2 images from Leatherman.
Leatherman
In production FREE ARC
Leatherman's flagship at 244 g and 20 tools, with a MagnaCut blade hardened to 60-63 HRC, the hardest steel in the current range. Every feature is outside-accessible and locks, and the knife opens on a thumb stud. At USD 249.95 it lists at almost twice the Wave Plus for two more tools and the better blade steel.
244 g
Weight
20
Tools
107.9 mm
Closed
CPM MagnaCut stainless steel
Blade steel
70.1 mm
Blade
$249.95
MSRP
Specs verified 2026-09-30 · 1 source · 4 fields we could not verify, shown as —
Full specification
Dimensions & weight
- Weight
- 244 g
- Weight (imperial)
- 8.6 oz
- Closed length
- 107.9 mm
- Closed length (imperial)
- 4.25 in
- Open length
- 163.8 mm
- Width
- 33 mm
- Thickness
- 17.3 mm
General
- Manufacturer
- Leatherman
- Product family
- FREE
- Release year
- —
- Status
- In production
- Country of manufacture
- —
- Tool count (manufacturer)
- 20
- Cost per tool
- $12.50
- Warranty
- 25-year warranty
Knife
- Blade steel
- CPM MagnaCut60-63 HRCA recent powder steel that refuses the usual trade: it is highly rust-resistant and tough at the same time, which older stainless steels could not manage together.holds an edge wellvery rust-resistantsharpens with effortExpensive, and it still needs diamond abrasives to sharpen properly. Editorial guidance, not a measured specification. Datasheet
- Blade length
- 70.1 mm
- Edge type
- plain
- Blade profile
- Modified Drop Point
- Locking
- Yes
- One-hand opening
- Yes
- Outside accessible
- Yes
Pliers
- Pliers type
- both
- Wire cutters
- Yes
- Replaceable cutters
- Yes
- Hard-wire cutters
- Yes
- Crimper
- Yes
Carry
- Pocket clip
- Yes
- Lanyard attachment
- —
- Sheath included
- No
In the box
- Included bits
- Phillips #1-2 & 3/16" Screwdriver
As listed on leatherman.com for SKU 833074, checked 2026-09-30. Contents vary by SKU and change over time.
Tool inventory · 20 mapped
Plain-edge knife Needlenose pliers Regular pliers Bit driver Diamond-coated file Wood/metal file Pry bar Replaceable wire cutters Hard-wire cutters Flathead screwdriver Bottle opener Can opener Awl Scissors Saw Wire stripper Electrical crimper File Impact surface Phillips screwdriver
MagnaCut® Knife Blade · Needlenose Pliers · Regular Pliers · Large Bit Driver · Diamond-coated File · Small Bit Driver · Wood/Metal File · Pry Tool · Premium Replaceable Wire Cutters · Premium Replaceable Hard-wire Cutters · Impact Surface · Large Screwdriver · Bottle Opener · Can Opener · Awl · Spring-action Scissors · Saw · Wire Stripper · Electrical Crimper · Edge File
Serrated knife Corkscrew Ruler Tweezers Toothpick
What reviewers report
Recurring praise: Blade uses high-quality MagnaCut steel (7 contributors); One-handed opening and closing is easy (6 contributors); Blade is competent for daily use (5 contributors). Recurring criticism: Price is high (4 contributors); Wire cutters are prone to breaking (3 contributors); Locking mechanism prevents legal carry (2 contributors).
Based on 10 sources from 10 independent contributors (8 video, 2 reddit). A report is recurring when three people mention it or when it appears across both platforms.
