Leatherman ARC

What reviewers agree on

• +Blade steel · praised by 5 of 7 sources
  Which sources said this

  • Everyday Carry — positive: Calls MagnaCut the best of the best on the 2.8-inch primary blade, PVD-coated for even more corrosion resistance and given redesigned geometry for a stronger tip; he warns against prying with it.
  • KnifeInformer — positive: MagnaCut on the main blade is a huge improvement for edge retention and the reason the ARC is worth choosing over the Wave; the review reports only a slight bevel inconsistency that does not affect performance.
  • Field Mag — positive: MagnaCut maximizes and balances edge retention, toughness and corrosion resistance where most steel types max out one or two at the expense of the third, so the blade holds an edge, resists chipping and handles moisture without rusting.
  • OutdoorGearLab — positive: MagnaCut is one of the best knife steels available, with an unprecedented combination of edge retention and corrosion resistance, and it is relatively easy to sharpen; the DLC coating improves corrosion resistance slightly.
  • Outside — mixed: Carried for a few weeks, the MagnaCut edge stayed shaving sharp through food preparation, wild game and cardboard, but he writes that MagnaCut is difficult to sharpen and that he failed at returning any MagnaCut knife to usefulness himself.
  • Popular Mechanics — positive: MagnaCut's standout features are corrosion resistance, hardness and above all edge retention, which means less sharpening and less drag while cutting and better resistance to abrasion and chipping than other steels.

• +Tool set · praised by 5 of 7 sources
  Which sources said this

  • Everyday Carry — positive: The bit driver was the one thing holding the FREE series back and, with the additional bits in the package, may make the ARC the multi-tool to beat; the 20 functions include a diamond-coated file and a mini bit driver.
  • KnifeInformer — positive: Drops the serrated blade for larger, beefier scissors, keeps the swappable bit kit and pocket clip, and adds an awl, an impact surface, a pry tool and an edge file over the Wave+.
  • Field Mag — positive: The ARC contains 20 tools, among them a bit driver with a set of bit heads, a diamond file, an improved awl and an improved bottle opener, and it joins the regular catalogue instead of the limited Garage line.
  • OutdoorGearLab — mixed: The multi-cut file is stellar and the swappable bit drivers increase the effective tool set, but the included bits are a strange choice made from soft steel that strips after a few uses, and the awl has no sewing eye.
  • Outside — positive: The new bit holder replaces the Free P4's fixed flat and Phillips drivers, and he singles out the T10 Torx driver and the mini bit driver for eyeglass screws as the additions he actually reaches for.
  • Popular Mechanics — positive: 20 tools with interchangeable bits, but only one blade is MagnaCut: the frame, file and saw blade are made of 420HC steel to keep the price point low, as on many other Leatherman tools.

• +One-hand operation · praised by 5 of 7 sources
  Which sources said this

  • Everyday Carry — positive: Outer tools deploy and lock one-handed through the magnetic FREE platform inherited from the P2 and P4, with the caveat that the knife opens only with a right-handed thumb stud.
  • Field Mag — positive: Built on the Leatherman FREE platform, which uses magnets to allow easy one-handed use of every implement, and it is the first multi-tool to use MagnaCut.
  • Outdoor Life — positive: All of the ARC's tools except the pliers are accessible without opening the tool, and its FREE technology adds one-handed deployment of the pliers and the other tools.
  • Outside — positive: Describes the ARC as an evolution of the 2019 Free P4: magnets and redesigned tool access make it operable one-handed while packing more tools into a slimmer footprint, all of which he says works exceptionally well.
  • Popular Mechanics — positive: Leatherman's FREE technology combines magnetic and mechanical components so all 20 tools open and close one-handed, and even the pliers flick open with a wrist movement like a butterfly knife.

• +Build quality · praised by 4 of 7 sources
  Which sources said this

  • Everyday Carry — mixed: Two-tone colour scheme and an impact surface on the bottom of the handles, but he writes that some titanium detailing, as on the Charge TTi, is the one thing that could have improved it.
  • Field Mag — positive: MagnaCut puts up a fight in production, according to lead design engineer Peter Parker: Leatherman laser-cuts the shape from a sheet, uses a CNC machine for the profile and finishes with a unique heat treatment.
  • OutdoorGearLab — positive: Construction Quality scored 9.0/10: the four main hinges balance tight tolerances with enough play to open easily, all outside features lock, and Leatherman says every ARC and its tools are made in the USA.
  • Outdoor Life — positive: The ARC's pliers are stamped Made in USA while the Wave Alpha's are not, and after carrying both for six months the editor still chooses the ARC as the tool he carries most often.
  • Popular Mechanics — positive: Build quality is superb and made in the US, and a freelance contributor who toured the Leatherman facility praised the in-house production of every part and the precision machining and quality control.

• +Warranty and support · praised by 2 of 7 sources
  Which sources said this

  • KnifeInformer — positive: States that Leatherman's 25-year warranty covers the tool if you break anything, which the review presents as the long-term argument for paying the higher price.
  • OutdoorGearLab — positive: States that all ARCs and their included tools are made in the USA and are backed by Leatherman's famous lifetime warranty; Leatherman's own terms put that warranty at 25 years with free MagnaCut sharpening.

Common criticisms

No criticism was shared by enough independent sources to count as consensus.