Will Etherealicer ever like the Skeletool

[Etherealicer]

Skeletooling for Dummies 
(Image removed from quote.)

Ok, I don't get the second series... you don't like the flat screwdriver

[Kampfer]

Try use the pliers with the flathead bit in place then you will know. 

[Etherealicer]

Try use the pliers with the flathead bit in place then you will know. 

Ah, its about the pliers... not going to happen to me, I already took the flat bit out (that is one Screwdriver I have no use for).

I haven't decided yet, which way round to hold the Skeletool when using the pliers (blade side or carabiner side in palm). They feel quite different but neither feels right to me.

[aurabattler]

Ah, its about the pliers... not going to happen to me, I already took the flat bit out (that is one Screwdriver I have no use for).

I haven't decided yet, which way round to hold the Skeletool when using the pliers (blade side or carabiner side in palm). They feel quite different but neither feels right to me.

Hold the driver side in palm if you are right hander.  Holding the opposite way will have a nice pinching chance.  You don't want to learn this like I did. 
And.. when you hold the driver side in palm with the flat head,  you'll feel the problem. Yes,  neither way gives you a nice and comfortable grip but as long as you don't squeeze it too hard,  it's fine.

[Gerhard Gerber]

Skeletool 101

Get the Wave's bit, flat and philips combo, and carry that in the handle and insert when needed.

 

[dks]

I do not think LM can design tools suitable for the Swiss..

Maybe a Swiss person can only be happy, by nature,  with a Swiss tool, e.g. Swiza 





 

[Gareth]

Skeletool 101

Get the Wave's bit, flat and philips combo, and carry that in the handle and insert when needed.

 

That's what I did as well.  Still didn't make me fall in love with the Skele, but I did prefer the quick change this offers over having to fiddle around with swapping the bits from carrier to holder.

[AimlessWanderer]

Ah, its about the pliers... not going to happen to me, I already took the flat bit out (that is one Screwdriver I have no use for).

I haven't decided yet, which way round to hold the Skeletool when using the pliers (blade side or carabiner side in palm). They feel quite different but neither feels right to me.

Hold the driver side in palm if you are right hander.  Holding the opposite way will have a nice pinching chance.  You don't want to learn this like I did. 
And.. when you hold the driver side in palm with the flat head,  you'll feel the problem. Yes,  neither way gives you a nice and comfortable grip but as long as you don't squeeze it too hard,  it's fine.

These issues were instrumental of my dislike for the tool too. Despite a couple of decades of evolution, they came out with a tool which I found to be less comfortable than the PST. The more I used the tool, the more I got frustrated with being unable to use it comfortably.

I found the same with the screwdriver too. It was tolerable if using it with one leg out, as an L shape for just a quarter turn, but trying to use the tool fully extended in an inline configuration, it just felt wrong. I tried with pliers facing both forwards and back, but neither felt comfortable in any way. As I couldn't get a comfortable grip, I also couldn't use it on stubborn screws. Again, a PST was more comfortable and therefore could be used with more force.

The additional stabbiness of the driver in pliers mode, or getting the heel of your palm caught in the biner, the high riding of the clip, all just added to my frustration with this tool. It got to the point very quickly, that the frustration and discomfort of every feature on the tool was a step backwards from every other tool I had tried - including a Gerber Suspension and a few no-name cheapos.

To this day the love for the Skele still confuses me. I accept that ergonomics and taste are very personal things, and I accept that some folks will hate tools that I like, but when I see fans of the Skele acknowledging the ergonomic deficiencies that led me to hate it, but yet they still love the tool, I get rather bewildered.

[Gerhard Gerber]

Skeletool 101

Get the Wave's bit, flat and philips combo, and carry that in the handle and insert when needed.

 

That's what I did as well.  Still didn't make me fall in love with the Skele, but I did prefer the quick change this offers over having to fiddle around with swapping the bits from carrier to holder.

Well yes, to be honest I doubt I'll ever fall in love with the Skeletool, it has the basics I need at work, but I look forward to the days when I know a knife (to cut my apple) will be enough.

I never knew the LM Pulse was so petite, if that was still available it could've beat out the Skeletool where a Rebar was just too big & heavy.

