At a Glance#
Product : Leatherman Wave+
Brand : Leatherman
Best For : DIYers, homeowners, and everyday-carry users who want one dependable tool for repairs, outdoor tasks, and daily fixes
Form Factor : Folding stainless-steel multi-tool (8.5 oz / 241 g)
Buy Now : View on Amazon
Key Highlights:
- Four blades sit on the outside of the frame, and the two knives open one-handed while the tool stays folded
- 18 tools cover pliers, blades, saw, scissors, files, and drivers in a 4-inch closed frame
- Replaceable wire cutters swap out when dull, so the tool never becomes disposable
- Every tool except the plier head locks open for safe, confident use under pressure
- 25-year warranty from Leatherman's Portland, Oregon factory backs the whole tool
Who Should Buy This#
The Wave+ hits the sweet spot for people who want premium multi-tool capability without carrying a brick or paying flagship money. It delivers one-hand knife access, outside-accessible saw and file, and replaceable cutters that competing tools reserve for their flagship models, while staying light enough for daily pocket or belt carry.
Think of it as the tool you actually keep on you—compact next to heavier options like the Leatherman Surge, yet far more capable than a keychain multi-tool.
Perfect for:
- Homeowners and DIYers who want one tool for tightening, cutting, trimming, and small repairs without hunting for a toolbox
- Everyday-carry users who need the knife reachable one-handed and the saw and file reachable without unfolding the tool, and won't tolerate the weight of full toolbox alternatives
- Outdoor and camping users who want pliers, a saw, and a locking blade in a single pocket-sized package
- Gift buyers looking for a durable, 25-year-warranty tool that gets used daily and often gets handed down
Design & Build Quality#
The Wave+ is built from 420HC stainless steel with a butterfly-opening frame that swings apart to deploy the pliers. Closed, it measures 4 inches (10.2 cm) and weighs 8.5 ounces (241 g)—dense enough to feel serious in hand, light enough to forget on your belt.
The fit is tight and the action is firm out of the box. Tools deploy with a deliberate snap rather than a loose flop, and the frame shows no meaningful flex when you lean on the pliers. This is the build quality that has kept the Wave+ the reference full-size multi-tool for years.
One honest note on finish: the Wave+ ships in bead-blasted stainless, and the coated variants can show wear at high-contact edges over months of pocket carry. It's cosmetic, not structural—the steel underneath is unaffected—but worth knowing if you expect a showroom look years in.
Key Features#
Outside-Accessible Blades#
This is the feature that defines the Wave+. Four tools—the main 420HC knife, the serrated blade, the saw, and the file—sit on the outside of the frame, so you reach them without unfolding the pliers. The two knives carry a thumbhole and flick open one-handed; the saw and the file are outside-accessible but need a second hand to deploy.
That sounds minor until you use it. You can draw and open the knife with one hand while the other holds a box, a rope, or a ladder rung. On older or cheaper multi-tools, you first unfold the whole pliers frame just to reach a blade—an awkward two-hand ritual that the Wave+ eliminates. For everyday carry, this single design choice is why the Wave+ gets used instead of left in a drawer.
18 Tools in One Frame#
The Wave+ packs 18 tools into its compact body: needlenose and regular pliers, replaceable wire and hard-wire cutters, an electrical crimper, a wire stripper, a plain knife, a serrated knife, a saw, spring-action scissors, an 8-inch ruler, a can opener, a bottle opener, a wood/metal file, a diamond-coated file, a large and small bit driver, and a medium screwdriver.
The spread is deliberately practical—everything you reach for in real repairs, and little you don't. The spring-action scissors alone handle tasks that a folded knife can't, and the saw cuts small branches and PVC more capably than its size suggests. It's this "everything you need, nothing you don't" balance that reviewers consistently highlight over higher-tool-count rivals.
Premium Replaceable Wire Cutters#
The Wave+ uses replaceable wire cutter and hard-wire cutter inserts. When they eventually dull—after years of cutting fence wire, electrical wire, or the occasional small screw—you replace just the inserts instead of retiring the whole tool. That's what separates a tool you keep for decades from a disposable one.
