Spirit challenge

[KandiKlover]

DAY 11

Thanks for following along gerleatherberman! Unfortunately, the price is pretty steep The only reason I have one is because I found it and a pioneer x together, brand new, for $120. I really wanted a pioneer X, and thought the spirit would be neat too. I'm glad I didn't pass this one by! Although, I find myself missing my Center Drive these days  

It is a lot of fun using and learning MTs. Everyone eventually finds what they really needed! The pics are awesome!

I found Swisschamp :3 Gerber got me by for a short while, it was alright. Nice username btw.

[Douglas]

Add another follower of your 'Spirit'ual challenge.

The Spirit is my goto for days off hopping around town. I use the nylon sheath for it, because it is a little bit lower profile than the leather. It is quite capable for a light-medium duty MT. Probably the best MT for average users. The light weight and compact size are my favorite aspects of the Spirit. Sometimes, if I am wearing shorts without a belt, the Spirit is the only MT I have that I trust not to tear up my pocket liner. Although, the price of the Spirit will hurt you in the wallet pocket.

DAY 11

Thanks for following along gerleatherberman! Unfortunately, the price is pretty steep The only reason I have one is because I found it and a pioneer x together, brand new, for $120. I really wanted a pioneer X, and thought the spirit would be neat too. I'm glad I didn't pass this one by! Although, I find myself missing my Center Drive these days  

The Centre Drive really has won you over hasn't it?  It's interesting that some people (including Gerleatherberman) see the Spirit as a lighter duty tool somehow. I think I'd probably subject the Spirit to as much force as I would my Diesel or MP600 and I know it would handle it, yet somehow it seems "proper" to let the MP600 do the grunt work. It's as though the Gerbers (or some of them) are perceived as more of an "all-terrain" tools. 

Has the Spirit let you down on anything yet, Spartan, or has it risen up to and conquered every challenge?

Okay, I have to jump in here on this one.  50' I want to first say you have more experiance with verious MT's than I do for certain and I want to show proper respect, so please keep my ignorance in mind.  My knowlage is limited to the OG Wave (1 year, 20 years ago), Swisstool (almost 20 year EDC), Spirit (6 month EDC), and now the Surge for 13 days.  I love the Spirit and it has a formidable tool set and great capabilities far exceeding most on the market.  But I would not begin to put in the heavy hitter catagory.  I would say the Spirit and the Wave fall into a definate medium duty line up on the MT roster with Spirit having lead over the Wave.  Both of these are better prepaired for the game and will get a solid base hit on most at bats than other tools I see out there.  The Swisstool and Surge on the other hand will not only get on base but hit at least a double if not homer each time up.  In the year I EDC'd the Wave I broke 3 just using it heavier than it was designed to handle, not abuse, the handles just were not tough enough for the pliars.  the Spirit held up during it's six months but started to loosen and just could not provide the gripping power needed and I had to be carefull with the file because of it's demuntive width.  The Swisstool I have put through HE double hocky sticks and back and it keeps working just like the day I got it.  The Surge so far shows to be Just as tough although not as refined.  The one exception for the Surge is I can never see myself driveing 3" nails through a 2x4 with it like I have the Swisstool.  So in conclusion 50' with my limited experiance I must keep the Spirt in the medium weight (although at the top) MT catagory.  Hope as I am here longer to get more experiance with other MT's and that might chahge but for now that's my take.

[gerleatherberman]

I found Swisschamp :3 Gerber got me by for a short while, it was alright. Nice username btw.

Thank ya, Sir!
I love the Champ as a dedicated computer desk tool. I even took my small tool bag out to the workshop, because the champ can handle most of my PC building/repairing needs. The pliars and drivers are just way too small for my particular line of work.
Here is a photo of it with other SAKs. Also included is the Spirit, in which this thread by Spartan19 is dedicated to!

[an0nemus]

Wow. After reading the posts here, my ignorant impression that a Spirit is a heavy duty MT has been shattered. I thought its a superior tool than the bigger SwissTool, which I read in various posts to have a tendency to have a play after heavy use.

