Shootout- Leatherman Skeletool vs SOG Reactor

[Grant Lamontagne]

Part 7- Overall Fit and Finish

This one is also immediately apparent as soon as you handle each one- The Leatherman Skeletool just feels nicer in the hand, and each of it’s functions is crisp and locks into place.  There’s nothing wrong with the SOG per se, it just doesn’t seem to feel as solid. 



When you fold the Skeletool blade out you feel a healthy bit of resistance- it’s smooth, but you know it’s not going to fall out accidentally, and then when the liner lock snaps into place it feels like a bank vault door closing.  The relatively deep click you heard when it does fills you with confidence that this tool is going to be as strong as you need it and won’t give in easily.

By comparison, although the blade setup is much different, the Reactor’s blade flings open like a kid tossing his backpack on the couch when coming in the house after school, and the liner lock is more of a pop than a click.  Not a bad thing in its own right, but it just doesn’t give you that confident feeling that you get from the Skeletool.



Going a bit further, at some points it seems like someone spent more time crafting the Skeletool, with it’s sweeping lines and many interlocking parts, while the Reactor feels like someone was just trying to put the most used functions together to get something made.  There’s nothing wrong with that mentality, and in fact I prefer a feature rich and functional tool over one that sacrifices function for the sake of looks, but the Skeletool hasn’t really sacrificed much for the way it looks.

The screwdrivers are a great example of this- the way the screwdriver end folds neatly inside the split end of the carabiner (unless you are using the flat bit!) and the spare bit tucks neatly into an otherwise unused spot on the frame, while the bit on the Reactor just sort of fits into a spare end because it can’t stay in the bit driver when not in use.  The attention to detail shows that the Skeletool designer Glenn Klecker really put some effort into it. 

In my opinion, the Skeletool design does qualify as art, because Leatherman continues to use that concept with the MUT, Signal and other tools, and yet they just don’t have the same appeal as the Skeletool, kind of like if someone stuck a bag of Ruffles in the hands of the Mona Lisa.
What all this means is that Leatherman has gotten this last point, and once again a shootout has resulted in a tie.  It’s a bit of a shock to me as well, as once again my personal bias has been well established, but in the end each one has its strengths and weaknesses, and, as with any multitool, has its compromises.  In the end though I have to say that I just don’t think you can go wrong with either of these tools.  Yes, the Skeletool is higher quality, but the Reactor has massive pliers, well able to tackle big jobs despite being in a smaller package.

And, there’s a twist….

In an ultra secret memo that I may be “sanctioned” for spilling, SOG has recognized the quality issues that have been plaguing them lately and have informed me that they are making an increase in quality a huge priority.  This is great news for any SOG enthusiast, and I am looking forward to seeing what the result is.  Maybe I’ll revisit this in a year or so, with a new Skeletool and a new Reactor and find out for ourselves! 

Congratulations to both tools, and both companies- you have both made a fine tool, and, in the end, isn’t that really what everyone here wants, regardless of where it came from?

FINAL SCORE- Leatherman 5, SOG 5

TIE TIE TIE TIE TIE TIE TIE TIE TIE TIE TIE TIE 
Def

[MaverickMCS]

Great review! 
The downside is that it just made me want the Skele even more, haha.

[Wspeed]

That was a great write up
Hope we get some more soon 

[Don Pablo]

Love it! 

[Grant Lamontagne]

That was a great write up
Hope we get some more soon 

The difficulty is trying to find two tools that are close in the same functions.  For example, if you tried comparing the Wave and the Spirit, well, you just can't do it because the Wave has one handed opening blades, putting it in a totally different category than the Spirit.  If you need one handed opening blades then the Wave wins.  If you want better construction and more functions then the Spirit wins.  You really have to look to find two tools that are on the same level and have all the same features, otherwise there's no real comparison.

But, I'm happy having the options we have available to us. 

Def

[Aloha]

Terrific write up and comparison.  Thank you for the work you put into it.   

[Kampfer]

Well done as always!

[Nix]

I really enjoyed this thread! 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Terrific write up and comparison.  Thank you for the work you put into it.   

It was absolutely my pleasure. 

