| Multi-tool Name | Leatherman ARC Obsidian |
| Primary Blade Length | 2.76″ |
| Number of Functions | 20 |
| Weight | 8.6 oz |
| Materials | 420 stainless steel, 440C stainless steel, MagnaCut steel, DLC and PVD coating |
| MSRP | $275 |
It’s been almost a year to the day when the first Leatherman ARC was released, and to date it’s still maintained its status as one of the most premium and feature-complete multi-tools you can add to you EDC. You get 20 functions within the familiar FREE magnetic system (our personal favorite), as well as the addition of a bit driver, the last box to be ticked from the wishlist of FREE owners. That its main blade also made use of the modern supersteel favorite MagnaCut made the ARC all the more an attractive proposition, in spite of its higher asking price.
Leatherman could have just left it there and have a winner for the long haul, but if any of their recent releases playing on colors and coating are any indication, I had a feeling that the ARC would also get a similar treatment (or treatments in this case) in the near future. That near future is here, and on October 1st the Leatherman ARC Obsidian made its debut. While the original Garage #005 tool the ARC was based on made plenty use of Cerakote and the base ARC came with black DLC, the Obsidian goes for a total matte black PVD coating, with champagne accents on the pivot screws, clip, and MagnaCut blade to reference the tool’s anniversary. The base toolset remains, but this combination of DLC and PVD gives the ARC quite a boost in resilience and resistance, so even if the ARC was completely competent before, this gives you an upgrade worth considering—or you simply must have the tool in all black, which believe me, I totally get it.
The Leatherman ARC Obsidian is available now from Leatherman and select retailers for $275 (from the original’s $229.95), and comes with a 9-bit driver set and Heritage leather sheath with a bit pocket.
