Flissa 16-in-1 multi-tool: How does it compare with the Leatherman Wave?

[majorhavoc]

This Chinese clone of the vaunted Leatherman Wave is well regarded and typically sells for $30 or less.  As of this writing, it's currently available on Amazon for $21.41 (or even less with different color variations).  That's quite a savings over the US-made original, which you'd be hard-pressed to find for less than $110.  It's currently $130.  That's right; you'll likely save a cool Benjamin with the Flissa.  But is it any good?

Per my recent deal post, I bought the Flissa, even though I already own several quality multi-tools.  Fortunately, one of them happens to be an authentic Wave, so it presents an opportunity to do a head-to-head comparison. 

The contenders:



Unless I screw it up, the Flissa will always be the lefthand tool in all the photos that follow. The Flissa comes with a nylon case, a nice little bonus.  It seems perfectly servicable with a beefy snap and a belt loop.


Side by side, you can see the Flissa is slightly thicker at 3/4" (2cm), versus 11/16" (1.8cm) for the Leatherman.  I thought at first the Flissa was also longer, but it isn't.  Both are pretty much bang on 4" (10cm).



The difference in thickness is noticable, both in hand and even in your pocket.  I'll say the Leatherman is better in that regard, if only slightly so.


The Flissa is also a little heavier at 9.25 ounces (262 grams)




Versus the Leatherman at 8.5 ounces (241 grams)



The only way you'd notice the weight difference is if you picked them up side-by-side.


The main knife blades.  They're almost identical except for ever-so-slight differences in blade profle and the thumb hole.  I couldn't say one is better than the other.



I did the mandatory Youtube reviewer "cut-a-piece-of-paper-diagonally-while-it's-held-free-hand" test and both passed, slicing through the paper without ripping it.  (Count the number of hands you need to take a picture of that without a tripod, and you'll understand why you're not seeing one here.)  The fresh, out of the box Flissa went up against the several-year old Wave, so maybe their comparable performance says something about the Leatherman - I can't remember if I've ever sharpened it.  But I don't use the knife blades on my multi-tools all that much, so maybe the Leatherman's knife blade is more or less factory new as well.  I'm going to say no advantage to either here.



The two tools' serrated knife blades. 



It's like you're seeing double.  Note that the Flissa's slightly different thumb hole shape is carried over here.  Running my finger over the edges, I thought the Flissa might be a little sharper.  But while both tools effectively cut through rope, it was the Leatherman that cut through cleaner and more easily.



A (very) slight edge to the Leatherman.


A comparison of the file blades on both tools.



I ran my thumbnail across both of the file sides of this blade.  While I could tell they both were true cut files, the Leatherman's cuts felt more aggressive.  The other side of this blade on both tools is a sort of abrasive impregnated emery board kind of file.  More or less a nail file.


And the wood saw on each tool.



You can see that the teeth on the Flissa are longer than those of the Leatherman.  All other things being equal, the shallower teeth of the Leatherman should clog more easily.  When cutting green wood, for example. 

But all other things aren't equal.  Running my finger across both sets of blades, the teeth on the Leatherman are noticably sharper.  Remember this is a several-years old Wave, against a box-fresh Flissa. And while it's a little hard to see in this picture, the Leatherman's saw blade is slightly thinner, which should make sawing easier.




This is 1" thick dry pine. 



I not-so-scientifically tested the wood sawing efficiency of these two tools (and that of my trusty Victorinox Huntsman, as a benchmark) by counting the number of saw strokes it took to saw through that branch.  The tallies: Flissa - 240 strokes; Victorinoz - 143 strokes; and Leatherman - 104 strokes.  Wow, the Wave beat out the Victorinox, my gold standard for this type of task.  The Leatherman definitely has the best saw.


Flissa copied the Wave right down to the measuring marks on the handles, in both inches and centimeters.  With one key difference, however.



