Its been a while since I covered a Leatherman tool – that said there are few days when I don’t have one on my belt or very close by, writes Mike Gormley.
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The Leatherman Signal is a real outdoorsman variant of this ever-expanding range of legendary multi-tools. It has a raft full of features when you look.
The Signal is available in a variety of colours, handy perhaps if several of you in your squad / team / family have one. As expected of Leatherman, the Signal has a super-sharp, part-serrated blade that can be opened with one hand. For me the pliers are a key element of the Leatherman; needle-nosed and designed to grip most things. This model also has the replaceable wire-cutters, which are capable of cutting hard wire. A handy feature is the hammer, which incorporates a carabinier clip that also works as a bottle opener and it incorporates a couple of small hex box spanners. There is also a lock to keep the whole lot safe when not in use. The saw, which is really effective, can be accessed from the closed tool.
Now for the outdoorsman there are a couple of very handy additional features, such as a Ferrocerium rod – a fire striker to us. This is removable but locks into one handle and also incorporates a whistle. The other handle contains the diamond coated striker and sharpener. Both plain and Phillips screwdrivers are fitted into a holder so can be swapped over and you can also fit a range of additional tools, if you have them. A can opener is of course there, as is an awl. This amounts to one heck of a lot of features to fit into a single, easy to handle true, multi-tool. The handles are rounded, so kind to your hands if you need to apply significant pressure to the pliers.
As ever with Leatherman this is a beautifully made tool and will undoubtedly last you a very long time. It is supplied with a robust nylon press stud fastened belt pouch. The stud is a good upgrade as some of the earlier ones I have used had hook & loop tapes, which do wear out in time. Possibly one of the most universally useful Leatherman tools.
[images © Mike Gormley]
