Skeletool V Spirit

[Dunc]

I was going to write a comparison review of these two but thought it would be more interesting/fun to open this up to debate from the start 

The two tools are a very similar size but the Skeletool is a good bit lighter . The Spirit weighs in at 200g while the Skeletool is 142g .

Now my argument is , is it worth saving 58g but loosing all the tools ?

Sure you also get a pocket clip and one handed opening blade , although most Europeans would rather not have the attention both these bring to yourself .

Pics to follow once the debate gets going 

dunc

[nezza33]

I'd rather have the Spirit mate.

I think it was Mike that said the Skeletool is a Damn good Knife ,but quite a poor multitool

However that said if you wanna stay light the Skeletool is a good solution ,I'd rather have the wider tool selection and like you did you can turn the blade into a PE if you want too.

[AndyTiedye]

The Spirit is now available (in Europe) with a plain edge.

You could also get the Sprit S with  2 blades and no scissors.

[jzmtl]

To me the choice isn't because of weight, but how it will be carried. I don't like something that heavy dangling in my pocket so it'll have to be either belt sheath or clip. In summer belt sheath is not practical due to less clothing and sometimes lack of a belt, so skeletool will do.

[Dunc]

The Spirit is now available (in Europe) with a plain edge.

You could also get the Sprit S with  2 blades and no scissors.

Thats a good point but I didnt mention it because I am not using one for this review .But maybe we should talk about it  I intend to talk about the Skeletool CX a bit later .

Dunc

[Dunc]

To me the choice isn't because of weight, but how it will be carried. I don't like something that heavy dangling in my pocket so it'll have to be either belt sheath or clip. In summer belt sheath is not practical due to less clothing and sometimes lack of a belt, so skeletool will do.

Yes I can see thats an issue for some . But your just EDCing an OK knife with a small pair of pliers and a bit holder .

Dunc

[Dunc]

Heres a few pics , sorry some of them are not very good .











Look closely theres a Spirit under there somewhere



















Dunc

[WhichDawg]

I still like them pics! (all of them). I have both and feel the Spirit "out weighs" the Skeletool
in so many ways. Tools, ergonomics, price, tried and true quality/durability, and my MT blades
are just back-ups so the size and ease of use are not important to me (even OH opening).

hey my stars/twinklies (sig line) is gone!

[WhichDawg]

now their back! what the...

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I think it was Mike that said the Skeletool is a Damn good Knife ,but quite a poor multitool

Not this Mike!, I don't like the Skeletool at all, as far as I'm concerned it's a cynical marketing attempt to lure the tactical knife market, not that there's anything wrong with that off course, but it's definetly not for me.

The Spirit on the other hand does what an MT is supposed too, ie almost anything within reason , there's a tool for almost every job, or a very close approximation, and best of all it doesn't give much in the way of strength away to the larger MT's out there

[nezza33]

I think it was Mike that said the Skeletool is a Damn good Knife ,but quite a poor multitool

Not this Mike!, I don't like the Skeletool at all, as far as I'm concerned it's a cynical marketing attempt to lure the tactical knife market, not that there's anything wrong with that off course, but it's definetly not for me.

The Spirit on the other hand does what an MT is supposed too, ie almost anything within reason , there's a tool for almost every job, or a very close approximation, and best of all it doesn't give much in the way of strength away to the larger MT's out there

I've never handled the Skeletool so i would'nt know mate. I have had a spirit though

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Sorry that came across a bit stroppy on my part ( a day with a hyper 5 year old will do that  ) I'm quite famous for not being a lover of the Skeletool.

[WhichDawg]

ohh we're used to "Stroppy" you! it's when your not we worry!

[J-sews]

Logically, the Spirit comes out on top in most categories. (including price!)

And yet for the past two months I've been carrying -and using- a Skeletool almost exclusively. I can't say why exactly, its just the tool I reach for in the morning. The light weight, the pocket clip, and the one hand blade are the biggest reasons I guess. And to be honest the "cool looks factor" plays a big part too, as no one else at work has one yet.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Convenience is a hard thing to argue with.  Multiple carry options, compact size and the most used tools certaionly make the Skeletool a contender.

Def

[DaveK]

Hmm, shouldn't you really compare the spirit to the Wave or Charge? The Skeletool isn't supposed to be a competitor of the Spirit I don't think.

I do carry my Skeletool a lot (as opposed to my Spirit-sized Charge), because it is a bit smaller, bit lighter, bit less visible than the Charge. Today, wearing just a t-shirt and jeans, with my pockets jammed with wallet, keys, coins etc, the Skeletool's size and weight made it a much better choice.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I agree, but I think this was more of a fun thing with two tools that happen to be very popular, rather than a serious, one or the other type shootout.