Repeated praise
-
Blade uses high-quality MagnaCut steel 7 · recurring
“one of the very few mass-produced multi-tools out there that has a premium Steel on it that you actually want that you can be stoked…” Zac In The Wild · video
“now in the arc we have magnut which is the new hotness” Best Damn EDC [Taylor Martin] · video
“Magna cut has a unique set of properties combining superb Edge retention toughness and corrosion resistance” Jon Gadget · video
“this is a Magna cut steel and Magna cut is a very very nice solid steel” Nick Shabazz · video
“Magna cut as a blade steel is a premium blade steel” Ron Kwok · video
“nut to Blade steel that's better than most dedicated pocket knives” Cedric & Ada Gear and Outdoors · video
“the Magna cut blade is an enormous upgrade” Ink&Iron · video
-
One-handed opening and closing is easy 6 · recurring
“completely one-handed opening and closing tool not just for your pliers but also for all the tools that are on the outside as well” Zac In The Wild · video
“they fix that now with a thumb stud and a quick flicking open” Best Damn EDC [Taylor Martin] · video
“there is nothing on here that really requires you to have strong fingernails” Nick Shabazz · video
“one thing that really stood out to me that made this thing pretty special is that it's touted to be fully operational with just one…” Ron Kwok · video
“they can be sort of the smoothest and easiest to deploy” Cedric & Ada Gear and Outdoors · video
“super easy to play one-handed” Blade Breakdowns · video
-
Blade is competent for daily use 5 · recurring
“this Magna cut blade could very easily be your primary blade” Best Damn EDC [Taylor Martin] · video
“of course the the superb Magna cut Blade” Jon Gadget · video
“it is very competent” Nick Shabazz · video
“sheep foot blade uh which has been really great for daily use” Blade Breakdowns · video
“it is in an extremely ergonomic package with this thumb stud here” Ink&Iron · video
-
Scissors are high quality and spring-loaded 5 · recurring
“they're sprung scissors really good and useful” Zac In The Wild · video
“these are nice to use and work really well better in fact than most Leatherman I've tried” Jon Gadget · video
“I love how neat and compact the scissors tool was integrated into the Leatherman Arc” Ron Kwok · video
“scissors on this thing kickass” Blade Breakdowns · video
“it's very comfortable spring-loaded has a wider portion down here for your thumb to ramp onto it” Ink&Iron · video
-
File is useful and effective 5 · recurring
“I have found having a file being very useful for a bunch of different applications” Zac In The Wild · video
“Crosscut on one side with a satisfyingly rough feel” Jon Gadget · video
“the edge file also lets you get into tight spaces” Ron Kwok · video
“I absolutely love this file” Blade Breakdowns · video
“the diamond coding is very tough uh it will wear down steel very easily” Ink&Iron · video
-
Tool is a favorite and recommended 5 · recurring
“it's my favorite tool set to date so far” Best Damn EDC [Taylor Martin] · video
“the arc tool set wins out over the number five in my view” Jon Gadget · video
“this is a strict improvement over the free series” Nick Shabazz · video
“this has been a really solid tool for me and uh I'd recommend it” Blade Breakdowns · video
“I give the ARC a 10/10 so far” u/Texas_Wookiee · reddit
-
Bit kit support is effective 4 · recurring
“Leatherman's bit kit is really welln” Zac In The Wild · video
“this has that bit kit support and that is really really hard to underestimate the effectiveness of” Nick Shabazz · video
“the bits are removable so if you end up stripping one you can replace it it's also compatible with Leatherman's bit kit” Ron Kwok · video
“the bit exchanger is pretty handy” Ink&Iron · video
-
Blade has excellent edge retention 3 · recurring
“last about twice as long as the 154 cm and uh you know just eight times longer than the 420 HC” Cedric & Ada Gear and Outdoors · video
“The uh Edge retention for me has been great” Blade Breakdowns · video
“it's still sharp no real snags to be had” Ink&Iron · video
-
Locking system is secure and intuitive 3 · recurring
“within my view the best Locking System you can find on a multi-tool” Jon Gadget · video
