Made in USATrending
Leatherman Wave+ Multi-Tool
Made in Portland, Oregon. 18 tools in your pocket. The one you grab before everything else.
$129.95Check It Out
May 1, 2026 · 5 min read
Multi-Tool vs Pocket Knife: Which Should You Carry?
This gets framed as an either/or debate but it really isn't. A multi-tool and a pocket knife solve different problems, and some people should carry both. The real question is: what problems do you actually solve day to day, and which tool fits your situation?
What a multi-tool does better than a knife
The whole point of a multi-tool is combining tools you'd otherwise carry separately. Pliers are the most important one — you can't get that from a pocket knife. Wire cutters, saw blade, file, screwdrivers, and scissors are all useful. The Leatherman Wave+ does all of this well, with deployable blade and tools accessible from the outside of closed handles. If your daily life involves fixing things — mechanical work, construction, home maintenance, outdoor work — the pliers alone justify the multi-tool.
What a pocket knife does better than a multi-tool
A dedicated pocket knife has a longer, thinner blade with better geometry for slicing and cutting tasks. The knife inside a multi-tool is a compromise — shorter, thicker, and harder to sharpen to a clean edge. If your primary use case is cutting — rope, boxes, food, field dressing — a dedicated folder like the Buck 110 or Benchmade Griptilian gives you a better blade for less money than a multi-tool. Lighter too.
The budget multi-tool: when the Gerber makes sense
Not everyone needs a $130 Leatherman Wave+. If you're outfitting a truck glovebox, a camping kit, or buying for someone who'll use a multi-tool occasionally rather than daily, the Gerber Suspension NXT at $40 is solid. Spring-loaded pliers, 15 tools, decent steel. It won't hold up to daily professional use the way a Leatherman does, but for occasional use it's more than adequate. The price difference buys you quality, warranty, and steel — not capability.
When you should carry both
If you do mechanical or electrical work, you want pliers that aren't a compromise — carry the multi-tool. But the knife inside the multi-tool is still a backup blade: if cutting is a significant part of your day, you also want a real folder. The Benchmade Griptilian gives you a full-length blade with the AXIS lock at a carry weight that doesn't feel like two separate tools. People who use their hands for work often carry both: the multi-tool is the pliers solution, the folder is the cutting solution.
The verdict: which should you buy first?
Buy the multi-tool first if you work on things — vehicles, construction, home repair, outdoor chores. The pliers and multi-function capability fills gaps no knife does. Buy the knife first if cutting is your primary use case and you don't need pliers regularly. Buy both if you do hands-on work and want a real cutting tool alongside the multi-tool. The Leatherman Wave+ and a Benchmade Griptilian together are the combination most experienced EDC carriers eventually land on.
Our Picks
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Gerber Suspension NXT Multi-Tool
Made in Portland, Oregon. 15 tools in your pocket for half the price of the competition.
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Buck 110 Folding Hunter Pocket Knife
Made in Post Falls, Idaho. The American pocket knife that's been on belt loops since 1964.
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Benchmade Griptilian Folding Knife
Made in Oregon City, Oregon. The folding knife that professionals carry every day.
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