Vic Spirit - Brief thoughts

[magentus]

I've had my Spirit since the end of October after Gustaphosmob very generously offered it as a prize in the 30 day minimalist challenge.

The Spirit is my first full sized MT and, as Gustaphosmob said at the time, it's probably ruined me for the rest.

I'm an estate manager in a retirement complex and I like to save my residents money by doing as much for them as I can without having to call out contractors, so the pliers, philips, wire stripper, scissors and awl have seen lots of light use.

I love the butter knife blade and would like to see Victorinox use it as a standard blade in either the 91 and 93mm SAK's - it's extremely sharp and very useful, and I've used it a lot for cutting paper for our film club posters, cooking etc.

The whole tool reeks of class, and having compared it with a resident's LM PST and Surge, with the tools clumping etc I think that even if I hadn't won the Spirit, this is the tool I would choose.

It's very ergonomic in my medium sized hands and comfortable for long term use.

The only change I would make (and I'm having to reach deep for this) is the inclusion of a suitable lanyard ring/hole.

That's the only thing I would change. It's also the only MT I want or need, so unless I somehow lose it, it's with me for life.

So, once again, Thanks Gustaphosmob for your fantastic generosity  and to finish, here is a picture of my branded Spirit:

[kirk13]

What your saying very much echos my own thoughts after I got my Spirit from 50ft-trad. Sadly,I rarely carry mine,as I try to avoid carrying locking blades in London's West End. My only observation is that it's almost slightly overloaded in tools...or it makes carrying a SAK redundant!

[magentus]

What your saying very much echos my own thoughts after I got my Spirit from 50ft-trad. Sadly,I rarely carry mine,as I try to avoid carrying locking blades in London's West End. My only observation is that it's almost slightly overloaded in tools...or it makes carrying a SAK redundant!

I'm lucky that I live where I work so I can carry the Spirit around with me. I don't ever take it out in public either.

What do you carry, if anything, while you're in London?

I know what you mean about making a SAK redundant, but I tell myself that I need my Tom Sawyer with me as well because of the mag glass and it doesn't lock.

[kirk13]

What your saying very much echos my own thoughts after I got my Spirit from 50ft-trad. Sadly,I rarely carry mine,as I try to avoid carrying locking blades in London's West End. My only observation is that it's almost slightly overloaded in tools...or it makes carrying a SAK redundant!

I'm lucky that I live where I work so I can carry the Spirit around with me. I don't ever take it out in public either.

What do you carry, if anything, while you're in London?

I know what you mean about making a SAK redundant, but I tell myself that I need my Tom Sawyer with me as well because of the mag glass and it doesn't lock.

My main carry will be a SAK and a modded multi,most usually a bladeless Sideclip or PST(the Kirkyclip and KST respectively). I've a modded Bladeless Fuse and a modded Wave for use as a legal gun tool,as well as a Gerber MP425.

Being white,in my forties and more or respectable looking,I could pretty much carry most things,but there's no point in taking needless risks,especially in stabbing season!

[magentus]

London has a stabbing season! When does it start and finish? What's the protocol with it?

I'm going to count myself lucky I live in Bath, which, in the 6 months I've been here I reckon is the most polite place in the UK

[Kampfer]

All I want to know is , does it lay flat on table? 

[Etherealicer]

London has a stabbing season! When does it start and finish? What's the protocol with it?

I'm going to count myself lucky I live in Bath, which, in the 6 months I've been here I reckon is the most polite place in the UK

And if we believe Jane Austen also quite a pretty place with lots of pretty upper-class-girls hoping to get hitched

[magentus]

All I want to know is , does it lay flat on table? 

It actually levitates and if you look closely you can its force field shimmering.

[magentus]

London has a stabbing season! When does it start and finish? What's the protocol with it?

I'm going to count myself lucky I live in Bath, which, in the 6 months I've been here I reckon is the most polite place in the UK

And if we believe Jane Austen also quite a pretty place with lots of pretty upper-class-girls hoping to get hitched

Without wanting to sound like a lech (I am very happily married) even my wife has pointed out the ratio of pretty, upper-class women to men is out of kilter with the rest of the country.... Go figure.

[kirk13]

London has a stabbing season! When does it start and finish? What's the protocol with it?

I'm going to count myself lucky I live in Bath, which, in the 6 months I've been here I reckon is the most polite place in the UK

West End stabbing season starts usually with the Boxing Day sales and peters out when the schools go back in. Basic protocol is to be in the wrong place at the right time...innit

[Corwyn]

Do agree on all that was said here. Would add one-hand opening though...

[Monrogue]

Glad you're getting along well with the Spirit magentus   It's one of my favorite MTs as well.  As Kirky said though, it makes a SAK redundant.  I still carry my Rogueneer, which also has the mag glass, and there are a few implements like the scale tools and the nail file hook that help make it worth carrying.  Overall though, most of the major implements are present in the Spirit, and I could likely get by with that alone if I wanted to. 

[Etherealicer]

I regularly carry my Spirit with a SAK and its not redundant as the SAK is a CT29 , those two make great companions.

[BASguy]

When exactly is "stabbing season"?  I'm very fortunate to live in AZ where no permit concealed carry is the law.  Crime is relatively low as the policy of "mutually assured destruction" keeps "stabbings" as well as shootings etc, to a minimum..... Wow, it's truly frightening to even think about living somewhere that prohibits its citizens from carrying something as simple as a multi tool with a locking blade.  It's a good thing your criminals over there respect the laws....?  Yikes.

[Kampfer]

All I want to know is , does it lay flat on table? 

It actually levitates and if you look closely you can its force field shimmering.

Please answer the question.

[AimlessWanderer]

All I want to know is , does it lay flat on table? 

