It contains 19 tools to the P4’s 21 but includes things like multiple bit drivers and premium blade steel. If that’s important to you then the Charge TTi is still going to reign supreme. If you prefer the easy open design of the Free P4 and like how intuitive it is to use you’ll probably prefer it to the Charge TTi. Leatherman Free P4 Vs Surge

They are making some of the cleanest hand tools out there in terms of utility, durability, and performance at the same time.Leatherman is well known for the quality and durability of their individual tools. Our experience with the Free P4 has shown that they’ve kept this dedication to quality while upgrading the overall experience. When put to work, the FREE works like the Leathermans of old. A 420HC serrated/plain combo knife cuts swiftly. Phillips and flathead implements drive screws as expected. The FREE P2 I tested also sports mainstays like a can and bottle opener, metal file, awl, scissors, and mini pry bar.

part of this service, you will also be signed up to receive occasional special offers and third-party The pliers, wire cutters, and electrical crimper on the Free P4 are the only carryover from Leatherman’s previous line of products. They contain both needlenose tips and a regular plier below them. Bernard is known for bringing everyday carry out of obscurity and into the mainstream, having been published or featured in various publications such as GQ, TIME Magazine, The New York Times, VICE, HYPEBEAST, Outside, and many others. He has also played a part in curating, designing, and developing digital and physical products, resulting in successful crowdfunding projects or limited edition collaboration products with established softgoods brands. He stays on the pulse of the EDC industry by attending trade shows, participating in online interest communities, and actively engaging with fellow gear enthusiasts on social media. The advances don’t stop there. Instead of the sometimes frustrating thumb pull tabs commonly used on multi tools Leatherman included a magnetic release system. This allows you to easily fan out the tools on either handle of the Free P4 and choose the one you need.The introduction of magnets makes possible the FREE’s sexy selling points. For one, it enables one-handed-open action. But the magnets also enabled a new way to access all the component tools. Instead of the “nail-busting” technique everyone is accustomed to, the FREE fans out its tools with a gentler thumb roll. Everything is a little easier to access and use but you probably don’t need to run out and buy a Free P4 if you’re already happy with your Surge, Wave+, or Charge TTi. This is especially true given the premium price of the P4. In the course of compiling this diatribe, I had the opportunity to bounce reactions off a good friend of mine and I came to the conclusion that the P2 is the PST (or PST II considering the scissors) of the 21st century. It’s a tool that will serve as the foundation for future multitools. Free P2 is one of the best things that you can get your hands on if you are not just looking for some pliers but want an all-in-one tool to get you through most of the tough corners out there.

The final tools are located on the three remaining flip out tools. The awl has a thread loop but actually uses the extra-small flathead as its tip. This worked surprisingly well when we tried it out. It had no problem going through leather and thinner pieces of wood. Dale Carr · April 17, 2019 Too bad they used low end 420HC and left off the bit driver. For everyday use the Skeletool CX is likely still a better option. While Leatherman’s Advance Development Team spent years reengineering the FREE, including big investments into automotive-grade machining processes, two key construction differences will stand out for the common user (like myself): magnets and an elastomer spring. You can open it with one hand, well I’ve been able to one hand open all my Leatherman tools since I was a kid. When you dig into the numbers, it might surprise you to learn that the most-carried multi-tool in our community by a large margin came out twenty years ago. Despite its age, the Leatherman Wave has yet to be dethroned as an essential EDC crowd favorite.

For a real knife and tool-hound like myself, the anticipation for the new Leatherman “Free” series of multitools was almost too much to bear. After all, I’ve known “a new and revolutionary” tool series was coming from Leatherman for three years now, but was given very little detail. Then, in January, when SHOT show came around, I finally got that first taste of “Free” through some internet digging — my child-like excitement was almost uncontainable. So, thanks go out to the folks at Leatherman for getting one of the first test samples of the Free P2 sent to me to fawn over. The first thing you’ll notice with the Free P4 is that Leatherman kept the classic butterfly fold design. Even more fitting, the use of a magnetic clasp system actually allows you to swing the P4 open just like you would a butterfly knife.

Seeking help from a professional is one of the best things that you can do as a beginner, and trying to guess the best fit won’t really work out in your favor. They’re the only tools that don’t immediately pop out with the magnetic release. Instead you use a large thumbhole located on either blade to swing them out when needed. We found them to be amply sized for most regular tasks and extremely sharp. 420HC steel is corrosion resistant but still able to take and hold an edge well. Saw It's worth pausing to note here that Leatherman didn't try to reinvent the multi-tool by simply cramming new tools into the FREE P2's feature set. The new FREE series doesn't technically do anything new that their legacy models couldn't, but it's howit delivers that reliable Leatherman performance that makes for a revolutionary user experience that feels decidedly fresh. The all-new design provides so many little quality of life improvements that add up in a big way, one that's hard to quantify off of a specs sheet and feature list. The best example of this is the FREE's ease of access. The pursuit of consistent, effortless operation right out of the box can be seen and felt all throughout the tool as if it was baked into its design DNA from the very start. TOOLS in 1: Includes all the essentials, from replaceable wire cutters to spring-action scissors to 2 knives for ambidextrous use; Ideal for EDC, home, work and everything else The variety of tools here might not be that extensive, but 19 tools are more than enough for most projects.The Leatherman Free P4 is a larger and more robust version of the Free P2. Think of it as the Surge to the Wave+. It contains a large array of useful tools and opens easily when you need it. It’s great for handymen, contractors, EDC enthusiasts, and pretty much anyone who wants to carry a multi tool.