Check current availability and sheath options here: View on Amazon
Two caveats keep this honest. First, some users report a small gap at the base of the hard-wire cutter section that requires positioning the wire correctly for a clean cut. Second, because the cutter inserts are removable, a minority of heavy-duty users worry about long-term plier strength under extreme load. In normal DIY and EDC use these are edge cases, but they're the reason the replaceable design is a trade-off, not a pure win.
All-Locking Mechanism#
Every tool except the plier head locks into place when deployed. That means no unexpected blade or saw closures when you're applying real pressure—cutting, prying gently, or sawing under load. The locks release with a simple, deliberate push, so they protect you without fighting you.
For anyone who has felt a cheap folding tool fold back onto their fingers, this all-locking design is the difference between a tool you trust and one you use nervously.
How It Compares#
Against the Victorinox SwissTool, the Wave+ trades raw tool count—the SwissTool carries around 27 tools—for one-hand accessibility and replaceable bits. The SwissTool edges it on fit, finish, and in-hand comfort; the Wave+ wins on speed of access and daily usability. If you prize refinement in tough conditions, the Victorinox is the pick; if you want the fastest one-handed draw, the Wave+ leads.
Against Gerber, the story is similar: Gerber stands out for plier-jaw options and its Center-Drive full-size bit, but Leatherman's broader tool range and outside-blade access make the Wave+ the more versatile all-rounder for most users.
Within Leatherman's own lineup, the Wave+ sits below the heavier Surge (larger, more tools, more weight). The premium Charge+ and Charge+ TTi — the TTi upgrading to S30V steel and titanium handles — were both retired in 2025. For the vast majority of buyers, the Wave+ is the sweet spot—the material upgrades of the step-up models are the sort most people never notice in use.
Technical Specifications#
Tool Count : 18 tools
Closed Length : 4 inches (10.2 cm)
Open Length : 6.25 inches (15.9 cm)
Weight : 8.5 oz (241 g)
Blade Length : 2.9 inches (7.4 cm)
Blade Material : 420HC stainless steel
Blade Hardness : 55–59 HRC
Frame Material : 420 stainless steel
Outside-Accessible Tools : Knife, serrated blade, saw, file (the two knives open one-handed; saw and file need a second hand)
Locking : All tools lock except the plier head
Included Carry : Sheath sold separately
Warranty : 25 years (Leatherman's Portland, Oregon factory)
Real-World Performance and What to Watch For#
In daily use the Wave+ earns its reputation. The pliers are genuinely useful for stuck fasteners and bent wire, the knife holds a working edge for cardboard and cordage, and the one-hand knives mean it replaces a separate pocket knife for many people. A belt sheath — sold separately since Leatherman stopped boxing them in 2025 — makes it easy to carry all day without weighing down a pocket.
A few limitations are worth setting expectations on. The bit driver uses Leatherman's flat, proprietary bits rather than standard 1/4-inch hex bits, so you can't drop in a generic bit set without an adapter. The spring-action scissors, while handy, can pinch the web of your hand if you squeeze hard at an odd angle. And as noted, the finish on coated versions wears with heavy carry.
None of these are dealbreakers—they're the small trade-offs that come with fitting 18 tools into a 4-inch frame. What matters is that the core functions (pliers, blades, saw, cutters) are dependable, and the 25-year warranty covers you if anything mechanical fails.
Maintenance, Sharpening, and the 25-Year Warranty#
The Wave+ is built to be maintained, not replaced. After wet or dirty work, rinse it, dry it, and put a drop of light oil on the pivots—that keeps the joints smooth and the steel spot-free. The 420HC blade steel is chosen partly because it's easy to bring back to a keen edge; a basic pull-through sharpener or a few passes on a whetstone restores it quickly, which matters more for a working tool than the extreme edge-holding of pricier steels.
