Leatherman Disappointment

[Boesman88]

Good day to All,

I recently purchased a new Leatherman, a Charge + Titanium. This is probably the 10th Leatherman I have owned over the years, everywhere I go I sing Leatherman's praises.

Honestly, I am in the bush a lot and my Leatherman works hard, it does real work and I rely on it as an essential tool, one which you will rarely see me without (I got married wearing my Leatherman). I have used my Leatherman to do jobs that I suppose some can only imagine and I think they are brilliant pieces of equipment... until recently.

I bought this most recent Leatherman as my last one finally had to be retired after years of good service. My only gripe (until now) was that I have nowhere nearby to have my multitool serviced or repaired.

My complaint is this; recently I was on a job in the field and I was cutting some 1.6mm tying wire (the very soft wire) with my new Leatherman, imagine my absolute shock when after only the 3rd or 4th cut I noticed the wire cutters looked like old teeth that had been chewing on rocks for a lifetime! Seriously, what rubbish steel has Leatherman used to make these cutters? I'm not even trying to be funny here, I am extremely disappointed. It gives me serious concerns about the integrity of the entire tool, not to mention Leatherman as a company... I feel like maybe they are going the way of so many companies that finally fail due to cutting corners and compromising on quality in order to increase profit margins!

I've tried emailing Leatherman but with no joy. My point with posting this here is to find out who I can complain to in the hopes this can be resolved. I am really concerned that another quality product is not one any more!? Buyers beware!

Please see pictures attached.

RTFM



The new replaceable cutters has a hard wire (steel, galvanise etc wire) and a soft wire (gut, rope, copper etc) part of the cutter. You used the soft wire part to cut hard wires. Nothing wrong with Leatherman, no problems ito heat treatment etc. but it can break from time to time. Like toyotas if abused

[JoshMos]

RTFM



The new replaceable cutters has a hard wire (steel, galvanise etc wire) and a soft wire (gut, rope, copper etc) part of the cutter. You used the soft wire part to cut hard wires. Nothing wrong with Leatherman, no problems ito heat treatment etc. but it can break from time to time. Like toyotas if abused

Sorry, is 1.6mm tying wire considered hard wire then?

[JoshMos]

Afternoon All,

I got my Leatherman back from Awesome Tools and they did an awesome job! Thanks very much! Decent service these days is rare, and I am sure there are very many who appreciate you guys at Awesome Tools.

I still have not received replacement wire cutters from Leatherman as promised. The wire cutters from my old Leatherman are still on my new one, cutting soft wire, hard wire, etc.

I now have two Leathermans in good working order - but still concerned about the quality of the Leatherman product (in general) going forward. Let's see...

All the best!

[jfh]

Did you have to pay for the service/repair on your Leatherman?

I enquired at our local co-op and was told they send it to Awesometools and when it's done they send a bill.
Apparently one guy got a +/-R1k bill.

This is new to me as in the past I used to just drop it off and collect later, no charge.

[Dudleytheplumber]

When I sent my Leatherman for repairs I did get a invoice..
But
It was just acknowledgement of what repairs would have cost
There was no charge

[niclemaitre]

Did you have to pay for the service/repair on your Leatherman?

I enquired at our local co-op and was told they send it to Awesometools and when it's done they send a bill.
Apparently one guy got a +/-R1k bill.

This is new to me as in the past I used to just drop it off and collect later, no charge.

I had my Wave serviced. They replaced the one blade, the entire plier assembly and gave me three new small screwdriver bits for around R200.

[Vlakvarkie]

Awesome Tools these days charge a R150 service fee.

I had my son's Leatherman serviced two weeks ago. I dropped it off personally at their shop in Blackheath, Kuils River and picked it up 3 hours later. Great service!