Ignore the slight parallax error with the way I was holding my phone.  The scales on both the Flissa and the Leatherman are accurate dimentionally, but the Leatherman's graduations have 0 starting at the extreme end of the tool's handle.  This allows you to take fairly accurate inside measurements along with outside measurements.  The Flissa instead begins 0 measurement at the seam where the rounded end segment abruptly transitions to the flat side of tool's handle.  That's fine for outside measurements, but unless you precisely know and account for that extra length of the rounded handle ends, you can't do inside measurements.  For me personally, that added measuring capability awards this round to Leatherman.


A look at the auxillary tools.



The Flissa dedicates the entire inside of one of the tool's handles to the interchangable bit driver, which takes standard 1/4" hex bits.  On the Wave, Leatherman manages to also squeeze in a can/bottle opener, but only because the Wave uses Leatherman's proprietary flattened bits.  The included bit on both tools is a reversable flat head/Phillips, but you can replace them with other bits.  While Leatherman sells a variety of other flattened bits for the Wave, they aren't nearly as varied and inexpensive as the standard hex bits the Flissa accepts.  And I'm sorry Leatherman: that slightly flattened, pseudo "Phillips head" side of the bit can't compare with Flissa's full-size one.  Point goes to Flissa.

See what I mean? (I meant to show the Phillips head side to illustrate how compromised the Leatherman's shape was, but you can at least see the difference in thickness between the two brands)





The auxillary tools that stow inside the other handle.



Here, you see Flissa finally managed to slip in that missing can opener.  While I didn't use-test them, they both look identical and more than capable of opening that last can of expired cat food in the waning days of your short, miserable post-apocalyptic life.  The larger flat head screw drivers on both tools likewise look perfectly functional.  And the tiny scissors on both tools seemed to cut paper equally well. It's the treatment of the precision screwdriver where Leatherman comes out ahead.  Theirs has a long, thin bit that can be reversed for use on either flat head or Phillips head screws.  Critically, they're sized to fit the tiny screws on eyeglasses and sunglasses.  An eyeglass screwdriver is one of those infrequently used tools that when you need it, absolutely nothing else will do.  And a timely eyeglass repair is the kind of clutch save that justifies the whole tool the first time you use it.  The Flissa's small flathead is too large both in thickness and width to fit the scews on any of the eye/sunglasses I tried. Especially the ones with Phillip's head screws, where the flat head-only option on the Flissa will leave you SOL.  Sure it'll fit other types of screws for random small repair or adjustment jobs.  But few of those are likely to be of the "save-the-day" variety like an eyeglasses repair.  IMO, strong advantage to Leatherman here.

But the signature element in the classic multitool is of course the pliers.

 
The first thing you'll notice is that the Flissa, unlike this particular Wave, has replaceable wire cutting inserts.  All that shows is mine happens to be the earlier generation of the LM Wave.  Leatherman added that feature several years after I got mine.  My understanding is that unless it's really old store stock, any LM Wave you buy today will also have replaceable wire cutting inserts.  But you might also notice that the needle tips on the Flissa align and mesh perfectly, while things on the Leatherman seem to be slightly out of sync. But the Wave pulls it together at the very business end.  So both tools were able to pluck a single hair from my eyebrow, my personal (if somewhat painful) test of plier precision.

And speaking of the business end of the pliers.



I suppose there might be a need someday to do a whole bunch of high-precision plier-y type stuff.  And that would be easier with the Leatherman's smaller size at the nose.  On the other hand, the beefier-looking ends on the Flissa might be a tad more durable.  I give a slight edge to Leatherman here, but only based on my typical needs.


But a big difference in maximum jaw opening capacity.



One could argue that if you're ever working on something that requires jaws to open as wide as the Wave can, it probably means you should put the Leatherman down because you're using the way-wrong tool for that job.  Still, less is less and more is more - so advantage to Leatherman again.


And I did test the wirecutters.  Both tools effectively cut this steel wire, but I'd have to say my previous-gen Wave cut ever-so-slightly better than the Flissa.





If I add up all the "points", the Leatherman Wave is the clear winner.  But the margin of most of those wins was very small (the big exceptions being Leatherman's superior wood saw and Flissa's much better interchangable bit set up).  All the other distinctions between the tools are so small that the only way you'd even notice is if you had both tools in your hands at the same time. 

