LEATHERMAN, Signal, 19-in-1 Multi-tool for Outdoors, Camping, Hiking, Fishing, Survival, Durable & Lightweight EDC, Made in the USA, Topographical Print

I'm kind of an EDC-addicted maniac. I buy things meticulously and with purpose. Not only for the tools they contain, but how they work with completely different tools that the manufacturers would NEVER have considered. This might make a person rather biased cuz the last thing a mathematically stressed engineer needs to hear is "it doesn't work with this thing that has nothing to do with it". But that being said, I really like it for what it is, and I also like it for what it wasn't designed to do!TOOLSI bought this as a supplement to my full-metal Victorinox Swisstool. No multitool had ALL of the things I wanted on it, but the Topo Signal has just about everything that the Swisstool doesn't that you would want, and vice versa. - It has a serrated blade where the Swisstool has a plain blade; both are important. - It has needlenose pliers where the Swisstool has regular pliers; both are important. - The Signal clips to your pocket where the Swisstool just goes into a pocket, making the Signal more of a quick draw. - Also the knife is a one-handed open, which adds to the knife-draw speed, making the Signal a good front-man for the duo. - The Leatherman site says that EVERY tool is one-handed open but, erm, not really. The knife is though. It's a little hole you push against rather than a nub. Space-saving anyway. And judging by the blade this is definitely a thick one. - The saw is one-handed if you aren't going for speed but it's not as easy to deploy as the knife is. - Signal's body is aluminum making it really light. - I think the bit driver, bottle opener, and hex holes are a bit of an afterthought, but why the heck not. - Hammer is just a flat edge that uses your own momentum as a way to punch nails and such. I think the reason the commercial showed a guy hammering a tent stake in is if you accidentally hit the stake with your hand, it doesn't hurt as much as stabbing yourself with a tiny nail that you missed! I haven't done that yet but just keep in mind that the hammer is only as good as your own precision. - Whistle/Ferrous tip is nicely built. Comes out easily once you know how to deploy it. Same with the sharpener. The way it's designed ensures these things stay in place but you can lose them if you're not careful.The Signal is a little loose on the opening. Maybe it's supposed to be that way but I'd prefer a tighter fit. Maybe I can tighten it myself if I have the precision bit? It's tighter once you clamp it into Plier-mode, but you can open it with one hand like a butterfly-knife. Actually now that I just said that I think it is supposed to be loose.If I could add a tool to this thing I'd add scissors. That's the tool on the Swisstool that I use the most. Swisstool's also got a pry-bar on it, and a plain knife. Plain versus Serrated is up to personal preference; I'm an adventurer so I just go with both. If you put a pry-bar on the Signal I think it might come apart. But I know the Signal is built for the outdoors and yes, I will definitely use more tools on this when camping than when working.

I love Leatherman, I’ve had several of them throughout my life, but this one is now my EDC .multitool I can not, say enough about all the features and the tools in this Signal for you to use in a nice compact form. I bought the Kytex snap on sheath to go on my belt for when I gotta run around, but the usual every day sheath that came with it tuck it into the back of my belt, and it sits there snuggly and comfortably the durability and the versatility of this is second to none because it’s highly recommend for the guy who needs also it’s a weird stuff to get the jobs done throughout the day

I'm very impressed with my Leatherman, it probably has the thickest and sturdiest blade I've seen on a Leatherman. Was very pleased when it came razor Sharp out of the box. The pliers are your typical. The whistle isn't the loudest in my opinion but can still reach out, some might think the whistle isn't important but you can blow a whistle allot longer then you can yelling for help. The ferro rod is on the softer side and can strike very easily, definitely wouldn't be your main source of fire starting but that's not what it was intended for. I would be interested to see how the included sharpener does. overall it's a very easy and useful knife to have. The locking features is crisp and strong which is important to minimize risk of injury when outdoors. They did a great job designing the knife to be practical

I purchased the Signal for EDC. I love my Leatherman Surge, but find myself debating whether or not to put it in my pocket before walking out the door. It is just too darn heavy. First impressions of the Signal:The Signal is nearly identical in length and width to the Surge. It is somewhat thinner and much lighter. The lock works with a snappy, positive action and must be used to keep the tool closed if carried by the carabiner. Overall fit an finish looks excellent as I have come to expect from Leatherman.Outside:The handle has an indentation for the pocket clip which is well designed and works perfectly. Carabiner / bottle opener and box wrenches have a nice matte finish and look well suited for their tasks. The sharpener is well secured and while it is small would be fine to dress an edge in the field. It is obviously designed as an emergency tool and reviewers that complain about it simply have the wrong expectations. That said, I'd like to see it with an aluminum handle instead of plastic and it could have been made 1/4" longer. The ferrocerium rod is also obviously designed as an emergency tool. It is similar in size to ones I have had glued into magnesium firestartarters and won't take a lot of use or abuse but will certainly work when needed. I'd like to note that it is very cleverly designed so that if you had a separate striking tool, it would work perfectly while still attached to the Signal. The partly serrated blade opens easily with one hand and locks into place without any play. I am a big fan of partly serrated blades for EDC and this one seems just about right. The blade is very sharp and quite sturdy. The saw is classic Leatherman, being well designed and very sharp. It too locks into place without any play.Inside:The pliers open smoothly and have no play in the joint or handles. The jaws line up perfectly. I love the replaceable wire cutters which look identical to the ones on the Surge. There also appears to be electrical crimper below the joint which is not mentioned by Leatherman as one of the tools. I'd guess this is because someone would say "Who needs an electrical crimper in the woods?" The ferrocerium rod / whistle is is well secure but easy to get out. The whistle is, well, better than none. As I said about the sharpener handle, I'd like to see this in aluminum too. The awl is very sturdy and the knife will close and lock with it extended. While the bit driver and can / bottle openers are also very sturdy, the tool will not fully close and lock because of the hammer. While this may seem strange I am not sure if it will really cause a problem when you actually go to use the tools.The Signal will open in a nearly linear fashion which makes is really easy to use it with either 1 or two hands.Missing:Scissors & Tweezers!Summary:I like this tool and while I don't expect to be using the ferrocerium rod / whistle and sharpener on a regular basis, it is good to know that they are there if my truck ever goes off the road and careening down a cliff in the winter time. I would have liked to see scissors and tweezers but since I carry a Style PS on my keychain it is not a deal breaker. I bought this because it has all of the tools I use regularly plus a hammer and is much lighter than my Surge (which is now going into my truck center console with my bit kit and assorted saw blades).By the way, a lot of reviewers wonder about the awl and what it is good for beside punching holes in leather. How about punching holes in nearly anything? I have used mine scores of time to start screw holes. It lets you start the screw by hand. You never get frustrated by trying to start it by pressing down too hard with the screwdriver and having it pop out.