W. Courtney says:

Surge on the high seas I bought the Leatherman Surge as a replacement for a Wave multitool that was tragically confiscated by TSA some time ago. Having bought a Gerber FliK in the meantime and finding it woefully inadequate, I was left needing a reliable tool to carry during a 4-month term aboard a cargo ship. I needed something with a good and sizable blade, for ropework and other miscellaneous cutting purposes, a pair of pliers for loosening shackle pins, tightening wire, wingnuts and other fasteners, and screwdrivers for light prying and tightening screws without heading 12 stories down to the engine room for a phillips head driver. Reviewing Leatherman’s product line, the Surge caught my attention due to several factors. I liked its larger size, as I always thought my Wave was a little on the small side. I liked the dedicated flathead for prying, as well as the bit adapter for other driver heads. I especially liked the outside opening scissors, being bigger and easier to access than my Wave’s. And I was intrigued by the awl, which really at the time presented no specific purpose as much as many interesting possibilities.My Surge arrived the day before I headed out to sea, so it’s trial was by fire. To sum up the experience, it is no exaggeration to say that I used this tool literally every one of the 107 days I was aboard. The following sums up some of the good and bad points that I noticed:-The pliers are big, beefy and strong. They grip pretty much anything, and hold on like a vice. However, the wire cutters pretty much suck.-The blades are excellent, as are most Leatherman blades. they do require somewhat frequent sharpening, but I used and abused this tool, so that’s not really shocking.-The scissors are AWESOME. Super sharp, and large enough to cut pretty much anything with ease. Having them on the outside is a MAJOR improvement over the other tools in the line. I used the scissors as much if not more than the knife. Keeping them lubricated does help with the unusual, but very handy, locking mechanism.-Strangely enough, I think my favorite tool on the Surge is in fact the awl. It serves those tasks that lie in the gray area: where you need something pointy but dont want to stab what youre working on (or you); where you need an edge to scrape, but not cut, something; where you want to put a hole, rather than a gash, in something. Ive used it for everything from spearing WD-40 cans to get the last little bit out (chief mate wasnt too happy about that), to rigging chafe guards on mooring lines, to scraping paint off of a hydraulic ram, to leaving the customary “mark” of my school in waterfront bars around the world. All in all, an awesome little addition to this multitool that I cant believe I went this long without.-The screwdrivers get mixed reviews. The large flathead is great, no complaints there. the large bit driver is good as well, although the spring that holds the bits in does break. I rigged mine with a little cotter pin, but a better design is needed. Its functional though. Im mixed about the little screwdriver. On one hand, I really have found very few uses for it, and think that it would be better replaced with something else. On the other hand, its the PERFECT size for screws on sunglasses, electrical connections, etc, so maybe it belongs there.-The exchangeable saw/file is a pretty neat idea, although it does eat up some of the usable space of the tool. I’ve never used the saw, seeing as it has pretty limited uses aboard the ship. The file is pretty good, however. One of the best features of the removable file is that it can be taken off and the diamond side used to sharpen the knife blade! Which is very handy. I haven’t bought any other blades for it, although jigsaw blades do fit right into the exchanger.-Its hard to screw up a can/bottle opener, and this one is no exception. For a combination, it works very well, and as I prefer my beer in bottles, it is a necessity. It does take a bit of prying finesse to pry off a cap without punching through it; the best way is to turn it so you pry along the edge of the cap. Good reason to carry the Surge on shore leave.-Like most Leatherman products I have used, the body and blades of the knife are prone to a bit of rust. No big deal; it says “stainLESS”, not stainPROOF. A little bit of oil and a rag cleans it right up, and it doesnt hurt to keep it well oiled anyway. Its a tool, treat it as you would any other.-The leather/nylon sheath that it comes with is absolutely terrible. the snap is hard to open, the fit is loose, and I just generally hated the look of it. I used my old Wave nylon velcro sheath at sea, which didnt really fit, and ordered a Surge velcro sheath when I got back. I cant comment on the all leather one that is offered, but alot of people seem to like it. My original Wave sheath lasted about 4 years before it wore out, which I think earns it its $10 of utility.All in…