Leatherman Sidekick Review

Overview

The Leatherman Sidekick is a pocket-sized, 14-tool multi-tool built around spring-action pliers and a pair of outside-accessible locking tools: a knife and a saw. It is aimed at campers, car-campers and general-purpose carriers more than gram-counters. The trade-off is plain: it is built like a full-size Leatherman, and it weighs like one.

Key Specs

Spec	Detail
Weight	198.4 g (7 oz)
Tool count	14
Closed length	3.8 in / 9.7 cm
Open length	6.0 in / 15.2 cm
Primary blade length	2.6 in / 6.6 cm
Width	1.27 in / 3.2 cm
Thickness	0.56 in / 1.4 cm
Material	420HC stainless steel
Locking tools	Knife and saw, opened from the outside
Carry	Replaceable pocket clip, lanyard attachment, nylon sheath
Warranty	25 years

Performance

Build. The Sidekick’s reputation rests on how little it feels like a budget tool. Reviewers at Everyday Commentary went in expecting stiff pivots and burred edges and found neither, noting only a slight up-and-down wobble in the knife blade when deployed. EDC Ninja’s testers tried to break it by sawing, screwing and cutting wire, and couldn’t. German owners echo the wobble complaint, reporting a little play in the tool both open and closed, though most still rate it highly. The handles are rounded and smooth, which owners say is easy on both hands and pockets.

Pliers. Spring-action pliers are the Sidekick’s quiet advantage. The springs push the jaws open between squeezes, which matters when pulling hot pot handles apart, working a stuck zipper pull or doing repetitive wire work. Owners singled this out as the feature that separates it from similarly sized tools without it. The wire cutters are a weaker point. A Blade Forums regular described them as closer to a pincher than a true cutter, and Leatherman’s own customer-review summary shows opinions split on them.

Knife and saw. Both are reachable without opening the handles, and both lock. That is the practical heart of the tool on trail. The saw has a reputation as the standout: one fishing owner used it to drop a three-quarter-inch limb to retrieve a snagged lure, and a woodsman on Blade Forums used it on hickory poles. Its rough spine will also throw sparks off a ferro rod. The plain-edge blade draws more mixed reports. One owner of two Sidekicks found the steel softer than on his other Leatherman tools and said it doesn’t hold an edge as well, and another saw occasional surface rust on the plain blade that wiped off easily. A long-term Trailspace owner saw the blade and saw dull slightly over three to four years of camping use, but not badly. The 420HC steel is a practical, easy-to-sharpen choice that favors corrosion resistance over edge retention.

Weight and pocketability. At 198.4 g, the Sidekick is the opposite of an ultralight tool. Trailspace reviewers flagged it as a bit heavy for the pocket, and testers comparing it with the Leatherman Skeletool found the Skeletool noticeably lighter, though it relies on loose bits that owners say tend to go missing. The Sidekick’s tools all fold inside the handle, which means nothing to lose. The 3.8-inch closed body is short enough to disappear into a hip-belt pocket or small pouch, and the included nylon sheath keeps it from rattling around a pack.

Legal note. Because the knife and saw lock, the Sidekick is not legal to carry in all circumstances in the UK. A UK reviewer kept his in its pouch inside a pack pocket for that reason.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Spring-action pliers reduce hand fatigue on repetitive tasks
• Locking knife and saw open from the outside, one-handed
• Solid, tight construction that testers couldn’t break
• All 14 tools fold inside the handles, so there are no loose bits to lose
• Replaceable pocket clip and lanyard attachment are included
• 25-year Leatherman warranty

Cons

• 198.4 g is heavy for any weight-conscious pack list
• Slight blade play reported by several owners
• Wire cutters are underpowered; the file and serrated blade are small
• 420HC blade won’t hold an edge as long as premium steels
• Locking blade restricts carry in some jurisdictions, including parts of the UK

Who Should Buy This

The Sidekick suits section hikers, weekend campers, anglers and car-campers who want pliers, a real saw and a locking blade in one tool, and who don’t mind 7 ounces to get them. It also makes sense as a camp-kitchen, basecamp or bikepacking repair tool, where weight matters less and a pair of pliers gets used.

Thru-hikers and ultralight backpackers should look elsewhere. A small blade or a featherweight keychain tool covers most trail tasks at a fraction of the weight, and the Sidekick’s pliers and saw are rarely needed on a maintained trail.

Verdict

The Sidekick is a well-made, practical multi-tool with spring-loaded pliers and a saw that does real work. It earns its place in a camping kit, not in a base weight that’s measured in single-digit pounds. Buy it for the camp, the truck or the tackle box, and leave it home on the long trail.