New guy looking for some advice on first multitool!

[cerbera147]

Thanks for the pics Dave 

Good to see the comparison 

[Abe Arceo]

For you id say the charge isn't worth it. Its a wave with fancy metals that you don't really need.
Skeletool is a decent option but considering ur job u may find it lacking when u really need it.
Spirit is a lot more pocketable and overall has more onboard features than the wave. Its a tad lighter, but its the thinness that really makes it disappear into your pocket. I really think the spirit would be better for you (I've owned both a spirit and wave) unless you really want the one handed blades. Keep in mind though, universities tend to be chock full of sheeple that may get freaked out when you snap open the Wave's more agressive blades. People don't think twice about the spirit's "swiss army blade" also the stubby bit drivers on the wave may be a problem working in tight places like the inside of a copier or what have you. Id also take a 2nd look at the cybertool. I love mine for working on computers and electronics. I actually find the tiny pliers indespensible for manipulating small objects or  getting into tight places, and the bit driver is a godsend. I used my cybertool to rebuild my Nintendo DSi. Something none of my other multis could do. For small work it's an indespensible tool.  As has been mentioned, if you don't mind taking the hour it takes to get at the tools, the paladin is another decent option.

You make a great point about how the Wave might not be as friendly/welcoming as the Spirit due to the aggressive blades - that's something that I didn't think about it and actually makes a strong case in favor of the Spirit.  I love the idea of the OHO blades (look at me learning the lingo), but it may cause a few people a bit of a concern.  I work in the Enrollment Management department, so the offices I tend to are actually pretty high level, so they may not be too keen on the aggressive blades of the Wave.  The Spirit looks pretty elegant and may not draw too much attention.

I do like the idea of the Cybertool, I'll do more research into that later, but I did receive my Leatherman Squirt P4 and S4 last night and I absolutely love them!  I was able to unbox, break down the box, and put a MFP together this morning just using the blade on the Squirt P4. 

I've also noticed there is a Spirit Plus with the Ratchet Tool. Any comments on that?

Also, what is the average price of a Spirit?  I see that Amazon has them for just under $60, is that pretty standard?

And last question - what is the actual size of a Spirit or Spirit S?  The official size says 5 and 3/4 oz, but I read some reviews saying it was somewhere in the 7.4 oz range.  That's a pretty big difference...is it a case of older vs. newer model?

Thanks!

[thebullfrog]

Im sure there isn't much of a difference in weight between the Spirit and the Spirit S. Not enough to notice it anyway. I don't know the actua weight, but it is really light and unnoticable in my pocket. I wouldn't be overly concerned there. While I haven't personally tried one, I have heard good things about the mini ratchet, but if your already concerned about weight keep in mind it is one more thing to lug around. Tho it can be a bit trickier to find in stock and usually costs a few $ more have you considered the Spirit X? It replaces the serrated "butter knife" with scissors. Don't get me wrong, the Wave is a great tool, and I carried one every day for a couple years, I just think the Spirit would probably suit you better.

[Dunc]

Abe if you haven't already read the Spirit owners thread then you may want to take a look  ......

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,9743.0.html

Dunc

[Abe Arceo]

Dunc - Looking through it now!  Definitely appreciate all the pics...I'm looking more into the Black Oxide Spirit now - I believe it's the cheapest on Amazon right now.

If I do go with the Spirit, I am torn a bit between the X and the S.  Is the only difference the scissors?  Both have a knife, right?  Here is the the Black Oxide Spirit S that I am looking at on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VY6E78?ie=UTF8&tag=leupne-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000VY6E78


I do like both finishes, I'm kinda worried the B.O. will wear off in time though.  

[Dunc]

Dunc - Looking through it now!  Definitely appreciate all the pics...I'm looking more into the Black Oxide Spirit now - I believe it's the cheapest on Amazon right now.

If I do go with the Spirit, I am torn a bit between the X and the S.  Is the only difference the scissors?  Both have a knife, right?  Here is the the Black Oxide Spirit S that I am looking at on Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VY6E78?ie=UTF8&tag=leupne-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000VY6E78


I do like both finishes, I'm kinda worried the B.O. will wear off in time though.  

The black one is only available in the "S" model which has two knife blades and no Scissors . There is another model black spirit but its harder to get hold of and much more expensive , I believe its a military run  The X has scissors and a plain edge blade . The Std has a blunt tip serrated blade and the S has both blades but no scissors . I love my Black Spirit and at first a little of the black comes off on your hands ( its not that bad honest ) and as time goes by it gets a lovely worn  smokey like finish . It does scratch easily though .

