REVIEW – The Leatherman Free P2 is the smaller of the two initial multi-tools in Leatherman’s new “Free” series of tools an knives. It is designed for simplified tool and pliers access. The P2 and it’s larger sibling the P4 are aimed at the same market as their cousin, the long heralded Wave series of multi-tools. Let’s see if the Free P2 can convince me to replace my EDC tools: Leatherman’s Skeletool, Wave, and Micra.

The Leatherman Free P2 is a large multi-tool that is slightly smaller as the original Leatherman Wave multitool. Physically in my hands, I would consider the P2 a medium sized multi-tool, but then not everyone has L/XL hands.  It differs from previous generations of Leatherman multi-tools in the way the tool is kept closed, how the tools are deployed, and how the blade and tools are locked in place.

The Free P2 arrived in a striking black and white themed sleeved tray. There is a single seal holding the tray in the box which must be cut and the tray may then be slid out.

The tray is covered by a black cover card, that when turned over, highlights the new features of the Free line. These are the only instructions that came with my P2. Considering the straight-forward nature of the tool, this is much better than the tightly folded thin-papered instructions that have come with most of the previous generations of Leather multi-tools.

Inside the box are only two items

The Free P2 weighs 220 grams out of the sheath. It is 107.41 mm long, by 34 mm wide, by 23.15 mm thick (measured at the highest point on the clip) Without the clip, it is 19.8 mm thick.

The Free P2 has the following tools

The P2 is assembled with T8 Torx / lobe headed screws / caps and the clip is held on with T6 sized screws.

The principal novel feature of the Free P2 / P4 is the mechanism by which the tool is held closed. This is a pair of magnets, one in each handle that meet when the tool is closed. These magnets are located just inboard of the locking mechanism for the tools (described below).

The pliers are deployed by separating the latch end of the tools with moderate pressure from a finger and then flipping the tool like a butterfly knife. For those readers coming of age in the 1980s and who have attempted to use butterfly knives you know that this takes some skill. A skill that I didn’t master then and still haven’t mastered. I can get the magnetic latch to release, but I can’t reliably get both handles to lock into place on the pliers head without smashing my fingertips. Still, I have lost any digits, so we’ll call it a win. I usually resort to simply unlatching the handles and getting them around and then locking them into place by pressing the free handle against my hip/thigh.

Closing the multitool is simply a matter of pulling to release the handles from the detents in pliers head and closing as you would any other similar Leatherman multi-tool. Just be careful as there is very little resistance to movement when the handles are free.

The individual tools (which are all on the outside) are accessed by pressing on the raised lip on the end of the tools and rotating all of the tools on the same pivot part way up at once fully opening the desired tool, and then closing the remaining tools which activates the spring lock holding the tool open (see below). This is similar, but different from, the tool locking mechanism on the Wave 2.0 / Wave + tools. Relocating all of the tools to the outside makes the handles much more comfortable when using the pliers. I hadn’t realized how uncomfortable my Skeletool was to use until I started using the P2.

A big change, and one to which I am still adapting is the location of the main blade / large tool pivot. Unlike in previous generations, the knife blade does not share a pivot with the pliers head, but instead is on the far end sharing a pivot (separated by a gate / spring) with the other tools. This allows the knife to be secured by the same improved locking mechanism as the other tools rather than relying on a simple, but failure-prone liner-lock mechanism. This is something that I have been complaining about since I learned (the hard way) about the inherent design / performance trade offs between liner lock knives and more robust blade locking mechanisms.

I am happy to see the more robust mechanism which utilizes a small notch in the back of the blade “tangette” which is locked by a spring-loaded lever. This mechanism appears to be strong and reliable. However, I’m still training myself to rotate the tool to open the blade. This is an operator training issue that I am happy to deal with to get a better locking mechanism.

The blade / tools are released by pressing the lever toward the opposite lever which releases the lever from the notch.

