Multi-tool Henchmen: the Sidekick and Wingman

Published September 27, 2011

Leatherman has a couple of new tools coming to stores in October, the Wingman and the Sidekick. They’re a little smaller than many of their predecessors (and in several cases, a lot less expensive). We’ve used and liked Leatherman for years, as many Kit Up! readers probably have. Honestly though, even if we hadn’t, watching Russell Crowe take a guys head off with one in Proof of Life would've sold us. Leatherman tools are pretty much ubiquitous, and last for a long time. At least two of our handlers still have original PSTs and a Mini-Tool they were issued many moons ago, back when the Russkies were still boogermen and former spetsnaz guys weren't encouraged to appear on US television shows…anyway, somehow the S4 never got those back.

Though the Wingman and Sidekick look very much alike, there are a few differences:

♦Sidekick has a saw/Wingman has scissors

♦Sidekick blade is straight, Wingman is combo straight/serrated one.

♦Sidekick has a serrated blade inside, Wingman a clamshell package opener

There are a few things we particularly like about these new tools, in particular the fact that you can open the knife one-handed with the tool still closed. Both have sprung jaws, full size pliers, a removable pocket clip we would never personally use (cuz we’d lose stuff) and the traditional multitude of other tools (including a wire-stripper). There are a couple of tools we wouldn’t choose if these tools were a la carte, and it would be nice to have the in black or other subdued color (hey, as Merrill says, coyote tan is the new black) but such is life. We still really like what we see, and it's a great price point.

If you have two minutes to spare, you can watch how a Leatherman is made.

The Wingman will MSRP at $30, the Sidekick at $40, and they offer their standard 25 year no-questions asked repair-or-replace guarantee. FYI, we're going to try to break a new Leatherman MUT over the next few weeks. Maybe we'll even get a chance to do a Terry Thorne on someone with it. We'll let you know how it turns out.