The Leatherman Arc is the most expensive multitool Leatherman makes and, for once, the price is not the story. It is the first Leatherman with a CPM MagnaCut blade, it puts the FREE magnetic architecture on a full-size pliers tool so every one of its 20 tools opens one-handed and locks, and it wears a DLC coating over the whole thing. This review covers what that adds up to after real carry, where it beats the Wave+, and the one thing Leatherman still gets wrong.
Leatherman Arc specs
| Spec | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tools | 20, all one-hand opening and locking |
| Blade | CPM MagnaCut, roughly 60 to 63 HRC |
| Coating | DLC (diamond-like carbon) |
| Closed length | About 4.25 inches |
| Weight | About 8.6 ounces |
| Architecture | FREE magnetic |
| Warranty | 25 years |
| Street price | Roughly $230 to $250; confirm on the listing |
The blade is the reason to buy it
MagnaCut is a powder steel designed to hold an edge like a high-carbon steel while resisting rust like a stainless, and on a multitool that gets wet, sweaty, and ignored for weeks that second part matters as much as the first. The Arc's blade opens from the outside with a thumb, locks, and stays sharp far longer than the 420HC on the Wave+. If you use the knife on your multitool more than the pliers, that alone justifies the Arc over the Wave+. If you mostly use the pliers, it does not.
FREE on a full-size tool
Leatherman's FREE design uses magnets instead of friction to hold the handles closed and to index the tools, which means every tool, not just the blades, swings out one-handed and locks. On the Arc that turns the file, the saw, the scissors and the drivers into things you can deploy with one hand while the other holds the work. It is the smoothest multitool interface Leatherman has made, and it is the part of the Arc you notice every single day.
Build and coating
The DLC coating over the frame and tools is hard, dark, and shrugs off corrosion, and the G10-style scales give a better grip than bare steel. At about 8.6 ounces it weighs the same as a Wave+, so you are not paying in bulk for the upgrade.
What Leatherman gets wrong
The sheath. A tool at this price ships in a nylon pouch with a hook-and-loop flap, which is slow, holds moisture against a MagnaCut blade, and does nothing for a magnetic tool that wants to be held by its shape. Our kydex sheath for the Arc is molded to it, clicks, adjusts for retention, and draws one-handed, which is the way a FREE tool should be carried.
Arc vs Wave+
Same weight, similar size, 20 tools versus 18. The Arc's advantages are the blade steel, the one-hand everything, and the coating. The Wave+ is roughly half the price and does ninety percent of the same work. Buy the Arc if the knife and one-hand access matter to you daily; buy the Wave+ if you want the pliers and do not care about the rest.
Skip the Arc if…
- …you mostly use the pliers. A Wave+ or Surge does that job for half the money, and the Surge's pliers are stronger on rusted bolts.
- …you want a serrated blade or a bit driver kit. The Arc has neither.
- …$230 to $250 is a stretch. The Wave+ covers ninety percent of the same work.
Buy it if you use the knife every day, want every tool one-handed, and value the MagnaCut and DLC. Owners also report occasional QC issues (a wire-cutter gap, plier stamping marks); check yours in the first week and use the warranty.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Leatherman Arc worth it?
If you use the blade constantly and want every tool one-handed, yes. If you mostly use the pliers, the Wave+ is the better value.
What steel is the Arc blade?
CPM MagnaCut, a powder steel with high edge retention and corrosion resistance.
How much does the Arc weigh?
About 8.6 ounces, the same as a Wave+.
Does the Arc come with a sheath?
It ships with a nylon pouch. A molded kydex sheath is the upgrade.
What is the Arc's warranty?
Leatherman's 25-year warranty.
The bottom line
The Arc is the best multitool Leatherman makes and the first that justifies a premium steel. Put it in a sheath that matches it.
Related reading
Best sheath for the Leatherman Arc
Leatherman MagnaCut explained
Best multitools in 2026
