Leatherman ARC Review: Nearly Three Years With the Flagship Multitool

I bought my Leatherman ARC with my own money on the day it launched in October 2023. It was not a press sample, Leatherman did not sponsor the review, and the company has had no input into the verdict. After nearly three years of ownership, I have a pretty clear view of where the ARC earns its flagship status and where the high price gets harder to defend.

The verdict

The Leatherman ARC is the most complete multitool I have owned, and it is also the easiest one to use. That second point matters more than the specification sheet suggests. A multitool can have twenty clever implements and still be irritating if every job starts with digging a thumbnail into a stiff nail nick. The ARC's FREE architecture changes the rhythm completely. I can get to the knife, drivers, scissors, file and saw from the outside, and the pliers can be flicked open with one hand. When I am holding something in place with the other hand, that convenience moves from novelty to real utility.

There is a premium feel to the ARC, but I would not describe it as heavy-duty in the same sense as the Surge. Coming from a Surge, I noticed a little flex through the ARC's frame when leaning hard on high-torque jobs. It has never stopped me completing a normal task, but it tells me where the design sits. The ARC prioritises access, refinement and portability over brute stiffness. For me that is a sensible trade because I am far more likely to carry a medium-duty tool that weighs 8.6 oz than a heavier tool I leave behind.

The price remains the biggest obstacle. At the time of this review Leatherman lists the ARC at $249.95 in the US and £260.95 in the UK. That is expensive enough to demand more than brand loyalty. The premium goes into the blade steel, the FREE mechanism, coatings, tool selection and overall execution. I can justify it because I have used mine for years and because several of the improvements affect me every time I pick it up. Someone who only needs pliers, a basic knife and a screwdriver a few times a month will get better value elsewhere.

How I tested the Leatherman ARC

I have owned this ARC since the global launch in October 2023. I bought it myself and have treated it as a working tool rather than a collectible. My background is split between outdoor use and long-distance sailing, so I care about a slightly different set of things than someone buying a multitool only for a workshop drawer. Salt, damp, corrosion, one-handed access and being able to fix small problems away from a full toolbox all matter to me.

The ARC has followed me through everyday jobs, travel, time around boats and trips into the hills. One of the smallest tools produced one of the most memorable saves. On top of a Welsh mountain I had a problem with my glasses and used the ARC's micro bit driver to sort them out. It was a tiny repair, but it is exactly the kind of moment that explains why I carry a multitool. The right tool does not have to be large. It just has to be with you.

I have also compared the ARC mentally and physically with the Leatherman models I know best, particularly the Surge and Wave family. Those comparisons shape my scoring. The ARC does some jobs better because it is faster to deploy and better to carry, while the Surge still feels more reassuring when the task calls for force.

The MagnaCut blade is the star

The main blade was the feature that made the ARC such a big release, and it has lived up to the hype in my use. Leatherman uses a 2.76-inch modified drop-point blade in CPM MagnaCut, hardened to a stated 60 to 63 HRC, with a PVD finish. MagnaCut has become popular because it combines edge retention, toughness and corrosion resistance unusually well for a stainless knife steel. That combination is especially useful on a multitool because the blade is expected to do a little of everything.

Mine has held a working edge extremely well. I have found it tough, resistant to chipping and surprisingly straightforward to sharpen when it eventually needs attention. Some high-wear steels can turn sharpening into a project. MagnaCut gives me the long service interval I want without making maintenance feel like punishment.

For sailing, corrosion resistance carries extra weight in the score. The ARC's blade has been excellent here. It has not become a maintenance anxiety item around wet kit and salty environments. The important qualification is that MagnaCut only applies to the knife blade. Other parts use different steels. My own plier jaws have picked up a few small rust spots, which mirrors reports from some other long-term ARC owners. They have been cosmetic rather than catastrophic, but they are worth knowing about if marine use is high on your list.

The thumb stud is another small change I value. It gives the main blade a clear, deliberate opening point and makes one-handed deployment much more natural than older multitool blades. Combined with the FREE lock, the ARC behaves closer to a proper folding knife than most multitools I have used.

FREE technology makes the ARC easier to live with

Leatherman's FREE system is the part of the ARC I appreciate most often. The magnetic architecture reduces the friction involved in opening and closing the tool, while the outside-accessible implements lock in place. I can reach what I need without opening the plier handles and rummaging through a stack of tools.

