Leatherman Skeletool CX

[czechsonofagun]

First I have to say I had the best experience with the tool and with the company too. BUT:

I used the tool for year or so and was always happy with it. The other day I found a nail in a tree I was using to practice with tree climbing stand. Since I was in my hunting pants I had the tool as always in the right pocket. I was confident I can pull a nail out of a tree, but the tool's pliers broke in three pieces. I believe I did not use excessive force, it was one hand job and I am not Mike Thyson or Ahnuld

Anyway I send it back with an explanation and asked two things:

1. I believe they harden the whole pliers part of the tool and IMHO it should be only case hardened to provide the inner strength for the pliers and surface hardness to prevent excessive wear.

2. I also asked to get back those broken pieces since I have a small collection of busted tools.

Apparently they are particular about their good name - quite right :thumbsup: - and there is no need of broken leathermans out of the factory. They send me back brand new pieces, no questions but also no answers.

And here I am asking the great brain of TBN:

1. Did you ever brake Leatherman pliers?
2. Do you think pliers should be only case hardened? I remember I bent some needle nose pliers, but to brake pliers always took some abuse and/or hammer/vice to be involved.

 

[The Haymaker]

I broke a leatherman doing that, then swapped over to Gerber, which I found was a superior tool in most aspects. BUT, after 7 years or so I broke the Gerber doing the same thing. There is a lot of stress on the skinniest part of the whole tool during the pulling operation.

 

[Big Bri]

i haven't broken my leatherman or my gerber, but like haymaker i like the gerber much better. My gerber has a lock for all the blades and is much more easy on the hand when using the pliers.
My dad is a leatherman guy, he never leaves home with out it. says there is never a day he doesn't need it. Ive seen him pull many nails from walls, boards laying in the shop, or out of a tire. He really uses his hard. I think he replaced his once. . . that i know of but that was because he lost his first pair while pulling a hook from a fish and dropped it in the gulf.

 

[Piston]

I really liked my leatherman wave until I broke the tip off the needlenose. I wasn't using 'excessive' force but I was using it in a way it wasn't 'meant' to be used, so I can't really blame it on leatherman. However, I do remember thinking to myself, "wow, that didn't take much" :laughing:

 

[czechsonofagun]

Thats the point. I dont remember braking any pliers with my bare hands, maybe kudos to my wife, she feeds me well.:thumbsup:

 

[studor]

I dont remember braking any pliers with my bare hands

Maybe you just have not tried hard enough
I have bent or broken a number of needle nose pliers of various makes over the years and it has usually been a result of clamping and levering at the same time.The hardened ones break, the others bend which is just as bad or the teeth in the jaws strip. Sometimes the points offset. It is pretty easy to do with some brute strength a gross ignorance:laughing:

 

[blueriver]

I really liked my leatherman wave until I broke the tip off the needlenose. I wasn't using 'excessive' force but I was using it in a way it wasn't 'meant' to be used, so I can't really blame it on leatherman. However, I do remember thinking to myself, "wow, that didn't take much" :laughing:

I broke the Wave while holding a bolt and then decided to strike it with a hammer ... hit the Wave not the Bolt!! Next time I was at WalMart I showed it to the guy in sporting goods and he exchanged it.

 

[schmism]

I have a "classic" PSTII that i carry everyday every were. guaranteed to be on my person at all times....

ive done everything imaginable to it and nary a battle scar to show for it. beat on it, got it hot, froze it cold, my favorite abuse, pull out a screw driver and then pull out one handle 90' makeing a 3" torque arm and really laying into a stuck screw. Ill put quite the twist in the body/driver and when i let up, it goes back to normal like it never happened.

 

[Piston]

I broke the Wave while holding a bolt and then decided to strike it with a hammer ... hit the Wave not the Bolt!! Next time I was at WalMart I showed it to the guy in sporting goods and he exchanged it.

I still have the one I broke, so I'll give that a shot as well, maybe get a new Wave out of the deal, I do really like it.