Dunc

[thebullfrog]

Dunc beat me to it.

One other thought about the BO version though would be the sheeple factor again. People find the "gentlemanly" shinyness a lot less offensive and disarming than "tactical" looking black.

[Zack]

I actually see the BO as being less visible when in use.  It just sort of blends in, whereas the shiny finish really stands out.

[thebullfrog]

Which is actually my point. In my experience when people see you using a black "knife" they tend to think you want it to blend in and tend to get nervous about it. Having it uber shiny and obvious seems to put the sheeple I've encountered more at ease. They don't hink ur trying to hide something. Plus I tend to get a lot of "oh that's  kinda like the swiss army knife my grandpa always used" as opposed to " why do you carry such a scary looking knife?" that I would often get with my BO powerlock, not to mention the occasional look of horror when I'd open the blade on any of my leathermans.

[Abe Arceo]

Which is actually my point. In my experience when people see you using a black "knife" they tend to think you want it to blend in and tend to get nervous about it. Having it uber shiny and obvious seems to put the sheeple I've encountered more at ease. They don't hink ur trying to hide something. Plus I tend to get a lot of "oh that's  kinda like the swiss army knife my grandpa always used" as opposed to " why do you carry such a scary looking knife?"

I can see that happening here at the university.  I think the shiny silver looks is a bit more welcoming and may bring up some small talk/chit chat (although, I wanted the BO when I was first looking into the Spirit)

I did think about going with the Gerber Crucial at one point, but I didn't want it to draw too much attention or startle people - plus I didn't want to be left wanting the extra tools from the Wave or Spirit.

[thebullfrog]

I wouldn't mind getting a BO version myself one day as it does look super nice, but wouldn't feel as comfortable using it in public. Working in retail I've had a lot of opportunity to see a lot of people's reactions (coworkers, customers, bosses) to different styles of tools, and by far the most disarming seems to be the spirit. something about the color black just seems to unnerve certain kinds of people. The same kind of people I imagine working as admins in a university.

[Abe Arceo]

I wouldn't mind getting a BO version myself one day as it does look super nice, but wouldn't feel as comfortable using it in public. Working in retail I've had a lot of opportunity to see a lot of people's reactions (coworkers, customers, bosses) to different styles of tools, and by far the most disarming seems to be the spirit. something about the color black just seems to unnerve certain kinds of people. The same kind of people I imagine working as admins in a university.

Good call.  I work very closely with different directors (financial aid, registrar, etc), and from the sounds of it the Spirit won't make them as uneasy as something like the Wave would, especially when I need to take out the knife implement.  Definitely don't want to send the wrong message, especially to that audience

[thebullfrog]

Yeah, they're not generally the most "outdoorsy wilderness" type of people lol. The Wave has it's advantages but people get skittish about that blade which looks like a sword next to the Spirit. And while having a bit driver can really save the day, not being able to fit the stubby driver into most deep recesses may prove a serious problem for you.

[Abe Arceo]

Yeah, they're not generally the most "outdoorsy wilderness" type of people lol. The Wave has it's advantages but people get skittish about that blade which looks like a sword next to the Spirit. And while having a bit driver can really save the day, not being able to fit the stubby driver into most deep recesses may prove a serious problem for you.

That is a great point about the stubby driver on the Wave.  I'll be accessing some pretty tight spaces, so for that, is the Spirit better equipped?  The idea of having changeable bits is definitely appealing, but that also means that I would have to carry around the spare bits, which I probably won't be doing.  And if I'm at my desk/tech bench or at home I have plenty of tools that take multiple bit drivers.

I'll also have my Squirt P4 in my pocket or on my keyring, so I'll have those "mini" tools at my disposal as well.

[thebullfrog]

Yeah the Spirit is infinitely better at reaching into recesses than the Wave. That was actually one of my biggest annoyances with both my Wave and my Surge. While I sometimes miss having the extra bits, 90% of the time it bugged me carrying around a bunch of extra bits that were hardly ever needed. Most of the time I only needed the no.2  phillips and half of that time it was recessed and the bit driver wouldn't reach. So while the Spirit may not be quite as versatile when it comes to the odd hex, torx, or robertson screw, most of the time the Spirit is handier.

