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Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.

Benner · 43 · 14110

england Offline Benner

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Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
on: June 12, 2008, 11:54:02 PM
Yesterday I received my Spirit so I thought I would take a few comparison pictures to show the differences and similarities between it and the Swisstool X.  I have not included any of my opinions (those are to come  ;)) as I am using these pics just for information purposes.

The first and most obvious difference is their appearance.  While they both have the same highly polished finish, the Spirit's handles are curved unlike the X's and these add a great deal of comfort when using the pliers.  The Spirit is also lacking the ruler;





The Spirit is also significantly smaller than that of the X.  It is difficult to see in the pictures just how more "slender" the Spirit feels in comparison;





The plier heads on both tools look very similar.  The one's on the X are more "chunky" compared to those on the Spirit and the pivot is also opposite to that of the Spirits.  This is because the X is and older Swisstool (a '98 model) and was made before they changed the pivot to the other way round.  The cutters also different.  While both have a cutting section and a hard wire notch, the Spirit has a second notch in the centre of the cutters;



The saws are very similar.  Both cut in both directions and the teeth are the same in size.  The Spirit's is slightly shorter, but it is also slightly thicker;



The awls on both tools are virtually identical accept that the Spirit comes equipped with a multi purpose hook;



The bottle opener combi tools are shaped the same, but the Spirit's flat headed screwdriver is slightly larger.  The Spirits combi tool is also slightly shorter, but like the saw is thicker than the X's;



The scraper/ chisles are again very similar, however, the Spirit's wire scrapers/ benders have been cut differently to the X's and it is again shorter;



The knife blades are very different.  On the X you get a plain edged blade and on the Spirit you get a serrated "peanut butter" type blade.  The blade on the X is also slightly longer;



The files are very different.  On the Spirit you get a more aggressive surface than the X and the surface also goes right to the tip of the file;



Both can openers are similar, however, the Spirit has a larger flat headed screwdriver tip and the nail nick is also on a different side to that of the X's;



The phillips screwdrivers are again very similar, the X's one is slightly longer and larger though;



Both flat heads are very similar in design, but like the other flat heads, the one on the Spirit is again larger.  The X's one is longer;



The Swisstool X and the standard Spirit both come equipped with scissors.  The X comes with the "SAK like" designed ones, where as the Spirit comes with ones which are smaller and fitted with a different type of spring;



In addition to all of the above, the X comes with a crate opener.  This tool is not offered on the Spirit;



Below is a picture of the locking mechanisms that work in the same way;



Both tools I have came with the leather sheath and both are the same with the velcro flap;



Another difference I noticed, was the way in which the pliers opened.  The X has a half way stop (for the ruler) where as the Spirit does not. This makes the Spirit easier to open and therefore can be opened one handed unlike the X's.
Both tools have the same quality feel and I think most will agree, look gorgeous!  :drool:




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england Offline DaveK

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #1 on: June 12, 2008, 11:57:59 PM
Hmm, I'm going to have to get me one of these swissthingummies.

Benner - my favourite tool in the world, ever is my Charge TTi. Which Swisstool should I get to compare to it?
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england Offline Benner

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #2 on: June 12, 2008, 11:59:51 PM
Hmm, I'm going to have to get me one of these swissthingummies.

Benner - my favourite tool in the world, ever is my Charge TTi. Which Swisstool should I get to compare to it?

That's a difficult one, but I would say the Spirit because of it's size.
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gb Offline Roadie

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #3 on: June 13, 2008, 12:00:12 AM
Benner - my favourite tool in the world, ever is my Charge TTi. Which Swisstool should I get to compare to it?

I think they are completely different kettles of fish really I don't think one can be compared to the other. But then again i don't think you will be disappointed by either of them!

And Ben, great comparison (and pics) 8)

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england Offline DaveK

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #4 on: June 13, 2008, 12:13:32 AM
Sorry - compare was the wrong word really. What I meant was, which swisstool do you think might appeal to me most?
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us Offline J-sews

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #5 on: June 13, 2008, 12:14:08 AM
Thanks for the comparison pictures Ben!  :)


Very interesting to note that not one single blade or driver is commonly shared between the two models.
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england Offline Benner

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #6 on: June 13, 2008, 12:14:39 AM
Sorry - compare was the wrong word really. What I meant was, which swisstool do you think might appeal to me most?

