Years of Excellence at a Nice Price: Leatherman Rebar Review

Leatherman tools have been a staple in my life for nearly 30 years. Their impact has been so widespread that when someone talks about multitools, no matter what brand they’re made by, they are referred to as “Leatherman.” The classic Leatherman Rebar is a toolbox for your pocket that allows you to take on any task at hand.

My first paycheck at my first job, working in a local camping store at 16, was spent on a Leatherman PST II. I used it every day — even the knife — for work and play. Back then, I didn’t carry a separate pocket knife. In the nearly 30 years since, I have gone through a couple of Waves, a handful of Juices, a Crunch that I welded a pocket clip on, the Signal and Wingman, and the Free P2.

The one Leatherman tool I never got to use was the Rebar. That all changed a few weeks ago when the company launched its new series of colorful Rebars. Leatherman was kind enough to send one my way, and I am glad they did.

In short: I really enjoyed the overall ruggedness of the Leatherman Rebar. Out of the box, it felt stout and well-built. The assortment of the 17 tools is well-rounded and addresses the needs of almost anyone who needs a multitool, be it personally or professionally. However, I would have swapped out one of the two knife blades for a pair of scissors. That said, I appreciate how Leatherman decided to go with a dedicated plain-edge knife blade and a secondary serrated knife blade.

To see how the Letherman Rebar stacks up to the competition, check out GearJunkie’s guide to the best multitools.

Leatherman Rebar Review

Design and Features

Launched in 2012, the Leatherman Rebar ($89) is a full-sized multitool that has long been considered the modern successor to the original Leatherman tool launched back in 1984. It has 17 onboard tools (11 locking) that create a well-rounded toolbox that can live on your belt or in your pack in its included nylon sheath.

Leatherman has long relied on 420HC steel for the knives on its tools. 420HC is an affordable stainless steel. It’s known for being corrosion-resistant and easy to sharpen. Though there are arguably better knife steels on the market, the use of 420HC keeps the price of the tool down. And, being that it’s a knife on a multitool and not a dedicated, hard-use knife, it is just right for the Rebar.

The Rebar has long been lauded for being a full-featured multitool at an affordable price. Though some consider it to be living in the shadows of more shapely tools like the Wave ($120), the $30 difference in price between the tools leaves people in a pickle regarding which tool they should pick. Having now thoroughly experienced the two, I firmly believe that most people will find the Rebar more than ample for the things they need a multitool to do.

In the Field

As someone who prefers a pocket clip on his multitools, to the extent that I have only purchased tools that have them in the past, the Rebar could be considered outside of my realm of consideration. However, a tool like the Leatherman Rebar shouldn’t be overlooked for superfluous means.

The included pouch was easy enough to throw on my belt, so now I have a newfound appreciation for belt pouches. Between you all and me, I honestly don’t know if that’s because of the tool or because I’m getting old and grew up around older machinists and engineers who wore theirs on their belts. But let’s just keep that theory right here. I don’t feel a day over 30.

The Rebar and I spent a solid month together. That month was cold, wet, snowy, and somewhat miserable at times for a guy who spends a lot of time outside. I ended up swapping out the included nylon sheath for Leatherman’s leather Heritage Sheath ($25).

The nylon kept getting wet and staying wet. This made the side of my pants wet as well. Switching over to the leather sheath (which I wax-coated) eliminated that. However, I switched back to the nylon sheath for spring.

In our time together (which I prolonged because the Rebar is a workhorse), I pried open the frozen door to my basement, removed the Christmas wreath from the front grille of my 4Runner, and worked on an old leather sheath I had been putting off. I also used it to pull a pot off a fire a few times, tighten up some wiring on a new antenna I installed for my CB radio, and do countless other random tasks.

Next up is building a new grill for another review I’ve got in the pipeline. Also, the Rebar makes a great stand for your phone when you’re taking selfies. Don’t laugh at that, I know a majority of you spend way too much time finding ways to prop up your phones to do that. 

That leads me to let you know that, though I have an extensive assortment of tools both at home and in my truck, I prefer to use my Leatherman for everything. I like the ease of use and having a tool that’s accessible when I need it.

That’s especially true when I am away from home and don’t have that assortment with me. What am I supposed to do — wait around for someone who has tools if I run into a jam? I’m self-sufficient to the extreme.

Let’s Talk About the Pliers

Leatherman is unique in the fact that it has a variety of pliers for its tools. There have to be a dozen or so out there overall, and a handful being used in current tools. The best I can tell is that the pliers on the Leatherman Rebar are the same as the ones on the Signal ($140), which I love.

They’re reinforced for yanking, cranking, and torquing. Their edges are left uncut instead of being rounded, and I find even that small feature increases their ability and ruggedness.

Additionally, the replaceable wirecutters are a nice touch. Over the years, they’ve become more prolific on premium or heavy-duty multitools across the market.

In Conclusion

You might have noticed that throughout this review, I mentioned a handful of other Leatherman tools. All of these tools are fantastic, and I say that having months or years of experience with them. If you’re paying attention, though, you’ll note that the Leatherman Rebar is the least expensive of them.

Now, I am not saying that you shouldn’t consider the more expensive tools in the brand’s lineup, like the Leatherman Arc. Instead, what I am saying is that for $90, you can get yourself a real brute of a multitool.