[Mechanickal]

Wow. After reading the posts here, my ignorant impression that a Spirit is a heavy duty MT has been shattered. I thought its a superior tool than the bigger SwissTool, which I read in various posts to have a tendency to have a play after heavy use.

It's superiour in the fact that it keeps up the high standard of the Swisstool in a more pocket-friendly package.
And to be honest, preferences may differ.
As an alarm tech I don't have any heavy duty jobs for my tools, so a Spirit would be more then enough, yet more pocket friendly.

The Swisstool is simply a heavy piece of steel that might survive a nuke, while still being nice to watch at.

[Fortytwo]

Wow. After reading the posts here, my ignorant impression that a Spirit is a heavy duty MT has been shattered. I thought its a superior tool than the bigger SwissTool, which I read in various posts to have a tendency to have a play after heavy use.

It's superiour in the fact that it keeps up the high standard of the Swisstool in a more pocket-friendly package.
And to be honest, preferences may differ.
As an alarm tech I don't have any heavy duty jobs for my tools, so a Spirit would be more then enough, yet more pocket friendly.

The Swisstool is simply a heavy piece of steel that might survive a nuke, while still being nice to watch at.

Looking at them next to each other I don't even see the SwissTool being that much sturdier to be honest. Yes, the plier head is broader but the teeth are the same as is the thickness. As for the tools the SwissTool has a total of 11 fold out implements compared to the Spirits 10 (and I would argue that the job of the crate opener/large flat screwdriver on the SwissTool is picked up by the sturdier cap lifter on the Spirit). The only fold out implement that actually has more material on it is the Philips.

All in all I think that the biggest difference between the two is the size and that the SwissTool might be more suitable for people with large hands. Another possible reason to prefer the SwissTool is if you use the markings to measure stuff or the square properties of the body of the tool.

Keep up the challenge!

[gerleatherberman]

One slight hiccup I forgot to mention with my photo. The SwissTool I pictured is an older original. The newer SwissTools have significantly larger jaws. The handle frames are much much sturdier on the SwissTool as well.
The Spirit is simply not a heavy duty MT. But, it is one of the best light/medium duty tools out there. And like I said, most users will find the Spirit adequate. Just as some users can accomplish their desired tasks with a 90mm SAK.
Then some of us, particularly in manual labor, will need something designed for heavy duty work. A matter of what someone needs. 

[Douglas]

    I must say I  all the Spirit'ed conversation (debate) going on here.  When I get a chance I'll do some compairison photos with the Spirit and Swisstools side by side for each individual impliment.  That being later, I do want to say that just because I see the Spirit as a medium duty MT, DOSE NOT mean it is not a quality and capable tool, IT DEFINATELY IS on BOTH counts and far more pocket friendly than any of what I consider the Heavy duty MT's. 

[Spartan19]

Day12


Wow! This is a very spirited debate I like the different takes on the tools . I can tell you this, the Spirit is continuing to impress me every time I take it out of the sheath I used the wire cutters today at work, and the blade saved the day as the only cutting tool we had at one of the sites for cutting plastic. I have to agree with you guys in that I wouldn't try to push the pliers beyond their inteded use. I think if you put enough torque on them, they would break too. For HD work, I'd have to leave it to either a full size swisstool, my CD, or my ST300. Here's a pic of the cutters in use today, and thanks again to all of you guys following along with me on this challenge. Only 18 more to go!

[gerleatherberman]

Nice! The cutter may be small, but they work very well! I rewired a friend's lamp with my Spirit and the small cutters with the center hard wire notch made for good wire strippers. 

[Spartan19]

Thanks buddy!

[gerleatherberman]

Thanks buddy!

[Barry Rowland]

Awesome thread so far... makes me want to do the Swisstool challenge!