“all the tools are locking which is a very nice thing” Nick Shabazz · video
“that thing just clunks down in there and it's rock solid” Blade Breakdowns · video
-
Saw is useful and high quality 3 · recurring
“Leatherman doeses an excellent job with their saws” Zac In The Wild · video
“an essential addition on a tool like this” Jon Gadget · video
“I think it works pretty well” Ink&Iron · video
-
Micro driver is useful for small tasks 3 · recurring
“this micro driver is just one of those little things that you may not think about but can actually be super super handy” Zac In The Wild · video
“great for safety glasses at work” Blade Breakdowns · video
“I had occasion to use this and it worked worked just fine” Ink&Iron · video
-
Awl is robust and practical 3 · recurring
“I much prefer the all on the arc which is much more robust and much more practical” Jon Gadget · video
“you can definitely use an all to kind of be that starting point indent that starting point for where uh you want the screw to…” Ron Kwok · video
“it is very Stout and I poked it through the bottom of a can just to make sure that the tip was going to hold…” Ink&Iron · video
-
Pry bar is useful for light tasks 3 · recurring
“I think is really important for everybody's EDC” Zac In The Wild · video
“I think this tool is really worth having” Jon Gadget · video
“it's definitely useful for getting a lot of light to medium duty tasks knocked out of the park” Ron Kwok · video
-
Sheath is high quality and liked 3 · recurring
“it even has a little pocket in the front that you can lock your bit kit into” Zac In The Wild · video
“I'm a big fan of this style of sheath” Jon Gadget · video
“overall fairly quality feeling sheath” Cedric & Ada Gear and Outdoors · video
-
Tool selection is practical and solid 3 · recurring
“the ark has such a great mixture of tools that almost everything on it is going to be useful in some scenario or situation” Zac In The Wild · video
“they have adopted all of those old Tools in their original size so they're thick they're robust” Best Damn EDC [Taylor Martin] · video
“the tool selection on this guy is pretty solid it works really well for most of your daily tasks” Nick Shabazz · video
-
Tool is made in the USA 2 · repeated
“confirms that this tool is made in the USA which is great to see” Jon Gadget · video
“you got a nice little USA stamp on there” Blade Breakdowns · video
-
DLC coating is a nice touch 2 · repeated
“I actually prefer the DLC coating on the ark which is smoother and therefore produces less friction” Jon Gadget · video
“the DLC coating is a nice touch” Ron Kwok · video
-
Plier head is stout with good bite 2 · repeated
“the needle nose pliers are perfect for getting into tighter spaces to retrieve wires or dropped screws” Ron Kwok · video
“the plier head on the arc is quite a bit more Stout so wider uh a little more bite on the pliers” Blade Breakdowns · video
Repeated criticism
-
Price is high 4 · recurring
“$230 that's the most expensive Leatherman on their website right now” Best Damn EDC [Taylor Martin] · video
“that will put it Out Of Reach for many” Jon Gadget · video
“it is definitely sold at a premium price $500 Australian dollar ouch” Cedric & Ada Gear and Outdoors · video
“we get a nice little USA tax on this one $230” Blade Breakdowns · video
-
Wire cutters are prone to breaking 3 · recurring
“they're cracking and failing under very simple tasks” Best Damn EDC [Taylor Martin] · video
“it ships and shatters the wire cutters if you attempt to” Ron Kwok · video
“the Cutters just straight up chipped they chipped right out” Ink&Iron · video
-
Wire cutters have a functional gap 2 · repeated
“there's a gap here in the hard wire cutters and how it doesn't allow you to cut coat coat hangers” Ron Kwok · video
“you can see there's a gap in the bottom of these wire cutters that was not present on older Leatherman tools” Ink&Iron · video
-
Included bit kit is incomplete 2 · repeated
“the arc only comes with half of the bit kit” Zac In The Wild · video
“I say partial because if you purchased a full bit kit from Leatherman you'd actually get twice as many bits here” Jon Gadget · video
-
Can opener is least useful tool 2 · repeated