Def

[WhichDawg]

nahh ahh! Spoonrobot said the Charge is a whole different "Chassis"

we were discussing it in BF

[Abstraction]

Spirit for me!  My skeletool cx is getting a fair bit of use, i love the blade - the fact its normally right next to my computer and its one handed means its the knife i normally reach for. Its also a very handy bit driver and bottle opener but if im going somewhere i need versitility and reliability id go for the spirit everytime. 

The main reason is that the skeletools pliers feel more like toys than a serious tool; The spirit's can handle most things but i struggle to use the skele's in most situations. The pliers dont open easily at all and are hard to get a strong grip on which combines to make them pretty much worthless.  It does what i bought it for, for being the easiest knife/bit driver i can grab quickly; however it fails at being a multi tool.  It cant handle anything aside from cutting and screwing and whats the point in loosing 50g if the main tool becomes useless, as well as not having a number of other very useful impliments.

[Rob]

I agree with a couple other posters.  Almost every morning now I grab my Skeletool unless I know I'm going to need something else.  My MT use these days has been limited to primarily knife use with a small mix of bits and sometimes plier usage.  For me the Skeletool is the best solution and also the best form factor since I like to pocket clip carry.  I know I'm compromising by carrying it but it's a trade off I'm willing to make and think LM hit the mark with it for guys like me.  Of course I'm a bit LM biased but I'm also the first to point out flaws in things.  I don't don't see the Skeletool line with flaws just kind of a specialized MT not intended for everyone.  I do want to buy a Spirit someday though so maybe once I get one in my hands on a daily basis I'll be singing a different tune.

[Dunc]

I agree, but I think this was more of a fun thing with two tools that happen to be very popular, rather than a serious, one or the other type shootout.

Def

Defs right  I cant take the Skeletool seriously 

Dunc

[Dunc]

it fails at being a multi tool though because it just cant handle anything aside from cutting and screwing and whats the point in loosing 50g if the main tool becomes useless as well as not having a number of other very useful impliments.

You put that well 

Dunc

[Dunc]

Ok heres a few more thoughts from me .

The Skeletools build quality is superb just like my C303 LM knife , shame some of their other tools werent this good .Although on Defs one I have here the blade became hard to open after a few cycles  On closer inspection I could see what looked like a black paste . Maybe some kind of grinding paste from the factory  I have seen it before on a Charge I had . Anyway I cleaned out all I could see and a tiny drop of oil and it was back too normal .

    At the UK Meetup I got the chance to handle DaveK's CX . I prefer the std version and this is why .......

Why on earth did Leatherman make the 154CM blade a combo  They should have put a 420 combo on the std and a plain 154CM on the CX . Have you guys ever tried to sharpen a 154CM combo blade    What your going to end up with is alot of guys who never sharpen the blade , alot of guys who stuff the blade up trying to sharpen it and a few who really know what they are doing and actually do a good job .

I feel the only reason the Skeletool sells so well is it looks really cool , almost like its just dropped off the Terminator  And I agree it is a cool tool but its not a very good multitool 

Dunc

[nezza33]

Well said,old chap.

[DaveK]

Nah sorry Dunc, you're wrong there.

The popularity of the Skeletool proves that it is a good multitool, if all you need are some basic features that can get you by whilst you are out and about, say hiking, when weight really is an issue.

This is why I made my previous point about being an unfair comparison, it is to me like comparing the Core with the Vic Classic - pointless! I (and I'm not sure of it's something to be proud of or not ) have a bunch of multitools like most people on this site, and the Skeletool does have it's niche.

To get back to the original question however, if I was carrying a bag, or going somewhere where a belt sheath was acceptable, then I'd take the Spirit (if I had one, but I'll substitute my Charge in here). But if I want to carry a tool whilst visiting a UK shopping mall - well then the Skeletool is an option, the Spirit / Charge isn't really. I EDC my Charge in my work bag, but often have my Skeletool in my inside jacket pocket. The effect that the weight of the Spirit would have on the cut of my jacket might make me look like quasimodo

Your point about the steel used in the different models and combinations is a good one - but, have you considered that the Skeletool's target customer would probably never actually attempt to sharpen a blade anyway? It's a light-use tool, and IMO wouldn't be the tool of choice for anyone who seriously used a knife in their workplace for example. It could be argued in fact that the choice of steel for the CX blade was intended to make sharpening unnecessary for the 'average' user?

Oh, and of course the Skeletool is significantly cheaper than the Spirit too!

In summary, in a head to head, the Spirit has more functions. But sometimes those functions simply weigh too much to make it a viable EDC.

Anyway, that shiny finish would make you very vulnerable to snipers 

[Dunc]

Nah sorry Dunc, you're wrong there.

