Leatherman 830846 Skeletool Multitool
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Leatherman 830846 Skeletool Multitool
Customer Review: Exactly what I ordered.
Summary: 5 Stars
I read the reviews and the description, and in a rare moment of internet shopping, I got exactly what I wanted. The Skeletool is a wonderful product, and the shipping was spot on. This thing will not leave my side.Customer Review: Exactly what I wanted and expected
Summary: 5 Stars
Got my skeletool yesterday,very pleased with everything about it! To those of whom complained about the pilers breaking...don't apply so much pressure to the tool to perform an abusive job! It's simply not going to hold up! It's designed to do small lightweight jobs. Anyway,I received my skeletool 2days earlier than promised...thank-you AMAZON!!! For that! I got a SOG multitool for heavier jobs no complaints. I'll use my skeletool for camping&hiking...thnx! Again! Amazon!!!Customer Review: Excelent Utilitarian Multitool
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a really nice tool. It's several ounces lighter than any other multi-tool with comparable features, and very well designed at that. My favorite feature (sadly) is the bottle opener. Every other multi tool I've seen has a small flat bottle opener, which is only used when absolutely necessary. The Skeletool has a very functional opener, and with it's overall slim profile, which hooks nicely inside my jean's pocket, it's the first thing I reach for when cracking open a cold one.
The outside knife is also very handy, and comes surprisingly sharp (have the cut thumb to prove it). I didn't find it overly tight at first, and after a few dozen openings it did make it more smooth. It also locks very nicely, and feels very solid once opened. There's no noticeable wobble unless excess force is applied side to side. The cut-out makes it very easy to flick open. The slight curve in the body makes for a very comfortable hold when the knife is extended, and feels very solid.
The universal bit screw driver works well when one side of the body is opened, however you cannot use it when the body is collapsed. I do wish they had found two places to stach extra bits instead of only one, which could have let them extend the recepticle for the driver bits and make the driver usable while the body is closed. Oh, well.
The pliers work well, no spring action, though maybe a little wide at the tip. This likely adds strength, so I'm not complaining, but a more needle like profile would be nice (I might try grinding down the tip a bit). TAKE NOTE: The plyer head is NOT stainless, and if get it wet with salt water it will rust QUICKLY. I accidentally took in into the ocean while fishing, and the next day it was difficult to open. The blade also became very difficult to flick open and for a couple days I had to use two hands to open the blade. This was solved however by a little gun oil and loosening the torq screws ever so slightly, then working the pivots back and forth repeatedly. Everything opens fine now, however there are still rust spots on the plyer head in the coarse ground areas. This was my stupidity however, and not the tools fault. Steel and salt water don't mix.
It would have gotten 5 stars except that I felt it lacked one useful feature; A file. I can see several places they could have incorporated a file, even if in the outer handle structure. Maybe even on the side of the blade. If it had a file, it would have gotten 5 stars.
SUMMARY:
A very good BASIC multi-tool. It doesn't have all the bells and whistles of larger tools, so if you want saws and scissors and a fold-out BBQ grill, go with something else. If you want a bare bones, light weight EDC tool that fits in your pocket (relatively comfortably) this is it. Highly Recommended.
Customer Review: Excellent EDC (every day carry) tool!
Summary: 5 Stars
-Backstory-
One of the criterion for a great multitool is versatility, and for the longest time I thought that meant more blades, attachments, and enhancements. While that's partially true, that also means a bigger, heavier footprint. When I finally upgraded to the heavyweight behemoth that is the Leatherman 830160 Surge Pocket Multitool with Leather Sheath and found myself leaving it at home more and more often because of its weight, I realized something was wrong.
The reality is most blades/tool-blades seldom see the light of day outside of camping, and the added weight and size only serve to discourage daily carry. Barring camping or novelty, when was the last time you used your pocket-knife's can-opener? Wood saw? Awl? Corkscrew?? Is there anything you absolutely need scissors for that can't be accomplished with a blade or wire cutter? Do you unconditionally NEED eyeglass-sized screwdrivers on you 24-7?
Most daily applications can be accomplished with a simple blade, a couple drivers, a good set of pliers, and a bottle opener ;). And that's exactly what the Skeletool standard and CX multitools offer.
-Carryability-
What makes the Skeletool CX great isn't the *number* of tools, it's the *versatility* of its few, well thought out tools, allowing for a 5 ounces overall weight, slim form-factor, and not one but two carry clips. The standard side-clip is removable (thought cannot be installed in any other positions on the tool) while the carabiner turns out to be far more useful than I'd imagined -- I find myself hanging it on my belt loop most of the time, keeping my belt free of pouches and my pockets comfortably empty. This negates the need for a holster, though there are versions of the tool which come with one should you desire it.
-The Blade-
Like most modern multitools, the Blade rotates open easily, one-handed, without having to open the tool itself. This is a MUST HAVE feature for an Every Day Carry tool, and feels right at home on the Skeletool. The 2.5 inch blade is a perfectly functional length for everyday use (again, this is an EDC tool, not a survival knife, and anything longer would only make it heavier). The CX model has an upgraded 154CM steel blade and is *reason enough* to choose the CX over the standard model - 154CM is a far better, more modern steel which holds is edge VERY well while providing moderate corrosion resistance and takes nothing more than a good ceramic stone to sharpen. Over the past year I've used it for everything from prying and scraping to box cutting and (in a pinch) cooking, and despite never having sharpened it once the tip is still there (which is saying a lot for my knives) and it's still plenty sharp. The blade's liner lock does a noticeably firm job of holding the blade in place with NO WOBBLE. Quality! When closed, the blade is held in place via a blade-retention bump on the liner lock that mates with one of the skeletonizing holes near the base of the blade. Both Skeletools I've used had a ramp cut into the base of the blade near the joint, automatically depressing the retention-bump and allowing safe closure of the blade. One reviewer has proven that his Skeletool CX does not have this ramp, forcing him to grind off the bump or risk placing him thumb in danger every time he closed the blade. It is yet unclear as to why his knife didn't get the ramp.
