Swiss Tool???

[King_Gorilla]

I am hoping to advise my brother in his next multi tool purchase.   He has been a fairly loyal Leatherman owner for the last two decades but he has started looking around to see if there are other tools that he might want more. 

He loves the Wave but hates the bit driver and the tiny scissors.  He wants good scissors and a dedicated Phillips driver.  So he has been drooling over the new Leatherman Free P4.  I am thinking of suggesting a Swiss Tool as an alternative.  I think he would love the tool set and the quality. 

I have held a couple swiss tools at a store but do not own one myself.  I had a few questions that maybe someone might be able to answer. 
1.  Is the finger print issue as bad as people talk about?  It seems like it would be frustrating but I can also see it being exaggerated. 
2.  Do the curved handles actually help in any way?
3.  I know that all the tools are outside accessible but is it possible to deploy the blade one handed???  This might be a sticking point.

 

[Aloha]

1.  Is the finger print issue as bad as people talk about?  It seems like it would be frustrating but I can also see it being exaggerated.
 
The blade of a SAK is a finger print magnet as are the Spirit and Swisstool.  Its never bothered me tho some seem to be put off by this.
     
2.  Do the curved handles actually help in any way?

The Sprit is the one with the curved frame.  Its amazing in hand.  The ergos are wonderful and unless you have some meaty hands you wont get palm bite from this tool.  The Swiss Tool is not ergo.  Its a wonderful tool non the less. 

3.  I know that all the tools are outside accessible but is it possible to deploy the blade one handed???  This might be a sticking point.

I'd say no as both the Swiss Tool and Spirit are much like SAKs in terms of blade deployment. 

Final note.  The Swiss Tool has the SAK scissors and they are wonderful.  The Spirit has IMO aweful scissors. 

[G-Dizzle]

Here is an ultra condensed answer.

1. They wipe right off

2. YES

3. I can’t do it with any consistency. I recommend carrying a second knife.

[King_Gorilla]

Good to know.

Thanks guys

[fullbreakfast]

The Spirit has IMO aweful scissors.

I so agree. The blades are not long enough, they don't open wide enough, they are not very sharp and difficult to make sharper, and the spring action is dreadfully flabby and slow compared to the proper SAK scissors. Huge own goal by Victorinox when they could just have fitted their usual excellent scissors to the Spirit. I assume the rationale was that the metal lever they have put in place of the spring will never break - very true for me as I never use the bloody things! Fact is the springs on the regular SAK scissors hardly ever break and are cheap and simple to replace if they do.

OK, rant over. I love my Spirit, but I'd love it so much more with proper scissors. To me it's the one single defect in the tool.

[G-Dizzle]

I see the spirit scissors as specializing in tougher material like zip ties. They can work for thread and things like that but it’s not what they are best at.

[SirVicaLot]

  And with a little mod you can get the scissors to open wider. Haven’t done it myself yet, because i haven’t seen the need for it.

[cody6268]

While I find myself carrying the sleeker SwissTool more (better file, better openers, better pretty much everything over the LM), the one thing my ST300 has over my SwissTool is the ease in deploying blades. I can deploy everything on my ST300 with a pair of oversize heavy cowhide rancher's gloves on; with cheap cotton jersey gloves on underneath as insulation. Yet, the SwissTool is a pain in the butt to use in cold weather, since the way the tools are, it requires nail nicks.

Get him an older (prior to 2004, V1) model Wave. Fixes all the issues--sturdier scissors, REAL drivers. But, unlike the current model, you cannot fit a pocket clip (though some have modded their tools to do that).

[King_Gorilla]

Get him an older (prior to 2004, V1) model Wave. Fixes all the issues--sturdier scissors, REAL drivers. But, unlike the current model, you cannot fit a pocket clip (though some have modded their tools to do that).

That's actually exactly what he wants.  He used to have one. 

[Top-Gear-24]

I for one love the scissors on the Spirit, they feel a bit more "heavy duty" than the ones on the Swisstool (or SAKs), and you never have to worry about loosing/breaking the spring.

And no, they don't open very wide, but seeing how some here mod their own tools by swapping bit drivers for dedicated drivers, lanyardhole thingies for scissors, regular plier heads for plier heads with replaceable cutters and so on... I honestly don't understand the fuss about it since it's one of the easiest mods out there if you want to make them open up wider.

My biggest "problem" with the Swisstool/Spirit is the Phillips driver being a bit too soft and slippery.  Especially if you're used to using a ST300 or Rebar (which have the best Phillips driver out there, in my opinion).

