A multitool can have 20 functions and still be the wrong tool for you. If it is too heavy to carry, lacks the implement you use most, or spends every day in a drawer, its specification sheet will not help when something needs fixing.
That makes choosing a Leatherman harder than finding the model with the most tools. Someone working around equipment may happily carry a 12.5-ounce multitool that would be excessive for everyday pocket carry. Another person may need little more than a knife, pliers, and screwdriver. Someone else may want scissors small enough to live on a keychain.
These five models cover different jobs: a premium all-rounder, a heavy-duty work tool, a minimalist everyday-carry option, a tiny scissors-first tool, and a traditional full-size Leatherman. No multitool is guaranteed never to fail. The useful question is which one gives you the right tools in a size you will actually carry.
1. Leatherman ARC: The Premium All-Rounder
If you want a broad tool selection without giving up convenient access, the ARC is the place to start.
Leatherman packs 20 tools into a body measuring 4.25 inches closed and weighing 8.6 ounces. Its tool set includes pliers, replaceable wire cutters, large and small bit drivers, spring-action scissors, a saw, an awl, a pry tool, files, and can and bottle openers.
Price: $249.95
Where to Buy: Leatherman
The standout feature is its MagnaCut stainless-steel knife blade. Leatherman specifies a hardness of 60–63 HRC and promotes the steel for its combination of edge retention, strength, and corrosion resistance. Those performance claims come from the manufacturer, not testing conducted for this article.
The ARC’s tools are outside-accessible and can be opened one-handed. Every feature except the plier head locks in place. That matters because a long tool list is more useful when you can reach the implement you need without unfolding the whole multitool.
The compromise is price. Leatherman lists the standard ARC at $249.95, well above many of its other full-size tools.
Who it fits: Someone who carries and uses a multitool often enough to appreciate the MagnaCut blade, broad tool selection, and easy access. Occasional users can cover many of the same basic jobs for less.
2. Leatherman Surge: The Heavy-Duty Workhorse
Where the ARC balances capability and carry, the Surge leans harder toward capability.
It weighs 12.5 ounces and measures 4.5 inches closed, making it considerably heavier than the ARC. In return, you get 21 tools, including pliers, replaceable wire cutters, an electrical crimper, two 420HC knife blades, spring-action scissors, drivers, an awl, and files.
Its Blade Exchanger lets you swap the saw and file, adding flexibility to a tool built for work rather than minimalist carry.
Price: $159.95
Where to Buy: Amazon
The trade-off is obvious: 12.5 ounces is a lot of multitool to keep in a pocket. The Surge makes more sense on a belt, in a tool bag, or in a vehicle where its additional capability can justify the weight.
“Heavy-duty” still needs context. The Surge is a folding multitool, not an automatic substitute for dedicated full-size pliers, cutters, or screwdrivers when a job calls for them.
Who it fits: Someone who values tool capability far more than low carry weight. It suits maintenance work, serious DIY, and substantial vehicle kits better than discreet everyday pocket carry.
3. Leatherman Skeletool CX: The Minimalist EDC Pick
More tools do not automatically make a multitool more useful. The Skeletool CX makes that case with seven tools in a 5-ounce package—roughly 42 percent lighter than the ARC.
It keeps the functions many people reach for most: pliers, wire cutters, a knife, and a bit driver. Its 2.6-inch plain-edge blade is made from 154CM stainless steel, which Leatherman specifies at 58–60 HRC. The tool also includes a combined carabiner and bottle opener, plus Phillips and flat screwdriver bits.
Price: $99.95
Where to Buy: Amazon
What is missing matters just as much. There are no scissors, saw, file, awl, or can opener. That smaller tool set is the point, not an oversight.
In The Gadgeteer’s hands-on review, the reviewer found the Skeletool CX useful when carrying a full-size multitool was unnecessary, praising its pocket clip, onboard bit storage, and lightweight design.
Rather than preparing for every conceivable repair, the Skeletool CX concentrates on a few frequently useful functions in a package that is easier to keep with you.
Who it fits: Someone whose everyday needs are cutting, gripping, wire cutting, and turning screws. Choose a larger model if you regularly need scissors, files, or a saw.
4. Leatherman Micra: The Tiny Scissors-First Option
Not every multitool needs pliers. The Micra centers on spring-action scissors instead.
At 1.8 ounces and 2.5 inches closed, it packs 10 tools: a 1.6-inch 420HC knife, screwdrivers, tweezers, a nail file and cleaner, ruler, and bottle opener.
Price: $49.95
Where to Buy: Amazon
It is built for small jobs, cutting tags, opening packages, fixing a broken nail, using tweezers, or tightening a small screw, not substantial gripping or repairs. In a hands-on test, Popular Mechanics singled out the scissors as more useful than those on many compact multitools.
Its low weight lets it live on a keychain or in a bag without the carry burden of a full-size Leatherman.
Who it fits: Someone who wants scissors and small everyday tools with minimal bulk. Look elsewhere if you need pliers or substantial repair capability.
5. Leatherman Rebar: The Traditional Work Tool
The Rebar is a reminder that a useful multitool does not need premium blade steel or a long list of modern features.
Inspired by Leatherman’s original Pocket Survival Tool, it packs 17 tools into a body measuring 4 inches closed and weighing 6.7 ounces. Its work-oriented selection includes pliers, replaceable wire cutters, an electrical crimper, plain and serrated 420HC blades, a saw, an awl, a file, and fixed screwdrivers.
Price: $99.95
Where to Buy: Amazon
Every implement except the plier head locks when deployed. Unlike the ARC, though, the Rebar’s tools sit inside the handles. You give up one-handed, outside-accessible tools for a more traditional layout.
The Rebar also sits in a useful middle ground. It offers far more functions than the seven-tool Skeletool CX while weighing substantially less than the Surge. What you do not get is an interchangeable bit driver, spring-action scissors, or premium knife steel.
Who it fits: Someone who wants a classic, plier-based Leatherman with a broad set of work tools but does not need the ARC’s premium features or the Surge’s size. It makes sense in a toolbox, work bag, vehicle kit, or on a belt.
The Right Leatherman Matches the Job
The ARC offers premium materials and easy access to a broad tool set. The Surge trades carry comfort for work-focused capability. The Skeletool CX keeps the knife, pliers, cutters, and bit driver in a lighter package; the Micra puts scissors and small daily-use tools on a keychain; and the Rebar delivers a more traditional, work-oriented layout.
Leatherman backs these models with a 25-year limited warranty for the original owner, subject to exclusions including abuse, alteration, loss, corrosion, and unreasonable use. That coverage is not a promise that a tool cannot break or that it suits every task. The better question is whether its tools match the jobs you face, and whether its size means you will have it with you when you need it.
