Freestyle Pics

[J-sews]

There are new pictures of the Freestyle posted on Leatherman's site HERE. It looks a lot like the Skeletool, but without the bit driver. (What is that in it's place though?)

Also, the second picture has a threaded hole, probably for pocket clip attachment?

[Sea Monster]

Do you reckon that rivet is doing anything else but holding the clip on? Maybe that can be easily sodded off. 

[NeitherExtreme]

What the heck is that thing? (where the driver ought to be) Looks like a cross between a flat and a phillips... Any ideas? Too bad this one got the cool name, I like the skeletools' bit drivers better.

[Carthas]

What the heck is that thing? (where the driver ought to be) Looks like a cross between a flat and a phillips... Any ideas? Too bad this one got the cool name, I like the skeletools' bit drivers better.

I think you hit the nail on the head there. It does look like a combination driver, very similar to the phillips driver on the gerber clutch.

[Grant Lamontagne]

From the info I have it is a fixed screwdriver.

Def

[Benner]

That's a real shame.  I was looking forward to the freestyle but wouldn't have thought they would have taken away the bit adapter.  Looks like the Skeletool may be the way to go then.

[Grant Lamontagne]

The Freestyle has a few corners cut off it to appeal to a different segment and compete with some of the more budget minded tools- remember that the MSRP on the Freestyle will put it head to head with the likes of the Zilla and Guppie from CRKT, but the Freestyle will still be "Made in the USA," or at least as much as legally can be said.  The Zilla and Guppie are made in Taiwan I think, which isn't a bad thing, but I know how much folks like the American Made label.

Def

[Sea Monster]

The Zilla and Guppie are made in Taiwan I think, which isn't a bad thing, but I know how much folks like the American Made label.

I wonder if it is actually a matter of quality, or the Rock Concert thing - People love to hear their local town mentioned.

I do all my tool shopping second hand specifically so I can have old "Made in Australia" sidchrome stuff

[Spoonrobot]

Small FYI: The Zilla and the Guppie are made in China. CRKT has slowly been moving production of some of it's lower end models to mainland China, but the bulk are still produced in Taiwan.

[trickknife]

Their screwdriver looks like a phillips with a flat.  I think they took the basic square shaft of a phillips (like on the Blast) and instead of grinding the x-tip, they are grinding two hollow-grinds on the tip (across the square diagonally).  The hollow-ground tips are much stronger than regular tips (look at the Core flat screwdrivers).  I think they hang on to screw heads lots better than the other flat screwdrivers you find on multitools.  Then they ground the side bevels on the tip so it will fit into the Phillips head screws.  The Micra has one like it, it says "for phillips" on it even though it is a flat screwdriver.  It has the bevel also.

[trickknife]

(Image removed from quote.)

Looks like a Mexican Beer Bottle.  Does that mean anything?   

[Grant Lamontagne]

Tim Leatherman likes cerveza?

It actually looks more like Mexican soda pop than beer, but maybe our resident Mexican can shed more light on it?  Of course I know we should be talking about the tool and not the beverage, but I won't tell if you don't!

Def

[WhichDawg]

the red cap and bluish bottle makes me think it's a coke bottle, they still use glass down there, and it's gooood plus cane sugar in the blend, not beet like here.

[J-sews]

Shootout! Here's an earlier pic of the Skeletool opening a bottle:

[trickknife]

Shootout! Here's an earlier pic of the Skeletool opening a bottle:

That one looked more like a Beer.  I'm up for that.  Purely for research purposes of course.

[toytoy]

I think that's a Coca Cola bottle.

The cap says "Embotelladora de Mexicali, S.A. de C.V. ..." which is a bottling plant in Mexico (http://www.e-arca.com.mx/territorios_i.asp) for Coca Cola.

http://www.e-arca.com.mx/productos/cocacola_i.htm

The red cap (Ingredients: Carbonated water) looks exactly like the one on the Lower Left.

No es cerveza.

[silentio]

I had the impression that the Freestyle was a working codename which ended up being the Skeletool. So with respect to the Skeletool, what's the size of the Freestyle? This tool isn't official yet, right?

[Grant Lamontagne]

The Freestyle will be a budget version of the Skeletool with different materials and a fixed screwdriver rather than the bit driver.

Def

[Sea Monster]

budget version

AKA "Nomad Friendly Edition"

While introduced second, It'll probably sell more - like Wave vs Charge.

[trickknife]

It may sell well, but with what crowd.  With a name like freestyle, I'm picturing Nancy Kerrigan as the spokes person.  Now the Skeletool, that would require Tanya Harding for sure.   Grrrrrr.  Whack!!!   Sorry Nancy.

[WhichDawg]

Nancy's hot, but I think Tanya would be more fun 

[Sea Monster]

I had to look those names up.

Figure skating?

Not exactly a high-media coverage sport. Would they really make good spokesfolk?

[Sea Monster]

It may sell well, but with what crowd.

The crowd that actually has to check their accounts are not in the red.

I know, I know, who wants to market to that group? But believe it or not, there are more of us than there are filthy rich "new money" yuppies.

[WhichDawg]

I find being at the bottom of the totem pole makes for finding the best crumbs! (billiebob confucius)

[Sea Monster]

Like that is it.

If we're going to be positive about our humble lifestyles, I suppose we can point out that all the birdsmurf is on the top of a statue.