I have owned both Gerber and Leatherman multitools, as well as a few generic Black Friday specials. Generally the quality of the Gerber tools ranks right up there with the worst of the Black Friday specials. The designs and fit and finish are appalling. But they still sell. And the reason why is that prior to the release of the Wingman and the Sidekick the cheapest Leatherman tools were still twice the price of the cheapest Gerber tools.

It never made sense to me because we are talking about a relatively inexpensive item. The cost of the headaches and pinched fingers associated with using a Gerber was far higher than the $20 price difference. I could forego three lunches at Subway for the upgrade. But crap that looks like nice stuff but sells for half the price sells well. Gerber had the name brand cheap multitool niche all to itself.

Then Leatherman decided to get into the game with two new tools, I covered here. Leatherman was kind enough to send a tool to review (thanks to Juli in the marketing department). I wanted a Wingman to test out the new clam shell cutter, but all they had were Sidekicks. Never one to pass up a piece of gear to review I said yes and the goods were shipped out.

By coincidence we were hit with a very rare October snowstorm that dumped two feet of snow on the ground just days after the Sidekick arrived. I was able to test it doing some of the clean up from that storm. I also used it to install a lamppost and doing two weekends worth of fall chores. In all I got to see the tool in its full range. The lamppost allowed me to test the pliers and wirestrippers, as well as both screw drivers. The fall chores were perfect for the knife and the pliers. And finally, the clean up allowed me to test the saw and serrated edge. There was no real test for the can opener as I think we have reached the point where the can opener is to modern multitools what the corkscrew is to SAKs--a vestige of a long gone problem infrequently encountered. It does work okay as a clam shell cutter, one of the two tools the Sidekick lacks compared to the Wingman.

Here is the product page. Here is a good street price. Here is a video review. Here is a written review. Here are the Amazon reviews. It received an average of 4.67 stars out of 5 with 3 reviews. The package comes with a leather sleeve and a carabiner with a bottle opener. Here is the sample version of the Sidekick, sent to me by Leatherman for review:

Before I get to my review, here is my multitool scoring system with an explanation of each criteria and the 0-2 score.

Design: 2

The overall look of the Sidekick is very reminiscent of the Wave/Charge series, with a few cues taken from the Skeletool (holes in the frame to lighten the weight, asymmetric handles, and the shape of the blade). Unlike the Skeletool, however, this design is not a lightweight, coming in at 7 ounces. The curve of the handle is nice especially when the pliers are deployed. The push through slots (see below) are a nice idea and do exactly what they are supposed to do. Of course, the externally accessible tools are always a plus, especially when they are your most frequently used tools (the knife and saw, in this case). The tool was designed by an in-house engineer at Leatherman named Peter Parker. Overall, Mr. Parker did very well, especially when you consider that he did not pick the tools to be included, but instead took a list given to him by marketing and had to figure out how to include everything the test groups wanted. It is not Skeletool-level inspired, but really good nonetheless.

Fit and Finish: 2

Okay there is a little blade play when the knife is deployed. That is it. Otherwise, all of the tools are well made, the handles are comfy, and everything is sufficiently beefy and solid. The locks for the knife and saw work well. I am really surprised at just how nice everything is, I was expecting a few stiff pivots or burred tools, especially given the price, but there is nothing like that. Again, the only knock, and it is a small one, is the tiny bit of up and down blade play on the knife.

Theme: 2

According to Mr. Parker the Sidekick was designed as an outdoors multitool, especially when compared to the more urbanized Wingman. The other possible theme was the role of a backup multitool, one you could stash in a survival kit while you carried your primary multitool with you as an EDC. Overall, the Sidekick hits the mark on both accounts. The saw does work and having it as one of the two primary tools really places the emphasis on outdoors preparedness. My only small concern in the role of an outdoors multitool is its weight. This guy is a beefy wad of steel. As a backup multitool weight is not much of a concern.

