Can A Leatherman Multitool Cut Barbed Wire?

Barbed wire is nasty business, especially for wildlife. Fortunately, the awareness of how damaging it can be is growing daily, and there are even groups committed to taking down rusty and unused barbed wire. Say, you're out and about, and run into this wire, but you've only got one of the Leatherman tools designed for camping with you. Can a Leatherman cut barbed wire?

It depends on the exact multitool you have, but in a pinch, a Leatherman can cut barbed wire if it's equipped with wire cutters or pliers. Of course, your mileage here may vary. Some owners point out that while some tools like the Leatherman Wave can cut wire, it's not as easy as it seems, recommending to first separate the strands. This seems to be a well-documented issue online, with a Redditor who owns multiple Leatherman tools (Signal, Arc, and Surge) complaining that none of them can cut the strands in one squeeze. While the notion of some struggle does seem underwhelming, it's actually a positive that a multitool can technically do it, albeit with some challenges.

It doesn't hurt to have something at your side that is capable of cutting barbed wire, or any other kind of wire, for that matter. A good starting point is checking out the 'Trades' category that Leatherman offers on its site. All the four tools in the category (Wave Plus, Surge, Super Tool 300 and Rebar) are equipped with pliers and other selection of useful tools. You shouldn't worry about missing out on anything with these, as the Leatherman Surge is the brand's multitool with most features.

However, what Leatherman products have users confirmed can cut barbed wire specifically? The aforementioned Surge and Wave fit the bill, as well as the Super Tool 300. You can add Leatherman Arc, the most expensive multitool in the lineup, to the list, and the same goes for Leatherman Signal. According to one owner, the Bond multitool has the best wire cutters out of all Leatherman offerings.

Either way, props to Leatherman for being able to handle barbed wire. It's an impressive feat considering that these multitools aren't designed with such heavy materials in mind. Nevertheless, if you're doing actual work, like removing barbed wire on a property, then you're better off buying standalone wire cutters like the Knipex CoBolt Compact. It's cheaper than most of the multitools listed (just $60), and there is even a video on YouTube that compares the two, so you can see for yourself how they work before you go gung-ho on the wire.