Oversized, Out of Place, But Perfectly Balanced: Leatherman Pioneer Fixed Blade Review

Trends often dictate a brand’s next product, but not always. Over the last year, a slew of small pocket fixed-blade knives dominated the knife market. Generally less than 6 inches, they’re designed to be discreet and effective.

But even as this sub-segment continues to grow and thrive, Leatherman opted to design its new line of “Built Different” fixed-blade knives as full-sized, conspicuous, and suitable for tough outdoor work. A 10-inch-long, full-tang, MagnaCut, saber-ground tanto blade, the Pioneer looks like a knife Rambo would take with him on a weekend camping trip.

This wakizashi-like blade dominates without being overbearing. It aims to be a knife that allows users to leave their hatchet and folding saw at home.

In short: Leatherman bucks the trend toward pocket-sized fixed blades with an oversized belt knife aimed at life outdoors. Some people may find it to be too much knife, but purists and folks looking for a hard-working blade capable of survival tasks will find it to be just right.

Leatherman Pioneer Review

Design & Features

The Leatherman Pioneer is a hard-use, oversized fixed-blade belt knife made from a solid piece of MagnaCut Steel. It has a saber-ground tanto blade shape, simple ergonomics, and a track of jimping on the spine for increased blade control. For handle scales, Leatherman chose G10.

The combination of MagnaCut and G10 is synonymous with premium, durable, and reliable. MagnaCut steel’s popularity over the last couple of years owes to its balance of toughness, abrasion resistance, and corrosion resistance. It’s also easy to sharpen when the time comes.

Leatherman’s choice of a saber grind keeps the blade strong while thinning it out toward the edge for prolonged sharpness.

G10 scales are known for their resilience and provide a decent, consistent level of grip. If you were looking to buy an outdoor knife in 2025, MagnaCut and G10 would be a popular pairing. Aside from performing well in dry conditions, both do really well in wet and gritty conditions and clean up exceedingly well.

For a sheath, Leatherman went with a full-grain leather and Kydex hybrid. This not only looks great hanging off your hip, but performs well, too.

The Pioneer will sit low on the hip and shouldn’t interfere with pack hip belts. Additionally, Kydex allows you to index the knife into the sheath without having to stop and look to make sure your aim was on point.

First Impressions

My very first response to unboxing the Pioneer was, “Wow, that’s big.” At 10 inches, it is a big knife, maybe even too big for some. However, when you consider where this knife is capable of, its size may be just right. This isn’t a knife you wear around town. This is utility tool, a blade to hang off your hip when you head off-grid for a few days.

Even more incredible than the saber-ground, impressively sharp tanto blade is the fact that Leatherman invested in an entirely new facility to make this line. That meant new machines, new people, new ideas, and new challenges.

So the Pioneer is, quite literally, “built different.” And it shines through in the overall quality of the design and build.

In all the years I have been into knives, tools, outdoor gear, and gadgets in general, I have never heard so many people complain about a new product. Considering brands like Benchmade and TOPS Knives constantly come under fire for their “Made in the USA” knives being too expensive, I can’t say I am completely surprised.

But comments on Leatherman’s social media posts for its folding knives, fixed blades, and entire Built Different collection all received the kinds of vicious backlash that tends to draw out the worst in humanity.

I am not sure if people are unaware of what goes into manufacturing finished goods in the U.S., or if they’re simply accustomed to paying lower prices for foreign manufacturing.

However, from materials to labor to marketing and distribution, it’s just more expensive to manufacture quality products in the United States.

Tariffs only exacerbated this issue. With steel that more than likely came from Canada and G10 scales from overseas, the Pioneer could easily have been a $400-500 knife. To help offset this, Leatherman invested in new facilities focused on knife-making and allowed Leatherman to complete more manufacturing steps in-house.

This is an American company that just made itself even more domestically capable. We should be praising Leatherman right now for investing in the country.

As for complaints that a multitool brand doesn’t need to make knives, Leatherman has been a knife brand for as long as it’s been a multitool brand.

In the Field

Ten-inch belt knives tend to run bulky, but not the Pioneer. It does make an obvious impression hanging off a belt, but it stays in place and is fairly streamlined. This stems from the knife not being overly thick, along with the hybrid leather/Kydex sheath.

In use, though, it has blade-forward design, the Pioneer is well-balanced and performs with ease. Considering it can replace a hatchet, its purpose starts to come into focus. Not only is the flat saber grind great for this tanto-style blade, it also lets it slide through wood and other materials easily.

One interesting aspect is that the Pioneer does not have a hard transition from the front of the blade edge to the belly like a traditional tanto blade. Instead, Leatherman kept the transition on the blade edge round and fluid. This makes the Pioneer easier to use and resharpen.

More than a month into my relationship with the blade, I can honestly say I am more than satisfied with its form, function, and capabilities. It batons and chops with aplomb, and it still slices well for a knife with such brutish capabilities. And it does it all without being unruly.

And because it’s one solid piece of tough-as-nails MagnaCut steel, Leatherman has no issues recommending the Pioneer for prying tasks. Remember, this knife comes with a 25-year warranty! It’s a camp knife on steroids and is going to take sales away from both folding pocket saws and hatchets.

Conclusion: Who’s It For?

While the Pioneer might be overkill for an evening walk with the dog or light day hike, there’s almost no limit to tasks it can handle. Nomads: this is a knife for you. For life in the woods or at the cabin, the Leatherman Pioneer requires very little maintenance. Just make sure you wipe down the blade when you switch between tasks. Pine sap tastes horrible on camp potatoes.

Hunters: A knife like this could field dress a deer and harvest meat on the spot. With MagnaCut’s edge retention, you won’t have to resharpen it until you get back home.

Finally, the Pioneer makes a great choice for those who want to keep their packs light. At 12 ounces overall, it certainly weighs more than a pocket knife, but nowhere near as much as a hatchet or folding saw. For me, it’s my camp kitchen prep knife and also a kindling splitter. This knife can easily be your everything knife.