Grip: 2

Check out the slight curve to the Sidekick's handle:

That one slight touch makes a big difference. Its not a new idea. The curve and asymmetrical handles were found on the Skeletool and before that the Victorinox Spirit, but seeing them on a budget design is a first for Leatherman. That combined with the spring loaded pliers means this is one of the easiest mutlitools to use and hold on to.

Carry: 1

The only knock I have here is with the weight. The tool is really heavy. When I switch from the feather-light Skeletool to this, I notice and so does my belt. It is not a big problem, and I am not sure how to fix it given the need for a certain amount of bulk (i.e. the pliers head).

Materials: 2

The knife blade is made of 420HC steel. If this were a knife and not a multitool I'd give it a 0. But here is the thing--in its intended role, as an outdoor tool or a backup the 420HC works well. It is soft and tough meaning that it can be banged around without much fear of chipping or breaking. It can also be field sharpened. Finally, because it is so low in carbon content it is very rust resistant making it an excellent "set and forget" backup tool. I sent an email to Mr. Parker about his steel choice and his answer was persuasive. The 420HC they use is their own blend and heat treat. It is the steel they use on almost all multitools and twenty years of use has proven that the steel works. It is also the material used on the rest of the tool as well. Good materials are more than just the latest high tech stuff, they should be suited to the tool and here they are.

Deployment/Accessibility: 2

Clumping (where all the tools on a single pivot deploy at once) can be a problem, but the access slot on the reverse side of the handle along with the little nail hook on the top side of the tool makes access much better. Here is a shot of the access hole:

Access to the external tools is nice, as the oval thumb holes work well. I did find that deploying the saw required me to flip the tool upside down, because I am right handed. I would imagine lefties need to do the same for the knife.

Retention Method: 2

An excellent pocket clip. Perhaps the wider clip means less rolling in the pocket, like what happens on the Skeletool. The clip is simple and removeable:

Tool Selection: 0

Okay we get to the heart of the Sidekick. The tool selection is okay. There are some really essential pieces, the knife and the drivers, but there are two wasted tools and a missing one. First, I don't know why we still need a can opener. It can be used as a clam shell cutter as I mentioned above, but really, it is a total waste. I guess multitool orthodoxy says you have to have one. Then there is the serrated blade. I am not sure you need both a serrated blade and a saw even though they do two different things. A good sharp plain edge knife will do fine with rope and the saw can handle wood and plastic much better than the serrated blade can. It is a wasted tool even on an outdoors multitool. I also lament the lack of scissors. Scissors are so generally useful that there has to be a REALLY good reason not to include them. Their absence, given the serrated blade's inclusion, is especially painful. Two wasted tools and one essential missing gives you a zero.

Tool Performance: 2

There are two great tools on the Sidekick: the spring loaded pliers and the Phillips driver. Here are the pliers (held closed by me):

It is not an exaggeration to say that these are the best pliers ever used in a Leatherman multitool. They are finely tapered, ground at the tip to clamp tight, and spring loaded. The spring loaded feature allows the tool to be ready at a moment's notice, always open always ready to grab something. The Phillips driver is also nice, a beefy though still 2D version:

The saw works well, as do the rest of the tools, even the entirely unnecessary serrated blade. Great tool performance even if tool selection leaves something to be desired.

Overall Score: 17 out of 20

I worked on this review for a long time. I used the Sidekick extensively. And in the end I think 17 is exactly right. This is a very good multitool. The pliers are the best on any multitool. But the tool selection is wanting. I like the outdoors theme and I like the saw, but two unnecessary tools and no scissors holds this guy back from multitool supremacy.

And that is saying a lot, given the price. At around $30 this is a great tool for first time users or casual users. It is a great competitor for the junky Gerbers in the same price range. The extras are kind of bland, though the carabiner is interesting and a neat platform for a different kind of multitool (how about a keychain carabiner where the carabiner is the chain AND the tools?). As a gift to a newbie or your guy who is suit bound most of the time, this is an excellent buy.

UPDATE: Just got an email from batteryjunction.com. All Leatherman are 10% off through 11/22/11 with the code LEATHERMAN10.