Improving the Leatherman

[mklotz]

The Leatherman series of tools are really great. I carry one daily. But, annoyingly, they use a proprietary form of screwdriver bit and the holder for them on the tool will not accept the ubiquitous 1/4" hex bits available everywhere. [I have a Smith & Wesson knockoff of the Leatherman that has a fitting to accept 1/4" hex but, sadly, it doesn't measure up to the Leatherman in other respects.]

Determined to have my way, I took one of the 1/4" magnetic extension adapters (on the left in the first photo) and ground the tang flat on both sides until it would fit into the Leatherman receptacle. Happily, the necked down portion of the tang provides the same locking action that the proprietary tips have. In addition to accepting standard 1/4" hex bits, it's now magnetic plus it will accept the proprietary bits. The fact that it also provides a bit of standoff from the tool body can be a real bonus in some cases.

Yes, it's one more thing to weigh down your pocket, but, for me, it's worth the effort.