Frag Out! Magazine
Issue link: https://fragout.uberflip.com/i/642978
the unhardened and less resistant 420 HC? The main blade presents a decent factory working sharpness, but the symmetry of the touch could have been better. Another thing that drew my attention was the place- ment of the cutting that, on one side, may serve as a socket wrench, and on the other as a standard ¼" bit wrench. It is a great solution, since now you do not need additional adapters. I am not that certain, howe- ver, when it comes to providing Signal with a hammer – under field conditions, I would rather use a stone than risk damaging the tool. The carabiner (that is also a bottle opener) and the lock protecting the arms against accidental opening will be useful for all those people who use such solutions to attach items to ele- ments of their equipment. I prefer carrying the multi- tool in the supplied case. The innovative element, something I have encounte- red for the first time in the model Leatherman Signal, is providing the tool with a fire striker and a whistle (that is useful in emergency situations, in which you need to call for help), as well as the diamond-coated sharpener. In my opinion, both the fire striker and the sharpener can be used in extreme situations, but not as the basic tools for making a fire or sharpening a knife. However, those elements may be easily replaced and bought from and authorized representative, but their size are not good for comfortable work. The blades of 154CM wire-cutters are also replace- able – that has been a smart move (known from other models by Leatherman) because those parts are very often damaged due to excessive usage. But every- thing goes for a prize – the 25-year warranty does not include parts that you can buy on your own (the alrea- dy mentioned wire-cutters, fire striker/whistle, and the sharpener). I like the way the bolts on the main spindles are arran- ged – the users may decide on their own about the force they need to use to open the multitool and the possible loose performance can be easily removed. Of course, all tools have a security lock, which incre- ases the safety when you use the tool. The whole item is light and compact. In my opinion, this is a nice supplement to the basic EDC set. I will not replace the fully-fledged tools, but we do not take them with us on a daily basis – but we may take our Signal. And it looks sooo similar to my favorite MUT... ;) KNIVES & TOOLS