[Craig]

Welcome to the forum

From what you've said the Spirit sounds like a great choice, but bear in mind that if you hang around here for long you'll probably end up getting a Wave as well

[thebullfrog]

Welcome to the forum

From what you've said the Spirit sounds like a great choice, but bear in mind that if you hang around here for long you'll probably end up getting a Wave as well

Not to mention a Surge, a ST300, a Swisstool, and untold numbers of SAKS

[Abe Arceo]

Yep I've already warned my wife of a possible new addiction lol.

It sounds like no matter which tool I pick to be my first full size tool I'll be really happy.  And whichever one I don't get I'll probably get next month

[DaveK]

Yep I've already warned my wife of a possible new addiction lol.

It sounds like no matter which tool I pick to be my first full size tool I'll be really happy.  And whichever one I don't get I'll probably get next month

That's the spirit

[J-sews]

Yep I've already warned my wife of a possible new addiction lol.

It sounds like no matter which tool I pick to be my first full size tool I'll be really happy.  And whichever one I don't get I'll probably get next month

That's the spirit

He does catch on quickly doesn't he!

[glorn]

..although it would be nice having a full size multitool with me everyday...but I highly doubt I would use it on the weekends.

Uh huh.

Keep telling yourself that a few years from now when you are EDCing 2 MTs, a SAK, and a folder.

[thebullfrog]

And an overpowered flashlight.

[Styerman]

A Skeletool and a Vic. Cybertool , or a Freestyle CX and a Cybertool would be a very light and powerfull package .

This means you are not offending either the Victorinox or the Leatherman Gods , mucho plus Karma !

Chris

[thebullfrog]

He's not wrong.....

[Abe Arceo]

And an overpowered flashlight.

Aboslutely!  I'm pretty sure I'll be asking everyone advice on a sheath that has an extra pocket for a flashlight or even a pen.  Definitely wouldn't mind the pen.

I actually haven't completely ruled out the Cybertool just yet. I like the idea of having those extra bits on hand, and it appears that other IT guys on this forum love using theirs.  But at the same time, my Squirt P4 has been holding up nicely on it's own.

I'm thinking Spirit now, Wave next month, and a Cybertool in the spring...because apparently owning one isn't enough 

[GraysonK]

And an overpowered flashlight.

Aboslutely!  I'm pretty sure I'll be asking everyone advice on a sheath that has an extra pocket for a flashlight or even a pen.  Definitely wouldn't mind the pen.

I actually haven't completely ruled out the Cybertool just yet. I like the idea of having those extra bits on hand, and it appears that other IT guys on this forum love using theirs.  But at the same time, my Squirt P4 has been holding up nicely on it's own.

I'm thinking Spirit now, Wave next month, and a Cybertool in the spring...because apparently owning one isn't enough 

Ah!  You've got it now! 

[thebullfrog]

I keep my Cybertool on my keychain as well as carrying either my Swisstool or Spirit. I honestly find the cybertool kinda heavy bulky and annoying for keychain carrym, but find it so handy so often that I don't like leaving it behind either. Often time I'll just toss it in my laptop bag instead. I was going to mod my cybertool to lighten it up but my drill decided to die and I seem to have lost the charger when I moved lol. The bit driver and small pliers make an awesome suppliment to a full size multi.

[Abe Arceo]

Cybertool will definitely be in the future, probably a few months down the road though.

Right now it's definitely looking like the Spirit will be the first full size multitool, just can't decide between the silver finish and the black oxide finish.  Could anyone post some comparison pics between the two? I've been checking out the Spirit Owners thread and that's been pretty helpful, but not too many pics of the BO.

Thanks!

[ecfiffer]

..although it would be nice having a full size multitool with me everyday...but I highly doubt I would use it on the weekends.

Uh huh.

Keep telling yourself that a few years from now when you are EDCing 2 MTs, a SAK, and a folder.

hey!  thats sounds a heck ofa lot like me!  wait  i dont carry a folder, instead its two small kinda bright ultrafires...

abe, i think you are makinga good choice...  now all you need is a maxpedition bag to carry all your new toys in 

[Deere Man]

I know that you dismissed the Blast a few pages back, but you may want to take another look at it since you aren't going with the OH blade anymore.  The Blast is a really great all around tool and is a great starter tool.  It is every bit as non-threatening as the Vic but a good cheaper.  I got mine for about $35.  With the removable bit driver, you can get the nice long dedicated drivers of the Blast plus the capability to use Leatherman's bits along with any standard hex bit to conquer any screw or fastener imaginable.  All in a pretty light weight and compact package.  Just something to think about.