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Photo comparison: Octane & Skeletool

us Offline Kampfer

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Photo comparison: Octane & Skeletool
on: October 11, 2014, 06:09:04 AM
50ft & JD swear Octane is superior to Skeletool and "made" me to get one.
Here it is, let's do a Photo comparison.

First, size:
Two are about the same, Octane is wider, Skeletool is longer, same weight.
Both have external cap lifters.
front.JPG
* front.JPG (Filesize: 321.14 KB)
back.JPG
* back.JPG (Filesize: 299.42 KB)
top.JPG
* top.JPG (Filesize: 257.03 KB)
side.JPG
* side.JPG (Filesize: 310.69 KB)
« Last Edit: October 11, 2014, 06:23:01 AM by Kampfer »
EDC: Black Talon, Black Cat, Spirit, LD02


us Offline Kampfer

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Re: Photo comparison: Octane & Skeletool
Reply #1 on: October 11, 2014, 06:12:02 AM
Blades and locks.
Blades are also about the same size, but Octane's liner lock and blade stop really worry me.
Blades 0.JPG
* Blades 0.JPG (Filesize: 190.38 KB)
Blades 1.JPG
* Blades 1.JPG (Filesize: 196.32 KB)
Blade locks.JPG
* Blade locks.JPG (Filesize: 225.64 KB)
blade stop.JPG
* blade stop.JPG (Filesize: 217.11 KB)
« Last Edit: October 11, 2014, 06:16:53 AM by Kampfer »
EDC: Black Talon, Black Cat, Spirit, LD02


us Offline Kampfer

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Re: Photo comparison: Octane & Skeletool
Reply #2 on: October 11, 2014, 06:13:32 AM
Pliers & drivers & extra
Gerber is well known for their fast pliers, and Leatherman are known for their butterfly style open pliers.
Octane has package opener, Skeletool use exchangeable bits.
Full piliers.JPG
* Full piliers.JPG (Filesize: 192.84 KB)
Piliers.JPG
* Piliers.JPG (Filesize: 194.96 KB)
dRIVERS.JPG
* dRIVERS.JPG (Filesize: 186 KB)
pACKAGE OPENER.JPG
* pACKAGE OPENER.JPG (Filesize: 207.06 KB)
« Last Edit: October 11, 2014, 06:18:36 AM by Kampfer »
EDC: Black Talon, Black Cat, Spirit, LD02


us Offline MadPlumbarian

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Re: Photo comparison: Octane & Skeletool
Reply #3 on: October 11, 2014, 06:18:31 AM
So pretty much the same thing but the gerber slides out rather then flip, and is a palm pincher? Lol, JR
"The-Mad-Plumbarian" The Punisher Of Pipes!!! JR
As I sit on my Crapper Throne in the Reading Room and explode on the Commode, thinking, how my flush beat John’s and Jerry’s pair? Jack’s had to run for the Water Closet yet ended up tripping on a Can bowing and hitting his Head on the Porcelain God! 🚽


00 Offline kirk13

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Re: Photo comparison: Octane & Skeletool
Reply #4 on: October 11, 2014, 07:29:29 AM
I've had both,and my choice would be the Octane.

I'm not saying it's better,just that it was less disappointing! It's either that or I was expecting less off the Gerber  :think:
There is no beginning,or ending,and for this we are thankful,cos now is hard enough to understand!


us Offline Kampfer

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Re: Photo comparison: Octane & Skeletool
Reply #5 on: October 11, 2014, 10:37:48 AM
We do have very different teaste, I feel octane is cute, but a filmy tool, especially it's blade liner lock and blade stop. The tool is too thin and too wide to girp comforty in hand.

EDC: Black Talon, Black Cat, Spirit, LD02


nz Offline babola

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Re: Photo comparison: Octane & Skeletool
Reply #6 on: October 11, 2014, 10:42:08 AM
... but a filmy too...

By filmy you mean as in 'thin' ?

BTW, modern Gerbers don't do much for me, unfortunately. Every model seems to come with its own quirks, design and/or QC issues.