It's easy to say you like this more than that, but I really want to know why.  Unless it is made by Taylor Cutlery, no tool is a complete waste.  Even the worst tools (except Taylor Cutlery products) have redeeming qualities, and it is worth looking for them- not that I think either of these tools are anywhere near the worst.  I very much like both of them, and they have both seen a significant amount of carry and use.

Def

[McStitchy]

Thanks Grant for this great review.
I don't have either of both, and still wouldn't know which one to get without making up my own mind about them 

[ezdog]

Nice Review,thanks for taking the time to do it.

I have a Skeletool that I can not seem to bond with and I was intrigued by the SOG but when I went to a store to see one I was underwhelmed by what seemed to me an obvious lack of quality or attention to detail and thats as far as I got.

I have several SOG' and have always found them among the crude mainstream MT but this ones stamped construction just did not inspire me to get one at all.

I appreciate your in depth analysis though and I might have to give another look?

[Alan K.]

I think if you are looking for a tie breaker the Skeletool wins on price because they were a Christmas special at Home Depot in 2016 for under $30.00, and even though they weren't available at that price for the 2017 holidays many of us did buy them when they were on sale, and there's no reason to believe they won't be a Christmas special again in the future.

[jaya_man]

Awesome wright-up Grant... thanks again...

I have a few skeletools and used to edc one before I bought a SOG micro tool clip.. Actually miss the Skeletool too...

Your write-up has also opened my eyes to the Reactor... prior to this, the side by side shoot out  I’ve seen has always been one sided...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[ThePeacent]

yes, boss, well written and entertaining. 

Thanks for such an insightful overview of the tools, I've always put the Skele above the Reactor but this comparison brought up some points I didn't think about, that make it an attractive alternative.   

[Grant Lamontagne]

I think if you are looking for a tie breaker the Skeletool wins on price because they were a Christmas special at Home Depot in 2016 for under $30.00, and even though they weren't available at that price for the 2017 holidays many of us did buy them when they were on sale, and there's no reason to believe they won't be a Christmas special again in the future.

The Skeletool already won a point based on price.

With pricing I always go with MSRP because it is the only fair way to do it- after all, I got this Reactor free from SOG for review purposes, and I bought that Skeletool.  By that logic, the Reactor should have won the price point because it cost me less, even though that isn't a deal that just anyone can go out and get any time.  Also, as a registered SOG dealer but not a Leatherman dealer, I can but SOG products at wholesale (cheaper) than I can buy Leatherman products (retail), so again Leatherman would have lost their point here.

I will always hold to MSRP for these things because there are always deals to be had, but MSRP is a benchmark that all brands adhere to, and it's only fair to have them all compete on the same level.

Def

[mcb]

Great review!    I though the final part was probably the best.    As someone that has owned and carried both I have to say that the Skeletool is the winner for me personally.  The quality of the build is evident the first time you use the tool hard.  The Leatherman is just stiffer, tighter and more refined.  I think a lot of SOG tools would benefit from making the sheet-metal they use in the handle from steel just a few thousands of an inch thicker.  Yes that it not simple change but it would make a huge difference to how stiff the tool feel in the hand under heavy use. 

[Old Boy]

Special request for a tie breaker. How about which tool has Joie de vivre?

[Grant Lamontagne]

Special request for a tie breaker. How about which tool has Joie de vivre?

The reactor because the assisted opening blade is fun to play with. 

Def

[Old Boy]

Darn it! I was hoping you’d say Skeletool coz it’s sexy.

[Poncho65]

Great write up and glad both were given a fair chance I have a Skeley and have looked at the Reactor several times but never have gotten one If the QC may be better in the near future I may very well get one then though

[AimlessWanderer]

Nice work, Grant. 

I think that was a fair and balanced appraisal, and not just balanced in the end result. I wouldn't agree with every point, but then nobody would. We all value things slightly differently, based on our own needs and preferences. That said, I do not have any significant arguements with any of the findings herein.

From my own perspective, I have commented in the past about the ergonomics of the Skeletool, the fact that SOG's compound leverage is great for amplifying gripping force on smaller items, but actually reduces gripping force on larger items due to making the grip ergonomically inefficient, and SOG's reputation for inferior quality over the last few years.

