For the last 30+ years, I’ve had a Leatherman multi-tool on my belt. Through years working in and owning motorcycle shops, to life on the road traveling the world, it has always been there, although I have lost a few along the way and worn out or broken others.

The one headed the drawer housing my “it still kinda works” section in my toolbox is a Leatherman Wave. Why, what failed? Well, the spring on the pliers failed, the scissors snapped, the screwdriver bit vanished, the wire cutter section is beaten up, and the blade has been sharpened multiple times and has seen better days.

The obvious choice was to just get another, I went to theLeatherman multitool page, but then saw the $109.95 price tag. Seriously, WTF? Yes, it’s a good quality tool and lasted about 10 years, but is there anything else out there to compare it to? I jumped on theGerber websiteand found the SUSPENSION-NXT, in a side-by-side comparison the Leatherman Wave has 19 tools, the Gerber NXT has 18 tools, but in reality, I don’t consider a belt clip a tool, so let’s be real and say 17.

There are loads of similarities. The tool options look like they could have been designed by the same person moonlighting for both companies! But here’s the kicker: The price was $39 for the Gerber, vs $110 for the Leatherman. The build quality feels on par. If the Gerber lasts three years, then it was a good deal, right?

I told Zac I’d do a short article on these two, his response: “Why didn’t you get theStake Outas you are camping so much?”

If you haven’t seen this multi-tool its very ‘tent camping’ specific because it has an attachment that can pull your stakes out of the ground! But … isn’t that what your fingers are for, or the long-nosed pliers, or am I doing it wrong?

这是追求ion to you – was my choice, a good choice, or have you found a multi tool from ANY company out there that has astounded you with its quality, versatility, features and price that you are amazed that everyone doesn’t own one?