- FEATURING 14 TOOLS: spring-action needlenose pliers, spring action regular pliers, wire stripper, 420HC combo knife, spring-action scissors, package opener, ruler (1.5in, 3.8cm), can opener, bottle opener, wood/metal file, phillips screwdriver, medium screwdriver, small screwdriver.
- 420HC Stainless Steel: An improved, high-carbon (HC) form of 420 stainless steel that works well with high production tooling. 420HC's strength is optimized in Leatherman multi-tools by heat treatment.
- A great, lightweight, pocket-sized, stainless steel tool; the Wingman features an outside-accessible, one-hand opening blade and newly-designed spring-action jaws.
- With plenty of handy tools, and backed by a team of designers, assemblers, and manufacturing crew from Portland, Oregon, this is one amazing value.
- ONE TOOL. A COUPLE THOUSAND USES.
Real heroes are the guys who are prepared for anything. Someone in the office can't open an important letter? Cut your way through his confusion with your handy blade. A lady is desperately trying to hot-wire a car because, apparently, she lost her keys? Whip out your wire strippers and get her on her way home. The Leatherman Wingman Multi-Tool turns you into a superhero, ready to save mankind, no matter the predicament.
Product Features
Product Features
- Handle: stainless steel
- Blade: 420 stainless steel
- Blade Edge
- Blade Finish
- Blade Length: 2.6-inch
- Open Length:
- Closed Length 3.8-inch
- Screwdrivers: small screwdriver, medium screwdriver, philips screwdiver
- Pliers: yes, needle nose
- File: yes
- Scissors: no
- Wire Cutter: yes
- Wood Saw
- Bottle Opener: yes
- Can Opener: yes
- Other Tools: wire stripper, ruler
- Weight: 7 oz
- Recommended Use: being prepared for anything
- Manufacturer Warranty: 25 years
By TonyAZ
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 knife
The 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!
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 knife
The 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!
By Johnny Rodriguez
The wingman is pure leatherman quality. I love multitools. I own way too many of every brand. I like many brands Gerber, S.O.G, Victorinox), but partial to leatherman. The leatherman wingman is now going to be my EDC, until their next great creation. I actually used it today to fix one of my sons friends bike while we rode along the long beach bike path. I love that the pliers are spring loaded, you don't get that with the wave, 300, 200, blast, kick, etc. The spring loaded scissors are great. I used them to trim my beard and they work solid. The leatherman gives specs- metal type, tools, etc. on their web site. The wingman feels a little like the victorinox swiss tool-solid, yet the wingman is much less expensive and has the springloaded pliers, and a beefier knife. Good job leatherman!
By Francisco Ballesteros
I bought the Wingman because several times almost lost my beloved Charge. So I decide to get this for my EDC and the Charge just in certain cases. I must say I’m beyond satisfied, I was expecting much less quality compared to the Charge but the certain is the next. The Charge Is by far the best multitool for me with the best quality, so in the scale where Charge is the best the Wingman is pretty good. When I first saw it I tough it was much more small, well you can check in the pictures.
Pros:
For me the best price vs features of all models.
I love the scissors which are better than the Charge.
The package opener has become my third most used tool behind the pliers and the scissors.
The Spring-loaded pliers are awesome.
The combo knife is nice and sharp.
No safety torx to open or maintenance your multitool.
Cons:
The ruler is useless.
The screwdrivers are good but I’d really liked to see the lock bit.
Other thoughts.
It is not the first time that someone says this but Leatherman should do one or both of the next things.
1. Offer spare parts of their models so the enthusiast can modify or customize their tools.
2. Create a model in which you could choose your tools, probably from their website. And to be able to buy different parts and we decided when or how use them, for example
I never use the saw in the Charge or the ruler in the wingman but I really use the bit lock and the package opener, and during weekends I used a lot the knife and the bottle opener.
Pros:
For me the best price vs features of all models.
I love the scissors which are better than the Charge.
The package opener has become my third most used tool behind the pliers and the scissors.
The Spring-loaded pliers are awesome.
The combo knife is nice and sharp.
No safety torx to open or maintenance your multitool.
Cons:
The ruler is useless.
The screwdrivers are good but I’d really liked to see the lock bit.
Other thoughts.
It is not the first time that someone says this but Leatherman should do one or both of the next things.
1. Offer spare parts of their models so the enthusiast can modify or customize their tools.
2. Create a model in which you could choose your tools, probably from their website. And to be able to buy different parts and we decided when or how use them, for example
I never use the saw in the Charge or the ruler in the wingman but I really use the bit lock and the package opener, and during weekends I used a lot the knife and the bottle opener.
