surge is daddy

I have a Leatherman Wave+ that I daily. I've had it for about 3 years and I wrote about it a few weeks ago. It's the ideal size for that purpose, especially in warmer weather when I might not have a coat or big roomy pants to keep it in.

Owning land very near to national forest, BLM and state parks, I thought I might want something a little bigger and sturdier for those times when I feel like going on a bigger adventure.

The surge is about 4oz heavier than the Wave+ (12 point something oz vs 8 point something oz) and sports bigger versions of most of the same tools. It also has a few additions, these are an awl, blade exchanger, big scissors and gives up the eye glass screw driver. Instead it has a smaller flathead, which I think is pretty unnecessary since it has a bit driver as well.

The Wave + feels down right petite in comparison. While I don't think I'll daily carry this beast, I think it will be a great addition to my camping gear.

The black scissors on the right are what comes on the Wave+, while probably better than no scissors they're fairly useless. The middle scissors are the Surge which are clearly much bigger and beefier. The Gerber Armbar is on the far left, I carry this with my Wave+ because it gives me an awl, big scissors, a longer bit driver, a second sharp blade that I won't mind beating up a bit, and finally a small prybar and pommel (not a hammer, but you can slam it into something that needs a good whack, I'd probably just find a rock instead).

With the Surge, I get 21 tools plus room for a saw blade, a ratchet, and 42 bits. 40 of which can be used in my Surge's bit driver. The large screw driver can double as a small pry tool as well, which they don't count. That gives me a total of 64 tools in my pocket. The other cool feature is that the blade exchanger accepts t-shank saw or file blades, so it will accept much larger saw blades than can be folded into the tool.

Overall, I'm very pleased with the overall quality and tool set. It feels like something the Mandorian would keep on his belt and I'll probably carry it on mine as long as I can hide it under a long flannel or coat.

If you're not sure which one to get, I think most people would be well suited with a Wave+ for every day utility, but if you don't mind the extra weight and bulk, the Surge is an upgrade for sure.