And finally, all this needs to be seen in the context of cost.  The real world street price of the Flissa is $30 or less.  The Leatherman Wave these days realistically goes for $120 and up.  In that light, the Flissa wins hands-down on value.  And honestly, you'd have no idea what you could possibly be missing in a multi-tool if all you had was the Flissa.  The only way you'd know is if you already had the Wave to compare it too.  And if you already own the Wave, why are you even looking into the Flissa, you multi-tool elitist, you!  Buying the cheap copy after you already have the real thing?  Who would even do that?  Why, you'd have to be some kind of world-class moron ... oh wait ... um, as I was saying about the Flissa's exceptional value ...

I love my Wave - it's such a quality, precision-engineered tool.  And there's something to be said for pride in ownership of what is widely regarded to be among the very best example of a particular type of product - sometimes it's just nice to own really nice things.  But honestly, if I had gotten the Flissa instead I'd be none the wiser.

[MacWa77ace]

@majorhavoc can you do the plier twist test also? To see if the things' handles and or jaw's twist under that type of pressure.
Twist test = grab something sturdy and try to pry/roll it with the jaws. [not like a wrench, like a gator death roll]

Here's an example of crap pliers vs 70+ year old made in the USA pliers. I had to twist loose a bunch of clips at work and it destroyed my Chiiiina pliers. See how they are out of alignment now. AND they had previously had the jaws bent so the tip didn't close by putting a lot of pressure to hold/clamp something. Had to finish the job with these KRAEUTER USA 1661-6 pliers that were either my dad's or my grand dad's.

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My Flissa is coming in Wednesday I think, but I got the 18 in 1 tool version. I don't have a Wave to compare it to, only a Wingman and a Supertool300 and the Wingman isn't really comparable.

That saw test went completely the opposite of what I expected just looking at the teeth comparison. The wave looks like a cross cut blade and the Flissa looks like a rip cut. So I'm initially thinking that the Flissa would only be good for cutting branches like that, and the Wave for cutting boards. I was way off.  And the SAK I would have expected the blade to bend or the handle to loosen, I'm impressed with that SAK.

[majorhavoc]

@majorhavoc can you do the plier twist test also? To see if the things' handles and or jaw's twist under that type of pressure.
Twist test = grab something sturdy and try to pry/roll it with the jaws. [not like a wrench, like a gator death roll]

Here's an example of crap pliers vs 70+ year old made in the USA pliers. I had to twist loose a bunch of clips at work and it destroyed my Chiiiina pliers. See how they are out of alignment now. AND they had previously had the jaws bent so the tip didn't close by putting a lot of pressure to hold/clamp something. Had to finish the job with these KRAEUTER USA 1661-6 pliers that were either my dad's or my grand dad's.

You cannot view this attachment.

My Flissa is coming in Wednesday I think, but I got the 18 in 1 tool version. I don't have a Wave to compare it to, only a Wingman and a Supertool300 and the Wingman isn't really comparable.

That saw test went completely the opposite of what I expected just looking at the teeth comparison. The wave looks like a cross cut blade and the Flissa looks like a rip cut. So I'm initially thinking that the Flissa would only be good for cutting branches like that, and the Wave for cutting boards. I was way off.  And the SAK I would have expected the blade to bend or the handle to loosen, I'm impressed with that SAK.

I meant to test jaw deflection per your request last night, Mac. But I had an urgent task that needed finishing. I'm embarrassed to say what that was but let's just say it had to do with something that begins with a "t" and ends with an "x". 

I'll try to do a twist test on the two multi-tools tonight.

[MacWa77ace]

say it had to do with something that begins with a "t" and ends with an "x". 

 
Speaking of, where the eff is my Flissa! It's supposed to deliver to my work today along with a cheap Chinese all in one impact wrench and driver set.

[MacWa77ace]

Got it.

This one seems sturdy. Flissa 18 in 1 cammo varient.

Different toolset than the 16 in 1, and the cammo dip if you look closely, doesn't cover 100% on the insides. It looks oxidized or bare metal. We'll see if that 'rusts'.

[majorhavoc]

say it had to do with something that begins with a "t" and ends with an "x". 

