Leatherman Crunch Discontinued: A Farewell to a Compact Locking Pliers Icon

Introduction

The Leatherman Crunch, one of the longest-running multi-tools in the brand’s lineup, has been officially discontinued. It originally debuted in 1999 and stayed in production for more than twenty years, which is an impressive lifespan for any tool. If you have never handled one, this is a good moment to look at what made it unique and where things stand for anyone hoping to pick one up now.

What the Crunch Actually Is

The Crunch is a compact locking pliers multi-tool, built around a folding vice grip rather than the usual needle-nose or blunt pliers. It weighs around seven and a half ounces and uses locking implements with a locking tab. Folding out the plier head and clipping it into place turns this very small package into a working pair of vice grips.

The vice grips themselves have a large grabbing section, a fine front section, and a small useful notch. There are also pass-through cutters for hard and soft wire, with a wire stripper built into the notch. The internal tool set includes a fully serrated blade, a Phillips driver, a large flathead, a small flathead with a bottle opener, a lanyard ring, and a three-sided file with a metal cutting surface plus cross cut and straight cut surfaces.

The serrated blade makes sense in context: this has always leaned more industrial than everyday, well suited to cutting man-made materials and piping.

The Integrated Bit Driver

One feature worth highlighting is what was reportedly the first integrated bit driver in a Leatherman. Unscrew the section that holds the plier head and you get access to a bit driver that accepts double-sided bits, Leatherman bits, and standard hex bits. It is a genuinely clever piece of design hidden in an unusual location.

Who Will Miss It Most

Construction has diminished somewhat over the years, though broadly you get what the tool has always been, and some elements such as the file are arguably better than in earlier iterations. Still, people who carry the Crunch tend to swear by it. Many engineers, mechanics, and tradespeople use it as a backup implement, and some carry it as their only tool. Paired with another multi-tool, it makes a strong combination because of its unique locking pliers function.

Why the Discontinuation Makes Sense

Nearly every component on the Crunch exists only for this tool. Its locking mechanism, size, and tang dimensions differ from almost everything else in the lineup, meaning dedicated tooling for a single product. With limited manufacturing space and US-based production, trimming a single-purpose item is a logical decision. The concern is that heavy-duty tools for tradespeople, beyond the Super Tool 300 and Surge, seem less of a priority, and a locking plier design like this does not appear to fit the direction of the current platform.

Practical Alternatives to Consider

If you relied on the Crunch, there are workable replacements. A dedicated four-inch vice grip integrates easily into everyday carry at a low cost, and a five-inch version gets closer to the Crunch’s size. Because these are forged rather than cast, they can be used more abusively than most multi-tools with cast plier heads. The Knipex Cobra and Knipex pliers wrench are other strong options, and carrying dedicated locking pliers alongside a needle-nose multi-tool can deliver a similar or even better combination.

Buying Advice

If you still want a Crunch, act carefully. Stock on Leatherman’s website sold out almost instantly, so remaining units will likely flow to the secondary market, and prices could climb well past the two hundred dollar mark. If you already own one and send it in for warranty service, mark your tool as sentimental. Otherwise there is a chance Leatherman returns a similar in-production multi-tool instead, and you would lose a tool you can never replace. The 25-year warranty still applies, but replacement support for a discontinued tool is worth watching.

Conclusion

The Leatherman Crunch filled a niche no other multi-tool really matched: genuine locking vice grip capability in a compact, locking-implement package. Its departure leaves a gap for the people who depended on it daily, and while dedicated pliers and other brands can approximate the function, nothing quite replicated the formula. If you find one at a fair price, it may be worth grabbing; otherwise, a forged dedicated vice grip plus a standard multi-tool remains a practical path forward.