Although I have to confess I own 3 vintage S/S Multipliers, one BO MP600 US Army issue and a BO Diesel. But for me the buck stops there.

Cheers  8) 
EDC and OCD. A wicked mix.


us Offline Kampfer

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Re: Photo comparison: Octane & Skeletool
Reply #7 on: October 11, 2014, 10:48:41 AM
Have you see the liner lock and blade stop? They are a joke. The liner is about half mm thick and the blade is held by a 1mm pin.
EDC: Black Talon, Black Cat, Spirit, LD02


gb Offline AimlessWanderer

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Re: Photo comparison: Octane & Skeletool
Reply #8 on: October 11, 2014, 11:24:19 AM
Nice work on the comparison pics Kampfer  :tu:

I used the blade on the Octane a few times, and never had any issue from it, although for me there's other things that elevate the Octane  abouve the Skeletool. Everything I don't like about the Skele is addressed by the Octane:

Pliers: I find the Skele pliers ridiculously uncomfortable, irrespective of whether I have the 'biner clip in the palm or on the fingers. Much as I really don't like the Wingman plier ergonomics either, at least there is a wrong way and a right way to hold them for comfort, whereas on the Skele there is just a wrong way and another wrong way  :-\ The Octane (for me) gives a far more comfortable grip, and with the blade side facing out from the hand, there's no pinch hazard.

Drivers: Again, the Octane wins on ergonomics. Unlike most other tools on the merket, the Skele doesn't operate in the tool closed position, and needs to be either opened to 90 or 180 degrees. I don't find either configuration to be comfortable nor rich in confidence for stubborn screws. The replaceable bits are perfectly fine, but the the grip isn't good at all. The Octane's drivers aren't great out of the packet in respect of how the heads are formed, and don't sit well in all screws, but this can be addressed with a file to end up with a very useable tool - but there's no fixing the Skele issues.

Ride Height: The Skele protrudes from the pocket, and the Octane doesn't. Safer in pocket against loss, and more discrete too. It also feel slimmer and lighter in the pocket.

Bottle opener: The Octane's is pure genius! So simple yet so effective, and has never let me down. The Skele's is totally arse about face. Even when you get used to the fact you push down instead of lift up, I found it slips more than the Octanes and isn't as quick. OK, it has the cool aspect of "catching" the bottle top, but that doesn't really strike me as a significant benefit

Knife: Skeletool wins hands down. The Octane's is usable, and been fine for me, but I have to be completely honest and say this is the area where the Skele shines brightest. I prefer dedicated folders over a multitool's blade, but the Skele feels like a dedicated folder - in fact it's hard for me to decide if this is a knife based tool or a pliers based one .... probably knifebeased if I had the choose - but then for me it comes up against competition from the Buck X-Tract series of tools ... and loses again. I'm removing the blade from my Octane completely and pairing it with a dedicated folder or SAK (for scissors).

Package opener vs Carabiner: Well that's too owner specific to call. One person will prefer to have the clip, but another will prefer the opener :shrug:

Other than the knife blade (and maybe the fact it has a carabiner) I can't see any other benefits of the Skele over the Octane ... but as Kampfer says, different people with different tastes may have different conclusions  :cheers:
« Last Edit: October 11, 2014, 11:25:57 AM by 50ft-trad »


The cantankerous but occasionally useful member, formally known as 50ft-trad


nz Offline babola

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Re: Photo comparison: Octane & Skeletool
Reply #9 on: October 11, 2014, 01:19:57 PM
Have you see the liner lock and blade stop? They are a joke. The liner is about half mm thick and the blade is held by a 1mm pin.

Yeah, exactly what I meant when I said "design issues".

Modern Gerber stuff seems half-baked, half-arsed attempt just to get the product to market. I know this will rub some Gerber fans the wrong way but this is how I feel about Gerber these days. I am not interested in crapping on Gerber. Old stuff is good and I like many of those flicky-pliers tools, but new ones not.

The Shard is pretty much the only tool released in recent times I am unable to fault, and that's not even a fully featured multi-tool. And that tells you something.
« Last Edit: October 11, 2014, 01:21:35 PM by babola »
EDC and OCD. A wicked mix.


 

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