Leatherman Micra Scissors Tested: Small Multi-Tool Scissors Compared

Introduction

Small multi-tool scissors rarely get taken seriously, but they are often the feature you reach for most on a keychain tool. To find out which compact scissors actually earn their place, one brand-new-in-package vintage Leatherman Micra was put through the same cutting tests used on other small multi-tools, then compared directly against the Nextool Mini Flagship Pro, the OTTacle P1, the Gerber Dime, and a Victorinox 91mm Swiss Army knife.

The materials tell the story: fabric, paracord, Kevlar fabric, Kevlar thread, and seat belt webbing. Few small scissors handle all of them, and the results here were genuinely surprising.

A Sealed Vintage Data Point

The test started with an old Leatherman Micra still in its sealed clamshell packaging, untouched since it left the factory. Its date codes read 1996 and 1997, making it one of the oldest examples around, roughly 23 years old at the time of testing. A second Micra from around 2000 was also checked for comparison.

One issue showed up immediately: noticeable pivot play, with a visible gap and movement at the blade joint. That loose pinning is a recurring weakness across small multi-tool scissors, because without consistent pressure between the blades the cutting geometry suffers. Sharpness, however, was a different matter entirely.

How the Micra Performed

Fabric was cut cleanly from edge to tip, which matters more than it sounds since fabric is genuinely hard on small scissors. Paracord was a partial success: it cut, but struggled near the tip and had trouble getting fully between the blades.

The big surprise was Kevlar thread. Very few scissors cut this material, and even the Victorinox reference scissors have trouble with it. The 23-year-old Micra sliced it cleanly, an impressive result that suggests the blade geometry and edge quality on this generation were excellent, even with the loose pivot. Kevlar fabric, on the other hand, was a hard no: the blades simply pushed the material between them.

The Competition: Other Small Multi-Tool Scissors

The Nextool Mini Flagship Pro put up a solid fight. It also struggled with Kevlar fabric, cut paracord but not well, and could not manage the Kevlar thread. On the finer materials its scissor geometry was slightly behind the old Micra, which is notable given the Micra’s age.

The OTTacle P1, a plier-based multi-tool, was the dark horse. Its scissors cut the tough thread material cleanly, handled fabric without issue, managed paracord even though it is not easy, and coped with Kevlar fabric about as well as anything else tested, which is to say not particularly cleanly. Kevlar remains a real pain for nearly every small scissor.

The Gerber Dime fared worst. Its blades flexed so much under load that cutting required physically squeezing the two blades together by hand. It managed basic fabric once pressure was applied manually, but failed on tougher materials and was clearly a step behind the OTTacle P1.

The Victorinox Benchmark

Then came the Victorinox 91mm Swiss Army knife, which uses the same scissor design as the smaller 58mm models. The difference was immediate and almost unfair. Fabric, Kevlar fabric, paracord, and seat belt webbing all cut with essentially no resistance, and the Kevlar thread was dispatched with a single clean snip.

The reason is construction, not just sharpness. There is literally no play in a Victorinox scissor pivot, and the blades are bent so they cross each other. When the blades flex under load, they flex into each other and maintain contact, so all you need to do is press down. That is why they are so consistently good, and why none of the multi-tool scissors tested came remotely close.

Buying Advice

The honest conclusion from this test is that the Micra question is still not fully settled. A 23-year-old example proved that good Micra scissors existed at one point, sharp enough to beat scissors that normally dominate this material, but the loose pivot remains a real limitation. A brand-new unit at around $50 is the next data point needed before calling the current scissors good or bad.

What is clear today:

If strong small scissors are your priority, the plier-based option performed surprisingly well across the board:

The Nextool alternative is competent but a step behind the old Micra on finer materials:

The compact Gerber is best left for light tasks only:

And if cutting performance matters more than anything else, nothing in this size class approaches the Victorinox:

Conclusion

This test produced one genuinely important data point: a vintage Leatherman Micra with scissors sharp enough to cut Kevlar thread, something even the Victorinox struggles with, while still suffering from the loose pivot that holds most small multi-tool scissors back. The Victorinox 91mm remains the outright scissor champion thanks to its crossed, zero-play blade design. Whether a brand-new Micra matches its 1990s ancestor is the open question, and worth checking before you spend $50.