Due to some rumors, leaks, and other industry shenanigans, there has been a lot of speculation and uncertainty surrounding a fabled new Leatherman, the Leatherman ARC multitool. I don’t remember exactly when I caught wind of it, but I immediately had a ton of questions. Lucky for me, I work for the finest retailer in the knife industry, so I was able to find answers. Here, I will share those answers with you! Let’s jump right into it.
What is the Leatherman ARC?
The Leatherman ARC is the multitool company’s newest offering, combining features from the insanely popular FREE series and community feedback. Some changes include Leatherman’s exchangeable bit system, an upgraded blade steel, and a DLC-coated frame.
What’s special about it?
Since the beginning, Leatherman has built multitools to suit the needs and wants of their customers. With time, they’ve modernized their tools to suit modern customers. The FREE series is not old by any stretch, but the ARC, the series’ new flagship, shows how committed Leatherman is to staying on the leading edge of the multitool market.
The most obvious special feature is the blade. Multitools seldom think to upgrade their blade steel, instead focusing on other tools, but Leatherman thought different. Instead of the 400-series steels common on multitools, the ARC has a MagnaCut blade. We have an entire article on why MagnaCut is so awesome, but if you’re strapped for time, here’s the TL;DR: high edge retention, high corrosion resistance, and high toughness all in one. It’s a miracle blade steel!
Another key difference is the toolset. The Leatherman Arcs tools include Leatherman’s exchangeable bit drivers, a sharpened awl, a diamond-coated file, and a strike surface. They really pulled out all the stops with this one.
When is it coming out?
The Leatherman ARC will be released to the public on October 17, 2023. Mark your calendars, it’s likely to sell out fast. If you miss it, never fear. They will be back.
Is it part of the Garage Series?
The Garage Series is Leatherman’s limited-run department, making cool and unique multi-tools for only a short time. The Garage Series is cool, but the ARC is not part of it. It is not a limited edition, and will be available for the long haul!
How much will the Leatherman ARC cost?
The Leatherman ARC has an MSRP of $229.95.
Where is it made?
The Leatherman ARC is 100% made in the USA. Everything – the screws, the jaws, the blade, the scissors, etc.
Is the Leatherman ARC good?
It’s still brand new, so we must rely on Leatherman’s reputation to guess the ARC’s quality.
My first knife was a Leatherman Charge, and I still have it. It’s still great, and it’s still ready for whatever mischief I get into. I have so many memories in that thing, that even though it has a lot of life left in it, I retired it to a place of honor. I now have Leatherman Wave that lives on my belt. After locking myself out of my car, I used my Leatherman to get back in, and I broke the pry tool on it. What I did is about the most textbook case of abuse I can think of, but when I spoke to a rep at Leatherman and confessed my sin, he told me to send it for warranty and they’d take care of it for free. “At Leatherman, we believe that a happy customer is a returned customer,” he told me.
So if my experience is anything to go off of, you can bet your bottom dollar the Leatherman ARC is going to be a best-in-class multitool, and that I will be picking one up on the 17th!
