Leatherman Rustle Assessment: At all times Sharp, Upkeep-Free

I’ve all the time been the cook dinner at dwelling. At the same time as a child, I preferred making meals for my household that prolonged previous the hen nuggets and boxed mac and cheese that ’90s youngsters grew up consuming. This prolonged into my outside life, the place I’d deliver camp potatoes and hen or steak with me for lengthy hikes and in a single day adventures.

Most trendy kitchen knives are created from high-carbon stainless steels designed to arrange and course of meals in a managed atmosphere. They’re simple to sharpen and aren’t typically that rugged, as a result of they don’t should be. I’d by no means suppose to make use of a kitchen knife to chop, chop, and slice meats and greens out within the nice open air.

So, when Leatherman determined to make use of MagnaCut metal — simply double the thickness of ordinary kitchen knife metal — for its Rustle kitchen knife, I acquired excited. And I practically fell over once I realized it had G10 scales as properly.

MagnaCut at the moment sits on the high of the mountain for outside and EDC knife metal. Fairly truthfully, I by no means even thought-about it kitchen knife metal (the truth is, it initially felt like overkill). However 3 months into utilizing it for meals prep in my kitchen, in addition to on path at state camp, I’m hooked.

In brief: A standard trait of most trendy kitchen knives is the necessity to sharpen and clear them always. Through the use of MagnaCut chrome steel on the Rustle, Leatherman takes upkeep all however out of the equation. It’s not a real camp-kitchen knife, however then once more, it really works simply as properly outdoors as inside. Simply comprehend it’s a premium blade that’s not for ounce-counters.

Leatherman Rustle Assessment

Design & Options

The Leatherman Rustle is a streamlined, rugged strategy to meal prep. Made out of a single piece of MagnaCut metal with G10 handles, the Rustle has an total size of 8.3 inches — 4 of which comprise its full flat floor Santoku-shaped blade.

It comes with a Kydex sheath for straightforward carry in your camp package. It additionally has a lanyard gap so you possibly can cling it in your kitchen for straightforward entry.

MagnaCut continues to search out itself as a buzzword within the knife world, and for good motive. Although it’s not the very best metal for an outside or EDC knife, it’s the most balanced. MagnaCut is a stainless-steel, so corrosion isn’t a difficulty, and it’s extremely resilient to abrasion and abuse.

Moreover, it holds an edge like a champ. The place these are fascinating traits within the nice open air, as a kitchen knife, it’s a requirement.

First Impressions

Not like the keyboard warriors who misplaced their minds when Leatherman unveiled its “Constructed Totally different” initiative, which included the Rustle, I used to be excited and wanting to attempt them out. Leatherman instruments have lengthy been a staple in my pocket and pack on account of their reliability and sturdiness. I needed to see what a kitchen knife from this outside model was all about.

The Santoku form of the Rustle’s blade resembles different knives I’ve in my knife block, however G10 and MagnaCut metal are positively new. And although Leatherman didn’t got down to create a solely at-home kitchen knife, I knew earlier than the knife was delivered that it will change into my main knife for making ready meals for my daughters right here at dwelling.

To be honest, we do stay in a cottage within the woods, so it’s sort of like making ready meals in a distant setting within the open air. We simply have blazing-fast web, energy, and operating water.

Principally, I used to be trying ahead to utilizing a knife that didn’t should be sharpened on a regular basis. Kitchen knives are infamous for going boring; MagnaCut ought to stave off that actuality for some time.

Within the Kitchen

I’m going to be trustworthy, the LeFort household didn’t do any tenting this summer time. We did spend a number of time open air, however for a wide range of completely different causes, none of that point was spent in a tent. So practically the entire time I spent with the Rustle was performed within the kitchen in our home — and if I’m being trustworthy, I discover that atmosphere extra demanding than any camp kitchen.

At dwelling, utensils can sit in a sink for some time. They may additionally find yourself in a dishwasher. Each of those eventualities may be hell to a superb kitchen knife. The acids from vegatables and fruits, the blood from meat and poultry, and the excessive warmth from a dishwasher can all damage a knife blade and its deal with scales.

After 4 months of near-daily use with the Rustle, it nonetheless appears to be like and feels model new. After slicing and chopping properly over 100 tomatoes, peppers, and onions, together with quite a few cuts of beef and birds, the blade continues to be impressively sharp.

$300 Kitchen Knife

One of many ache factors about this line of knives from Leatherman is the value. All 5 knives launched at $300. The place this might sound a bit out of whack, it’s is a good value for knives made within the USA from premium supplies, particularly by a model that invests in manufacturing extra merchandise domestically.

For those who spend your life shopping for knives or knife units from department shops, you could by no means notice that there’s a entire market of cooks’ knives that rival automotive funds.

The place I discover this degree of opulence to be superior, I’m a single father of two. I’m not operating a prep kitchen in a high community present named after a big animal. I would like a knife that may be left sitting in a bowl of water and cleaning soap with the fading stays of fruits, greens, meat, and poultry, floating round it till I get to it.

In that gentle, $300 appears honest and trustworthy.

Who’s It For?

Having set the tone early on by way of seeing what this knife can do, I’ve zero qualms about bringing it out into the good open air and seeing what sort of culinary wonders I can create with it beneath the celebs.

Anybody from Michelin Star–rated cooks to cooks busting ass in all-night diners will let you know {that a} good knife can change the sport. An incredible knife can redefine that sport, particularly in the event you don’t have to spend half the time sustaining it.

With the Leatherman Rustle, the necessity for upkeep is nearly nonexistent, and its rugged construct and premium supplies make it nonpareil in any kitchen the place you end up prepping. For those who’re severe in regards to the meals you’re making, the Leatherman Rustle is the correct selection to your subsequent kitchen knife.