By T. Tran
I was pleasantly surprised with the Wingman. I wanted a Leatherman that I could just stick in my glove box, but I couldn't justify the costs of another Wave since I wouldn't be using it very often. The Wave for sure has better fit an finish, higher tolerances, and just feels more substantial in hand. The Wave feels like it could take more abuse. That being said, based on how good the Wingman is, I don't think that Wave is worth 3x the costs of the Wingman. Just an FYI regarding the wire cutters, the cutting sections don't overlap as they do in the Wave, there's actually a slight gap. Fine wire cutting probably won't work well, but the Wingman easily snips paperclips without any problems. My recommendation is if you use a multi-tool daily I would shell out for the Wave, even though I think it's a little overpriced in comparison to the Wingman, after using it daily you won't be disappointed. If however, you only use it occasionally or just want a multi-tool on hand just in case, the Wingman fits the bill perfectly.
By Joe G
I have owned a lot of multi-tools... Leatherman, SOG, Gerber, and others. I recently ordered the Wingman to go into my everyday carry organizer. I received it about two days after ordering it, with no problems in shipping. The tool came in the original box, with the standard Leatherman full-sized tool instruction pamphlet. Upon opening the box, I was immediately impressed by the weight and quality of this tool. It definitely feels formidable in the hand. Comparing it to my Gerber Suspension, another one of my favorite tools, it is similar in weight, but smaller in profile when closed. The Suspension is thicker and wider.
The Wingman has 1 blade, half serrated, that comes razor sharp, and is accessible with the tool closed. The scissors are also accessible with the the tool closed. The other tools, two flat-head screw drivers, a Phillips driver, a bottle/can opener, and a file are accessed by opening the tool. The tool also has a hefty pocket clip which could come in handy, though it is too big for me to carry in my pocket on a regular basis.
I haven't used the Wingman much, so I can't speak definitively on its quality or durability other than to say it feels solid. I really like my Suspension, and have never had any problems with it, but the Leatherman feels... More durable. It has all the tools I need in a multi-tool, and it takes up less space in my organizer. I know there are 'better' tools out there, but for twice the price. At this price point, I don't know what else I could ask for.
I would highly recommend the Leatherman Wingman to anybody looking for a durable, compact, multi-tool at a reasonable price.
The Wingman has 1 blade, half serrated, that comes razor sharp, and is accessible with the tool closed. The scissors are also accessible with the the tool closed. The other tools, two flat-head screw drivers, a Phillips driver, a bottle/can opener, and a file are accessed by opening the tool. The tool also has a hefty pocket clip which could come in handy, though it is too big for me to carry in my pocket on a regular basis.
I haven't used the Wingman much, so I can't speak definitively on its quality or durability other than to say it feels solid. I really like my Suspension, and have never had any problems with it, but the Leatherman feels... More durable. It has all the tools I need in a multi-tool, and it takes up less space in my organizer. I know there are 'better' tools out there, but for twice the price. At this price point, I don't know what else I could ask for.
I would highly recommend the Leatherman Wingman to anybody looking for a durable, compact, multi-tool at a reasonable price.
By Avg. Joe
Great value and quality, I've already bought several as gifts and everyone loves them. I keep on in my car and in my camping gear box. Anybody familiar with Leatherman products knows they make good quality products. The only consideration is the tools on each Leatherman multitool. For the money this is the best value of all the Leatherman Multi's. Cheap enough so that if it gets lost you won't cry too much and you also will not cry if it gets scratched up. I like that the knife blade is on the outside so that you do not have to unfold the thing to deploy it. The fit and finish just shines quality. There are cheaper multi's out there and I've tried them all, in the end I keep coming back to Leatherman. Buy with confidence and don't look back.
By T. M. Hunt
Bought it wanting a lighter, smaller replacement for my Wave, because the Wingman was being touted as pocketable. Turned out the Wingman is almost the same size as the Wave. Also only shaves a few ounces off the weight, while having less tools than the Wave. I decided to keep using my Wave and give the Wingman as a gift for Xmas.
But because it didn't replace my Wave doesn't mean that the Wingman isn't any good. Actually it's a lotta good, considering the price. The Wingman has a lot of style/flair going for it. It seems typical Leatherman quality (good thing).
Another reviewer said that the pliers were riveted to the handles. Maybe they got a prototype by mistake. My pliers are held to the handles with torx head screws/bolts.
It was also said that the body seems stamped out to save costs. I'm unsure if that review has used another Leatherman, but I have yet to see a Leatherman where the body wasn't stamped out. If anything, it seems like the Wingman has a better, more complicated stamping out 'process' because of the design.
