Leatherman
has been
producing multi-tools that make Swiss-army knives look like toys for
well over twenty years now. So it really takes a lot for a new one to
grab my attention. I already own a Wave as well as a Super-Tool, so
what
could possibly be added to this knife that makes me think, "I
need
that!". Its what they didn't put on it. The Skeletool is a slimmed down
Leatherman that is just small enough that you can actually carry it as
a
pocket knife. Because god forbid you have to get up and go to the tool
box to get the proper tool.
So what
can you expect from the Skeletool?
Pliers: They are the core of the Skeletool just as they are on most
Leatherman. These are not the beefy, crush a walnut, pry on steel
plate, double as a punch pliers that the Super-Tool has, but they get
most jobs done. Basically, as you are playing with that piece of
speaker
wire or Co-ax cable, thinking "man I should stop being lazy and go get
pliers before I stab my finger", this tool is great to have.
Blade: I opted for the 420 bade over the 154 blade because the 420
blades are much easier to sharpen and are slightly more resistant to
corrosion. That and the 154 blade came on the carbon fiber knife, and
we all know you cannot use carbon fiber as a hammer. Once re-sharpened
the Skeletool has a great lock-back blade with a very practical shape.
Bottle Opener: Now were talking! I know there is nothing I enjoy more
than a beer after I stab my thumb with a piece of copper wire.
Carabiner: Yeah...... I don't know why either. Maybe so fishermen can
clip it on their goofy vest instead of sticking it in their goofy vest
pocket?
Driver Bits: Great idea. The philips and flat head were great, but
interchangeable driver bits is even better. Now I can carry the four
common
torx sizes I use with me, because that pesky tool cart is always too
far away.
Pocket Clip: I laugh at these, but if your are one of those guys
walking
around the town with a knife clipped on your pocket, this is the knife
for you. I
took the clip off mine. Why, well because if I have to tell you, you
are
not going to get it. So for those of you who want to slim down the
Skeletool a little more, the clip is easily removed with a T9
torx.
Out of
the box my Skeletool had
a very strange cutting edge. The cutting edge was close to 40 degrees
and the relief edge was a little under 20 degrees. I have no idea what
that
was about, but thats whats great about 420 steel. It takes only 5
minutes to fix
instead of spending hours sharpening 154cm alloy.
Skeltonized
blade = Thumbs up
Non-chamfered thumb slicing holes = Thumbs off
It looks like maybe they gave up on media blasting the blades before
they sharpened
them, in favor of jabbing them with a bastard file? I have no idea,
but the holes and the spine had loads of sharp edges. Looking back its
funny. Maybe they sharpened the wrong side. Either was this is an
easy fix with some emery paper and a little wet-sanding.
While
being a fair
amount lighter than the traditional Leatherman, 6oz vs 12oz, the
Skeletool is not what I would call small. It is thin enough to
comfortably carry in
your pocket, not clipped to it. You
know who you are!
Overall
with a few
quick adjustments, the Leatherman Skeletool is a great tool to carry.
If you need a knife for the job site, I still suggest one of the larger
options. However, as an everyday carry the Skeletool is great!
Skeletool Discussion On Volvospeed
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