Leatherman Sidekick multi tool online price comparison

The Leatherman Sidekick is a versatile, mostly well-made multifunction tool.  (Full review here.)  It makes a good everyday carry (EDC) tool, especially for someone who may not already have an EDC tool they like.

Below are some current online prices for the Leatherman Sidekick.  As you can tell, there's not a lot of price differentiation among retailers right now.  That may change as the holidays approach.

- $49.95  ..........  Amazon
- $49.95  ..........  Galls
- $49.95  ..........  Home Depot
- $49.95  ..........  KnifeCenter
- $49.95  ..........  Leatherman
- $49.95  ..........  REI
- $49.95  ..........  Swiss Knife Shop
- $49.95  ..........  Walmart
- $49.99  ..........  Dick's Sporting Goods
- $54.99  ..........  Cabela's

There are multiple sellers offering a new Sidekick on eBay as well.  $38.00 seems to be a common price point today, but you may be able to find better offers.

Disclaimer: I may earn a commission on Amazon sales made from links in this post.

Leatherman Brewzer for $7.18

If you've been considering buying a Leatherman Brewzer keychain multi tool, but don't want to pay the $9 or $10 it usually costs on Amazon, you can grab one -- brand new -- on eBay right now for $7.18 (with free shipping).

There are only three Brewzers available according to the seller, so if you want one, buy it now.

If you're not sure about the Brewzer, read a full review of it before buying, or see how it stacks up against the Gerber Shard.

Tool review: Leatherman Squirt PS4

Key Features:
 +   Sharp, sturdy knife
 +   Pliers are strong for their size
 -   Outside frame is too smooth


The Leatherman Squirt is a small multi tool that can easily fit inside a grown man's (or woman's) palm.  It doesn't weigh much (only two ounces) and you probably won't notice it in your pocket.  But it is a good tool to carry, and has several useful functions.

The Squirt comes in several different varieties.  This review focuses on the Squirt PS4, which folds out into a small pair of pliers, but other varieties include the ES4 (which replaces the pliers with a wire cutter/stripper/crimper) and the S4 (scissors instead of pliers, and also include a pair of tweezers).  There is also the P4 and E4, which are similar to the PS4 and ES4 respectively, but without scissors.  (The E4 includes tweezers as well.)

The PS4 model is a very useful multi tool.  Its pliers are small, but have good spring action and are surprisingly sturdy.  The jaws are lined up almost perfectly and they come together at the tips.  The pliers don't open smoothly, but they aren't hard to get to.

This tool also includes a small knife, 1.6 inches long.  The tip is very sharp and impressively strong.  It works well for popping e-clips -- much better than the knife found on a Sidekick.  The edge is sharp enough, and there is a nail groove for easy access.

Another feature of the PS4 is the pair of scissors.  Good for cutting plain paper, but not great at thicker material.  The scissors can be useful for cutting small wires and opening toys and wrapped packages.  The scissors fold back up easily when you're done with them.

The Squirt PS4 has a few other tools, as well.  It has a small slotted screwdriver and what serves as a small Phillips driver -- both of which are adequate for light use.  There's also a double-sided file.

The biggest drawback to the PS4 (unless you need a specific tool that it doesn't include) is that the frame of the tool (which is also the pliers handles) is too smooth.  In a hurry, the tool can evade your grip.  A textured frame -- either grooved or raised -- would be helpful.  I added grip tape to my Squirt's handles, which eliminated that issue.  If the biggest complaint you have about a tool is that its outside is too smooth, then it's probably a pretty good tool.

I've used many small multi tools, both for work and for personal use.  Hands down, the Leatherman Squirt PS4 is the best one I've tried (at least in the "small" category).  I would recommend it for anyone looking for a multi tool that won't weigh them down but doesn't lack in functionality.

Leatherman currently sells the Squirt PS4 for $36.85, and Amazon lists it for $35.14.  Both of these prices are a bit high, as you can often find a Wingman or Sidekick for around $30.  (If you're looking for one of those larger tools, check Home Depot for good prices.)  If you can find the Squirt PS4 for $20 or $25, that's a good deal.  It comes in black, blue, and red.