It is also extremely fidget-friendly. The action is smooth, positive and fun to operate. That sounds superficial until you live with it for a while. A tool that is fast and pleasant to deploy gets used more often, especially for quick tasks where grabbing a full toolbox would be overkill.

One-handed access matters on a boat and outdoors because the other hand is frequently busy holding, bracing or stabilising something. The ARC is one of the few full-size multitools where one-handed operation feels like part of the core design rather than a party trick attached to the knife blade.

Twenty tools, and very little filler

Leatherman counts 20 functions on the ARC: the MagnaCut knife, needlenose and regular pliers, large and small bit drivers, diamond-coated and wood/metal files, pry tool, replaceable wire and hard-wire cutters, impact surface, large screwdriver, bottle and can openers, awl, spring-action scissors, saw, wire stripper, electrical crimper and edge file.

Tool counts can become marketing arithmetic, but the ARC's selection is strong. I use the blade, pliers and drivers most, while the scissors and files are the sort of secondary tools that regularly prove useful. The micro driver deserves specific praise. It takes almost no room yet covers the tiny screws that normal multitools ignore. Fixing my glasses on that Welsh mountain justified its place in the toolset on its own.

The large bit driver also makes more sense than a fixed screwdriver if you already use Leatherman's bit ecosystem. It expands what the ARC can handle without making the tool itself wider. For proper repetitive driving I will always choose a dedicated screwdriver or ratchet, but for field repairs the bit driver is exactly the sort of compact compromise I want.

Pliers, frame flex and the limits of medium-duty

The pliers are good for general repairs, gripping, bending and the normal jobs I expect from a pocket multitool. They are precise enough for smaller work and the one-handed opening is excellent. Under higher force, the ARC feels less rigid than my Surge. I can feel a small amount of flex through the frame when I ask too much of it.

That does not make the ARC weak. It means I treat it as medium-duty equipment. If I know I am going to spend a day attacking seized fasteners, heavy cable or repetitive workshop jobs, I take dedicated tools or a heavier multitool. The ARC is better at being the capable tool that is already in my pocket when an unplanned job appears.

The wire cutters are the main disappointment

The replaceable wire cutters are where my experience is least flattering. Mine feel softer than the cutters I have used on older Wave and Surge tools. They will cut wire, but I do not trust them for repeated work on stranded copper or thicker material in the way I trusted the older setups. Over time, the edges have felt more prone to deformation than I want from a flagship multitool.

This is not only my complaint. Wire-cutter performance has been one of the recurring discussion points around the ARC, with some owners reporting difficulty on heavier wire or preferring older cutter geometry. Other reviewers have had no issue at all. That spread of experience is why I would not call the cutters defective across the board, but it is enough to lower my performance and durability scores.

The inserts are replaceable, which is a major advantage if they are damaged, and Leatherman sells replacement cutter kits. Still, replaceability does not erase the expectation created by the ARC's price. On a £260 or $250 multitool, I want the plier head and cutters to be among the strongest parts of the package.

Carry, weight and everyday usability

At 8.6 oz, the ARC has enough heft to feel substantial without crossing into the territory where I stop wanting it in a pocket. The closed length is 4.25 inches and the body is 0.68 inches thick. For the amount of capability it carries, I think the weight is well judged.

This is one place where my move from the Surge changes the verdict. The Surge is a superb workhorse, but you always know you are carrying it. The ARC gives up some stiffness and brute-force confidence, then pays me back with a much friendlier carry and dramatically better access. For walking, travel and day-to-day outdoor use, I prefer that balance.

Value: premium tool, premium price

The ARC is easy to recommend on performance and harder to recommend on value. The Wave Plus remains the more rational purchase for many people. It covers the core multitool jobs for much less money. The Surge remains my choice when maximum strength matters more than pocket comfort. The ARC earns its place between those options by being much more refined to use and by giving you a main blade that can stand beside good dedicated folders.

If you already own a Wave or Surge and are satisfied with it, the ARC is a luxury upgrade rather than a necessity. The biggest changes are quality-of-life improvements: faster access, one-handed operation, better blade steel and a more modern tool arrangement. Those improvements are meaningful, but they do not suddenly make old Leathermans obsolete.

If I lost mine, I would buy another. That is the simplest way I can express the value judgment after nearly three years. I dislike the price and I want better wire cutters, but the ARC has become the multitool I prefer to have with me.

Leatherman ARC specifications

Scoring breakdown

Editorial disclosure: Adam bought this ARC with his own money. Gear Reviews received no payment, free product or editorial approval from Leatherman for this review.