 
Speaking of, where the eff is my Flissa! It's supposed to deliver to my work today along with a cheap Chinese all in one impact wrench and driver set.

First: Mac, how did you correctly guess I had a T-rex problem that needed to be taken care of?  I figured with the date I posted (4/14) and the beginning and ending letters of "t" and "x" you'd guess something obvious, like I had to do my taxes.  But you nailed it - that damn theropod has been tearing up my backyard for weeks!  And snacking on the chickens like they're a bunch of self-propelled happy meals.  Very astute of you, sir.

Second: I won't test any of my tools to the point of destruction, but I did perform an extremely brief and unscientific "twist test".  I tried as hard as I could to bend the very end of 1/2" x 3/32" aluminum bar stock.  The only firm conclusion I could draw is the jaws of the Flissa deflected a bit more than those of the Leatherman.  Both returned to perfect alignment afterwards.  I think your experience with the cheap Chinese pliers versus the old school US-made ones speaks to the same basic adage that applies to multi-tools - know the tool's limitations.  I don't think any multi-tool, whether it be a Leatherman, Gerber, Ozark Trail or Flissa, should be considered heavy duty.  The fact that they pack a variety of functions into one package pretty much guarantees none of them will serve as well as a quality, single purpose tool dedicated to that one task.  I've heard tell of people snapping the jaws of multi-tools.  While I'm willing to believe there are certain really low end multi-tools that'll fail under even moderate loads, I suspect those users were seriously abusing the tool if they managed to break a name brand model. 



Third: The saw test results surprised me too.  Just looking at those deep teeth of the Flissa, I would have expected it to out-perform the Leatherman and maybe even the Victorinox.  Perhaps it will if sawing green or wet wood, when clogging can be a real issue.  But the determining factors seemed to be the noticably sharper teeth and thinner blade of the Leatherman.

Fourth: That camo 18-in-1 Flissa looks interesting. Was that red thing a firesteel?  If so, does it detach so you can use one of the other blades as a striker?  I might have considered that model, but I had it in my mind that I wanted to do this head-to-head comparison with the Wave.

Fifth and sadly: I see that the Flissa's Amazon price has finally climbed back up to a more typical $30.  Fear not, anyone interested in the Flissa - I've been monitoring its price for months now.  It fairly regularly drops down by 10-20%.  I figured it would eventually go down even lower, and that's when I finally pulled the trigger.  It'll get discounted again, I can almost guarantee.  Also, consider the Bibury, which looks almost identical to the Flissa. To the point that I wouldn't be surprised if they're made in the same factory.  I had been monitoring the price of both models and was ready to go with whichever one dropped lowest.   

[12_Gauge_Chimp]

The Harbor Freight Gordon multitool looks like it's a closer copy of the Leatherman Wave than the Flissa is.

They're like 40 bucks at Harbor Freight. If I can find one at my local Harbor Freight, I'll pick one up and do a comparison to my Wave.

[MacWa77ace]

Fourth: That camo 18-in-1 Flissa looks interesting. Was that red thing a firesteel?  If so, does it detach so you can use one of the other blades as a striker?  I might have considered that model, but I had it in my mind that I wanted to do this head-to-head comparison with the Wave.

Yeah that's actually a fire steel and emergency whistle combo that pops off. There's a rubber coating on the firesteel that has to be removed. The advertising photo has them using the sharp edge of the blade to throw the spark. I wouldn't do that, it'd dull the blade. And the back of that knife is rounded a little so can't use that. The back of the saw looks promising, or the actual saw teeth would probably work. If I test it I'll post it.



I don't have a multi-tool with a 'hammer' so that drove my selection on that. There's a tiny and a medium flat head screwdriver but no Phillips. And the pliers are not spring loaded. In terms of weight, its heavy.

[MacWa77ace]

Throws a spark!

I forgot there was a file on this, and that is the tool to use, I didn't try any of the others, the edge of the file will work the best. You cannot view this attachment.

[MacWa77ace]

Another drawback is the glass breaker kindof interferes with the tools opposite it. So you have to either use them with the pliers out, or the handles don't close all the way if you do it that way.
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