Leatherman Skeletool on sale at Home Depot

The Leatherman Skeletool is not typically in the lower-end price range for multi tools, but right now you can pick one up at Home Depot for under $30.  HomeDepot.com has it listed for $29.88.  As a comparison, here are some other current prices for the Skeletool:

- $41.14    Amazon.com
- $49.58    Walmart.com
- $54.95    KnifeCenter.com
- $69.85    Leatherman.com

Leatherman Brewzer on sale at Amazon

The Leatherman Brewzer is a handly little pocket multi tool.  It usually sells for about $9 or $10 on Amazon, but right now it's only $7.38.  If you've been thinking about picking up a Brewzer, that's a really good price for it.

Read a full review of the Brewzer here.

Head to Head: Leatherman Brewzer vs. Gerber Shard

The Leatherman Brewzer and Gerber Shard are cool little keychain tools.  They both pack a good amount of functionality into a small, very portable frame.  But which one is better?

Price
The Shard is the clear winner in this category.  Currently on Amazon the Shard sells for $5.95, while the Brewzer is listed at $9.72.

Bottle Opener
Both the Brewzer and the Shard can function as bottle openers, though neither of them is as effective as a standard keychain bottle opener.  I've had times using both tools where it took multiple attempts to pop a bottle cap off.

Pocket Carry
Both tools are small enough to carry in your pocket or on your keychain.  The Brewzer gets the edge here, however, due to the Shard's cross driver point.  That point, which can also function as a box cutter or package opener, is sharp.  Sticking your hand in your pocket can often result in a poke and a few drops of blood when you're carrying the Shard on a keychain or loop.

Screwdrivers
The Brewzer has a wide, straight front edge that can very easily be used as a slotted screwdriver.  The Shard, on the other hand, has a forked front edge for its pry bar, that can also double as small- and medium-sized slotted drivers.  The different-sized drivers of the Shard are nice, but they have limited use because of their proximity to each other.  You won't be able to use them on many recessed screws, or screws very close to a wall or other protrusion, because the driver you're not using will get in the way.

However, the Shard does also include a rudimentary cross driver on its other end.  This driver can turn Phillips screws, and does a fairly good job of it.  The Shard wins by a little bit in this category.

Box Cutter
As a box cutter, cardboard cutter, or package opener, both of these tools are about equal, with the Brewzer being just the tiniest bit better.  The Shard's pointed cross driver makes the initial cut into cardboard much easier, but the Brewzer's slightly-hooked tip gives it better follow-through.

Pry Bar
The Brewzer's pry bar is much less pronounced than the Shard's.  The Brewzer's shape and design give it a decent grip when using the pry bar, which would be useful for small things.  However, the Shard's pry bar is much larger, is angled to allow for more leverage, and is also forked, so it can be used to remove nails (like the claw end of a hammer).  The Shard's pry bar easily beats out the Brewzer's pry bar.

Size
The two tools are very similar in size.  Amazon lists the Shard at 0.3 ounces, with dimensions of 3.1" x 1.3" x 0.6".  It lists the Brewzer as 0.5 ounces, with dimensions of 2" x 1.2" x 3".  However, when you hold the two tools, the Shard feels heavier.  The Shard has a larger footprint than the Brewzer, being both longer and wider, as well as more three-dimensional (because of the pry bar).  If you're looking for a more compact, lightweight pocket tool, the Brewzer wins that fight.

Usefulness
Both tools can be used as a bottle opener, slotted screwdriver, and pry bar.  The Brewzer has a couple of cut-outs that can be used as box or open wrenches to turn small nuts or bolts.  The Shard has a cross driver.  Both tools offer about the same amount of functionality, with the main differences being determined by what you need them to do.

Overall
Which tool is better than the other is very subjective, and depends heavily on what your main uses will be.  Overall, the edge goes to the Shard.  It's significantly cheaper than the Brewzer and offers more everyday usefulness, because of the presence of a cross/Phillips driver as well as the increased leverage you can get out of its pry bar.

