The Leatherman Darkside, officially The Darkside, is the popular multi-tool brand’s second-ever Garage series product, a new experimental multi-tool that launched in limited quantities.
Update: The Darkside has sold out and is no longer available. As discussed below, this tool served as an experimental development platform, and Leatherman might use what they learned in future tool designs.
The Leatherman Darkside is a Charge-inspired multi-tool with brand new features, bold styling, and premium materials.
Advertisement
In a nutshell, what’s special about the Leatherman Darkside is that it features blue layered G10 inner liners, an S30V plain edge knife (like the Charge, with the serrated knife being 420HC), a PVD coating and black oxide finish.
There are also interesting new features, such as a carbide scribe, ballpoint pen, and tweezers.
The handles feature blue G10 inner liners on both sides, contrasting with the multi-tool’s dark coatings and finish.
The Darkside comes with a leather sheath with rivet snap closure and blue-stylized Leatherman logo.
Leatherman Darkside Tools & Functions
- Needlenose Pliers
- Regular Pliers
- Premium Replaceable Wire Cutters
- Premium Replaceable Hard-wire Cutters
- S30V Plain Edge Knife
- 420HC Serrated Knife
- Electrical Crimper
- Saw
- Spring-action Scissors
- Ruler (8 in | 19 cm)
- Can Opener
- Bottle Opener
- Wood/Metal File
- Diamond-Coated File
- Screwdrivers
- Large Bit Driver
- Small Bit Driver
- Medium/Large Screwdriver
- Medium Screwdriver
- Eyeglass Screwdriver
- Carbide Scribe
- Ballpoint Pen (Schmidt 635 mini D1)
- Tweezers
I do not recall ever seeing a carbide scribe, ballpoint pen, or tweezers on a full-size Leatherman multi-tool before. It seems that these features are hidden away via lanyard ring attachment points.
The tweezers, no. 19 in the image of all tools and functions, tuck into the handle.
Advertisement
Leatherman Darkside Features
- All-locking Features
- Black Oxide
- Lanyard Ring
- Outside-accessible Features
- One-hand Operable Features
- PVD Coating
Leatherman Darkside Key Specs
- 6.25″ (15.88 cm) open length
- 4″ (10.16 cm) closed length
- 1.2″ width
- 0.76″ overall thickness
- Weighs 8.5 oz (241 g)
- 2.9″ blade length
- Materials: S30V, 420 stainless steel, G-10
Price & Availability
A limited number of The Darkside multi-tools are available exclusively at Leatherman.com.
Price: $250
Update: The Darkside has sold out.
If you want a premium Leatherman multi-tool with more traditional styling, the Charge TTI is always a great (albeit still pricey) choice for $179.95. The Wave is also an excellent multi-tool, priced at $109.95.
Leatherman Darkside Inspiration
For the next Garage release, we’re venturing into THE DARKSIDE. This product embodies the creative process of exploring the unknown, uncovering inspiration in unfamiliar places, and discovering innovation. Inspired by our collaboration with Tom Sachs, we asked the question: Can we push ourselves to make something extraordinary.
Here is what they said they learned in experimenting and developing The Darkside:
1. We discovered brand-new features to add to the existing Charge platform.
2. We’ve explored new ways of using materials and coatings to evolve our aesthetics.
3. We’ve engineered uses for new materials like layered G10 to add unique characteristics to our tools.
Finally,
THE DARKSIDE was inspired by culture, music, and relationships. We’ve learned new ways of improving and manufacturing our tools. But more important, we’ve reinforced our spirit of innovation that drives us into the unknown. We hope that using THE DARKSIDE does the same for you.
Basically, it sounds like Leatherman let their design engineers get creative and take some risks, which seems to be what the Garage tool release program is all about.
The Darkside is definitely very different compared to existing and previous Charge multi-tool designs. It will be interesting to see if or how they work G10 or the other material and aesthetic techniques used here into future multi-tools.
Leatherman Garage Warranty Policy
As a limited-run product, it is not covered by the replacement portion of our standard 25-year warranty on full-size tools. We will still attempt to repair any Garage tools submitted for repair. If a repair can’t be made, we will offer a store credit of the full purchase value.
