If you do this, avoid getting soap in the hinges. I've fixed multitools that were so dirty washing them was the fastest solution. I try to clean as much as possible in and around the hinge, opening and closing it a few times as well.Ī bit of oil does wonders in this case. I've found that a wipe can do just as good of a job as running water. I avoid washing my Leatherman, both to avoid causing problems down the line and because I'm often out in the field where it's impractical. The solutions are simple: avoid it, do it upside down, or do your best to minimize the effects. One apple may cause your knife to feel oddly smooth like a potentiometer, while the next one along with dirt and dust may jam it all together. The second cause for a seized blade is due to sugary juices dripping into the hinge from cutting fruits. You can even bend it back all the way to stop the feature. In this case, all you need to do is bend it back gently. Doing both at the same time due to rough handling or dropping the multitool can cause the pin to stick out further than it should.
Multi tool pliers broken series#
The Leatherman Wave series as well as well as some others have a small pin that protrudes when the pliers are opened to prevent the knives form opening as well. The first is the case of a knife that's hard to move out of the closed position but operates smoothly otherwise. There are three causes for blades not opening effortlessly. Occasionally the pliers stiffen up after I clamp tightly onto something, but all I need to do to fix this is to bend them sideways and they loosen up immediately. Diamond plates are cheap to purchase online but if you don't have any, sandpaper on a flat surface works just as well as an alternative. I've done this several times on a diamond sharpening plate with great success. A quick solution is to unscrew them (this requires a T10 torx bit) in order to flatten them. These don't necessarily need to be replaced. If you feel the pliers have suddenly become stiff long after they have broken in, it's likely a burr has formed on the wire cutters causing them to rub against each other. I've even heard of people inserting fine diamond powder into the hinge, but I managed without it. That's how I messed with mine for months until I felt it operated properly, but mine was an edge case. This causes the grit and metal particles inside the hinge to slowly abrade away the contact points inside the hinge while flushing out the gunk. The truth is that to wear away a tight hinge you need to open and close it many, many, many times. This helps split the hinge apart as well. The tolerances of the hinge are quite tight, so to help the lubricant seep in I open and close the hinge, bending it sideways gently. Any lubricant will work for this, just avoid using motor oil or WD-40. I find a thin lubricant such as teflon (PTFE) or silicone spray to work best for loosening Leatherman parts. When I bought my Leatherman at first, the pliers were so tight I was only able to pry them open with my fingernails. Some of these tips are exclusive to Leathermen due to their unique design but most are applicable for any multitool.ĭon’t want to read the Instructable? Watch the video instead!
As they're used and abused, they require proper cleaning and lubrication and as well as possibly requiring you pull a few tricks from your sleeve to keep every single steel part moving - or not - as it should. These defects caused my Leatherman to be basically useless which was quite disappointing to me after I had spent almost $100 on it.Īdditionally, Leathermen multitools aren't immune to wear and tear. The feeling of the tool overall was gritty and couldn't be used with one hand. One "arm" was loose and wouldn't lock and the pliers were so stiff I couldn't open them. Mine, however, arrived with 2 defects out of the box, as many of them do. It has every tool I need without sacrificing compactness which is why I carry it with me everywhere I go. My Leatherman Wave+ multitool is by far my most used tool - as an avid DIYer and as a soldier out in the field it saves me on a daily basis.
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