For 30+ bucks, well worth it. To replace the Wave, no.
But because it didn't replace my Wave doesn't mean that the Wingman isn't any good. Actually it's a lotta good, considering the price. The Wingman has a lot of style/flair going for it. It seems typical Leatherman quality (good thing).
Another reviewer said that the pliers were riveted to the handles. Maybe they got a prototype by mistake. My pliers are held to the handles with torx head screws/bolts.
It was also said that the body seems stamped out to save costs. I'm unsure if that review has used another Leatherman, but I have yet to see a Leatherman where the body wasn't stamped out. If anything, it seems like the Wingman has a better, more complicated stamping out 'process' because of the design.
For 30+ bucks, well worth it. To replace the Wave, no.
By W. Stump
I wasn't quite sure to expect given the low price ($25) but I was pleasently suprised. Feels very solid and comfotable in the hand (no sharp edges)and I have no tool wobble issues. I really like the spring action pliers. The package opening tool is very handy. The screw driver blade seems pretty thick and may not fit many screw heads. On the plus side it will be handy as a pry tool. The knife blade while very sharp, is very thin and probably won't withstand heavy use. By comparison my skeletool's knife blade spine seems almost twice as thick. Anyway, bravo to leatherman for packing so much quality for a USa made product at this price point.
By Zach Wright
I chose the leatherman wingman over the other leatherman (wave, surge, higher expensive ones) because:
*lighter weight and comes with a pocket clip for easy carrying (I don't wear a belt) and most multi tools come with sheaths, I find them useless
*nice large scissors. Bigger scissors than the leatherman wave
*spring loaded pliers. Not many leathermans come with this in the pliers.
*price ($29.99 at Home Depot). Bought a suspension gerber for this price during Xmas and would take this anyday to carry with me.
*package opener. Wave doesn't come with this. Great for opening hard to open packages. Very useful
In conclusion: this has every tool I need for an everyday carry tool. I will take this with me everywhere and keep my gerber suspension, gerber mp600 and old generation gerber at home for house work.
*lighter weight and comes with a pocket clip for easy carrying (I don't wear a belt) and most multi tools come with sheaths, I find them useless
*nice large scissors. Bigger scissors than the leatherman wave
*spring loaded pliers. Not many leathermans come with this in the pliers.
*price ($29.99 at Home Depot). Bought a suspension gerber for this price during Xmas and would take this anyday to carry with me.
*package opener. Wave doesn't come with this. Great for opening hard to open packages. Very useful
In conclusion: this has every tool I need for an everyday carry tool. I will take this with me everywhere and keep my gerber suspension, gerber mp600 and old generation gerber at home for house work.
By Ruben Guardiola
I have owned and carried Leatherman's and other "pocket tools" daily for over 10 years.
I have had them all, big and small, and as useful as the large tools are (Surge), they can be prohibitively heavy. The smaller tools (Gerber crucial) can leave me wanting a particular tool or more reach.
The wingman is a nice balance, small enough to use the pocket clip and not bother with a holster, yet large enough to have strong pliers and a good set of scissors.
I actually bought the wingman for one tool in particular, the small "pull" blade used to open plastic store packaging. The thick plastic on some stuff you buy now can make you have to use the full size blade with other tools, depending on the item, this can be both dangerous and potentially damaging to the contents within. The wingman has a small pull blade, it is just enough to cut through the toughest packaging but too small to damage contents or end up embedded in your other hand, as the pulling motion tends to keep your opposite hand behind the blade. ;)
Overall, the tool is well made and feels solid. I plan to carry this tool for a good while (or until Leatherman comes out with something better ;)
I have had them all, big and small, and as useful as the large tools are (Surge), they can be prohibitively heavy. The smaller tools (Gerber crucial) can leave me wanting a particular tool or more reach.
The wingman is a nice balance, small enough to use the pocket clip and not bother with a holster, yet large enough to have strong pliers and a good set of scissors.
I actually bought the wingman for one tool in particular, the small "pull" blade used to open plastic store packaging. The thick plastic on some stuff you buy now can make you have to use the full size blade with other tools, depending on the item, this can be both dangerous and potentially damaging to the contents within. The wingman has a small pull blade, it is just enough to cut through the toughest packaging but too small to damage contents or end up embedded in your other hand, as the pulling motion tends to keep your opposite hand behind the blade. ;)
Overall, the tool is well made and feels solid. I plan to carry this tool for a good while (or until Leatherman comes out with something better ;)
Comments
Post a Comment