The Sidekick and Rebar really should not be compared side to side as they have different intents. Sure a few more gadgets would be handy, however for general-purpose survival, ounce-for-ounce this is a new favorite companion when I have real work to do. This is by far my favorite of the general purpose Leatherman’s for survival use. This is the Leatherman I wanted back when the original was introduced and addresses every shortcoming.

What impressed me about this tool was how much was packed into the tool from a size and weight perspective.Īdded to the original Leatherman’s features are a serrated blade, saw, awl with eyelet for sewing, replaceable wire cutters in the plier jaws, and non-spring loaded plier jaws- all tools lock open. The Rebar is all about packing more into a more compact package. The Rebar is back to a size and full-sized tool function of the original Leatherman but just a bit thicker for a few extra features. With a rubber band over the handles, I can still use the plier for that purpose. One of the features I know some will be excited over is spring loaded plier jaws, however I am not a fan as a big use for me is using the pliers as a third hand to hold a piece of wire for soldering or to tie a fly. Also included with the Leatherman Sidekick is a slipcase for an executive type carry and carabineer tool, which I did not find particularly useful other than as a nice add on to my key chain. To increase the utility an attached pocket clip for tip-down carry of the one-handed thumb-opening utility blade. In some cases it does not make a difference, however on the file and serrated knife, you do lose just a little utility. The Sidekicks is still a full-featured multi-tool, but the tool sizes have been reduced a little. To prevent this on the Sidekick, Leatherman shortened man of the nested internal tools. The excellent feature of one-hand operation of the locking saw and knife blades in a feature I love on this tool, however it does generally make the sacrifice of a slightly bulkier tool. The same quality and strength is there, however it is just in a slightly smaller package. The mid-sized Sidekick really is a tool designed more for casual use with a overall size, tool size, and design that downsizes many of these tools into a package that is simple and easy to carry anytime and anywhere. These allow you to cut, fix, scavenge, and fabricate pretty much anything with the exception of something requiring an end mill and CNC machine-both the Rebar and Sidekick have these tools to some degree. There are features I believe critical to a general survival multi-tool including locking knife blades, bottle opener, can opener, lanyard ring, standard screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, ruler, saw, small screwdriver, pliers, wire cutters, crimper, wire stripper, and file. The Sidekick gives you a more compact package designed for more casual use, which can take the place of a pocketknife clipped to your pocket.

The Rebar gives you more substantial feeling full-sized locking tools. 5-ounce lighter, but feels substantially lighter due to a more compact package. When comparing the Sidekick to the Rebar, the Rebar is a purpose built, hard use tool with thicker, stronger, longer tools, and a more substantial handle.

Leatherman sidekick review