Broke my Leatherman today.
I won a raffle in 2008 I think.
The first prize was a gift card which I used to buy the most expensive leatherman that was available in the store at the time.
I have used it so much and still somehow taken way too good care of it. Never abused the blades. I bet the tool I have used the most have been the pliers and the screwdriver.
The leather holster that I used occasionally looks still almost like new.
Cutting hot dog buns for kids when out and about, fixing my bike…
F for respect 🫡
Leatherman has a lifetime warranty and I’m pretty sure they’ll replace those plier jaws for you.
Leatherman warranty You can send it to leatherman and they will fix it.
I found my leatherman in a field, so no proof of purchase or owt.
Snapped the blade, sent it in and they just sent back a brand new one.
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Snapped intentionally? Found one in a field, still works to this day
I think I’m on my fourth by now
F 🫡
My loss isn’t even comparable to yours, but I can only feel sympathy. For the past 4+ years I’ve only had two mugs. I had the mug, which I got from my brother and his GF, and a plain black gag gift mug that’s been sitting in my cupboard until yesterday.
Around the same time you posted, this happened:
Yeah, those jaws are a weak point on Leatherman multi-tools and all multi-tools in general. The jaws are made by MIM, Metal Injection Molding.
Lots of common parts are MIM all around you and they last nearly forever. But they can never be as tough as a forged part. Just cheaper.
Either repair this one or buy a new one. Personally, I’d buy a new smaller tool like the Skeletool and fix the old one too.
I have a skeletool and I love that damn thing
Good point about the moulding!
Shocking that it was the pliers. Time to get this one repaired and buy a new one because they are great and having two means you can plier twice as fast.
F
I still have my budget Leatherman from way back in like 2012. Abused the heck out of it and it’s still going strong. Needs some oil for the opening mechanisms and a good blade sharpening for the knife and scissors but otherwise still a flawless piece of kit.
🫡
They have a pretty solid warranty policy as far as I know. Maybe worth checking it out:
I went back to mark the 25 years because I got confused by the 40 year warranty banner if you were a part of some group. You beat me to the punch lol
I have a Leatherman that is grandfathered with a lifetime warranty. They’ve honored it several times.
I have a 2001 Leatherman Wave. Used the pliers on something that it wouldn’t cut well and now there’s a distinct wobble & play in them. Rest of tools are okay and I still use it but I wouldn’t touch the brand with a barge pole these days. They’re WAY too expensive and their idea of innovation is to remove accessories and sell them separately for more $$$.
I have a Gerber that i’ve used for 15 years now - still in perfect condition
Lifetime warranty no? Get it fixed
This is the correct answer, Leatherman’s have lifetime warranty.
File a claim OP
25 year, but it’s still within the period.
My experience with them was very good. They had my broken Skeletool back in just a few weeks.
Same!
*Lifetime of the tool. Also, OP has to prove he’s not dead.
OP only means he/she is the Original Posessor, so the lifetime of the tool should exceed the life of OP.
Otherwise, if the tool expires before the owner expires, I’d think the warranty should still apply.
Edit: Yeah I confused myself too LMFAO!
It says all you can eat.
And that’s all you can eat!
I swear I can eat this table
Watch your mouth
Yeah but, as weird as it is to think, I bet steel was better in even 2008. I know that older hand tools used stronger steel, and iirc, it was project farm(i think?) that did a comparison of steel used even through the 1990s and into the 00s and found modern steel to be much softer.
Send it to them, they’ll probably replace it.
Had the exact same thing happen to me. Got it fixed under warranty no questions asked. Never happened again (even tho I use it nearly every day)
This seems like the least likely point of failure and yet here I am witnessing it twice.
all pliers break at that point.
Oh well I’ve just been outed as a non-plier specialist. At least I learned something.
hey get 'em! they don’t know about pliers!
make 'em go to plier college
In this economy? I wanna poke fun not bankrupt em
Slip-joint pliers are MUCH more difficult to break because they are forged rather than metal injection molded like multi-tools are.
Have have done evil things to forged pliers that would have scared the bee-jeebus out of God himself. At worst, I just bent the handles, which I just hammered back into the roughly correct place. Or not, because I didn’t care at that moment.
I’ve only had a long nosed pair break roughly 15mm from the end. Was only using the to remove a painted on junction box cover.
It’s almost certainly the most likely failure point. It’s where the two parts thin to overlap each other, but still aren’t overlapping, and also it’s undergoing a lot of force if you put any vertical torque on it.
I’m no engineer, or expert, or someone who’s ever had this happen, but it seems like a pretty expected failure mode. Everything else is much thicker and more durable.
All multi-tools suffer from this weak point.
You’re much thicker and more durable!
🟫 🐔 🟫 🐄
Exactly my question, how the hell does this happen and how do I avoid it?
The jaws are made by metal injection molding, MIM for short. It’s a good way to make some pretty complex shapes repeatedly and relatively cheaply. And they are also ready to use as is for many items and the rest, just minor secondary operations are needed.
Lot’s of metal items around you are made by MIM. And it’s great for those things. But while it’s “good enough” for your multi-tool jaws most of the time, it’s not a process that is as tough as a forged tool. There some stress riser areas in those jaws. Look at the sharper corners. An easy way to break those jaws is to grab something hard out at the very tips of the jaws and squeeze hard.
Multi-tools are a fine tool to carry for an emergency when nothing better is available. Or the job at hand is just a quick light task. Anything else, go get the proper tool.
It’s a tool, use it as needed and get it fixed if it breaks.
Think you are covered under warranty still…
https://www.leatherman.com/pages/customerservice-warranty
(25 years)
I’m amazed companies still have such long warranties and haven’t enshitified yet. I have a Carhartt jacket that had the zipper seam come out and they covered repairing it under their warranty.
The warranty prevents enshitification. Enshitify the product and the warranty bites back. Enshitify the warranty people stop believing in the product.
Let me throw in a sequel.
Circulon has done me well. I “broke” a pot
Hardly any questions they sent me a replacement
Sorry I’m a person who cooks so they are both dirty as I’m always working on something… but seriously there are a very few brands that are good companies that are worth it. And learherman and Circulon have held their promises.
I had a similar one with Turboflame, had sat on a shelf with a broken piezo for 10 years, sent an email out asking how much spares were and they posted a pair of piezo sparks for free.