It actually levitates and if you look closely you can its force field shimmering.

Please answer the question.

I know some people have genuine personal issues with the tool in this area, and I dont want to mock .... too much  ... but it seems on this issue we have two distinct groups of people:

Group A)
Cares strongly about the quality and performance of the tool in operation/use
(cares far less about what happens when they're not holding it)

Group B)
Cares strongly about aesthetic qualities and non-essential properties when the tool is NOT being used
(seems to care a lot less about how well it does it's job)

I'm just glad I'm in group A, as I'm pretty certain that's who the tool was made for 

 

[HarleyXJGuy]

All I want to know is , does it lay flat on table? 

It actually levitates and if you look closely you can its force field shimmering.

Please answer the question.

I know some people have genuine personal issues with the tool in this area, and I dont want to mock .... too much  ... but it seems on this issue we have two distinct groups of people:

Group A)
Cares strongly about the quality and performance of the tool in operation/use
(cares far less about what happens when they're not holding it)

Group B)
Cares strongly about aesthetic qualities and non-essential properties when the tool is NOT being used
(seems to care a lot less about how well it does it's job)

I'm just glad I'm in group A, as I'm pretty certain that's who the tool was made for 

 

I always wondered about this wont sit flat on the table issue.

Do a lot of you carry your MT's with a table as the sheath or something?

Either it is in my pocket/sheath or a drawer unless I am actually using it.

Maybe a OCD thing I do not understand?

[Etherealicer]

At OHO: Admittedly, for a long time I thought the Spirit would be a better tool if its blade(s) were OHO. But I recently came to the following realization:
- I hardly use the blade on my Spirit (I carry a folder). Of the long tools I primarily use the metal file.
- What I mostly use are the "small" tools (they are kinda long in the Spirit compared to others ) and the pliers.

So, rather than a OHO Spirit, I would like a blade-less Spirit ( keeping metal-file/scissors or metal-file/wood-saw ) making it slimmer

My primary reasons for the Spirit:
- Comfortable plier grip
- All outside tools
- Long phillips, beefy flat-screwdriver and chisel tool (the rest is great too, but those three stick out for me)

[Kampfer]

For the third time, please answer the question.

[mrynnr]

It lays flat enough

[magentus]

For the third time, please answer the question.

Sorry Kampfer, I had no idea that was even a serious question so please accept my apologies for the brevity of my original answer.

I've just tested it on my office table, and no, it does not sit flat - there is a 2mm wobble to it. I'm really not bothered by this and have no idea of what it represents.

Is this a big discussion topic that I have no idea of?

The plier heads line up beautifully, there is no play on the tools and they all click into place very nicely.

The stuff about the force field and levitation was just wishful thinking........

[hiraethus]

The Spirit handle misalignment bothers some people.  It seems to be a relatively common issue, and apparently is within Victorinox's acceptable tolerances.  Both of mine are a bit wonky, but the rest of the tool makes up for it.

I agree with you on the rest of points about the Spirit, but I wish they made a BO version with pocket clip, scissors, butter blade and standard pliers.

[mrynnr]

I always thought the wobble was because of the locking mechanism.

[Etherealicer]

For the third time, please answer the question.

Sorry Kampfer, I had no idea that was even a serious question so please accept my apologies for the brevity of my original answer.

I've just tested it on my office table, and no, it does not sit flat - there is a 2mm wobble to it. I'm really not bothered by this and have no idea of what it represents.

Is this a big discussion topic that I have no idea of?

The plier heads line up beautifully, there is no play on the tools and they all click into place very nicely.

The stuff about the force field and levitation was just wishful thinking........

Well, one should not underestimate the power of aesthetics.
Me and the Spirit was not love at first sight, it bothered me that the handles when closed were curved away from each other. Now I've gotten used to it and I appreciate the resulting comfort when using the pliers and that somehow made me love the shape...

The SkeleTool could be the perfect SAK companion for me, however its chaotic looks and mis-alignments kept me from buying one so far.
Most extreme for me is Wave vs. Charge. I love my Charge but I detest the Wave, although except for some cosmetics (and a minor structural difference) they are the same.

[hiraethus]

I always thought the wobble was because of the locking mechanism.

Some of the tools on my BO Spirit wobble (I don't have the SS one to hand) - the phillips driver is the worst but even then it's only 0.25mm or so at the tip - and that is because of the locking mechanism.  I think what Kampfer is asking about is the handle misalignment when closed - much more discussion on that here: http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,47468.0.html

[magentus]

Ahhhh, All becomes clear!

That's a LOT of discussion! It's one of the things I like about this forum - lots of lively debate/discussion and a ton of knowledgeable people.

I still prefer the Spirit over anything else I've seen, but I'm not putting any other MT's down - it's horses for courses.

[ducttapetech]

All I want to know is , does it lay flat on table?  ok:

It actually levitates and if you look closely you can its force field shimmering.

Please answer the question.

I know some people have genuine personal issues with the tool in this area, and I dont want to mock .... too much  ... but it seems on this issue we have two distinct groups of people:

Group A)
Cares strongly about the quality and performance of the tool in operation/use
(cares far less about what happens when they're not holding it)

Group B)
Cares strongly about aesthetic qualities and non-essential properties when the tool is NOT being used
(seems to care a lot less about how well it does it's job)

I'm just glad I'm in group A, as I'm pretty certain that's who the tool was made for 

 

I fall in both groups in a way. The tool needs to work good. But, if I pay that much for a tool. The handles better line up.

Nate

[kirk13]

Guess what's in my Skinth today

[SAK Guy]

Guess what's in my Skinth today

A Butterfinger? 

[kirk13]

Guess what's in my Skinth today

A Butterfinger? 
(Image removed from quote.)

Nope...ToffeeCrisp!