Launch Details
Name: The Darkside
Garage Series Batch #2
Launched: 6/14/2022 at 9am PT/12pm ET
Announced Quantity: 900
Delivery ETA: 6/23/22
Sold Out at (or Before): 9:33am PT/12:33pm ET
GNew
I did not need, but I did end up buying. Dang you ToolGuyd!
Popgun42
Will people really pay that price for one of those???
Tim D.
Not only will people pay $250, but then people will turn around and sell them for 1-200% profit.
Stuart
Functionality-wise, the Charge is a fantastic tool. I bought an ALX as gifts for the dads when I got married, and one for myself, and later a TTI.
Is this worth the $70 premium over the Charge TTI? For strictly use? No. For use and collectible purposes? That’s an individual choice.
Part of the good and bad about launches like this is that there’s no room for deliberation. You either buy it on the spot if you can, or you pass on it.
Tim D.
It looks like they borrowed the features from the Tom Sachs model with the scribe/pen/tweezers.
I’d love to see these features make it into the regular charge+/tti.
Tim D.
I already see two listed on Ebay for 1k. It’ll be interesting to see if anyone is willing to pay that much.
Tim D.
Ebay sold listings are showing that some have already sold for $6-800.
maxlvledc
I’m surprised you didn’t mention one of the more unusual features, what looks like a plier pivot that can be disassembled.
Stuart
Hmm, that’s interesting. I hadn’t noticed this, and it also wasn’t listed in press or launch materials.
Rusty B
Are they fugging serious?
They’re trolling us right?
“THE DARKSIDE was inspired by culture, music, and relationships.”
Some nice features, but $250? Zoinks.
It’s a no from me Dogg.
Jared
My eyes rolled involuntarily at that sentence too. It’s like, “What are things people like? Lets say this multitool is just like them.”
Geoff
Sold out.
Stuart
Thank you – I updated the post as soon as I saw.
Caleb Allen
Already sold out!
Tim D.
It lasted longer than I expected.
I’m assuming because they didn’t email out a proper link and their garage page didn’t update.
Stuart
The Garage page didn’t update for me, but I also briefly noticed that it showed two different versions depending on how you landed there. Clicking through from Leatherman’s site showed the product details, while getting there by other means (including my links) only showed the archive page with a listing of the sold-out Mr. Crunch. Now, the Garage page is back to being an archive listing with both sold-out products.
From what I observed, it looks like sales were open for quite a bit until Leatherman’s newsletter and social media posts went out, after which it sold out in less than 10 minutes.
Jim Felt
“THE DARKSIDE was inspired by culture, music, and relationships”. Ah. No?
I’m surprised Lucasfilm’s successor Disney isn’t annoyed yet.
And I’m kind of serious. Or is that Darth Sidious?
Groan.
Jared
I’m surprised to find I actually like the loadout. A precision flat-blade screwdriver to fix up my glasses, a backup pen, a carbide scribe, a better quality plain edge blade… all things I could make use of.
I would loose some tools in favor of a slimmer profile – but it’s not missing anything I would want.
My choices for subtraction:
– long inside tools: serrated blade and the saw.
– small outside tools: can opener/ bottle opener, whatever #19 is (small, but not precision flat blade?) and, if I had to for space, the scissors.
Jared
BTW, if there’s ever a Skeletool-based Leatherman Garage tool, count me in!
Jared
Instead of friends and music, it can be inspired by camping, rare steak and craft beer.
Adam
Sounds like the marketing was towards millennials, but if that was the case, they forgot to include a round safety tip butter knife
blocky
And a shoe horn for Gen Xers.
TomD
Awww, I wanted the blue to glow from some small LED, or at least glow in the dark. Could have been useful when I drop mine into a hole.
Kevin
Actually got an order in. I dont know about anyone else, but I had to start an online chat with Leatherman’s customer service and ask to be provided with a working link to the sale page. Trying to get to it on Leatherman’s site was not working, and neither was the link provided in this article. Both ways would just show the same page with the Mr Crunch and showing it was sold out. I also signed up for an email alert at like 9am EST through Leatherman, but did not receive an email with a link. I guess I just got lucky.
Got an order confirmation email from Leatherman, and also called to ask if there was any possibility of my order being cancelled due to overselling. They said no, they did not oversell by accident.
No idea what I’m gonna do with this thing yet. Might keep it, or give it as a Father’s Day gift.