The popularity of the Skeletool proves that it is a good multitool, if all you need are some basic features that can get you by whilst you are out and about, say hiking, when weight really is an issue.

This is why I made my previous point about being an unfair comparison, it is to me like comparing the Core with the Vic Classic - pointless! I (and I'm not sure of it's something to be proud of or not ) have a bunch of multitools like most people on this site, and the Skeletool does have it's niche.

To get back to the original question however, if I was carrying a bag, or going somewhere where a belt sheath was acceptable, then I'd take the Spirit (if I had one, but I'll substitute my Charge in here). But if I want to carry a tool whilst visiting a UK shopping mall - well then the Skeletool is an option, the Spirit / Charge isn't really. I EDC my Charge in my work bag, but often have my Skeletool in my inside jacket pocket. The effect that the weight of the Spirit would have on the cut of my jacket might make me look like quasimodo

Your point about the steel used in the different models and combinations is a good one - but, have you considered that the Skeletool's target customer would probably never actually attempt to sharpen a blade anyway? It's a light-use tool, and IMO wouldn't be the tool of choice for anyone who seriously used a knife in their workplace for example. It could be argued in fact that the choice of steel for the CX blade was intended to make sharpening unnecessary for the 'average' user?

Oh, and of course the Skeletool is significantly cheaper than the Spirit too!

In summary, in a head to head, the Spirit has more functions. But sometimes those functions simply weigh too much to make it a viable EDC.

Anyway, that shiny finish would make you very vulnerable to snipers 

You got me there Dave  Good post . But why I compared the two is because they are almost the same size footprint , and what I was trying to say is it worth loosing all those tools for 50grams ? Well for some oy you I guess is yes .


Still dont like the Skeletool very much as its not a full on tool but I do admire its build quality and design .

Dunc

[DaveK]

You got me there Dave  Good post . But why I compared the two is because they are almost the same size footprint , and what I was trying to say is it worth loosing all those tools for 50grams ? Well for some oy you I guess is yes .

Cheers Dunc! I think the fact that it does have the same 4.5" frame, yet is light and minimal is part of it's appeal. So far, it's unique.

I have to say that your earlier post about it not being a serious tool, isn't far from the truth tbh. I know I was banging on about it a bit at the meet-up, but I see all multi-tools as a compromise. Pick just about any function on any multi, and you'll find a dedicated - purpose built tool that will do it better! The compromise is between variety of functions and the usefulness and seriousness of those functions. The Skeletool is at one end of the compromise scale, the Spirit towards the other, so it's natural to me at least that some will prefer it, some won't. As I say, for me - it depends on my requirements at any given moment! It probably won't surprise you that I often carry a Sideclip which is a "rival" to the Skeletool in my eyes.

This is all my personal opinion of course!

[NeitherExtreme]

I personally agree with those who said it's not a perfect comparason at all... But, I guess it's always fun to pit two popular products against each other. For my part, if I had to choose one MT for all purposes... At first thought I figured I would certainly pick the Spirit hands down. It's a solid, well equiped tool, and the Skeletool is obviously not a do-it-all tool. But then I was thinking about how I'd carry it... no pocket clip, too big (for me) to drop in a pocket, and not even a good lanyard ring to "hang" it in a pocket. Of course that's where the skeletool shines. It's light and has a clip. So on a strick one-on-one I really don't know what I'd choose.

That said, if I already had a box full of more traditional MTs, I think the choice would be a bit easier and I would opt for the skeletool to add some variety.

Another way to look at the skeletool is that it is a hybrid between the knife and MT markets. It's not going to make purists on either side happy, but obviously fits a market of those who want a bit of each in one package. I don't see that as cynical marketing so much as seeing a market need and filling it.

[NeitherExtreme]

I have to say that your earlier post about it not being a serious tool, isn't far from the truth tbh. I know I was banging on about it a bit at the meet-up, but I see all multi-tools as a compromise. Pick just about any function on any multi, and you'll find a dedicated - purpose built tool that will do it better!

Just wanted to say that I see things pretty much the same way. I'd even go so far as to add that all tools- MTs, Knives, Dedicated tools, etc.- are comprimises. Whether or not we like a tool depends on if it's a comprimise we like or not.

[DaveK]

I have to say that your earlier post about it not being a serious tool, isn't far from the truth tbh. I know I was banging on about it a bit at the meet-up, but I see all multi-tools as a compromise. Pick just about any function on any multi, and you'll find a dedicated - purpose built tool that will do it better!

Just wanted to say that I see things pretty much the same way. I'd even go so far as to add that all tools- MTs, Knives, Dedicated tools, etc.- are comprimises. Whether or not we like a tool depends on if it's a comprimise we like or not.

Nicely put 

Re: your previous post - let's be grateful that we all don't have to choose one tool, and praise be, we can buy as many as we like