-Half Serrated vs. Full Straight Blade-
NOTE: In mid 2009, Leatherman added half-length blade serrations to standard model and REMOVED them from the CX model. Confusingly, the model numbers were not updated to match the new configurations. Some online retailers may still have the 'old version' still in inventory, but as the model numbers are the same, there's no way of knowing what you'll receive. I contacted Leatherman about this and this is the reply I received:
"Thank you for your email and your interest in Leatherman Tools. Originally our Skeletool had a "straight blade", and the Skeletool CX had a "combo blade". The Skeletool CX has a higher grade of steel in its blade and those in the `knife world' came back to us, and stated that we should not use the combo blade with 154cm material. Therefore, in mid year of last year, we made a design change. ... All Current models of the Skeletool CX now have the straight blade. All current models of the Skeletool have the combo blade. ... There are some retailers out there, who have both in inventory. We did not change the item numbers when we made the blade change. Unfortunately, you will have to just check to see who has what in stock."
-Bit Driver-
This is THE tool to replace them all and one of the reasons the Skeletool can do so much while still being so thin and light. You can carry two double-sided bits with you (one in the driver and one in the spare bit slot). I got the Leatherman 934870 40 Bit Assortment with Nylon Sheath bit kit with my Skeletool and found that the two bits I use most are the [#0 & #3] Philips bit, and the [#1-2 & 3/16] Philips & flat-blade combo bit. I can attack any pretty much any screw-head and pry at anything without risking damage to the blade. The rest of the bits are stowed in my backpack.
One word of warning: make sure your spare bit slot is tight before clipping your Skeletool onto your pack while hiking. A friend of mine had his spare bit fall out! Nothing the aforementioned Leatherman 934870 40 Bit Assortment with Nylon Sheath couldn't replace, but you still might want to bend it a little to tighten it up. Mine was fine, so this may not be a problem for you.
-Pliers-
I admit, the jaws are a little thinner than I'd like, but have so far held up to everything I've thrown at it (including an accident with a Dremmel). It also would have been nice if the integrated wire cutters were a little harder as they developed a little "bump" after nibbling through a particularly tough strip of metal. For a while there was noticeable resistance when closing the pliers, but over time it's worn itself back in. My only lasting complaint is that, despite being so thin (3/16ths" at its widest point) the tip is just a tad too blunt to fit in the AR-15's firing-pin retaining-pin recess. It would have been nice if the "needle-nose" was a bit more "needle" ;)
-Bottle Opener-
A definite nice to have. Am I ashamed to admit this alone gets as much use as the rest of the tools combined? Nah ;)
Also, when I contacted Leatherman about the mid 2009 blade change, I was lucky enough to get a full list of all Skeletool models. Maybe it'll help you, maybe not. Here it is anyway:
Skeletool (Standard) - manufactured with a combo blade after mid '09
830845: 420HC No sheath, box packaging
830846: 420HC No sheath, Clam packaging
830847: 420HC No sheath, Gift Tin packaging
830865: 420HC Nylon sheath, Gift Tin packaging
830948: 420HC Nylon sheath, Box packaging
Skeletool CX - manufactured with a straight blade after mid '09
830849: 154CM No sheath, box packaging
830850: 154CM No sheath, Clam packaging
830851: 154CM No sheath, Gift Tin packaging
830866: 154CM Nylon Sheath, Gift Tin packaging
830950: 154CM Nylon Sheath, box packaging
So that's it. Don't let the Skeletool's small size and feature list deter you; The Skeletool is an extraordinary EDC tool!
Customer Review: Excellent for EDC
Summary: 4 Stars
I have owned a Leatherman Supertool since Desert Storm. That tool is awesome. However it is bulky and a bit hefty. I am not keen on wearing sheaths on my belt so the Supertool was left at home or in the vehicle. The Charge is a much better alternative to the Supertool, in my opinion, but it too is extremely bulky. We can argue all day about how much better those multitools are to something like the Skeletool but almost nobody carries them.
The Skeletool weighs only five ounces. It is about half the bulk of a traditional supertool and comes with a clip. It easily clips into your pocket. I clip it in my left pocket and my EDC knife clips in my right pocket. I don't have any problems with it. I don't even notice it. It is *almost* perfect for what I need..
The pliers/wire cutters/strippers tool is actually useful as opposed to a Juice which I think is pointless. It has a decent knife for a multitool in case I forgot my pocket knife (which isn't likely but it's there). The bit driver will hold all of the Leatherman bits which makes this tool perfect for me. Electronics and mechanical jobs are the entire purpose of this thing for me.
I say it is *almost* perfect because it is missing one important tool: scissors. I don't often need them so this is not a huge drawback but it does mean I have to add a Swiss Army Knife to my EDC bag. The only other ding I would give this multitool is the fact that there is storage for only one bit. This means the second bit must ride still locked into the driver. It is somewhat protected when closed but it seems a little risky to me. It's just a little bit that you can replace but it is something to think about. When locked, the bit is very well secured. I can see this being a problem with some people though.
I got my Skeletool at REI because they sell the red version which I think looks better. This is a beautiful design and a little color brings out the complexity and organic design rather nicely.