20.9.2011

I have both the Leatherman Micra and PS4 mini multitools and I thought it might be useful to do a review of one against the other to give a good insight into both. I have therefore posted this review against both tools.In theory at least, the Leatherman Squirt PS4 is probably my ideal everyday pocket knife. I am an office worker on week days and an outdoorsy Dad at the week end and the combination of size, tools and quality on the PS4 is about as good as I can get at the moment. It looks un-macho and professional in its smart black anodized livery and quite importantly to me I can whip out a blade or scissor set, use it and snap it back in in a flash.Very useful in an office environment in the UK where carrying a knife of any sort often does your image no good at all. I cannot bear feeling helpless and having to ask my Facilities people to do tiny, silly jobs for me and so I always carry a pocket tool of some description wherever I go (except airports!).The problem is that I have had not one but two failed PS4s. On both occasions the reedy spring bar on the scissors snapped. I cannot even be sure that on either occasion this was during use as I only noticed when pulling the scissors out on the next occasion. I find it difficult to envisage how this bar could snap as it cannot be put under any extra strain - it is only required (and indeed capable of) pushing the scissors open. It cannot be put under any extra strain by for example cutting heavy materials. This is a shame, because although the scissors are small they are effective enough for most of the things I want to do with them.The best thing about the PS4 is that all of the blades are on the outside, allowing for very quick and fuss-free deployment. It was this issue which put me off the Leatherman Micra, along with its lack of pliers which I find surprisingly useful on the PS4. However, because I have become so dependent upon my pocket tools I concluded that I simply had to get a hardy back-up to my PS4 to cover the increasingly frequent periods during which it has no useable scissors or it has had to be sent back under warranty for replacement. Enter the Micra.Right. First off, the Micra has no pliers. No wire cutting, picking up hot things, tweaking metal parts on my kids' toys, or easily picking up dubious objects. However, this gap is partly filled by the Micra's tweezers. Now, I like having tweezers. I am of an age where the odd facial hair needs nipping out. Both I and my kids frequently get splinters. Kids' toys come with ridiculously small screws and other parts these days. However, experience tells me that removable tweezers usually get lost at some point. The Micra's cannot as they are attached to the knife. And they are very good for fine work and yet are robust enough to last a very long time. I like them a lot. I would be reluctant to use the scissors on even electrical wire, although I suppose I could do so at a push. I personally do not miss tweezers on the PS4 - the pliers on it are very good and are capable of surprisingly sensitive work such as yanking out individual hairs and even nipping splinters out. Kids however do not usually react well to splinters being tackled with pliers!The pliers on the PS4 are very good considering their size. They open nice and wide and so can tackle quite a wide range of jobs. The quality of the PS4 is such that you can really clamp down hard on things and the tips allign so well you can pluck individual hairs out with it! The profile of the jaws allow you to tackle bolts with minimal slippage.Second bad point on the Micra for me. You have to open the body of the Micra to get to any of the tools. I do not like being seen to open up a rather macho-looking mini-Transformer contraption like some kind of movie-based assassin wielding an illegal butterfly knife just to cut through a bit of packing tape around a box of copying paper. Also, for very tiny "snip `n' go" jobs, it is a faff. You spend longer getting the tool out than on the job itself. Accessing the scissors is quicker - just open the two sides of the tool and you are done - but anything else requires a further process. Not a huge deal, but it makes me prefer the PS4.However, what the Micra definitely does have in its favour, and the reason why I will no doubt on occasion still carry it even when my PS4 is not broken, is the sheer robustness of it. I very much doubt that (gross abuse and neglect aside) that this tool will ever fail me. The functionality that it does have will always be there. If I was being cast onto a desert island with one mini multitool, it would definitely be the Micra. Its scissors are big and meaty for a mini multitool. Its spring mechanism of the scissors is solidly engineered and clearly is not about to go anywhere it shouldn't. Sure, it may take a little longer to get the tools out of it compared to the PS4, but quick access to broken scissors isn't of much use to anyone. The overall construction of the Micra is much simpler than that of the PS4 which explains the price differential. The "soft lock" on each of the blades is through a very simple but effective steel leaf cut from the case which presses down on the pivot end of each blade. The PS4 uses individually pivoted levers on each blade (similar to the mechanisms on many other quality pocket knives) which although results in a considerably sweeter and smother action is perhaps no more effective. Although this more complicated mechanism is perhaps more prone to contamination by grit, the Micra's scissors also rely on pivoted lever springs.One thing is that the tips of scissors on the Micra are needle sharp and because the tips cross over when the tool is closed up, there is a risk of scratching or cutting yourself if you are not careful when you open them. I have taken the sharpness out of the tips with a