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Leatherman FREE: A New Generation of MultiTool

Leatherman FREE P4 MultiTools

The Leatherman FREE series of MultiTools have been a work in progress for years. Years of designing, testing, redesigning, and retesting. The end result? Revolutionary designs where every tool can be opened one-handed!

The MultiTool Dilemma

Leatherman P2 and P4

Leathermans have always had the reputation of being workhorse tools that can be used in almost every situation, but they’ve had their downsides. We’ve all been in that hairy situation where one hand gets tied up holding something and the other hand has to reach for the tool. If said tool was a vintage MultiTool, you’re in for trouble when you try to break open that blade with your solo free hand. Leatherman has solved the issue! Every tool on every Leatherman Free can be opened with one hand.

Another issue that often arises is how hard it is to get all the tools out of the MultiTool in the first place. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of traditional nail nick blades, but some are extremely hard to open, especially when you’re trying to act quickly. Every knife and saw blade on the FREE series can be easily deployed by pushing it open with the blade hole, eliminating those outdated nail nicks.

Leatherman FREE Series

Magnets: If there’s a single thing that sets the FREE series apart, it’s the use of magnets. Magnets are used to keep the handles closed until the attraction is broken with a finger. These magnets were designed and tested to work for the MultiTool without affecting any other metal objects around it. In scientific terms, these magnets have an attraction of 100 Gauss, making it perfectly functional without having the downsides of a stronger magnet.

Locks: An understated feature of this FREE series is how awesome the locks are on the blades! Each tool snaps easily into place with no play whatsoever. The blades are released by pulling one of the tabs on the bottom of each handle outward.

Elastomer Springs: These multitools rock what Leatherman has called Elastomer Springs. You can’t see them, but you can definitely feel them in smooth opening and closing action. Leatherman states these springs will last with over 1 million openings and closings, which should easily exceed the 25 year warranty with regular use.

Thumb Tabs: Thumb tabs make opening FREE tools a breeze. Simply press on the bottom of a tool and it pops out, allowing you to easily push the tool into the locked position.

Haptics: Everything is smooth, solid, and just feels downright amazing in-hand. The tools snap into place and give that satisfying feeling you get with the lockup of a quality pocket knife. The FREE P2 feels unlike any other MultiTool I’ve ever used.

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FREE Models

P2: 19 tools.
Needle nose pliers, regular pliers, wire cutters, hard wire cutters, electrical crimper, combo knife, scissors, file, 4 screwdrivers, awl, can opener, bottle opener, mini pry, package opener, wire stripper, ruler, removable pocket clip.

P4: 21 tools.
Needle nose pliers, regular pliers, wire cutters, hard wire cutters, electrical crimper, 420HC knife, scissors, saw, file, serrated knife, bottle opener, 4 screwdrivers, awl, can opener, ruler, mini pry, package opener, wire stripper, lanyard attachment.

K2: 8 tools.
Knife, awl, 3 screwdrivers, package opener, bottle opener, mini pry, removable pocket clip.

K4: 9 tools.
Knife, scissors, awl, 3 screwdrivers, package opener, bottle opener, mini pry, removable pocket clip.

T2: 8 tools.
Knife, awl, 3 screwdrivers, package opener, bottle opener, mini pry.

T4: 12 tools.
Knife, awl, 4 screwdrivers, package opener, file, bottle opener, mini pry, scissors, tweezers.

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Conclusion

We put both the P2 and P4 to the test to see if these new multitools live up to all the hype. Short answer: Yes! We found these tools to be as well-engineered, if not better, than all of the previous Leatherman flagship models. They’re super simple to open, close, and use with one hand, living up to what they were designed to do. Check out this video for our full review!

Be sure to take a look at our Best Leatherman Multi-Tools to see how the FREE series stacks up.

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