That's what I thought you meant, so I still suggest the Spirit.
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Offline Rodion

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #7 on: June 13, 2008, 12:15:34 AM
Oh. My. God.

I just realized something: the Spirit doesn't have a "normal" blade. It's just the "butter knife".

Does that mean I could legally EDC it in Israel (or UK, if that's closer to your heart) ?  :think:

P.S. Amazing photos, Benner. I don't know what camera everyone here uses, but it's ten times better than anything I've ever dealt with.
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gb Offline Roadie

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #8 on: June 13, 2008, 12:16:34 AM
Does that mean I could legally EDC it in Israel (or UK, if that's closer to your heart) ?  :think:

Not in the UK as it's still a knife blade no matter what it looks like.
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gb Offline Roadie

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #9 on: June 13, 2008, 12:17:29 AM
Very interesting to note that not one single blade or driver is commonly shared between the two models.

Does the Spirit S have the same plain edge blade as the Swisstool? :think:
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england Offline Benner

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #10 on: June 13, 2008, 12:18:13 AM
Very interesting to note that not one single blade or driver is commonly shared between the two models.

Does the Spirit S have the same plain edge blade as the Swisstool? :think:

I would image the one on the Spirit would be shorter.
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Offline Leatherman123

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #11 on: June 13, 2008, 12:30:24 AM
Quote
In addition to all of the above, the X comes with a crate opener. This tool is not offered on the Spirit;

Isn't the bottle opener/combi tool bulked up so it can be used for prying?

B


gb Offline Roadie

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #12 on: June 13, 2008, 12:32:33 AM
Isn't the bottle opener/combi tool bulked up so it can be used for prying?

Yup, according to the packaging from my Spirit anyway :) (Number 7 on the list)
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england Offline Benner

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #13 on: June 13, 2008, 12:44:17 AM
Quote
In addition to all of the above, the X comes with a crate opener. This tool is not offered on the Spirit;

Isn't the bottle opener/combi tool bulked up so it can be used for prying?



What I was saying, was that there is no dedicated crate opener like there is on the X.
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Offline Leatherman123

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #14 on: June 13, 2008, 12:54:22 AM
But isn't it just a large flat head screwdriver that can be used for prying?
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england Offline Benner

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #15 on: June 13, 2008, 12:55:23 AM
But isn't it just a large flat head screwdriver that can be used for prying?

Yes it is, but there is not one of those dedicated type tools on the Spirit.
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Offline Leatherman123

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #16 on: June 13, 2008, 03:47:21 AM
I see what you mean.. Ben, what have you been using that file for!
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Offline max6166

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #17 on: June 13, 2008, 06:53:23 AM
What a fantastic post! Thanks for all the work! :cheers:

I have been dying to see a point-by-point comparison like that. Really informative.

I have a few questions:

1) Do the files have the same surface on both sides?

2) I think both files are combo metal saws, correct? If so, does the Spirit's more aggressive teeth make it a better metal saw?

3) The Philips on the ST-X is at quite an angle which I think would prevent it from reaching many recessed screws. The Spirit's shank has much less of an angle, but it still has one. Can the Spirit reach recessed screws, like those found in electronics, or does the shank's angle prevent that?




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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #18 on: June 13, 2008, 09:06:14 AM
Great comparison shot's and text Ben, should help a lot of people out who are considering getting one tool or the other :cheers:

max6166 The files have a slightly different surface on both sides, and yes they can be used as metal saws too :)

The spirit file will cut through material faster, but the swisstool will leave a better, smoother finish, so it's up to you what's more important :)

As for the screwdriver reach, I've never had any problems with either design, a lot of my son's toys have deeply recessed screw's, and none of the other MT's I've owned would be able to reach them, so I'd go for it and get one, or better yet both :D
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england Offline Benner

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #19 on: June 13, 2008, 10:47:50 AM
I see what you mean.. Ben, what have you been using that file for!

I suppose a clearer way to put it, is that the X has 11 impliments that fold out from the handles and the Spirit has 10, the additional one on the X being the dedicated crate opener.

The file?  Well I use it on a lot of things.  It is one of the tools I use the most.
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england Offline Benner

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #20 on: June 13, 2008, 11:03:23 AM
What a fantastic post! Thanks for all the work! :cheers:

I have been dying to see a point-by-point comparison like that. Really informative.