sharpening stone and this has made all of the difference.Out of the box the PS4 looks the better of the two, in my opinion anyway. But the Micra is far from ugly with its very fine (brushed / tumbled?) stainless steel finish and I suspect that after a year or two of moderate use the PS4's anodized finish will look a bit worse for wear, whereas the finish of the Micra does not look at all susceptible to marking. Again, the Micra is what it is, but I think that it will be better at staying what it is than most mini multitools, and in my opinion the Gerber multitools look and feel like toys out of Christmas crackers in comparison. Both the Micra and the PS4 are in my opinion beautifully compact, very well engineered, solid little nuggets, albeit that the Micra comes across as a bit more utilitarian. However, it should be noted that the burred / toothed screwheads on the Micra are a lot less kind to mobile phones and other delicate potential pocket companions than the flattened rivets of the PS4.Then there is the price. I try as hard as I can not to become too sentimentally attached to my pocket multitools (not been hard with the PS4 because I am on my third one in four months!). I do not want to leave them behind for fear of losing them or being confiscated. To this end I have a coupe of cheap and nasty (but broadly effective) mini multitools which I picked up on holiday in the States for $10 each. I was stopped going into Cheltenham Gold Cup with one of these - I just hid it behind a nearby bush and recovered it again when I came out, but it would have been no big deal if I had lost it. The Micra would not be too bad a loss either at just Â£25, but the PS4 would hurt a bit at Â£40. A $10 multitool in the pocket is worth infinitely more than a Â£100 one sat in a safe at home when you find yourself in a tight spot!I do not like the file on the PS4 that much - it is too coarse to be of any use on one side, missing the opportunity of a very fine diamond file on one of the sides. There is no point on the end to use for cleaning under fingernails or as an awl, just a bizarre squared-off chisel-like end. The finer file on the other side is a bit too coarse for fingernail work, but it just about serves this purpose. The file on the Micra is much better albeit just one-sided, which seems like a lost opportunity. But it has a curved point which at a push just about serves as an awl to make a screw pilot hole in wood. The file itself is very good - more than fine enough for a decent nail file, but not quite fine enough to e.g. sharpen a fishing hook. It seems strange that Leatherman has missed a trick on both of these mini multitools where each blade must fully justify the very precious space which they take up.I personally very much like the fine flathead screwdriver on the end of the bottle opener on the Micra - perfect for eyeglasses screws. The PS4 can just about do this using the flattened tip of its flat Phillips screwdriver blade, but only with a bit of a touch-up with a sharpening stone (note - this modification may invalidate the 25 year Leatherman warranty!). The Micra of course still has a dedicated flat phillips blade in addition to the fine flathead. I have to say that I find these blades on both knives to be very effective with quite a broad range of phillips screws, unlike the full crosshead blades I have tried on a number of other knives. They cannot cope with too much torque though without chewing up both themselves and the screwhead.The medium flathead screwdriver blades and straight knife blades on both knives are perhaps about as good and strong as it is possible to get on tools of this size. It is well documented that the bottle openers on both are not particularly good and take a couple of careful goes, but they do work.The ruler stamped onto the case of the Micra is surprisingly useful in my experience, and fully opened covers 12 cm / 5 inches. In any event, no alternative function is lost by its inclusion and I think it looks nice! There is no equivalent function on the PS4.In conclusion : in an ideal world I would have a tool the size of the PS4 with the Micra's scissors, file and micro flat head screwdriver in it. This is clearly impossible, and because of this I will probably continually swap between the two and just hope that I have the right one on me for every occasion. Ideally I would be able to rely upon the PS4's scissors more and it would be great if Leatherman would replace the current file with a cross-cut nail file on one side, a fine diamond file on the other, a hacksaw edge and a straight point at the end that would double up as a nail cleaner and awl. I think that the Micra would benefit from the same modification.The more cumbersome operation of the Micra is perhaps for many a small price to pay for its overall robustness and reliability, but it comes down to what you personally need your mini multitool to do. Due to the lack of wire cutters you cannot replace a UK electrical mains plug. But in practice, when would you ever be in a situation where you would need to without your tool box? Do you really need the capability to tweak the odd bolt with pliers? Cycling commuters may well do. Do you need really stout scissors as opposed to a blade? Those who regularly need to tackle parcels at their desks each morning might well do. How robust and dependable do you need the tool to be? Office executives, building site workers and ultralight hikers would probably differ with each other. Eyeglass wearers might choose the Micra purely for its superior micro blade screwdriver. People who frequently dip into their mutitool for multiple quick jobs might find the Micra a bit of a bore.In my opinion both tools really are excellent on the whole and brilliantly engineered, but are capable of different ranges of tasks.Hope that this review helps.

