Reviews > Knives > Multi-tools > Leatherman Micra > Owner Review by Andrew Mytys

Tester's Biographical Information:

Reviewer: Andrew Mytys Email: amytys@gmail.com Homepage: Andy's Lightweight Backpacking Site Location: Michigan Age: 33 Height: 6'1" (183 cm) Weight: 175 lbs (79 kg)

     Backpacking Background:

I live in Michigan and have been hiking seriously for 15 years, although I've camped since I was 6 years old. I consider myself a lightweight hiker. I carry the lightest gear I can get my hands on which will provide a comfortable wilderness experience and adequately support the goals of my trip. Unless my goals are time/distance oriented, my pace is always slow. I rarely exceed 1.5 miles (2.4 km)/hour. I rest frequently, hike long days, and enjoy whatever nature throws my way.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Leatherman (http://www.leatherman.com) Item: Micra Multitool Year of Manufacture: 2000 MSRP: $19.95 US Length Closed: 2.5 inches (6.35 cm) Listed Weight: 1.75 oz (50 gm) Weight as Delivered: 1.8 oz (51 gm) Base Colors: brushed stainless Additional Colors: red, blue, green, black Warranty: 25 years against defects in materials or workmanship. Does not cover abuse, sheaths, accessories, or colored finishes.

Field Experience:

I have owned the Leatherman Micra for six years. During that time, it has accompanied me on many backpacks and dayhikes, though mostly on longer backpacks and in particular winter hikes. I've carried the Micra into all sorts of terrain - across deserts, through forests, and over mountains. The Micra has been used in the rain, in dry desert climates, in hot and humid conditions, and in temperatures ranging from 0 to 105 F (-18 - 40 C). I've used it in elevations ranging from sea level to 12,500 feet (3800 m).

I would estimate I have carried it on 40 overnights, in addition to a large number of dayhikes. In general, I find my need for this tool to be very infrequent and, for most of my personal needs, packing along a small razor blade will suffice. I reach for the Micra when going on winter trips and when out on longer group trips, as the Micra is a great tool to have around while fixing people's feet. I also carry the Micra on dayhikes just because it doesn't weigh much, and without a sleeping bag and shelter to carry I'm not as much concerned with keeping my pack weight to a minimum.

Description:

The Leatherman Micra Multitool is a small device that, when unfolded, provides access to a number of instruments including scissors, clip-point knife, tweezers, nail file/cleaner, flat Phillips screwdriver, small and medium screwdrivers, bottle opener, ruler (inch/cm measurements), and lanyard attachment. It is constructed of 100% stainless steel.

Personal Observations:

General Use:
To access a tool, the Micra's handles are opened and the desired tool is rotated out. Once the tool is facing straight out, the handles are brought back together, into the closed position. In the center of each handle is a small metal nub. Aligning the nubs to either side of one another ensures that the handle is closed correctly, and also creates more strength and stability in the handle. Proper alignment ensures safety - in the event that a tool should start to close during use, the opposing handle will stop it. A close-up of these nubs can be seen in the image to the right.

Scissors:
By far, the scissors are the device I've used the most. I've used them to cut guy line, open freeze dried meal packages, trim and cut broken nails, and to cut duct tape and medical bandages. Not only do the scissors cut well when the blades are brought together, but they easily cut when the vertex of the two blades is simply pushed through thin material such as paper, plastic, or hardened skin. I've been able to cut a flap of skin covering a blister at the precise point where it met with healthy skin, just by pushing the scissors along the visible line separating the two layers of skin. I've also used the scissors to build alcohol stoves out of aluminum cans.

Clip-Point Knife:
When the knife was new, it was sharp but, like most other knives I've had experience with, it was not what I would call "razor sharp" - capable yes, dangerous, no. I spent a few minutes sharpening both sides of the knife's edge against a diamond-coated sharpening stone and saw a dramatic improvement in the cutting ability of the knife. Rather than having to put any pressure behind the knife to get it to cut, I could simply guide the knife and its weight proved sufficient to initiate the cut. For the most part, my use of the knife has been limited to kitchen activity, where I would slice cheese, cut fresh garlic, and the like. I also found the knife to be extremely helpful in cutting closed-cell foam pads, which I dissected in order to make foam cozies for my pots and water bottles. Once a shape was drawn onto the pad, the sharpened blade cut through the foam like butter, and the precision was fine enough to follow any curve or corner I had laid out.

Nail File/Cleaner:
Never used.

Tweezers:
The tweezers found in the Micra are small, thin, and lightweight. Between their short length, their attachment to the Micra, and the Micra's weight making them extremely top-heavy, I found the tweezers awkward to use. The tweezers did not give me a strong level of confidence when proficiency was called for, such as when I needed to extract a tick. I now carry a dedicated pair of splinter/picker/tick tweezers in my medical kit, and use them whenever serious tweezers work is called for.

I have used the flat end of the tweezers as a small screwdriver to tighten the screws on my eyeglasses. This flat end is about the same width as that found in the Micra's extra-small screwdriver, though it appears to be slightly thinner. In any event, I prefer to use the end of the tweezers over the extra-small screwdriver tool when it comes to my glasses.

Extra-Small Screwdriver:
I've used the extra-small screwdriver as an ice pick to break up ice that has built up in the bottom of the side-release buckles found on my NEOS Overboots. Ice forms in these buckles rather easily - when it's there, the buckles can be opened but, in order to close them again, the male end of the buckle needs to be fed further down into the latch than previously positioned, and an ice dam often prevents this. The screwdriver is long enough to reach the ice, and the edge is tough enough to effectively pick, scrape, and wedge the ice out without damaging the instrument.

Medium Screwdriver:
Never used.

Flat Phillips Screwdriver:
Never used.

Ruler:
The handles of the Micra have ruler marks inscribed in them. When the two handles are opened flat, next to each other, they make up a five-inch (12 cm) ruler. There's a small mark on the metric side of the handle that shows where the 12 mm end-point is located. The five inches are measured across length of the two handles, end-to-end. As the two halves do not lock in a pre-set position, the ruler is only accurate to about an eighth of an inch (2 mm). When the ruler is folded out, the point of the scissors lies exposed, as shown in the image below. I have never found a practical use for the ruler in the field.

Bottle Opener:
The bottle opener has been tested and works as expected.

Lanyard Attachment:
The lanyard attachment is a small split ring that can be attached, for example, to a set of keys. The split ring can be removed, allowing the fixed attachment point on the tool to be folded completely inside the knife. I've never attached my knife to anything - I just store it in my pants pocket or in a small pocket somewhere in my pack.

Durability:

Obviously, I'm not a big knife guy. The Micra has occasionally gotten some oil and sticky residue on its scissors and knife after use with food, and it has been dropped in snow and water. After each use, I basically spit on the section of the device I used, wipe the spit off between my thumb and index finger, and then dry the instrument against my pants. That's my "maintenance" routine. In over six years of use, the tool shows no sign of corrosion or staining. Aside from the colored surface, which is all scratched up, the Leatherman Micra Multitool remains good as new. All instruments open and close smoothly - I have not been able to detect any pitting or other damage to the tools.

Recommendations For Improvement: