Industrial-Strength EDC: Leatherman Glider Pocket Knife Review

Heavy. Tough. Rugged. Those aren’t terms I’d often use to describe an everyday carry pocket knife.

But in the case of the Leatherman Glider, they feel entirely appropriate. The Glider, while shaped for common EDC tasks, simply feels industrial. It seems built in another era of heavy-duty manufacturing, with everything from deeply engraved “USA” letters to steel handles oozing machine shop durability.

The Glider is one of five knives that Leatherman launched on July 8. While Nick LeFort and I teased the blades on launch day, I wanted to spend a lot more time with the Glider before giving it a full review. And I’m glad I did.

For the last 2 months, I have used the Glider extensively, from slicing onions at a campsite to braining fish before filleting. I’ve opened dozens of packages, whittled wood, and cut the heck out of my thumb. And I’ve learned to really appreciate this heirloom-level pocket knife from Portland.

In short: The Leatherman Glider ($300) is a very tough, industrial-feeling EDC pocket knife with refined looks that should last a lifetime with proper care. Its practical MagnaCut sheepsfoot blade holds an edge very well and offers a versatile cutting shape. Its handle is incredibly stiff, no surprise, as it’s solid stainless steel. But it’s a little hard on the hand and not very fidgety, another nod toward its industrial, tool-like feel.

Compare the Glider with the best pocket knives in GearJunkie’s guide.

Leatherman Glider Review

Before I get any further in this article, I want to call out the price of the Glider. This is a $300 pocket knife. While that isn’t particularly off the charts in the land of high-end knives, it certainly is right there on the top shelf. At this price, Leatherman has entered the realm of premium production knives like Benchmade, Spyderco, and Microtec.

Leatherman is playing in the deep end of the pool here, and its competition is no joke.

With that in mind, the Glider is a strong entry into the world of premium knives. Glossing over the ingredients — supremely versatile MagnaCut steel and stainless steel handles — the Leatherman packs all the specs expected at this price range. But it also has to perform flawlessly.

This is where the fun begins. It’s how the knife feels in the hand, its balance. It’s how the knife opens and closes, if the lock is rock solid, if the handle flexes.

The handle is Cerakoted. This protects the stainless steel and gives it a nice appearance, but you can expect it to wear off over time. Honestly, I love the way it’s begun to wear and think it will look really cool as it develops its own unique character.

After some serious use, most of it in outdoor situations, I must admit that Leatherman did a great job with the Glider.

Leatherman Glider: Heavy Duty EDC

I’ve already mentioned “industrial grade” in this article. I really mean it. The Glider is heavy — literally 3.7 ounces — putting it on the high end of the scale compared to the best pocket knives that GearJunkie has tested.

It’s the first attribute others have called out when I handed it to them. As a relatively small pocket knife, it just feels beefy.

It also feels stout and firm. For a knife meant for hard work, I love that. The Glider feels balanced in the hand, but it absolutely means business. I made several hard cuts, including stabbing through the skulls of some walleyes before filleting them (with a fillet knife — come on, I’m not an animal), and the Glider felt both strong and secure in my grip.

I must admit, though, the Glider is not the most ergonomically comfortable knife I’ve used. It is reasonably comfortable. But for hard cutting, when you must press really hard on the knife, the edges of the steel handle and the pocket clip can dig into your skin a little. It’s not much of a downside — just something to be aware of if you, like me, spend too many hours on a computer to maintain hefty calluses.

Thumb Stud Opening: Good, Not Great

Now let’s discuss my biggest criticism of the Glider, one that actually cut the heck out of my thumb due to borderline user error. When flicking the Glider open with the thumb stud, it easily hangs up about halfway open. A flick of the wrist will finish the job, and beginning with authority and a flick, it usually opens in one smooth motion — but not always.

I had a mishap when opening the knife while working on my porch. I needed to open a package, but was holding a post in one hand, so I needed one-hand opening. I flipped out the knife and flicked it to open, but didn’t see that it hung up halfway. As my thumb followed through, it sliced along the razor-sharp edge, giving me a pretty deep laceration right on the pad of my thumb.

I’ve only done it once. But I’ve come close a couple more times. I somewhat chalk it up to my own mistakes in opening the knife, but realistically, I have a heck of a lot of knives and it’s the only time it’s happened.

Regardless, the Glider isn’t exactly fidgety. It takes effort to flip open and closed. It is very smooth, and I can likely adjust the pivot slightly to give it less resistance. But in testing it as it shipped, it’s a little stiff, even after probably a thousand opens and closes. That does speak to the robust nature of the build.

Versatility Off the Charts

Now, let’s get to the core of the Leatherman Glider: EDC versatility. Here, this knife is among the best designs I can imagine. Its deep-bellied MagnaCut blade is nearly perfect. I can’t find fault. It comes out of the box wicked sharp and has maintained a very sharp edge for 2 months of regular, hard use.

After today, I’ll hit it with a strop, but that should be enough to get it back to hair-popping sharp. It’s that good.

And while the Sheepsfoot shape is not always the most popular, I personally love it. The wide blade is just as good at spreading peanut butter as it is at whittling a stick or stabbing into a package.

Its patented compression wedge lock holds up rock solid. The knife feels, essentially, like a fixed blade when open. There is no blade play, and it feels ready to work. As an EDC pocket knife, the Leatherman Glide is an ideal design as it will accomplish basically anything you could need a knife to do while also riding comfortably and securely in a pants pocket.

Pocket Clip and Carry

This brings me to the pocket clip, lanyard, and bit driver. The pocket clip is excellent. It allows deep carry and attaches firmly to the inside of a pocket. While secure, it’s also smooth enough as to not damage the pant material.

I found the knife carries very easily, not taking up too much space in a pocket and allowing room to also carry a phone or keys, so long as the pants have modestly roomy pockets. The deep carry puts the knife far into the pocket, which is nice for security, but does make it a little tough to pull out sometimes.

Fortunately, the lanyard with its attached bit driver offers a great grab point. I found myself usually just grabbing the lanyard when pulling the knife from my pocket. It makes it easily accessible, and the bit driver is a fun little doo-dad that looks cool dangling from a pocket.

That said, I don’t really see it as very useful, although you can use it to tighten or loosen the Torx screws on the knife’s thumb stud and clip. Yes, it could come in handy in a pinch, but I don’t see myself using it often, if ever.

Leatherman Glider Review: Top-Tier, Tough Pocket Knife

The Leatherman Glider may not be perfect. But it is exceptional. Looking at it on my table, it reminds me of something from a bygone era. The tolerances are tight. The steel feels sturdy and strong. It reminds me of something from an old-school tackle box or tool shed from an old-timey farmer.

Note that the Cerakote has worn a little in a few spots. I can tell this thing will patina like crazy, and probably look really rad in a few decades. But it’s also as premium and modern as a knife can be. Cerakoted steel and MagnaCut make for a premium knife that will last for a long time to come.

Indeed, this is a heirloom tool. It’s one a parent could pass to a child or grandchild, no doubt, in decades, and still expect decades more use.

The Cerakote will wear off, and the blade will be sharpened repeatedly. But from what I can tell now, the Leatherman Glider is built to last. Treat it well, and this is an EDC knife that should outlive its owner.