However, I think my dislike of both these tools is more fundamental to the tool format. Kampfer has rightly said in the past, that the Skele is unlike other "pliers based" tools, and is more of a "knife with pliers" than "pliers with a knife". The Reactor has done a good job of capturing that same essence of form. However, it's not a knife form that I have any liking or need for. I appreciate that some people like the locking knife format, but is I can't do a job with a slippie, I need a fixed blade, not one that is pretending to be. I certainly have no interest whatsoever in any kind of assisted blade, or any other "tacticool" elemental.

I am simply the wrong person for these tools.

If I DID have a genuine requirement for a one hand opening locking blade, that happened to have pliers and screwdrivers, which would I go for? Well I would got for one which I felt gave me the best ergonomics, and the one that I trusted the most. For me, that would be the Buck X-Tract, or X-Tract Fin. I recognise that is a discontinued model, but I happen to have one, and would rather reach for that than either of the two reviewed here.

I find the "insight" into SOG's sudden interest in quality improvements, to be disappointingly overdue. For four (or is it five) years now, they have been cementing their position as a company who cares very little about quality. Interested in design concepts, maybe, and in profit margins, but not in refining the concepts, ensuring that concepts are properly realised in the manufacturing stages, making sure that the products are indeed of useable tool quality, or giving a crap about their reputation in the marketplace.

If SOG are listening, and I hope they are, they need to understand and be prepared to accept that even if every single tool they sold from today onwards, was of the quality that they should have been for the last few years, this is going to be a slow recovery of customer trust. They have pumped many disappointing tools out for several years, and that kind of reputation damage doesn't get swept under the carpet quickly. They now need to consistently put TOOLS on the market, instead of novelty "dad gifts". Not just one or two, but the whole line, and make sure each and every current product, and every subsequent new release, can be carried and USED in real life applications with full confidence. Even then, it may take five years of high quality tools, to start undoing the damage from five years of defects, misinformation, and sloppily built overpriced gadgets. There's no quick fix, fellers - but you've only yourselves to blame. Good luck in your recovery.

[Nix]

Good addition to the argument, Trad.

I'm a fan of a locking knife because it is safer than a slip joint. Now, I love me a traditional slip joint, but I always feel safer using a locking knife. Or, at least, a knife that locks securely.

These comments are coming from a guy who prefers to carry a fixed blade knife (and frequently does so). No one will ever convince me that a folder is a good substitute for a fixie, but in modern societies they aren't as well accepted as they should be (according to me  ). So we are left with tiny knives that fold. And here a locking knife blade is a good idea for safety and security.

I agree with your assessment that the Skeletool is a knife with pliers as opposed to a pair of pliers with a knife. This is true from my perspective. But, sometimes I want a knife (the tool I use the most) and think it might be nice to have some pliers along for the ride. In this respect, the Skele and Reactor do fill a specific role or, perhaps better, a specific set of anticipated needs.

In the end, I don't carry my Skele as often as I have my Charge or, now, REBAR. But I like having it as an option. In this respect I think Leatherman and SOG should continue to evaluate, improve, and produce these tools. Options is good. 

[ezdog]

All good points as were the ones before yours but the issue that I have with both tools here is that they not only seem like 1/2 tool sets but lesser quality for it as well?
They seem to think that there is a need to cut corners for price and/or weight while making the tool a crippled version of the real deal too.

Take Vic though where pretty much any SAK that you get from the smallest to the biggest is still pretty much the same quality and design just scaled for different needs but always a good value for the quality regardless!

I would jump all over a small Spirit X Mini that was pint sized and just a shrunken Spirit in body & Spirit but the idea of throwing good money for the Skeletool for instance leads me to consider the Rebar or even Sidekick/Wingman for the same price where each is a pretty serious Heavy Duty tool in their own right.

Good addition to the argument, Trad.

I'm a fan of a locking knife because it is safer than a slip joint. Now, I love me a traditional slip joint, but I always feel safer using a locking knife. Or, at least, a knife that locks securely.

These comments are coming from a guy who prefers to carry a fixed blade knife (and frequently does so). No one will ever convince me that a folder is a good substitute for a fixie, but in modern societies they aren't as well accepted as they should be (according to me  ). So we are left with tiny knives that fold. And here a locking knife blade is a good idea for safety and security.