[AimlessWanderer]

It seems my comments may have ruffled some feathers 

I do stick by my comments based on my own previous usage and experience. If your experience and subsequent conclusions are different, that's fine  Many people have found tools more capable than I have, and vice versa. It's good to share these with other people. Suffice to say however, I wouldn't subject most multitools to harder graft than I have subjected the Spirit to. I would go in search of dedicated tools instead. Some may be better at certain tasks than others, and there is no one tool that is universally accepted as "superior", but the Spirit's durability does meet what I personally would expect from a multitool, but not what I would expect from dedicated tools.

We all have different levels of expectation though, and different perspectives of what a tool is or should be capable of. For example, I think locking folding knives are a waste of time, and if there's a job I can't do with a slippy, then I need a fixed blade, not one that pretends to be but isn't. Many people disagree with that, and have a significantly higher regard for locking folders. Again, that's fine. There are very few absolutes in terms of right and wrong, the trick is to find what is right and wrong for you. My (nor anyone else's) post count, working background, exposure to and experience with different tools, or tool ownership should be taken as any form of assurance that my conclusions will be the same conclusions that you reach on your own personal journey 

Keep up the good work, Spartan 

[Douglas]

It seems my comments may have ruffled some feathers 

I do stick by my comments based on my own previous usage and experience. If your experience and subsequent conclusions are different, that's fine  Many people have found tools more capable than I have, and vice versa. It's good to share these with other people. Suffice to say however, I wouldn't subject most multitools to harder graft than I have subjected the Spirit to. I would go in search of dedicated tools instead. Some may be better at certain tasks than others, and there is no one tool that is universally accepted as "superior", but the Spirit's durability does meet what I personally would expect from a multitool, but not what I would expect from dedicated tools.

We all have different levels of expectation though, and different perspectives of what a tool is or should be capable of. For example, I think locking folding knives are a waste of time, and if there's a job I can't do with a slippy, then I need a fixed blade, not one that pretends to be but isn't. Many people disagree with that, and have a significantly higher regard for locking folders. Again, that's fine. There are very few absolutes in terms of right and wrong, the trick is to find what is right and wrong for you. My (nor anyone else's) post count, working background, exposure to and experience with different tools, or tool ownership should be taken as any form of assurance that my conclusions will be the same conclusions that you reach on your own personal journey 

Keep up the good work, Spartan 

AGREED AND WELL PUT, MY FRIEND!!!!!!!!
 
It's all subjective.
Kind'a like and accurate definition of "UP". 
-Any thing above eye level and it is all relative depeneing on an individuals height.-
 

[Mechanickal]

It seems my comments may have ruffled some feathers 

Well that's new

[Nix]

Awesome thread so far... makes me want to do the Swisstool challenge!

Me, too!

Stay with the cause, Spartan-one-niner! 

[NorCalJim]

I'm late to this thread but have read all of the posts so far...interesting challenge!

[Spartan19]

DAY 13

Thanks guys! Let's keep this party rollin'!

[Spartan19]

DAY 14

[gerleatherberman]

Looking good. Even next to work boots.

[Poncho65]

Caught up again I haven't been carrying a SAK since I started the Surge challenge and haven't been visiting eh Swiss forum as much as I should be Plus work has been crazy the last while and no time for anything

Great thread you have going here buddy

[Barry Rowland]

Thatta boy 19er!!!

[Douglas]

Tomorrow is your 1/2 way point and still going strong.
Looking Great.

[Spartan19]

DAY 15

Thanks everybody!  Already at the halfway point! Thanks again to all you guys following along on this one

[Spartan19]

Caught up again I haven't been carrying a SAK since I started the Surge challenge and haven't been visiting eh Swiss forum as much as I should be Plus work has been crazy the last while and no time for anything

Great thread you have going here buddy

I hear you there Poncho!  I've been running like crazy ripping up floors and taking down ceilings for a couple weeks now. I never slows down!   Thanks for following along buddy!

[ToolJoe]

Once you go Spirit, you never go back 

[Nix]

Strong work, Spartan19. Keep on, keepin' on. 

[Spartan19]

Once you go Spirit, you never go back 

  True that TJ!

Strong work, Spartan19. Keep on, keepin' on. 

Thanks Nix!

DAY 16

[Poncho65]

More great pics Spartan