The replaceable cutters are the standout maintenance feature. When the wire or hard-wire cutter inserts finally dull after years of use, you unscrew the worn inserts and drop in fresh ones instead of retiring the tool. Few multi-tools at any price let you renew the most wear-prone part this cleanly.
Behind all of it sits Leatherman's 25-year warranty, which covers defects in materials and workmanship. If something mechanical fails under normal use, you send the tool in and Leatherman repairs or replaces it. The warranty doesn't cover loss, obvious abuse, or the normal wear of blades and accessories—but for the core frame, tools, and mechanisms, a quarter-century of coverage is why so many owners describe the Wave+ as the last multi-tool they'll buy.
Everyday Carry in Practice#
On paper the Wave+ is a spec sheet; in a pocket or on a belt it's the tool you stop thinking about and just use. Over a normal week it opens shipping boxes one-handed, snips zip ties and loose threads with the spring scissors, tightens the wobbly screw on a chair or a bike, and strips a length of wire for a quick fix—each without a trip to the garage.
The outside-accessible blades are what make this real. Because you can flick either knife open while the tool stays folded, the Wave+ replaces a separate pocket knife for most people instead of sitting in a drawer. In an optional belt sheath the 8.5-ounce weight carries comfortably through a full day, and on the trail the pliers, saw, and locking blade cover the majority of camp tasks in one package.
It isn't a specialist. A dedicated fixed-blade knife cuts better, a real screwdriver drives faster, and a full plier set grips harder. The Wave+ wins by being the capable generalist that's actually on you when the specialist is three rooms away—and that's exactly what an everyday-carry multi-tool is supposed to do.
Pros & Cons#
Pros:
- Four blades sit outside the frame and the two knives open one-handed—no unfolding the pliers to reach them
- 18 well-chosen tools cover the vast majority of real DIY, repair, and EDC tasks
- Replaceable wire cutter inserts mean the tool never becomes disposable
- Every tool except the plier head locks open for safe use under pressure
- Compact 8.5 oz frame carries daily far more comfortably than heavier full-size rivals
- 25-year warranty and USA manufacturing back the whole tool
- Strong value—delivers flagship-style features below flagship pricing
Cons:
- Bit driver uses proprietary flat bits, not standard 1/4-inch hex, so generic bit sets don't fit directly
- Coated finish can show wear at contact edges over months of pocket carry
- Hard-wire cutter section may need careful wire placement for a clean cut
- Spring-action scissors can pinch the hand if squeezed hard at an angle
- No sheath or pocket clip in the box — Leatherman now sells both separately
Frequently Asked Questions#
What's the difference between the Wave and the Wave+? The Wave+ upgrades the cutters to premium replaceable wire and hard-wire cutters and adds an all-locking design across the tools. For most buyers the Wave+ is the version to get.
Does the Leatherman Wave+ come with a sheath? No. Leatherman now sells sheaths and pocket clips separately, so the Wave+ ships as the tool alone. A belt sheath is still the intended carry method — you just buy it on its own.
Are the screwdriver bits standard 1/4-inch? No. The Wave+ uses Leatherman's flat proprietary bits. You can buy Leatherman bit kits to expand it, but standard hex bits won't fit without an adapter.
Is the Wave+ good for everyday carry? Yes. At 8.5 oz with four outside-accessible blades — two of them one-hand-opening knives — it's one of the most carry-friendly full-size multi-tools, and far lighter than the larger Surge.
Final Verdict#
Buy it. The Leatherman Wave+ remains the full-size multi-tool other multi-tools are measured against—18 genuinely useful tools, one-hand blade access, replaceable cutters, and a 25-year warranty in a frame light enough to actually carry every day. As of 2026 it's still in Leatherman's current lineup alongside the newer Wave Alpha, and it remains the value benchmark in its class.
Our recommendation: Get the Wave+, budget for a sheath since it is no longer in the box, and if you'll use the drivers often, add a Leatherman bit kit so the proprietary bit system becomes a strength rather than a limitation. Pick one up on Amazon: View on Amazon