[ArabVR46]

When I sent my Leatherman for repairs I did get a invoice..
But
It was just acknowledgement of what repairs would have cost
There was no charge

+ 1

I have 3 x tools - accumulated, and used well, over a number of years now, and have never yet been charged for a service or repair/replacement part/s........that said though, haven't had the need for service or repairs since approx 2-3yrs ago now maybe.

a '97 model Sideclip "Old Faithful" - worn clipped to my trouser pocket every day. Numerous services over the years, a good few replacement drivers, 3rd knife blade currently doing service, and 1 of the 4 handle 'cover' pieces replaced (this did look a bit odd when new, compared to the other 3 covers, but with time it has now 'settled/faded' to match the rest rather decently). Still going strong.
a '04 model Squirt S4 - fitted to key ring. A few services over the years (mostly as an added bonus when dropping off the other tools for required R&M work). Got this one in anodized Blue, and some of the colour has been peeling/chipping over the years. Goes well otherwise.
a '15 model Charge TI - Used in either leather or nylon sheath, when travelling & camping. This one's still from the pre-replacement (non-replaceable) wire cutter days, and the cutter is still in excellent nick after many a hardy task thrown at it. 2 x services done - that's it. Still going strong otherwise. I did get mine for an absolute steal back then, relative to what they go for nowadays!

Surprised to hear them charging - albeit only minimally - a fee for servicing these days.

[niclemaitre]

Surprised to hear them charging - albeit only minimally - a fee for servicing these days.

I asked. They charge a nominal service fee to discourage the crowd who were taking advantage of it and reselling the refurbished tools.

[Impi Adventures]

Good day to All,

I recently purchased a new Leatherman, a Charge + Titanium. This is probably the 10th Leatherman I have owned over the years, everywhere I go I sing Leatherman's praises.

Honestly, I am in the bush a lot and my Leatherman works hard, it does real work and I rely on it as an essential tool, one which you will rarely see me without (I got married wearing my Leatherman). I have used my Leatherman to do jobs that I suppose some can only imagine and I think they are brilliant pieces of equipment... until recently.

I bought this most recent Leatherman as my last one finally had to be retired after years of good service. My only gripe (until now) was that I have nowhere nearby to have my multitool serviced or repaired.

My complaint is this; recently I was on a job in the field and I was cutting some 1.6mm tying wire (the very soft wire) with my new Leatherman, imagine my absolute shock when after only the 3rd or 4th cut I noticed the wire cutters looked like old teeth that had been chewing on rocks for a lifetime! Seriously, what rubbish steel has Leatherman used to make these cutters? I'm not even trying to be funny here, I am extremely disappointed. It gives me serious concerns about the integrity of the entire tool, not to mention Leatherman as a company... I feel like maybe they are going the way of so many companies that finally fail due to cutting corners and compromising on quality in order to increase profit margins!

I've tried emailing Leatherman but with no joy. My point with posting this here is to find out who I can complain to in the hopes this can be resolved. I am really concerned that another quality product is not one any more!? Buyers beware!

Please see pictures attached.

As far as I know you can return that item to a registered LM Dealer like Safari Outdoor and have it sent away for repairs For FREE.

LM have a lifetime warranty...You can send it for service and they replace blades, files, saw blades etc. with no cost to you period (in SA they might charge for shipping to and from LM)

[niclemaitre]

As far as I know you can return that item to a registered LM Dealer like Safari Outdoor and have it sent away for repairs For FREE.

LM have a lifetime warranty...You can send it for service and they replace blades, files, saw blades etc. with no cost to you period (in SA they might charge for shipping to and from LM)

They used to do repairs for free. That has now ended. There is a nominal fee of around R200.

[Derik Strydom]

Just for interest.
Leatherman started adding a date stamp to the inside of the handle, I think around 1992.
The first two digits of the number indicate the year of manufacture, and the next two digits indicate the month.
If yours doesn't have a date stamp, it is quite old, congratulations !

[GroenHoender]

As far as I know you can return that item to a registered LM Dealer like Safari Outdoor and have it sent away for repairs For FREE.