.........not really helping the Skeletool's case much 

[Old Boy]

Well I guess for me it's because it was there you know, and helped me out. I feel the same way for some of my beater knives. Low grade steel, scratched up, sharpened out of its original shape, clip roughs up  my jeans --- it got you through the day, I have better knives, but I still grab my old CS if I need a sharp edge

Maybe climb Mt. Everest with it? 

[Etherealicer]

First day at work... not for me, for Quasimodo

The NASA has a Swiss branch???   

Ddin't you know, Switzerland was part of the Apollo program?

Upper Text
Presented to the People of the
Swiss Confederation
By
Richard Nixon
President of the United States of America

Lower Text
This flag of your nation was carried to the Moon and back by Apollo 11, and this fragment of the Moon's surface was brought to Earth by the crew of that first manned lunar landing.

[JP]

Cool bit of Space Trivia.

I don't use the Skele for any heavy work. I usually have tools nearby for that.

Please also consider that I do not have many plier based MT's to compare it to.

I have:

SOG Pocket PowerPlier Deluxe
Skeletools
Wingman ....(for sale, never really used other than fondled)
LM MUT

[styx]

Did they use the Swiss emergency kit on those missions?

[Gareth]

Ah, its about the pliers... not going to happen to me, I already took the flat bit out (that is one Screwdriver I have no use for).

I haven't decided yet, which way round to hold the Skeletool when using the pliers (blade side or carabiner side in palm). They feel quite different but neither feels right to me.

Hold the driver side in palm if you are right hander.  Holding the opposite way will have a nice pinching chance.  You don't want to learn this like I did. 
And.. when you hold the driver side in palm with the flat head,  you'll feel the problem. Yes,  neither way gives you a nice and comfortable grip but as long as you don't squeeze it too hard,  it's fine.

These issues were instrumental of my dislike for the tool too. Despite a couple of decades of evolution, they came out with a tool which I found to be less comfortable than the PST. The more I used the tool, the more I got frustrated with being unable to use it comfortably.

I found the same with the screwdriver too. It was tolerable if using it with one leg out, as an L shape for just a quarter turn, but trying to use the tool fully extended in an inline configuration, it just felt wrong. I tried with pliers facing both forwards and back, but neither felt comfortable in any way. As I couldn't get a comfortable grip, I also couldn't use it on stubborn screws. Again, a PST was more comfortable and therefore could be used with more force.

The additional stabbiness of the driver in pliers mode, or getting the heel of your palm caught in the biner, the high riding of the clip, all just added to my frustration with this tool. It got to the point very quickly, that the frustration and discomfort of every feature on the tool was a step backwards from every other tool I had tried - including a Gerber Suspension and a few no-name cheapos.

To this day the love for the Skele still confuses me. I accept that ergonomics and taste are very personal things, and I accept that some folks will hate tools that I like, but when I see fans of the Skele acknowledging the ergonomic deficiencies that led me to hate it, but yet they still love the tool, I get rather bewildered.

Al and I don't agree on everything (Gerber Flik anyone?), but the Skeletool is where out opinions coincide.   Like Al I just don't get what you all see in the Skele.  I won't bash you for your love, but I do wonder when you will all come to your senses and pick out a MT that doesn't seem to be actively trying you hurt you at every turn.

[AimlessWanderer]

 

[Etherealicer]

Did they use the Swiss emergency kit on those missions?

No need... on Apollo 11, Victorinox did quality control... then for 13 they left that to Leatherman

[Kampfer]

Very much like Signal, more than a few members here like it, but a few minutes in my hands that was it, I hated it. Can't use its pliers and can't use its drivers.

[aurabattler]

Al and I don't agree on everything (Gerber Flik anyone?), but the Skeletool is where out opinions coincide.   Like Al I just don't get what you all see in the Skele.  I won't bash you for your love, but I do wonder when you will all come to your senses and pick out a MT that doesn't seem to be actively trying you hurt you at every turn.

