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Leatherman Charge ALX

Any and all knives or other edged things. Special preference for BUCK knives
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JEBar
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Leatherman Charge ALX

Post by JEBar » Mon Jun 25, 2018 1:36 pm

much to my chagrin my Leatherman Charge ALX ===> https://www.cabelas.com/product/Leather ... &gclsrc=ds has to be returned for warranty repair .... I've carried it on my belt most every day since 2005 and it has proven to be a very handy tool .... as can be seen below, the thumb bar (for lack of a better name) on blade on the left of the picture is broken .... it is used to assist in opening the blade .... apparently it hit at just the right angle, on something hard, when I dropped it .... I called their customer service number in the hope that they could just send me a replacement blade but the rep said it had to be returned to them for repair .... they said as a general rule they repair and ship out within a week of the tool's arrival ..... Leatherman has proven to be a very good company to deal with .... I hate to be without it for a day, much less for a couple of weeks
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Cofisher
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Re: Leatherman Charge ALX

Post by Cofisher » Mon Jun 25, 2018 2:23 pm

I have never been interested in one of these. It is just too bulky for my carry comfort. Obviously, it is a heck of a tool. Maybe someday...

Hope yours is returned in good condition soon. I would be lost without my pocket knife.
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Re: Leatherman Charge ALX

Post by PT7 » Mon Jun 25, 2018 2:43 pm

13 years of daily service from your Leatherman multi-tool is pretty darn good, JEBar. I can see why you depend on it, especially as you travel and need to keep your rig and campsite accessories all going. Hope Leatherman continues their good service your way, and that you'll be back in operation soon!! ;)
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Re: Leatherman Charge ALX

Post by JEBar » Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:16 pm

most certainly agree that its too bulky to serve as a pocket knife .... I wear mine in a sheath on my belt
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Re: Leatherman Charge ALX

Post by PT7 » Tue Jun 26, 2018 12:27 am

JEBar,

What kind of steel is your blade made of? Leatherman web site indicates there are different steels available. The Cabelas link you posted lists the 154CM knife. I've read that's a pretty good quality, strong steel. But evidently not strong enough to resist breakage from being dropped. Just curious as I like reading/learning about knife steel. Thanks.
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Re: Leatherman Charge ALX

Post by JEBar » Tue Jun 26, 2018 2:10 am

it does have 154cm stamped on the broken blade .... I don't know much about steel but do know that the one with the broken thumb bar did really well .... it shipped to them today , my hope is it will be back by the end of next week or early in the week after
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Re: Leatherman Charge ALX

Post by PT7 » Tue Jun 26, 2018 8:30 am

Again from my "steel reads," JEBar, that's good steel material. Whenever I search for an evaluation of a steel type, there is usually a single paragraph that is the groundwork for all the details and specs that might follow. Here are some snippets from those descriptions about the steel choices available for your Leatherman.

I saw three choices of blade steel for your multi-tool:
~~S30V which is the best, high end steel. Also read there is a premium price to get this stuff. I have one Buck folder which I had custom-built with this steel. I simply wanted to have one knife in my small collection with this top-of-the-line steel. I can see/feel the sharpness is a "cut above" my other knives.
~~Your 154CM is a high-end stainless steel made in America by Crucible, the same manufacturer of S30V. It is rated as a quite durable steel that holds an edge very well and is easy to sharpen. That durability is evident in your case having used the Leatherman for 13 years now.
~~420HC is an excellent general purpose knife steel, which provides extra strength, hardness, and wear resistance. If you ever look at Buck's knife offerings, they very often use 420HC steel for their knives.

Yeah, I know I ramble on. But I enjoy my small knife collection and especially learning about what all goes into knife construction. Like you, I'd missed my EDC Victorinox Tinker...without it, there is a huge hole in my right pocket. And just like your Leatherman multi-tool, if I didn't have my Victorinox Spirit multi-tool for my home projects, I'd be spending a lot more time rummaging my toolbox for just what is needed!

Best on getting your tool back real soon!
JEBar wrote:it does have 154cm stamped on the broken blade .... I don't know much about steel but do know that the one with the broken thumb bar did really well .... it shipped to them today , my hope is it will be back by the end of next week or early in the week after
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Re: Leatherman Charge ALX

Post by JEBar » Tue Jun 26, 2018 9:08 am

thanks for the info
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Re: Leatherman Charge ALX

Post by dave77 » Tue Jun 26, 2018 12:10 pm

Carried a Leatherman Wave for years before I retired. Now I just keep it in my car in case I have a need for it.

My Benchmade 470-1 has a S30V blade. I guess that's part of the reason for it's cost. Only way I would pay more for a knife is if Wash. state was to legalize automatic knives, I would love to have a Benchmade OTF (out the front).

http://blog.bladeops.com/advantages-of- ... steel.html
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Re: Leatherman Charge ALX

Post by PT7 » Tue Jun 26, 2018 3:52 pm

Interesting article on the S30V steel, Dave77.

One thing I was going to further research, which I didn't know about, was the term "martensitic." That classifies S30V by it's crystalline structure. Sure is digging deep into another one of the many details of steel structure:

"Martensitic is a specific type of stainless steel alloy. Martensitic steels are carbon steels that are usually tempered and hardened. This tempering gives the steel good hardness and high toughness." The concluding remarks also verified that my custom-built folder does have a very good steel blade. The summary left no doubt that I'll have very little, if any, problems with this blade down-the-road. ---> "If you are looking for a high end stainless steel knife that will keep an edge, that will be durable, and will resist corrosion–definitely consider one made with a CPM-S30V blade."

It's also helpful to know this steel holds an edge well. I'm not overly skilled at sharpening knives, so this quality is a real plus. :)

Appreciate the follow up post!
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