Keychain Multi Tool Deals on Amazon

Here are two small multi tools that have dropped in price on Amazon lately:

The Leatherman Brewzer typically sells for about $10 on Amazon.  It's a pretty good little keychain tool.  Right now it's offered at $7.78, so if you've had this one on your wish list, now is a great time to buy it.  That's the lowest price I've seen it for on Amazon.  (You can read my review of the Brewzer here.)

The Nite Ize DoohicKey is a similar tool to the Brewzer, but it also functions as a carabineer.  It's being listed right now for $3.98, when it typically sells for $5 or $6 (or more).

Tool reviews: Leatherman Brewzer

Key Features:
 +   Lightweight keychain tool
 +   Good contoured grip
 +   Works well as a slotted screwdriver
 -   Not as many uses as it could have
 -   More expensive than comparable tools


The Leatherman Brewzer is a neat little multifunction bottle opener.  It is technically a multi tool, but according to its user guide it only has two stated uses: as a mini pry bar and as a bottle opener.

There are more things you can do with the Brewzer than just pry at things and open bottles, though.  The end of the pry bar works well as a slotted screwdriver -- surprisingly well for such a small tool.  The pry bar is also notched, so you can use it as a box cutter.  As a box cutter, the Brewzer works better than a key but not as good as a knife.  There is a rectangular keychain hole that could probably function as a very small box wrench, should the need arise.  As a bottle opener, the Brewzer is about average.  It has notches that provide good grip, and it's easy to lever.

The Brewzer is a handy little tool to stick on your keychain and forget about until you need it.  It is well-constructed and very well-machined, and made of sturdy steel.  However, being a Leatherman product, you would think it would have more possible uses than just the few mentioned above.

The big miss that this tool has is that the opening for the bottle opener is just a tiny bit too big to be used as a hex bit holder.  It is the right shape, but just big enough that standard-sized hex bits fall through.  If it had been made a little more snug, you could stick a bit in there and use the Brewzer as an offset screwdriver.

As it stands, the Leatherman Brewzer is a neat tool that has some uses.  It could certainly be an every-day carry tool, because it is very lightweight and compact.  However, for $10.00 (its price on Amazon) it seems to be aimed more toward those who want a Leatherman keychain tool than those who want a multifunction keychain tool.  For about half the price of the Brewzer, you could get the Gerber Shard ($5.56) or the Nite-Ize DoohicKey ($4.05), both of which offer bottle opener and pry bar capabilities, along with other functions as well.  (The Shard has a cross driver on one end, and the DoohicKey has a built-in carabineer.)

Tool review: Leatherman Sidekick

Key Features:
 +   Knife opens easily from outside
 +   Good spring tension on pliers
 +   Liner locks for the knife and saw blades 
 -    Knife tip breaks easily


I've owned many lower-end multi tools over the years, some of which are good tools and others of which aren't.  However, up until recently, I'd never owned or used a Leatherman.  The rare combination of a Home Depot gift card and the Leatherman Sidekick going on sale for just $18 changed that, however.

The Sidekick usually sells for around $30-$35.  Home Depot recently had the Leatherman Wingman on sale for $20, and I stopped in one day to check that out, when I saw the Sidekick on sale for $18.  They are very similar multi tools, even though the Sidekick is usually more expensive, so since the price was right I snatched the Sidekick up.

The quality difference between a Leatherman multi tool and other brands of multi tools is readily apparent.  The Sidekick is all metal (about as heavy as a DeWalt MT16 or a Stanley FatMax T16) and the tool opens and closes very smoothly.  It's obvious that a lot of thought went into how the tool was put together, where everything is positioned, and how it all opens.  The knife and saw blades open from the outside, and the two screwdrivers are right next to each other, making them easy to find when you need them.

The knife is good quality, with a sharp edge and tip.  It can be opened one-handed (with either hand) though not as easily as the blades on some other multi tools I've used.  The saw blade also opens one-handed, and is slightly easier to open than the knife because of the position of the belt clip (which is removable).