I agree with your assessment that the Skeletool is a knife with pliers as opposed to a pair of pliers with a knife. This is true from my perspective. But, sometimes I want a knife (the tool I use the most) and think it might be nice to have some pliers along for the ride. In this respect, the Skele and Reactor do fill a specific role or, perhaps better, a specific set of anticipated needs.

In the end, I don't carry my Skele as often as I have my Charge or, now, REBAR. But I like having it as an option. In this respect I think Leatherman and SOG should continue to evaluate, improve, and produce these tools. Options is good. 

[AimlessWanderer]

I'm a fan of a locking knife because it is safer than a slip joint. Now, I love me a traditional slip joint, but I always feel safer using a locking knife. Or, at least, a knife that locks securely.

I find slipjoints to be safer. I have had far more nicks and cuts from locking blades than non-locking blades - particularly back locks, which I now refuse to use, but also from many liner locks too. I do appreciate that I am deep in minority territory on that one...

I agree with your assessment that the Skeletool is a knife with pliers as opposed to a pair of pliers with a knife. This is true from my perspective. But, sometimes I want a knife (the tool I use the most) and think it might be nice to have some pliers along for the ride. In this respect, the Skele and Reactor do fill a specific role or, perhaps better, a specific set of anticipated needs.

I much prefer to have a stand alone pocket knife than the knife on any pliers tool. I consider my pliers tool to be my pocket "everything else other than a knife", and would rather they made it knifeless, and put something else useful in it's place. I'm still in the minority on this one too, but a larger minority this time.

Options is good. 

On this, I agree 100% 

[Nix]

I had a couple of cuts after my Spyderco Endura's lock failed (two or three times). I was seriously annoyed and wrote to Spyderco: "your back-lock fails!". This was in 1997. They wrote back and told me I was wrong. What the smurf?!? I had the Band-Aid bill to prove it!

A few years later they came out with the "Boye Detent" and I felt vindicated. Since then, though, I've never had a lock fail. And I ain't kind to my knives.

So, I'm not dismissing your concerns, but I don't have the same experience that you do. I'm quite confident in most (99%) of my locking knives and far, far more confident in my locking knives than I am in my slippies. Of course, my concern about the safety of my slip joints may make me more cautious when using them, and that might be a safety advantage. 

(Hey, nice arguing with you, Trad!)

[AimlessWanderer]

I had a couple of cuts after my Spyderco Endura's lock failed (two or three times). I was seriously annoyed and wrote to Spyderco: "your back-lock fails!". This was in 1997. They wrote back and told me I was wrong. What the smurf?!? I had the Band-Aid bill to prove it!

A few years later they came out with the "Boye Detent" and I felt vindicated. Since then, though, I've never had a lock fail. And I ain't kind to my knives.

So, I'm not dismissing your concerns, but I don't have the same experience that you do. I'm quite confident in most (99%) of my locking knives and far, far more confident in my locking knives than I am in my slippies. Of course, my concern about the safety of my slip joints may make me more cautious when using them, and that might be a safety advantage. 

(Hey, nice arguing with you, Trad!)

Oh, it's not the lock failing that's drawn blood here. It's the having to put your fingers in the path of the blade to unlock it.

I've never had a lock fail, because I never use it so that the lock is needed - or in other words, I use it like a slipjoint. If I ever do anything that warrants a lock, it's time for a different tool. If there are no other tools, i'll modify the usage so the lock isn't loaded (such as a pinch hold on the blade itself). Cutting through something where the blade might jam? Raise the handle first, so you're rolling the knife out.

Every lock knife cut that I've had has been from closing the blade, either one handed, or two handed while my attention has been elsewhere. One hand closing is way more important to me than one hand opening (though it's nice to have both), and I can safely one handed close a slippy with less chance of a cut than I can a blade that locks but doesn't need to 

I've also had near misses purely due to unfamiliarity. I was using a 111mm Vic once, and totally forgot the blade locked. I went to close it as if it was a slippy, and just pushed the blade out of my hand, and it landed point down. Luckily, I managed to get my foot out of the way in time.

