Leatherman Juice S2 Review

Zechs · Heavy Crude Joined: Feb 08, 2005 Posts: 152

I purchased a Leatherman Juice S2 last night to replace my venerable SAK Tinker. Let me share my thoughts:

Knife Blade: The most important aspect of any pocket knife, of course, is the blade itself. The blade on the S2 boasts a stronger steel than that of the Tinker, with a curvature to the back of the blade that suggests more strength than the Tinker's Flat back. The S2 also has a thicker blade than the Tinker, though this is somewhat detrimental when it comes to the process to the removal of the old edge, it is clearly stronger than the Tinker's narrower edge (Though the Tinker is admittedly much easier to sharpen.) Neither will open with one hand, somewhat of a dent in the armor. They both have nail grips for opening, though the S2's is diminutive in comparison to the Tinker's. However, the blade is opened easily enough. The blade is accessible from the outside portion of the S2, making it much easier to access than earlier incarnations of Leatherman tools, in which one had to open the entire knife then select the needed tool. 8/10 as compared to the Tinker's 6/10. Obviously a good blade, but I would prefer a better Steel than 440C, like A2 Tool or 154CM, and it also needs to be able to open one handed.

Bottle/Can Opener: I was somewhat disappointed with the Can Opener on my S2, as the blade is blunt and wouldn't lend well to opening of a can. However, Five minutes on a Diamond Sharpener should fix that pretty quickly. I would like to note that I like the Combination Can/Bottle Opener on the S2 more than I like the Seperate functions on the Tinker, as when I have to open a bottle with the SAK Tinker I inevitably pull out the wrong Opener. The Bottle/Can Opener is also situated on the outside portion of the S2, allowing much easier access. 8/10 to the Tinker's 7/10

Scissors: The scissors have a fairly large cutting surface, far larger than I expected from the size of the knife. They are serrated at the tips, which could potentially come in handy for cutting moleskin. Out of the package they were sharp enough to easily cut paper. 9/10 to the Tinker's 0/10

Screw Drivers: The S2 contains a Phillips Head, and three sizes of Flat Head, comparable to the Tinker's Phillips and Two Flat Heads. In terms of the Flat Heads, there isn't much to say in that once you've seen one flat head screw driver you have seen them all, basically. However, I want to point out that I prefer the S2's Phillips over the Tinkers. The Tinker's Phillips Head Screwdriver is at a right angle from the knife, and this makes it hard to turn repetitively. Also, a respectable amount of Torque put on the Tinker could cause the thing to break apart. The S2 fixes this problem by making it straight out like any other tool, and uses the length of the S2's frame to it's advantage, making it handle more Torque with far less demolition on the knife. 8/10 to the Tinker's 6/10

Leather Awl: The S2, unfortunately, doesn't have a Leather Awl. What it does have, however, is a very small flat head which I feel could be used for an Awl in a pinch, but is still no replacement for a good Awl. The Tinker's Awl has come in handy more than once, as has the Sewing Eye that was drilled into it. The S2 does not have a designated Sewing Eye, but it does have a collapsing Key Ring that could be used for one, again, in a pinch. However, the Tinker's Awl is at a right angle to the Knife itself, and with high pressure and torque could snap the entire knife. 3/10 to the Tinker's 8/10

Pliers: The best point of Leatherman Multi-Tools is of course thier inclusion of Pliers into the Tool. The S2 does have it's own pair of pliers, semi-needle nose at that. Looking at it, is has all the room it needs and little excuse not to be true Needle Nose, so I am somewhat dissapointed with that. The Pliers are functional, and work well enough despite not have a spring to make opening easier for the user. Built into the design are a pair of Wire and Hard Wire cutters, which is useful. Given the size limitations of the knife itself, the Pliers are HUGE in proportion to the rest of the knife, so you've got to be happy about that. 8/10 to the Tinker's 0/10

Overall, the S2 is a very good multi-tool. In my opinion it has minor flaws, but nothing that would go so far as to make the knife a mixed affair. The KF4 is better than the S2, however it goes too far into the Large Multi-Tool Catagory which would be better filled by the Wave or preferable the new Charge Tools.

I recommend the S2. It's a very good knife. If you can spare the money, go get one. Wink

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If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man. ~ Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)