CONCLUSION
In spite of playing with knives for many days, the YM test team’s fingers remain intact and any cuts are healing nicely. All the multitools had very sharp blades and no one blade stood out for sharpness during the test period. The only other tool that all the knives had was a bottle opener; we checked these all worked well.
You’ll have to prioritise which tools you want the most and which you will actually use. The Victorinox Swiss Champ leads the way in the features, possibly too many – which add bulk, and while the blades lasted well in a oilskin pocket, the plates between them showed signs of corrosion.
The Wichard was simple, light and comfortable to use. The decent lockable marlinspike, proper lanyard and build quality of the the Currey Lockspike Captain feel like the knife will survive for years and be passed from one generation to the next makes it our Best Budget Buy.
The Gerber Crucial offers the basic tools one needs, a fairly reasonable set of pliers and true singlehanded operation of the blade, with the ability to open and unlock with ease. All this, and good value for money too. YM’S Best on Test, however, goes to the Leatherman Wave, even though it was the most expensive on test by some way. With the exception of the scissors, all the tools feel solid and work well. It is Leatherman’s most popular knife and it’s easy to see why; it has all the tools one actually needs. An excellent set of pliers and four good, lockable and easy-toaccess blades and a variety of screwdrivers and other tools, all ready at a moment’s notice.