“maybe what might be the least useful tool and that would be the can opener” Zac In The Wild · video
“this to me is the least interesting tool here” Jon Gadget · video
-
Tool is less comfortable than Charge 2 · repeated
“it's not as comfortable as the charge to be honest” Cedric & Ada Gear and Outdoors · video
“the TTI is the more comfortable tool” Blade Breakdowns · video
-
Locking mechanism prevents legal carry 2 · recurring
“frustratingly means this cannot be carried legally in countries like the UK” Jon Gadget · video
“Removing the thumb stud is not enough, since you can still open it with one hand” u/Voidbyter · reddit
Bit driver has mechanical play Can opener is small and dull Tool lacks full serrated blade Tools flip out when closing forcefully Tools do not fly out when closed Pry tool lacks leverage and bite Bottle opener is included Bottle opener shank interferes with use
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Problems owners reported
-
Rust or corrosion 10 owners
“the edge of my magnacut blade started to rust a little bit” u/therubywithe · r/Leatherman · 2026-07-15
“Arc is starting to rust” u/magicpersia322 · r/Leatherman · 2026-05-31
“experiencing so many rusting issues” u/east_honeydew_3144 · r/multitools · 2025-12-03
“the highlighted part looks like a bit of rust has set in” u/legitimate_tip_8102 · r/Leatherman · 2025-10-07
“I have few surface rust spots in my arc” u/business-total3658 · r/Leatherman · 2025-09-11
“Rust formed in the following few days” u/briandesigns · r/Leatherman · 2025-01-31
“I didn’t expect the rust to be so widespread” u/teckhooi · r/Leatherman · 2025-01-28
“ARC traces of rust” u/cdfti · r/Leatherman · 2024-12-29
“i notice a few areas of surface rust on some of the tools” u/unhappy-singer · r/Leatherman · 2024-02-26
“Arc rust” u/_rac · r/Leatherman · 2023-10-26
-
Blade or another tool broke or chipped 4 owners
“the tip broke on my arc” u/knifeguy6073 · r/Leatherman · 2026-05-16
“the damn scissors broke” u/13stoic · r/Leatherman · 2025-08-01
“today the can opener mech breaks” u/msants732 · r/Leatherman · 2024-08-07
“my cutter broke completely” u/aucbdude · r/Leatherman · 2024-04-09
-
Play or wobble in a blade or tool 4 owners
“play in the plier pivot” u/thick_animal_6967 · r/Leatherman · 2026-04-18
“there is a bit of "play" or looseness in the pivot of the Arc scissors” u/andrey_semjonov · r/Leatherman · 2026-02-16
“a few tools had some play in them” u/99ffion · r/multitools · 2025-04-28
“a bit of play and some tools coming out when quickly closing it” u/fish080806 · r/multitools · 2024-11-07
-
Stiff, gritty or hard to open 4 owners
“saw seems to bind on the pivot so sometimes they turn in tandom making the saw seem stiff and hard to open” u/impossiblenewt9235 · r/Leatherman · 2026-07-02
“i find the outer tools a bit stiff to open with one hand using your thumb” u/frnknstn1773 · r/multitools · 2024-05-09
“The pliers stiff up and I had it only for 5 days” u/themidgetinyourhead · r/Leatherman · 2023-12-21
“the plier head seizes becoming extremely difficult to open” u/melodic_theme7364 · r/Leatherman · 2023-11-07
-
Pliers broke, bent or went loose 3 owners
“one of the tabs that holds the plier heads in the closed position snapped off” u/andhonn · r/Leatherman · 2025-12-18
“Last post was the pliers breaking” u/msants732 · r/Leatherman · 2024-08-07
“the tip of my 2 week old arc plier snapped off” u/no-competition-128 · r/Leatherman · 2023-11-19
-
Pocket clip broke, loosened or fell off 3 owners
“I've broken at least a dozen clips on my Arc” u/bididuck · r/Leatherman · 2026-09-22
“the pocket clip snapped off” u/chops958 · r/Leatherman · 2026-05-21
“Clip broke on ARC” u/skroovechief · r/Leatherman · 2025-11-21
Counted from 158 Reddit posts naming the ARC in r/multitools and r/Leatherman, searched 2026-09-28. A number here counts owners who posted about a problem with their own tool, not how often the problem occurs: each search returns a capped number of posts, and comments were not read. A problem is listed once 3 different owners report it.
Where this data comes from
28 source records back this page. 4 fields could not be verified against any of them and are shown as — above.
