as prybarsCons:Blade has no detent. I was using the pliers when the blade came open and cut me (I did have the blade looser than when I received it)Case clasp comes undone occasionally, although the Wingman is pretty snug inside the case, so the chances of it coming out are slim.Pocket clip is held on by one screw, so it does wiggle around a bit. Not a major problem.Overall, an awesome multitool and definitely worth your money.