I have a few questions:

1) Do the files have the same surface on both sides?

2) I think both files are combo metal saws, correct? If so, does the Spirit's more aggressive teeth make it a better metal saw?

3) The Philips on the ST-X is at quite an angle which I think would prevent it from reaching many recessed screws. The Spirit's shank has much less of an angle, but it still has one. Can the Spirit reach recessed screws, like those found in electronics, or does the shank's angle prevent that?


No problem.  ;)  I'm surprised there wasn't one on here already.

Here are my take on your questions;

1)  The files do have a slight variation on each side, but it is only a very slight difference - no where near as obvious as the differences on a Leatherman file.  The one on the Spirit is more aggressive than the one on the Swisstool X which I feel is an improvement as I never really found an application for the one on the X.

2) The metal saw has the same teeth on both, but the Spirits is slightly thicker.  TBH I am yet to use either as a metal saw, so I can't really comment on their effectiveness.

3) I personally have not had any problems with the phillips reaching anything, but I do see the shape of the Spirits to be an improvement.
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Offline Abstraction

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #21 on: June 13, 2008, 01:50:12 PM
I've only used the metal saw on the Swisstool X but it made short work of a metal pipe when i put a blind up.  The only negetive is now the teeth are noticibly deformed and i'm unsure how effective they will be next time. 

The philips on the spirit is slightly better, as when you half  open up the body so it is extra long the entire thing is very thin and there is very little angle, whereas the st-x is still quite chunky and the philips head is angled towards one side.

I was going to put up a photo of the spirit-s and st-x blades next to each other but my phone has decided it's no longer speaking to my computer....


Offline Abstraction

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #22 on: June 13, 2008, 02:01:44 PM
Very interesting to note that not one single blade or driver is commonly shared between the two models.

Does the Spirit S have the same plain edge blade as the Swisstool? :think:

I would image the one on the Spirit would be shorter.

Here you go, sorry about the quality of photo but my phone isn't the best quality camera in the world!



england Offline Benner

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #23 on: June 13, 2008, 02:05:11 PM
Very interesting to note that not one single blade or driver is commonly shared between the two models.

Does the Spirit S have the same plain edge blade as the Swisstool? :think:

I would image the one on the Spirit would be shorter.

Here you go, sorry about the quality of photo but my phone isn't the best quality camera in the world!



I didn't realise they were shaped differently as well.

Thanks for the pic!  :cheers:
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us Offline NutSAK

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #24 on: June 13, 2008, 02:24:34 PM
Quote
In addition to all of the above, the X comes with a crate opener. This tool is not offered on the Spirit;

Isn't the bottle opener/combi tool bulked up so it can be used for prying?



What I was saying, was that there is no dedicated crate opener like there is on the X.

The large screwdriver doubles as the "crate opener" on the Spirit.  That is why it is much thicker than that of the X.  It is not a dedicated tool, as you mention.
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Offline Abstraction

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #25 on: June 13, 2008, 04:57:29 PM

I didn't realise they were shaped differently as well.

Thanks for the pic!  :cheers:

Yeah, i assume it's so that the blade follows the contours of the tool body when it's closed.


Offline Leatherman123

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #26 on: June 13, 2008, 07:09:41 PM
Yeah, that's what I was saying- Terry!  :cheers:
B


us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #27 on: June 14, 2008, 04:01:40 AM
Nice pics Ben  :salute: I have been  :think:  that if I get a larger MT  :multi: that I might look into gettin a Swisstool X I like all the features  :climber: plus I need to see whats all out there, all my reg MTs are Leatherman right now so I need to think outside my little box some I guess  :D Plus Dunc is so adament about everyone gettin one  :pok: so next big tool STX prob be Chrstmas though :( :D


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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #28 on: June 14, 2008, 08:51:09 AM
A Swisstool X would make a hell of a Christmas pressie mate :)
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england Offline Dunc

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Re: Swisstool X and Spirit comparison pics.
Reply #29 on: June 14, 2008, 10:42:20 AM
I'm a bit late arriving in this thread  ::) Great work Ben  :D You've saved me a job , I was intending to get round to doing a comparison but I doubt it would have been as good as yours . nice one  ;)

Just my two pennies ...

I prefer the Spirits phillips

The file is perfect for removing hard skin from your feet  :o

Dunc


 

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