LM have a lifetime warranty...You can send it for service and they replace blades, files, saw blades etc. with no cost to you period (in SA they might charge for shipping to and from LM)

Referring to the BOLD above - not anymore "lifetime". It is now 25 years warranty.



https://www.leatherman.com/customers...warranty.html#


Quote from internet:

Leatherman changed their lifetime warranty to a 25-year limited warranty in 2018. The company stated that the change was necessary to ensure that they could continue to provide high-quality products and services to their customers.

According to Leatherman CEO Tim Leatherman, the lifetime warranty was becoming too expensive to maintain. The company was seeing a significant increase in the number of warranty claims, and many of these claims were for tools that were years or even decades old. This was putting a strain on Leatherman's resources, and it was making it difficult for the company to keep up with the demand for new products.

The new 25-year limited warranty is still one of the most generous in the industry, and it covers all defects in materials and workmanship. However, it does exclude some damage, such as damage caused by abuse or neglect.

Leatherman also stated that the change in warranty was necessary to protect the company from fraudulent claims. The company had seen an increase in the number of people trying to return tools that were not actually Leatherman products, or that were damaged due to misuse or neglect.

The new warranty is designed to make it more difficult for people to file fraudulent claims. For example, customers are now required to provide proof of purchase when filing a warranty claim.

Overall, the change to a 25-year limited warranty was a necessary step for Leatherman. The company is still committed to providing high-quality products and services to its customers, but the new warranty is more sustainable and less susceptible to fraud.

[GroenHoender]

Just for interest.
Leatherman started adding a date stamp to the inside of the handle, I think around 1992.
The first two digits of the number indicate the year of manufacture, and the next two digits indicate the month.
If yours doesn't have a date stamp, it is quite old, congratulations !

Where exactly do you see this? I do not see it on any of my LM's.


I have 2 Leathermans:

the 1st one is Leatherman "Tool" (complete with USA trademark number and "Portland" stamped on the side).
This one was my late brother's LM which he bought in the 1970's or 1980's. Not sure when or where he got it.

the 2nd Leatherman is mine, a "Wingman" and it has nothing stamped anywhere.
Still have its receipt (CapeUnion Mart). Bought in the early 2010's.

[Fred56]

My Super Tool has twice been sent in, only cost was postage. Last time was about 5 years ago though.

I honestly thought they just replaced mine.

0497

[stof-lappie]

Just for interest.
Leatherman started adding a date stamp to the inside of the handle, I think around 1992.
The first two digits of the number indicate the year of manufacture, and the next two digits indicate the month.
If yours doesn't have a date stamp, it is quite old, congratulations !

Is it perhaps the other way around?
Mine is 0913, which would mean the 13th month of 2009, so I assume it's September 2013, which is very close to when I got it, IIRC.

[Derik Strydom]

Yes, you may very well be correct.
I notice there are some confusion on the internet about this as well, a lot of web sites cant agree, but my one old Leatherman Wave has date stamp of 0399, so obviously made in March '99 - the year after the Wave was first introduced.

My apologies for the incorrect info.

[Derik Strydom]

Where exactly do you see this? I do not see it on any of my LM's.


I have 2 Leathermans:

the 1st one is Leatherman "Tool" (complete with USA trademark number and "Portland" stamped on the side).
This one was my late brother's LM which he bought in the 1970's or 1980's. Not sure when or where he got it.

the 2nd Leatherman is mine, a "Wingman" and it has nothing stamped anywhere.
Still have its receipt (CapeUnion Mart). Bought in the early 2010's.

I only own a couple of Waves, and the date stamp is small but clearly visible inside the handle that houses the can opener and Phillips screw bit.
Edit: The photo is of a Skeletool. I am trying to find a photo showing the date on a Wingman.

[Derik Strydom]

Photo of a Wave with date stamp inside the handle.

[stof-lappie]

Yes, you may very well be correct.
I notice there are some confusion on the internet about this as well, a lot of web sites cant agree, but my one old Leatherman Wave has date stamp of 0399, so obviously made in March '99 - the year after the Wave was first introduced.

My apologies for the incorrect info.

Either way, thanks for the insight.
This thing hasn't left my side for 10 years, and until today I honestly never even noticed those numbers!