Show the 28-row source table
| Weight | leatherman.com Leatherman publishes 8.6 oz; converted at 28.349523125 g/oz. | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Closed length | leatherman.com Leatherman publishes 4.25 in. Leatherman publishes imperial only; converted at 25.4 mm/in. | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Open length | leatherman.com Leatherman publishes 6.45 in. Leatherman publishes imperial only; converted at 25.4 mm/in. | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Width | leatherman.com Leatherman publishes 1.3 in. Leatherman publishes imperial only; converted at 25.4 mm/in. | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Thickness | leatherman.com Leatherman publishes 0.68 in overall thickness. Leatherman publishes imperial only; converted at 25.4 mm/in. | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Manufacturer tool count | leatherman.com Leatherman states a tool count of 20. | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Tool list | leatherman.com Mapped from the manufacturer tool list on the product page; manufacturer wording and order are preserved. Mapped from the manufacturer's own tool wording using the shared comparison categories. | Manufacturer page | 2026-08-26 |
| Tool list | leatherman.com Phillips screwdriver from the included bits: Phillips #1-2 & 3/16" Screwdriver | Manufacturer page | 2026-10-03 |
| Blade steel | leatherman.com Product page specification "Blade Material: MagnaCut Stainless Steel"; blade hardness given as 60-63 HRC. | Manufacturer page | 2026-08-26 |
| Blade steel | leatherman.com states MagnaCut® Stainless Steel Disagrees with the accepted value "CPM MagnaCut stainless steel". Page states: "Blade Material
MagnaCut® Stainless Steel" | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Blade length | leatherman.com Leatherman publishes a primary blade length of 2.76 in. Leatherman publishes imperial only; converted at 25.4 mm/in. | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| MSRP (USD) | leatherman.com List price on leatherman.com, USD. | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Production status | leatherman.com Listed and in the current catalogue on leatherman.com. | Manufacturer page | 2026-08-26 |
| Sheath included | leatherman.com Product description states "Accessories and sheath sold separately." | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Pocket clip | leatherman.com Listed as a product feature: "Removable Pocket Clip". | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Replaceable cutters | leatherman.com Tool list names "Premium Replaceable Wire Cutters" and "Premium Replaceable Hard-wire Cutters". | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Country of manufacture | leatherman.com states USA Page states: "Made in the USA -" Site-wide footer text, printed on every page of the site; not a statement about this product. Refused 2026-09-30. | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-28 |
| Edge type | leatherman.com Page states: "Blade Edge
Plain" | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Blade locking | leatherman.com Page states: "Blade Lock
Yes" | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| One-hand opening | leatherman.com Page states: "Every feature is outside-accessible, locks securely, and opens smoothly with one hand thanks to FREE® technology." | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Outside-accessible blade | leatherman.com Page states: "Every feature is outside-accessible, locks securely, and opens smoothly with one hand thanks to FREE® technology." | Manufacturer page | 2026-08-26 |
| Wire cutters | leatherman.com Page states: "09 Premium Replaceable Wire Cutters" | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Hard-wire cutters | leatherman.com Page states: "10 Premium Replaceable Hard-wire Cutters" | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Crimper | leatherman.com Page states: "19 Electrical Crimper" | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Blade profile | leatherman.com Official specification states 'Blade Type: Modified Drop Point'. | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-01 |
| Pliers type | leatherman.com Official tool list includes both needlenose and regular pliers. | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Included bits | leatherman.com Page states: "Included Bits * Phillips #1-2 & 3/16" Screwdriver" | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
| Warranty | leatherman.com Page states: "That’s why we offer our 25-year warranty, so you can be confident your Leatherman lasts for a lifetime." | Manufacturer page | 2026-09-30 |
Not verified: Release year, MSRP (EUR), Lanyard attachment, Country of manufacture. Each renders as — above. We would rather show a gap than a number nobody stands behind.
Where it sits
Weight percentile, all 357 tools
Heavier than 81% of the database. 16 tools match or beat its tool count at a lower weight.
See lighter alternatives →Closest in weight
Also from Leatherman
Leatherman models in the database, with the same fields measured the same way.
All Leatherman multitools →