When I tell people that I consider slippies to be safer than locking blades, they tend to look at me as if my head buttons up the back. That level of confusion that they have in that moment, is the exact same confusion that I have when someone says a locking blade is safer. Seriously! I genuinely do not understand how anyone is "safely" using a folding knife, in such a way that the lock is needed? That means the blade is under force the wrong way.  Even when making piercing cuts, I always make sure the forces are going the right way, pushing the blade open. Unless I'm missing something, that means no lock needed.



No arguing. Just a friendly exchange of different perspectives 

[Nix]

No arguing. Just a friendly exchange of different perspectives.

Smurf it all, Trad! Let's fight!

Here is how I recall my Endura failing and cutting me (this may all be a lie, but I think it's true.): I was trying to cut through a thick branch. I made a Herculean cut with exuberance. A real Conan-the-Barbarian kind of cut. As the blade passed through the branch, all the force of the cut was dissipated. The blade then had a large amount of momentum. That momentum was translated into angular velocity focused around the pivot point. With my knuckle actuating the lock--at least in part--the blade was released to rotate around the pivot point and whack my fingers. Whack 'em with the sharp bit. FAIL.

And this is the safety concern. A force applied to a blade correctly pushes the blade into the 'open' position. But once that force doesn't have an "opposite and equal" force applied by the medium being cut, funny things happen. Inertia and the forces of deceleration come into play. And then close that razor sharp edge on yer fingers. For that reason, a lock offers--in my over-confident opinion--a margin of safety against the inertial forces at play when an open blade is being rapidly decelerated. Baseball players are known to break baseball bats by rapidly checking their swings to avoid a strike. I'm not claiming to have the wrists of an MLB batter, but the principle is the same. A lock doesn't prevent disaster, but it's better than no safety mechanism at all.   

[AimlessWanderer]

I've never had that. Not even with my softest backsprung non-locking knives. I've never tried to flick any of them closed though, so I don't know how unfeasable that would be in my usage....

*goes and gets one to try*

Nope. Won't do it! but then, I don't have any particularly large folders.

A lock doesn't prevent disaster, but it's better than no safety mechanism at all.   

Unless it makes it LESS safe than a simple backspring, which appears to be my experience...

There's an odd (and often misunderstood) quirk with British knife law. A locking blade isn't illegal - it's just in the same legal category as a fixed blade. Therefore, you need a valid reason to carry a fixed blade, in order to carry a locking folder.... in which case, you might as well carry the fixed blade 

We're back to lock not needed (well, here anyway).

[MaverickMCS]

I find the "insight" into SOG's sudden interest in quality improvements, to be disappointingly overdue. For four (or is it five) years now, they have been cementing their position as a company who cares very little about quality. Interested in design concepts, maybe, and in profit margins, but not in refining the concepts, ensuring that concepts are properly realised in the manufacturing stages, making sure that the products are indeed of useable tool quality, or giving a crap about their reputation in the marketplace.

If SOG are listening, and I hope they are, they need to understand and be prepared to accept that even if every single tool they sold from today onwards, was of the quality that they should have been for the last few years, this is going to be a slow recovery of customer trust. They have pumped many disappointing tools out for several years, and that kind of reputation damage doesn't get swept under the carpet quickly. They now need to consistently put TOOLS on the market, instead of novelty "dad gifts". Not just one or two, but the whole line, and make sure each and every current product, and every subsequent new release, can be carried and USED in real life applications with full confidence. Even then, it may take five years of high quality tools, to start undoing the damage from five years of defects, misinformation, and sloppily built overpriced gadgets. There's no quick fix, fellers - but you've only yourselves to blame. Good luck in your recovery.

Unfortunately I have to agree here. Nowdays when I see a new release by SOG, instead of getting interested, I immediately think about things like https://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=40498.0.
Knowing that a company can put out stuff like that for sale can really shake one's confidence in said company. Like you said, I think it would take a few years of flawless work to restore confidence, at least for me. A Seal Pup Elite is still on my bucket list though...

[ReamerPunch]

Unfortunately I have to agree here. Nowdays when I see a new release by SOG, instead of getting interested, I immediately think about things like https://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=40498.0.
Knowing that a company can put out stuff like that for sale can really shake one's confidence in said company. Like you said, I think it would take a few years of flawless work to restore confidence, at least for me. A Seal Pup Elite is still on my bucket list though...

Thanks for the link.