It is not true to say it is trying to hurt me at every turn.  It does have a hot spot but it can be avoided very easily with no pain and I don't think it's a problem to avoid a tool like the wave and surge,  they can pinch far more easily but people still love them. For the comfort of the pliers  handles,  it's not the best but it is not that bad while you understand skeley is not a heavy duty tool and you are not trying to squeeze it hard. For light to med duty, the handles are fine even though they may not be the very best. Given the size,  the weight,  the tools I use most,  the skeletool serves me really well everyday and I really like it.  I think if you can't get the reason for us to like it you just don't have to as long as you have tried it yourself on hand. Tool is a very personal preference like underwear.  If you don't like it after trying it,  just don't look back and don't try to understand.  The reason can be not the tool itself but we are living in a totally different environment and different way in a not comparable life style... Just like... One of my friends loves OHT a lot and he brings his OHT literally to everywhere, but really, not for me. Same feeling for me towards swisstool, I like spirit a lot but can't develop any love to swisstool... I think it's a very personal feeling  and I just won't figure it out and try to justify my feelings

[Poncho65]

Skeletool 101

Get the Wave's bit, flat and philips combo, and carry that in the handle and insert when needed.

 

That's what I did as well.  Still didn't make me fall in love with the Skele, but I did prefer the quick change this offers over having to fiddle around with swapping the bits from carrier to holder.

Well yes, to be honest I doubt I'll ever fall in love with the Skeletool, it has the basics I need at work, but I look forward to the days when I know a knife (to cut my apple) will be enough.

I never knew the LM Pulse was so petite, if that was still available it could've beat out the Skeletool where a Rebar was just too big & heavy.

.........not really helping the Skeletool's case much 

They may not seem it but the Pulse and Rebar are the same width and close to the same weight even

[Poncho65]

Ah, its about the pliers... not going to happen to me, I already took the flat bit out (that is one Screwdriver I have no use for).

I haven't decided yet, which way round to hold the Skeletool when using the pliers (blade side or carabiner side in palm). They feel quite different but neither feels right to me.

Hold the driver side in palm if you are right hander.  Holding the opposite way will have a nice pinching chance.  You don't want to learn this like I did. 
And.. when you hold the driver side in palm with the flat head,  you'll feel the problem. Yes,  neither way gives you a nice and comfortable grip but as long as you don't squeeze it too hard,  it's fine.

These issues were instrumental of my dislike for the tool too. Despite a couple of decades of evolution, they came out with a tool which I found to be less comfortable than the PST. The more I used the tool, the more I got frustrated with being unable to use it comfortably.

I found the same with the screwdriver too. It was tolerable if using it with one leg out, as an L shape for just a quarter turn, but trying to use the tool fully extended in an inline configuration, it just felt wrong. I tried with pliers facing both forwards and back, but neither felt comfortable in any way. As I couldn't get a comfortable grip, I also couldn't use it on stubborn screws. Again, a PST was more comfortable and therefore could be used with more force.

The additional stabbiness of the driver in pliers mode, or getting the heel of your palm caught in the biner, the high riding of the clip, all just added to my frustration with this tool. It got to the point very quickly, that the frustration and discomfort of every feature on the tool was a step backwards from every other tool I had tried - including a Gerber Suspension and a few no-name cheapos.

To this day the love for the Skele still confuses me. I accept that ergonomics and taste are very personal things, and I accept that some folks will hate tools that I like, but when I see fans of the Skele acknowledging the ergonomic deficiencies that led me to hate it, but yet they still love the tool, I get rather bewildered.

Al and I don't agree on everything (Gerber Flik anyone?), but the Skeletool is where out opinions coincide.   Like Al I just don't get what you all see in the Skele.  I won't bash you for your love, but I do wonder when you will all come to your senses and pick out a MT that doesn't seem to be actively trying you hurt you at every turn.

This is why I pick the Skeley for days that I won't need much I want it for days that I feel the knife will be used more than pliers and screwdrivers then on those days the Skeley excels

[Gareth]

Al and I don't agree on everything (Gerber Flik anyone?), but the Skeletool is where out opinions coincide.   Like Al I just don't get what you all see in the Skele.  I won't bash you for your love, but I do wonder when you will all come to your senses and pick out a MT that doesn't seem to be actively trying you hurt you at every turn.

