Leatherman Wave Alpha Review: A Sharper, Grippier Wave, With One Weak Spot
We used the Leatherman Wave Alpha around the ute, the garden and the camp kit. The MagnaCut blade, saw and cutters all work well, but the blade coating flaked on its first tough job and there's no sheath in the box.
By Laurence Deer
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Zen Imports, Leatherman’s Australian distributor, sent us this multi-tool to review. They didn’t see this review before it went live.
A multi-tool earns its place when you’re halfway through a job and the toolbox is somewhere else. A hose clamp has come loose on the pump, a cable tie needs cutting or a branch is in the way. You want one thing in your pocket or glovebox that handles all of it without a fight.
The Leatherman Wave has been that tool for a lot of Australians since 1998. The Wave Alpha is Leatherman’s update: a MagnaCut steel blade, grippy G10 handles, bigger scissors and a thumb stud for opening the blade one-handed. We’ve had the Cascadia (green) version for about a week, using it on pump fittings, wiring, the garden and the 4WD.
The short version
The Wave Alpha is a very good full-size multi-tool. The blade came properly sharp, the saw bites fast, the wire cutters went through everything we gave them, and it feels solid and comfortable in the hand. At A$399.95 on Leatherman’s Australian store, it’s also a lot cheaper than the A$499.95 to A$529.95 it was listed at when it launched here.
It has one weak spot we didn’t expect. The black coating on the blade started flaking the first time we used it to lever something out. Nothing else has worn since, but Leatherman’s warranty doesn’t cover colour finishes. There’s also no sheath or clip in the box, and it’s stiff to open at first.
Pros
- MagnaCut blade was sharp out of the box
- Saw cut a 10 mm green branch in 8 seconds
- Wire cutters handled electrical cable and a coat hanger easily
- G10 handles give a secure, comfortable grip
- Phillips bit fits most everyday screws
- 25-year warranty
- Now A$399.95, well down from its launch price
Cons
- Blade coating flaked on its first tough job, and finishes aren’t covered by the warranty
- No sheath or pocket clip in the box
- Stiff to open at first
- Flat screwdriver bit is on the small side
- About A$115 more than the older Wave+
Design and build
Leatherman lists it at 10.3 cm long when closed, and it sits comfortably in your palm. The G10 handle panels have a textured, grippy finish, with orange accent rings around the screws. On our kitchen scale it weighed 235 g, which matches Leatherman’s 234.4 g.
Leatherman lists 16 tools, including needle-nose and regular pliers, two sets of replaceable wire cutters, a wire stripper, the knife, a saw, spring-action scissors, files, an awl, can and bottle openers, and a bit driver. The included bits are a double-ended Phillips #1–2 and 3/16-inch flat bit, plus a small eyeglass screwdriver.
It feels well made and has a good, solid feel in the hand. At 235 g, though, it’s on the heavier side for pocket carry.
The blade: sharp, but watch the coating
The Wave Alpha’s blade is a reverse tanto shape in CPM MagnaCut steel, with a black coating. MagnaCut is a premium knife steel, and Leatherman says it’s corrosion-resistant. We can’t judge long-term edge holding after one week, but out of the box it cut cleanly through printer paper with no snagging.
The weak spot showed up early. The first time we used the blade to lever an O-ring out of a socket, the black coating started flaking off the blade. To be fair, levering with a knife blade is rough treatment. But it’s the sort of thing people do with a multi-tool, and the coating gave up quickly. Nothing else on the tool has lost its finish since.
Two things are worth knowing before you buy. Leatherman’s Australian warranty says it doesn’t cover colour finishes. And Leatherman says it can’t offer its free sharpening service in Australia. If you’re hard on blades, keep the knife for cutting and use the pliers or a screwdriver for levering.
Other reviewers haven’t reported flaking. One owner review on UK retailer Heinnie says the coating will scratch off with any significant metal-to-metal contact, which fits what we saw.
Opening and locking
The blade opens with a thumb stud. We found the action on the tight side when new. We don’t mind that: you don’t want a tool flicking open in your pocket. Popular Science also found it stiff out of the box, while The Gadgeteer found theirs smooth, so it may vary from tool to tool and should ease with use.
Pliers and wire cutters
The pliers are where a Wave earns its keep, and these did the job well. We used them to pull O-rings out of pump fittings and to tighten a hose clamp, and they worked well for both.
The wire cutters went through electrical cable and a coat hanger with ease, and stripped wire cleanly. We also used them to cut nylon trimmer line. Both the standard and hard-wire cutters are replaceable, so they’re not the end of the tool if you damage one.
Saw, scissors and the small tools
The saw is sharp and quick. It cut a 10 mm green branch in 8 seconds. Treeline Review rated it the fastest saw in its multi-tool test.
The scissors are one of the big changes from the Wave+, with larger blades. They worked well for us, and both Popular Science and The Gadgeteer single them out as some of the best scissors they’ve used on a multi-tool. The bottle opener is spot on and the file works well. Paracord was no problem.
The driver
The Phillips bit is the one you’ll use most, and it fitted most everyday screws we tried it on, including those on a 4WD switch panel. The flat bit is on the small side. That’s handy for small screws but means it won’t suit bigger slotted screws, where you’ll want a proper screwdriver.
Carrying it
There’s no sheath and no pocket clip in the box. Leatherman sells them separately on its Australian store: the quick-release pocket clip is A$45.95 and nylon sheaths start at A$46.95. At this price, we’d have liked one included. We carried it in a pocket, where it sat well.
The Wave Alpha has a locking blade. In Victoria you need a lawful excuse, such as work, camping or hunting, to carry one in public, and it can’t go in your carry-on bag on a flight.
Wave Alpha or Wave+?
We haven’t used the older Wave+, but this is how they compare on Leatherman’s own store. The Wave+ is A$284.95, about A$115 less. The Alpha gets the MagnaCut blade (the Wave+ uses 420HC steel), G10 handles, larger scissors and the thumb stud.
If you mostly use the pliers and cutters, the Wave+ is the better buy. If you use the blade a lot and want the nicer grip and scissors, the Alpha is worth the extra.
Price and where to buy
When we checked on 7 November 2026, the Wave Alpha was A$399.95 on Leatherman’s Australian store in Cascadia (green, the one we tested), Obsidian (black) and Canyonland. When it launched, Australian retailers listed it at A$499.95 to A$529.95, so check Leatherman’s own price before you pay more elsewhere.
Should you buy it?
Buy it if you want a premium full-size multi-tool for the ute, the shed or a camping or hunting trip. The blade, saw, pliers and cutters all do their jobs well, it’s comfortable to use, and it’s backed by a 25-year warranty.
Look elsewhere if you’ll use the blade for levering and want it to stay looking new, or if you want a sheath in the box. The Wave+ also does most of the same jobs for about A$115 less. We’ll update this review after more time with it, including how the blade edge holds up.