I just bought the Free P4 a few days ago to EDC and stumbled across talk about the ‘darkside’. Lol
Adam
I dislike super limited editions like this, where the company knows it will sell out almost instantly, right up there with bait & switch companies. Maybe they are one in the same.
Better off sending them out direct to their hardcore users. I’m sure they have data telling them of some of their higher spending customers. At least that way, most don’t get sold 2nd hand.
William Adams
It’s one way to manage costs — I agree it would be better to do a notification and have an open period to accept orders, then manufacture that many plus spares.
Stuart
There are pros and cons to both methods.
With the pre-production method, they have a fixed number of units immediately ready to ship out.
With the preorder method, there are always going to be long waiting periods and delays. There are also more complications, such as when customers move or change credit cards.
There’s no way to please everyone.
gerundio
with that money I can buy 2 tool boxes full of tools
Stuart
At least.
Chris
Are the bullet points supposed to correlate with the numbers on the pictures?
Please change them to numbers for ease of use if that’s the case.
Even then, I don’t know that they match up correctly. Number 8 is a (needle/poker?) in the first picture and a file in the second (which lines up with the list). Numbering would just be way easier for legibility.
Stuart
No, they’re not.
I wrote out the list and then found the new numbered image, which I only wanted to use to show the tweezer placement. That’s why it comes afterwards.
The numbers change between images, and so I figured it’s best to keep the bulleted features list as-is.
ball_bearing
Wow! This one sold out quite fast.
Nice tool selection. The included pen, and scribe look useful. I hope they include them in other multi tools. No awl or chisel on the darkside.
JR Ramos
That scribe is a great idea! Not sure about the particular shape – looks a little fiddly to use and possibly easy to lose. I’m sure replacements would be pricey. Excellent addition to a multitool, though.
blocky
I’ve been thinking about cutting a scribe point to the shape of one of the leatherman interchangeable bits – could travel in my skeletool which would be pretty secure and easy to use locked into the screwdriver end.
SP
I didnt see all comments. from the images above it seems that a pocket clip is not included in the arsenal\.
Maybe the slot of the carbide scribe (wich comes with a lanyard ring) is interchangable and can handle a pocket clip.
Stuart
Leatherman doesn’t mention it, but those pen/scribe accessory attachments do look a lot like the standard lanyard loop and pocket clip attachments. Those are typically sold separately from the Wave and Charge tools.
DY
From Leatherman:
No, the Darkside does not come with a pocket clip nor does our existing pocket clip work with it as the opening for where it would go is too wide.
Stuart
Thank you!!
Cody G
The Crunch impressed me more.
Nathan
isn’t PVD that polyvinyl Dip or some such. vinly coating that can wear off – used on most colored car wheels these days.
Not sure I like that – I do sort of like the scribe addon. the rest is debateable all around. Not sure what they are trying out here. Other than maybe custom knife blade steel.
MM
PVD = plasma vapor deposition. It’s an extremely thin metallic coating.
The stuff used on colored car wheels, bumpers, etc, is powder coating. It is a dry powder which is applied with an electrostatic spray gun (the static makes the powder stick to the part), and then baked in an oven to melt and cure the powder into a coating. It can wear off but it’s much more durable than paint.
Vinyl dipping, like on the handles of many pliers, is a different thing entirely.
J. Newell
Mine showed up today (slow/free shipping from WA to MA). Random comments.
The scribe and pen are very cleverly implemented, though I found them almost by accident, because…
The documentation is basically nada, which is fine, it’s a Leatherman Wave descendent, after all.
The blue liners don’t have the sort of glow I sort of expected – probably because I’m not taking photos on a light table! 🙂
Slightly more seriously and my only negative note, I’m not sure how the black scales are finished. They appear to be painted, because on one side there’s a few spots where the G10 matrix is visible. On the other, there’s a fairly large area where the matrix is visible, almost like someone had taken one more pass on a wheel after the paint had been applied. Since that’s obviously not true, my best guess is that these are wear spots where the sheath/holster rubbed the scales during their cross-country trip to me. Either that or the Tom Sachs DNA in this is causing the tool to try to revert to white. 😉
Summary –
I like it.
The new features are nice and nicely done – worthy of being added to future models.
It’s pricey.
It does have a sort of prototype feel to it (best example: the scale wear).
I’ll be keeping it. The real question is will I use it? – don’t know yet!