It is not true to say it is trying to hurt me at every turn.  It does have a hot spot but it can be avoided very easily with no pain and I don't think it's a problem to avoid a tool like the wave and surge,  they can pinch far more easily but people still love them. For the comfort of the pliers  handles,  it's not the best but it is not that bad while you understand skeley is not a heavy duty tool and you are not trying to squeeze it hard. For light to med duty, the handles are fine even though they may not be the very best. Given the size,  the weight,  the tools I use most,  the skeletool serves me really well everyday and I really like it.  I think if you can't get the reason for us to like it you just don't have to as long as you have tried it yourself on hand. Tool is a very personal preference like underwear.  If you don't like it after trying it,  just don't look back and don't try to understand.  The reason can be not the tool itself but we are living in a totally different environment and different way in a not comparable life style... Just like... One of my friends loves OHT a lot and he brings his OHT literally to everywhere, but really, not for me. Same feeling for me towards swisstool, I like spirit a lot but can't develop any love to swisstool... I think it's a very personal feeling  and I just won't figure it out and try to justify my feelings

Apart from ending up liking the Skeletool we actually agree on everything.   The Wave is the only MT that has truly hurt me by giving me a blood blister when it pinched me HARD.

[aurabattler]

Apart from ending up liking the Skeletool we actually agree on everything.   The Wave is the only MT that has truly hurt me by giving me a blood blister when it pinched me HARD.

 
Same for me.  The surge is the least used MT of mine but it pinched me the most..  But I'll still take it with me when I need to do some real jobs.   

For the skeley... I do understand why people hate it but to my living and working, and my habit of using tools,  the skeley just serves me well. 

In Chinese we have a slang saying "hundred goods for hundred customers " means different people love different things and that's why there are full of different products out there.  So, if you don't like it, it means it is not the tool for do.  Don't figure it out why,  and don't force yourself to understand or make yourself to like it.   

[Etherealicer]

Got a chance to use the blade a bit yesterday... mostly food related.

I would say I have two criticisms about the blade (apart from the serration). I certainly could do without the additional, decorative holes. Just more places where dirt / food can get stuck in and the further forward on the blade, the more problematic. Also, the tip is a tad bit too acute for me. However, I overall like shape / size and think this blade suits me well. Now I'm really looking forward to the PE blade.

The Skeletool is actually growing on me. Between the screwdriver, the blade and the light duty pliers, it is made for me. I'm now in a bit of a pickle, as the frame has plenty of hot spots that hurt my soft-office-worker hands and I'm wondering if I should invest in a stainless Skeletool, to see if I can polish those hot-spots out.

[Syncop8r]

To this day the love for the Skele still confuses me. I accept that ergonomics and taste are very personal things, and I accept that some folks will hate tools that I like, but when I see fans of the Skele acknowledging the ergonomic deficiencies that led me to hate it, but yet they still love the tool, I get rather bewildered.

It's like having a nice-looking girlfriend who can't cook.

[aurabattler]

It's like having a nice-looking girlfriend who can't cook.

I'll say... There is no perfect tool. There is only best fit tools.  Some people use knife the most while some people use pliers the most. Some people concern the grip while some concern the weight. Everyone hold and use a tool in a very different way so one may find a tool comfortable while the other one find it stupid. It's difficult to say why I like the tool. I'll only say it serves me well. (Not only because skeley is handsome, though it undoubtedly is )

[Etherealicer]

Use the tool over the course of the last day. Since I only used the pliers to cut some cable ties the poor ergonomics in pliers mode did not come into play. On the other hand, screwdriver and knife are pretty good

[Poncho65]

Glad to hear you are getting along with the Skeley Eth I really do think you will love the PE blade as well

[AlephZero]

To this day the love for the Skele still confuses me. I accept that ergonomics and taste are very personal things, and I accept that some folks will hate tools that I like, but when I see fans of the Skele acknowledging the ergonomic deficiencies that led me to hate it, but yet they still love the tool, I get rather bewildered.

It's like having a nice-looking girlfriend who can't cook.

Well, if you can't handle cooking yourself, you deserve it...

[Kampfer]

My boy likes the pliers.

[gregpost]

Not a fan of the Skeletool at all.