The knife tip, however, is unexpectedly fragile.  The very first time I used the knife to pry off an e-clip -- something I've done often with my other multi tools -- the tip snapped right off.  That has never happened in the many times I've popped off e-clips with a DeWalt MT16, Gerber Mini Suspension-P, or any other multi tools that I've used.

The Sidekick's pliers are strong, with needle nose tips, good spring tension, and a wide jaw span.  The wire cutters don't touch or overlap like those on other multi tools, which could be a good or bad thing depending on what you are using them for.  The pliers open easily and snap shut with a military-esque precision.  When the pliers are closed, there is a slight amount of side to side play between the two handles, but it's not noticeable when the pliers are open.

In addition to the three "main" tools the Sidekick has -- pliers, knife, and saw -- there are many other tools as well.  There are the slotted and cross drivers, which are as good or better than any other multi tool I've used.  The cross driver isn't equal to a Phillips screwdriver, of course, but it works better than the cross driver on a Gerber Mini Suspension-P.  Decent screwdrivers combined with good pliers and a good knife make the Sidekick a worthwhile everyday-carry tool.

The other tools include a ruler, can opener, bottle opener, and file.  The tension on these inner tools (which you have to open the pliers to be able to access) is a little stronger than it needs to be.  If you have two T-10 Torx drivers, you can probably adjust the tension, but with only one driver the screw just spins in place.

Amazon.com currently lists the Sidekick for $49.99 (way overpriced) and HomeDepot.com sells it for $29.88.  You can get the DeWalt MT16 for around $20, which is a comparable tool.  (The MT16 doesn't have the saw blade, but it does have scissors.)  If you can find the Sidekick for $20 or so, I would definitely recommend trying it.

Leatherman tool reviews

Multi Tools:
- Leatherman Brewzer
- Leatherman Sidekick
- Leatherman Squirt PS4

First Impressions: Leatherman Sidekick

Home Depot recently had the Leatherman Sidekick on sale for $18.00.  The Wingman was on sale for around $20 before that, but the Sidekick for $18 seemed a much better deal, so I splurged and bought it.

So far I'm impressed with it.  It's the first Leatherman I've owned, and the quality difference between this multi tool and other multi tools around the same price is evident.  The tool is all metal, so it weighs a little more than other multi tools, but it's functionality is well worth it.  It has a locking knife blade and locking saw blade -- both of which are accessible with the tool closed -- and the spring-loaded pliers are impressive.

I'll write up a full review once I've had a chance to use it and test it, but so far I like what I've seen.

Tool Deals on Amazon

With Black Friday just passed and Cyber Monday coming up, there are a lot of great deals to be found online.  Here are some tools that can currently be had for lower-than-normal prices on Amazon.com:

- Irwin Pocket Level, $2.63

This pen-sized pocket level was listed for $3.09 last week -- not a huge discount, but cheaper is still better.  If you use a level a lot, this one doesn't weight much and can clip onto a pocket, belt, or strap.

- Stanley All-In-One Screwdriver, $3.58

This simple screwdriver with 4 bits and two hex nut driver sizes is normally sold for about $5 on Amazon.  It's a good screwdriver to throw in a drawer or glove box, because it has several standard-sized bits included.

- Stanley Stubby Ratcheting Multibit Screwdriver, $4.24

This driver is a good stubby screwdriver.  It ratchets, has magnetic tips, and comes with several different bits, as well as storage for those bits in the handle.  The Stanley stubby ratcheting driver usually costs $5 or $6 on Amazon.  You can read a full review of this driver here.

- Leatherman Wingman, $19.96

The Wingman is one of the cheaper Leatherman multi tools that you'll find, but it's not a cheap multi tool.  It has many tools built into one -- pliers, knife, screwdrivers, bottle opener, etc.  The Wingman is typically sold on Amazon and in Home Depot stores for around $30.

- Wiha 1000-Volt Magnetic Driver, $22.85

If you do any work around live electricity, an insulated screwdriver is a good thing to have.  This one from Wiha comes with both slotted and Phillips bits, with internal storage in the handle for 8 bits.  It normally sells for close to $30.