Micra / Leatherman
The Micra is built around a different idea from most Leatherman tools. Where the others centre pliers, the Micra centres spring-action scissors, unusually good ones for a tool that closes to 2.5 inches, and that single choice defines what the keychain carries. The scissors are the spring-loaded part; the other nine tools, a knife, screwdrivers, a file, tweezers, a bottle opener and a ruler etched into the handles, fold out the conventional way and need the handles opened first. At 1.8 ounces in stainless steel, it is light enough to forget on a keyring. The design has been essentially unchanged since 1996, which says something about how settled it is: it does scissors-first, light-duty work better than almost anything its size, and does not pretend to do more.
Design intent
- +Scissors are the primary tool rather than an afterthought; at this scale they outperform almost any comparable keychain tool and are what most people in this format actually reach for.
- +Holding the design steady since 1996 reflects a tool resolved early: ten genuinely useful functions in a stainless body that disappears on a keyring.
Trade-offs
- -Only the scissors are spring-action; reaching the knife or screwdrivers means unfolding the handles first, so the access sequence suits scissors-first use and penalises everything else.
- -Its tiny size limits leverage: the screwdrivers and blade are fine for light tasks but have little torque or reach behind them.
The Micra is built around a different idea from most Leatherman tools. Where the others centre pliers, the Micra centres spring-action scissors, unusually good ones for a tool that closes to 2.5 inches, and that single choice defines what the keychain carries. The scissors are the spring-loaded part; the other nine tools, a knife, screwdrivers, a file, tweezers, a bottle opener and a ruler etched into the handles, fold out the conventional way and need the handles opened first. At 1.8 ounces in stainless steel, it is light enough to forget on a keyring. The design has been essentially unchanged since 1996, which says something about how settled it is: it does scissors-first, light-duty work better than almost anything its size, and does not pretend to do more.
Design intent
- +Scissors are the primary tool rather than an afterthought; at this scale they outperform almost any comparable keychain tool and are what most people in this format actually reach for.
- +Holding the design steady since 1996 reflects a tool resolved early: ten genuinely useful functions in a stainless body that disappears on a keyring.
Trade-offs
- -Only the scissors are spring-action; reaching the knife or screwdrivers means unfolding the handles first, so the access sequence suits scissors-first use and penalises everything else.
- -Its tiny size limits leverage: the screwdrivers and blade are fine for light tasks but have little torque or reach behind them.