The scissors deploy from the opposite handle from the knife blade. The Philips and large straight screwdriver share a handle with the knife and the rest of the tools are on the opposite handle. The pocket clip is on the far side of the same handle as the knife blade.

Since the Free P2 is aimed at the Wave and similar sized tool market, let’s compare the weight of the Free P2 to other Leatherman products. Most of the tools to which the P2 is being compared have more individual tools / features, with the exception of the Skeletool which only has a blade, pliers, and a bit holder and bit carrier. Included in the table is the larger and specialized OHT (One-Handed Tool) which is designed for tactical / military use and is one of Leatherman’s other rapid / easy deployment models.

From the list above, it is easy to see that the P2 falls closer to the weight of the Wave family than to the Skeletool which reinforces my initial impressions.

I have been using the P2 for the past week as my EDC knife / pocket multi-tool. I have used it for everything from opening bottles to pruning vines to restoring antique lamps. I have several observations about the reliability of the P2 and its suitability as an EDC tool carried using the clip. I have not, to date, carried it using the sheath.

After just a week, the Leatherman Free P2 multi-tool has made such an impression that the P2 will replace my trusty Skeletool for EDC in my pocket. I am very pleased with the improved locking mechanism for the blade and this just may be the tipping point for me.

I have decided that the P2 is not a replacement for the Wave 2.0 that I keep in my day bag, but I hope to compare the P2’s big brother (the P4) to my Wave before I head out to summer camp with my scouts. For bag carry, I think the extra tools on the Wave outweighs the 25 grams of extra carry weight.

In closing, the Free range of multi-tools with their new locking mechanism are a big hit with me and greatly improve the safety of the main blades on these multi-tools.

Price: $ 119.95 Where to buy: Leatherman Tool Group, Inc., Amazon, and many others. Source: The sample of this product was provided by Leatherman Tool Group, Inc.

You will like the p4. I’ve already made an adapter for the bits to bring it inline with replacing my wave. The diamond file is the only tool I lose however I seledom used it so no biggy. My tipping point was not having to release tight tools with my fingernail plus opening the tool every time to access the extra tools. Btw great review.

George, Thank you for the thoughts on the P2 vs. P4 vs. Wave. I agree with your comments about the accessibility of the tools. Thank you for the kind words about the review.

I had some thought about gauss field contamination of credit/debit card info strips or ID chips in my wallet. I wear my MULTI -TOOL in a sheath in proximity to my wallet for dominant hand access. I also have a tale of dismay, having been caught in the hallway of a hotel in my shorts trying to show my wife how to use a key card she said didn’t work – she had a magnetic key ring in her purse – it had stripped some of the coding.

I have the same concern. I cross carry both my wallet and P2 (using the clip) so they are probably far enough apart.

Another online reviewer (who was part of the pre-release real-world reviews) mentions a specific magnetic flux measurement (that I don’t recall) and stated that this SHOULDN’T cause problems with electronics, but I don’t remember if he specifically mentioned magstripes.

From personal experience of carrying magstripe cards and potentially magnetic tools, I have only had one card be damaged from “normal environmental factors.” One of the redundant tracks was damaged and it happened to be the one track that the older card machines at my local mom-and-pop grocer used. I got a new card and they upgraded their machines.

I tracked the problem to a poorly-shielded, ancient, isolation transformer that I had sitting on my desk. I had on a few occasions left my wallet laying on it.

If you are carrying the P2 more than 4 inches from your wallet, you should be fine as I couldn’t pick up a paperclip unless I brought the tool into contact with the paperclip. However, your mileage may vary.

I am now using a Free P2 in place of the original version of the Wave. There are many things to like about the Wave, but the tools have always been hard to retrieve from the body of the tool. They are very stiff. The P2 is a great improvement in this area.

I agree about the tools, but I do miss the plain blade.

One of the biggest point in the P2’s favor is more secure blade lock. Safety first!

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