With DNA linking directly back to Leatherman’s very first PST multitool from 1983, the Wave has long served as a cornerstone for the brand. It was the company’s first one-handed tool, allowing users to flip out the blade without having to open the pliers, and went on to become its all-time international bestseller. This month, the Wave receives its most significant update ever, bringing us the all-new Wave Alpha. The Alpha adds some serious cutting muscle while improving upon the Wave’s staple one-handed operation, hand feel and grip.
Developed under the lead of Leatherman’s current CEO Ben Rivera, then still an engineer at the Portland company, the original Wave debuted in 1998 at the annual SHOT show. It was designed as a deluxe version of the company’s original Pocket Survival Tool (PST) but was ultimately named the Wave due to its extra-curvy blade, which was accessible for the first time in a Leatherman tool directly from the handle, without the need to open the pliers.
According to Leatherman, the Wave became its bestselling model almost immediately and has held onto that title over the 27 years since. Prior to introducing the 20-in-1 Arc it as its “best multitool ever” in 2023, the toolmaker reserved that type of praise for the Wave series, identifying it as its “greatest tool ever designed for the outdoors and around the house” just a year earlier in 2022.
The Wave has already evolved considerably over the years via two major updates, upping its total tool count from 16 to 18, adding an implement locking system, and gaining tougher, more versatile pliers. The most recent of those two major updates came in 2018 with the Wave Plus.
Leatherman
Now, there’s the Wave Alpha. The third update to the Wave series, this one is its biggest and most noteworthy. Leatherman itself calls it the “ultimate evolution” – okay, Leatherman really isn’t shy at all about lavishing superlatives on its new tools, but still, this one’s a big deal for Wave users, Leatherman loyalists and multitool fanatics at large.
In fact, if you’re in any of those groups, you probably already know the Alpha better than we do. Leatherman worked to get feedback from its customers and fans directly and through social media channels while developing the Wave Alpha design.
The Alpha follows in the Arc’s footsteps in featuring a blade crafted from ultra-premium MagnaCut, a knife steel introduced in 2021 to offer superior corrosion resistance, better edge retention and tougher performance. Leatherman was one of the first multitool-makers to embrace the steel and has been adding to its blade family for the past few years, first in special editions, then in standard production tools like the Arc and Wave Alpha.
The Alpha gets a little less “wavy” in carrying a reverse-tanto blade shape selected for comfort when closed and to minimize high-tipping. The new blade maintains the signature one-handed deployment it’s had since the beginning but assists things along with a bold new thumb stud that makes flipping it out easier than ever.
Leatherman
The staunchest traditionalists may balk at the next update, but it does promise to improve overall user friendliness in a way many Wave users have been asking for. In place of the iconic smooth steel chassis, the Wave Alpha adds some extra grip by way of G10 handle scales with topo-inspired layering. The new handle surfaces are designed to feel more comfortable in the hand and deliver better grip.
While I’m a semi-traditionalist and a sucker for the original steel going back to my first Leatherman from 1995, the new handles do look grippier and more comfortable all-around than raw stainless steel.
With the new handle material comes some bright, new color options that really make the Wave Alpha pop – we particularly like the Cascadia green with orange accents. Traditionalists and minimalists will at least find that black stuck around, as classic stainless steel exits.
Leatherman
One last upgrade not to be overlooked, Leatherman gives the Wave Alpha a beefier set of spring-action scissors it describes as offering the largest cutting surface ever in one of its plier tools. They’re designed to be more versatile and powerful than those undersized toenail clippers on the Wave Plus.
The Wave Alpha rolls back to 16 overall functions from the 18 on the Wave Plus. The electrical crimper appears to be the victim of more squared-off handle edges. The serrated blade seems a bigger loss, but it appears it was dropped to make room for the scissors. The Alpha also loses the ruler while adding an awl with thread loop.
The diagram below shows each and every function and where you can find ’em. Note that the multi-surface file, scissors and saw join the blade on the outside of the closed Alpha body, accessible without opening the plier handles.
Leatherman
The Alpha is ever-so-slightly larger than the Wave Plus, measuring a hair over 4 in long by 1.4 in wide by 0.8 in thick (10.1 x 3.6 x 2 cm). It’s over 6 grams lighter, though, tipping the scales just over 234 g (8.3 oz).
Leatherman launched the Wave Alpha this month for a price of $199.95, sheath sold separately. The initial user reviews have been on the cool side, resulting in a 3.5 out of 5 score on Leatherman’s website, well below the Wave Plus’ solid 4.8. We’d be inclined to see if the early kinks get worked out before putting down the premium on the new Alpha, given that the Wave Plus is still available for $119.95.
Source: Leatherman
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