Leatherman Skeletool vs Leatherman Wave+

55 facts in comparison

Based on 40 Reddit opinions. Leatherman Skeletool leads by 7 points.

40 opinions
Leatherman Skeletool leads by 7pts
Reddit's Pick
Leatherman Skeletool
81%
B+
Based on
39 Redditors
Winner

Leatherman Skeletool

Limited Data
~$99.95
14 opinions

tldr; Reddit overwhelmingly recommends the Leatherman Skeletool. With 92% positive sentiment across 39 mentions, this is a clear community favorite.

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VS
Leatherman Wave+
74%
B-
Based on
67 Redditors

Leatherman Wave+

~$129.95
26 opinions

tldr; The Leatherman Wave+ receives mostly positive reviews on Reddit (73% positive across 67 mentions). A solid choice in its category.

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Action & DeploymentBuild QualityErgonomicsValue
ACT
BUI
ERG
VAL
88
Points
100
Points

Score by Category

Action & Deployment
100%100%
Build Quality
100%0%
Ergonomics
50%
Value
100%100%

Why is Leatherman Wave+ better than Leatherman Skeletool?

    Both products have similar ratings. Check the detailed comparison below.

    Based on 106 Reddit opinions
    Slight Edge

    Reddit prefers the Leatherman Skeletool

    Winning by 7 points (81% vs 74%)

    Higher Reddit score (81% vs 74%)
    High confidence (106 mentions)

    💬Reddit Sentiment

    Based on 106 Reddit mentions

    Overall Rating

    Leatherman Skeletool
    8.1/10
    39 mentions
    Leatherman Wave+
    7.4/10
    67 mentions
    VALUE
    Leatherman Skeletool10.0/10
    Leatherman Wave+10.0/10
    ACTION
    Leatherman Skeletool10.0/10
    Leatherman Wave+10.0/10
    ERGONOMICS
    Leatherman Skeletool5.0/10
    Leatherman Wave+N/A
    BUILD QUALITY
    Leatherman Skeletool10.0/10
    Leatherman Wave+0.0/10
    ⚔️

    Head to Head

    Head to Head

    Leatherman Skeletool: 2|Leatherman Wave+: 0
    Value
    Leatherman Skeletool100%
    Leatherman Wave+100%
    Action
    Leatherman Skeletool100%
    Leatherman Wave+100%
    ErgonomicsLeatherman Skeletool
    Leatherman Skeletool50%
    Leatherman Wave+N/A
    Build QualityLeatherman Skeletool
    Leatherman Skeletool100%
    Leatherman Wave+0%
    Leatherman Skeletool81%
    Leatherman Wave+74%
    Leatherman Skeletool wins by 7 points

    Key Specs

    SpecLeatherman SkeletoolLeatherman Wave+
    Number Of Tools
    7
    Closed Length
    4 inch
    4 inch
    Blade Length
    2.6 inch
    Blade Material
    420HC Stainless Steel
    420HC Stainless Steel
    Locking Blade
    Yes

    Key Highlights

    Leatherman SkeletoolWinner
    Solid community reputation
    Frequently recommended
    Leatherman Wave+
    Solid community reputation
    Frequently recommended

    Topic Battles

    Leatherman Skeletool: 2|Tied: 2|Leatherman Wave+: 0
    Action & Deployment
    Leatherman Skeletool
    100%
    Leatherman Wave+
    100%
    Build Quality
    Leatherman Skeletool wins
    Leatherman Skeletool
    100%
    Leatherman Wave+
    0%
    Ergonomics
    Leatherman Skeletool wins
    Leatherman Skeletool
    50%
    Leatherman Wave+
    Value
    Leatherman Skeletool
    100%
    Leatherman Wave+
    100%

    Based on Reddit sentiment across 4 categories

    📈Where They Rank

    💬What Redditors Actually Say

    What Redditors Say

    Best praise vs top criticism for Leatherman Skeletool

    Best Praise
    +18 pts
    Nebo light stays in my pocket incase my “pen” light dies, its brighter too for dark houses or barns etc The pen is just a pen that my service gave me nothing special Skeletool simply cause the blade is faster to deploy then any other ones I have, I have a tinker but I prefer the pocket clip on the skeletool
    r/EDC
    View
    Top Criticism
    +30 pts
    You’re like my ghost of the past. I don’t ride an ambulance anymore so I ditched the shears. Used to carry a skeletool but the pocket clip loosened up so I just went to a folding knife. Still carry the militaur door chock.
    r/EDC
    View
    2 more quotes available below

    What Redditors Say

    Best praise vs top criticism for Leatherman Wave+

    Best Praise
    +16 pts
    A regular pocket knife. The slightly smaller knife in my Leatherman works for 99% of the things I need a knife for, and most of the time I need the pliers or screwdriver more.
    r/EDC
    View
    Top Criticism
    +5 pts
    I’m really considering ditching the Leatherman for a Fastback and a single pair of needle nose.
    r/EDC
    View
    3 more quotes available below

    📈Historical Price Data

    Leatherman Skeletool
    Leatherman Wave+
    $100$120$140Apr '25May '25Jun '25Jul '25Oct '25Dec '25Jan '26Jan '26Jan '26Apr '26Low: $89.95Low: $95.96Current: $99.95
    Leatherman Skeletool
    All-time low: $76.58(2024-06)
    Leatherman Wave+
    All-time low: $77.95(2018-11)

    Which is Better?

    Leatherman Skeletool Wins
    81%
    Skeletool
    vs
    74%
    Wave+

    Leatherman Skeletool leads by 7 points based on 106 Reddit opinions.

    Why Leatherman SkeletoolWinner
      Why Leatherman Wave+
      • More discussed (67 vs 39)

      ❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

      Sentiment Breakdown

      33%Positive
      Positive
      33%
      Neutral
      64%
      Negative
      3%
      Based on 39 Reddit opinions

      Sentiment Breakdown

      28%Positive
      Positive
      28%
      Neutral
      62%
      Negative
      10%
      Based on 67 Reddit opinions

      Frequently Asked Questions

      Which is better, Leatherman Skeletool or Leatherman Wave+?
      Based on 106 Reddit comments, Leatherman Skeletool is the preferred choice with 81% positive sentiment vs Leatherman Wave+'s 74%. Leatherman Skeletool leads by 7 percentage points.
      Should I buy Leatherman Skeletool or Leatherman Wave+?
      If you want the safer choice based on community sentiment, Leatherman Skeletool has stronger approval ratings (81% vs 74%). However, Leatherman Wave+ may still be better depending on your specific needs, budget, or use case.
      What do Redditors love about Leatherman Skeletool?
      Leatherman Skeletool has 39 mentions on Reddit with 81% positive sentiment. Users consistently recommend it based on real ownership experiences.
      What do Redditors say about Leatherman Wave+?
      Leatherman Wave+ has 67 mentions on Reddit with 74% positive sentiment. It's frequently discussed as a solid option.
      How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
      This comparison analyzed 106 Reddit comments: 39 about Leatherman Skeletool and 67 about Leatherman Wave+. Data was sourced from Pocket Knives community discussions.
      How accurate are these ratings?
      Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
      Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
      Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

      40 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 4/17/2026