Does This Affordable Best-Selling Leatherman Tool Actually Do The Trick? We Found Out

Leatherman is an exceptionally well-known company for its different styles of multi-tools. However, one of its best-selling products is the Micra Leatherman. This multi-tool is small enough to fit on a keychain or in your pocket. You can bring it with you on your next backing trip, and even comes in handy for your next fishing trip.

It's more than just a top seller — it has some incredible ratings on multiple websites. Through Leatherman, it has a five-star rating from 579 buyers, and on Amazon, it has a 4.8 out of five-star rating from over 3,000 consumers. Being a full-time nomad in need of a multi-tool, I was curious how well it would hold up being put to work. With that being said, I bought one and put it to the test.

The Micra Leatherman multi-tool is made of stainless steel and comes in a variety of colors. You can choose to keep it as the traditional stainless steel finish or select from one of the nine colored coatings. I purchased the Arctic colored tool, and it looks exactly as it did in the picture. The coating is fairly thick, so it would take a bit of use for it to wear down.

Upon inspection, this tool is durable and very well-made. It comes with scissors instead of the traditional pliers, eight tools that rotate out of their holdings, and a ruler engraved on the outside into the coating. The tools are securely held in place by some pretty solid pivot screws. Altogether, I was impressed by this multi-tool's design and overall quality during my unboxing.

The first thing I noticed while holding the Micra Leatherman is the weight. For such a small handy tool, it's a bit on the heavy side. According to the product description, it says the item weighs 1.8 ounces. However, when I put it on my keys, I noticed a definite difference in weight.

With that being said, when collapsed into itself, the Micra is only 2.5 inches long, which is the perfect size for portability. Even attached to your keys or simply placed in your pocket, it won't take up too much space. Other than the weight, you'll barely notice it's there. Just don't forget to remove it before going through airport security.

First and foremost, I would consider the scissors to be the most impressive tool in the bunch. With other multi-tools that I've either owned or used, many of them have pliers as their fold-out tool, but I've come to find that I tend to need scissors more often within my lifestyle. When testing the scissors, they worked great on paper and thin boxes like the one the tool came in. They also spring back to their starting point easily. However, I did try to use them on a plastic Amazon delivery bag, and it didn't work so well.

The 420HC knife is a great feature as well — honestly, it will probably be the most utilized tool other than the scissors for future use. I was able to open packages and cut thinner camping rope with ease. However, at 1.6 inches, it is a fairly small knife, so I won't expect to be cutting wood for kindling with it.

Another aspect of the tool I thoroughly enjoyed is the ruler. All you need to do is align the two handles side by side, and you'll have a 4.7 inch and 12 centimeter ruler.

The rest of the tools are fairly standard for a multi-tool. There are three different types of screwdrivers and a bottle opener, all of which do the job they were designed to do. The nail file worked well enough if you have a sharp piece of fingernail that needs to be filed down — don't expect to accomplish a full manicure with it, though. However, the nail cleaner is a great addition that I'll probably find myself using frequently.

The tweezers have to be the most disappointing tool, though. I tried using them to grad one piece of hair from my eyebrows, and they would not grab. They may work well enough to grab a splinter after it has pushed its way through the skin, but unfortunately, I was not able to test it.

Right out of the box, the Micra Leatherman is pretty stiff, but with some use, the tool will start to open up a bit easier while still being sturdy enough to stay closed. The little grooves in each of the tools make pulling out whichever tool you want simple enough without having to yank out everything to get what you need.

However, I would like to add for safety purposes, you'll want to close up the Leatherman once you've selected the tool you want to use. Unlike pliers, having a pair of scissors waving around while you're trying to tighten your sunglasses isn't the best choice.

There is a 25-year warranty — however, it is limited. It only covers the original owner of the tool, and it does not cover any abuse or alterations done to the tool. That means you can't try to take out tools and accidentally break it. It also does not cover theft or accidental loss.

However, if you are using the tool as you should and something happens, you can file a claim, and send it to Leatherman. Just make sure you register your Leatherman multi-tool before using it. I did it for myself, and it only required basic information like my name, email, and which Leatherman product I bought.

There are a few different places you can purchase a Micra Leatherman multi-tool — although, I have noticed that everywhere you buy one new it is set at the price of $49.95. However, if you want to view all the color options to make sure you are getting exactly what you want, you'll want to view the Leatherman website. Personally, I was okay with choosing a color available on Amazon, so I could get it quicker with Amazon Prime, which still runs through the Leatherman Amazon storefront. You can also pick one up on the Swiss Knife Shop website.

I'll be honest, I've needed a small multi-tool for off-grid camping and hiking for a while, and the Micra Leatherman was exactly what I have been looking for. Even though there are a couple of features I'll probably rarely use — like the tweezers and bottle opener — the scissors and knife will be worth carrying around the extra ounce of weight on my keys. In all, I'm pleased with the craftsmanship of the product, and see myself purchasing more of these as gifts for others.