20.5.2013

Came with scratched handles in a card box not in a blister pack so its lot more convenient to open.Material is good quality, but the build quality looks a bit like a factory reject or maybe its a 2nd hand refurbished item.The tools don't close up properly coz of weak springs, but will not open up in pocket.Blade is a chisel grind, means its only sharpened from one side and this could be inconvenient if you prefer a V-shaped sharpener, this is useless and you need a whetstone.Scissors are nice and sharp, but they have a lot of play, i could not even cut through a simple thin shoe lace.Pliers are the best feature with nice size wire cutters, thick jaws and can do a good job for any light duty use.As for the file,

8.9.2011

Good product when considering how tiny it is, even smaller even than my standard swiss army knife! Good set of pliers which will prove invaluable when negotiating tricky jobs round the house. The scissors are tiny, but very sharp. The bottle opener and the small screw driver are versatile as the small driver will actually work in phillips screws as well as small flat/slot screws! Brilliant!However, there some niggles. The blade isn't as sharp on this as on my Leatherman Blast, and it is smaller than the large blade on my swiss army knife... but my main problem with it is the finish of the blade is quite poor. It has small burrs on it which snag when cutting things or make a scraping sound when cutting card.

1.12.2014

The Leatherman squirt PS4 is as small as it could possibly be, whilst still retaining a genuine sense of utility. I recommend watching Youtube reviews if you have no conception of its size. It really is small: as nothing to the stature of its standard sized brethren. Yet it manages to accommodate a set of well chosen tools that hopefully will stand the test of time.My motivation for buying this was so that it could contribute to a minimal bike commuting repair kit (eschewing the standard bike multi-tool route as just too unnecessarily heavy). I think it works well in this context: so far I have successfully used the main tool, the pliers, of this PS4 to tighten bolts on my mudguards, tighten a pedal,

27.12.2016

I really fancied a multitool and wanted one that I could keep with me. Living in the UK that means I can't have a blade over 3 inches or one that locks unless I have a good reason to do so. Being an office workerI have no such excuses so I went for this with the 2 inch non-locking blade.The first thing you notice with this is the size. It really is small. I can hide it in my closed fist and I have small hands. But, despite this it really does feel solid. There is no bending, flexing or creaking when you use it at all.It has all the basic tools you might want for everyday use. The blade is curved and can cut through cardboard or any other packaging with ease.

27.4.2020

I wanted a small tool that would fit on my keys or in my pocket. I didn’t want it to weigh much and I didn’t want it to take up space. I own a Leatherman PST which while still good doesn’t have many features and a Gerber MP600 which is very robust but it weighs so much.The Squirt is tiny! When folded up it’s just a tad over 2 inches / 6 cm which is perfect for pockets or on a key ring. All the extra tools are located on the outside opposite to a traditional multi-tool where you have to open the entire tool up with the pliers to get access to the knife or scissors. Pliers needle nose and regular with a wire cutter all spring loaded, double sided wood/metal file, knife blade under 4cm,

19.9.2011

Have to admit I have been a Victorinox loyal all my life but this little multi-tool is awesome and will DEFINITELY buy one of the bigger ones for around the house. Every aspect of it is impressive.The satisfying click a the tool slips in to place, the sharpness of he blade and the scissors, the quality of the file on both the coarse and the fine side.Then there are the pliers which are incredibly strong and robust, great for those little jobs.To top it all off, it is TINY!!! It is shorter than my car key by almost an inch, just as thin as my Victorinox Spartan (which I SWoRE by for years!!) and it has so many functions.this will live on my keyring for evermore, if I lose it,

30.1.2011

I truly don't know where I'd be without my Squirt PS4 these days! Until I got this item I didn't carry any kind of pocket knife or multitool with me from day to day, either due to weight or for fear of losing it. Now, with this thing on my keyring, its a completely different story: I find myself constantly using this little Leatherman for opening letters and packaging, cutting loose threads, opening bottle caps and dozens of other daily tasks that I would either have done with more difficulty or waited until I got home to take care of. As a musician and instrumental teacher, this also saves me carrying around a set of jewelers screwdrivers ect for instrument maintainace.The tool is of a high quality,

17.3.2016

excellent multi tool that benefits from the same build quality as it's bigger brothers. WORD TO THE WISE: the blade is machine sharpened at the factory but i have no idea what sort of unholy monster of a machine they actually use to sharpen these because It's sharper than anything i've ever sharpened myself by hand. you may have heard that a sharp blade is safer than a blunt one, but in this case those people are wrong. a blunt blade may cause some damage but this blade will remove your finger before you can blink. seriously. no really, listen up: that blade is sharp. it will cut you within 48hrs of ownership. the cut will be quick, it will be deep and it will be clean and it will bleed like a stuck pig.

3.5.2011

I spent a long time trying to choose between the PS4, P4 and the S4. I ended up going with the PS4 as I could see myself using both the pliars and the scissors. When it arrived I was struck by the quality and the compact size of it immediately. It lives on my keyring and rarely a day goes by when I don't use it for something.I've used every tool on it (including the end of the flat phillips driver to tighten my glasses screws) and they are all superb. Other reviews say the bottle opener takes a few bites to get the lid off and that's true, but it's a back up opener to be used when no other option is there so that's not a problem for me. Each tool is well designed and of the highest quality.

2.8.2014

Having bought, over the years, several mini pocket tool kits such as this, I was fed up with things like hinges and springs failing all too soon so, when Father's day came around, I suggested getting one of these that are reputed to last for ages. I was very pleasantly surprised at how well made the Leathermans are. It was a bit smaller than I am used too but it does the job just as well. I know it is meant to go on your keyring but mine is already overladen with keys and fobs etc, so it would have been nice to have had a wee case supplied for it. As it happend I already had a small webbing case that I keep my memory stick in and this little gadget fitted in nicely. That is the only reason I gave it four stars,

25.7.2016

Looking for a small and well-made multitool, I was bound to check out Leatherman first. I have another larger Leatherman multitool which I could nott fault, as it is so solidly made, and mechanically very reliable with a really good feel in the hand to it. I checked out the reviews on Amazon for the Squirt (I have always thought this to be a very stupid and offputting name), and was disappointed that it doesn't have the traditional letherman feel to it, not the weight, solidity or blade strength- it is much fiddlier to use than a much cheaper example I have owned). Of course I understand that it is only a fraction of the size of larger tools in the Leatherman range,

2.1.2012

Bought this after losing my Gerber Clutch. The clutch was fine but it's a little bigger and not quite the same quality (the PS4 is really nicely put together) plus the clutch didn't have scissors which make the PS4 one step up. The PS4 does feel slightly less robust than the clutch did - whether the clutch is really stronger or just seems so I don't know. You shouldn't really be looking to use these sorts of tools for any heavy jobs in any case so robustness isn't a primary concern anyway. A good bit more expensive than the clutch but you do get better quality for your money, I think it's worth the extra.

19.11.2015

This is a great little tool to have in your bag.The quality is high, as with all Leatherman tools, and the longer you have it the more you will find you are uswing it.It is small and unobtrusive so the difficulty is in knowing where it is. Keeping it clipped on a small karabiner is a must!It wont tackle big, tough, jobs so I have the Wave as well, but has great applications for the myriad of small problems we all encounter, from cutting string, opening boxes, screws coming loose etc. Having the pliars, which are strong and increadibly useful, is a major plus.It is an essential part of my cycling tool kit - especially for pulling embedded thorns out of tyres - or parts of my body on

15.9.2011

Leatherman Squirt PS4 (ie version with scissors AND pliers). Arrived very quickly - 36 hours from ordering online. I reckon £[] a bargain. Watch the prices for a few days - they vary quite a lot. Really well made. Really dinky - only a couple of inches long. Fits my keyring perfectly. Going to be great for fishing and general everyday "have you got something to get this open?" duties. Great little boy toy. Would make a great father's day / dad birthday pressy. Knife and scissors v sharp, pliers... ply(?) nicely. All things fold away well into handle so it's comfy to use every tool. If you're unsure - take a chance - I reckon you'll be pleasantly surprised. Simon,

Leatherman Squirt PS4 - Reviews

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