And on topic, fingerprints go away as easily as they appear, the curved handles on the Spirit look weird, but feel great, and although one hand opening is possible after a lot of practice (there was a time that I could open each tool on my Spirit with one hand),  we just have to face it, it was not designed for it and spending two minutes just to open the knife one handed kinda defeats the purpose of the whole thing...

[Aloha]

I modded my Spirit scissor and they are just bad.  I guess coming from the superb 91mm scissors I got spoiled.  I rarely deploy mine as a result of fail after fail. 

I do use my phillips a lot and it is rather soft.  I've also used he heck out of my inline Explorer phillips and its not as worn  . 

Over all both the Spirit and bigger brother SwissTool are very good tools.  I do have to say if OHO is priority then these are not the tools for you.  Can it be done?  There are tools that are made to be OHO not figured out how to OHO so I'd go that way.     

[SirVicaLot]

My Spirit scissors work fine. They are different from the regular 91mm, and are not as good at finer work. Yet I use mine while sewing leather, and they have no issues cutting thread. I would not use the them for fingernails, but everything else I had no issues 

[stugumby]

Swisstools are top notch, up to you for which one is better for you, spirit is lighter and more ergonomical, learn to love the partially serrated blade, great reach on the drivers and the chisel,isolation wire strippers are great. can get slippery due to high polish on the overall tool.
everyones milage varies, leatherman has the replaceable cutters and some one handed blades. all swiss tool blades open from the outside but not designed for 1 hand opening. also leathermans pliers are a bit pointier. Ive used both brands for 20 yrs, have a bucket full of the various models. I have broken my edc down into a heavy and light configuration. Light is spirit and 84mm sak with leatherman e33tx for flipper. heavy is surge and 91mm sak with Leatherman C33xT. carry wave in the car attached to first aid bag along with raptor and Z rex. Kitchen drawer tool is swiss tool 1998 pattern, still going strong. Best way is to find a store that has both and test in hand. Good luck in your search. I havent tried the Leatherman free series yet, but have a T4 coming for my x mas present.

[SteveC]

Tell him to stick with Leatherman but avoid the new Free.

[SirVicaLot]

Tell him to stick with Leatherman but avoid the new Free.

Just ignore the old grumpy guy 

Who let him off leash anyway? 

[SteveC]

Just ignore the old grumpy guy 

Who let him off leash anyway? 

Just keeping it real 

[Outback in Idaho]

Just keeping it real 

  Rabar, minus the aggressive pliers, has the most amount of tools on board, next to a Swiss Tool. While OHO is great for some things on Leatherman, the handles have springs built in to hold those blades in and have been known to falter. Have cut my hands a few times from the blade coming ajar - Surge notably so. Had to modify the locking tabs slightly so they would engage into the blade notches more securely. - Had a battle over that with Julie Warner a while back. Then I showed them their mistakes later.

  Victorinox does not have those issues, but when something gums up the joints or locking mechanisms the Leatherman can open easier for blade, file, saw access - but can jam up internally. A soap bath will fix either multitool - though Victorinox seem to operate better without oil and no not seem to rust.

  Swiss Tool gives by far the most bang for the buck, and that chisel is quite a useful tool. It's doing a lot what I used an awl for on the Leatherman.

  If you want, sharpen the can opener on the Leatherman and make it a short/fat awl. Not the best. But that small bit driver on the Leatherman is wasted space. Think it was put there cause they had nothing else that could fit in there and not interfere with the pliers when closing/closed.

  Leatherman also can offer a better knife steel, the CM154 or S30V. While most whine about the hardness of the S30v I can honestly say it is worth the extra sharpening time as that steel will hold an edge much longer - and slices though meat like it was butter!

  So if OHO blades and all those safety pins/springs are your thing, and getting a better steel option, get a Leatherman. If you want the best bang for your buck, and OHO is not a deal breaker, get a Swiss Tool or Spirit.

 
  Got a Charge TTi (v1.0) back when Leatherman had a Friends & Family Sale and the TTi was listed at $134. No regrets.


  Would stick a Wave in the toolbox or glove compartment in your vehicle at the bare minimum, and carry a Spirit X if you want a classy, sophisticated, elegant tool that has more going for it + giving more for the buck. I should of gotten a Spirit X ages ago!

[King_Gorilla]

Tell him to stick with Leatherman but avoid the new Free.

Any particular reason?

I have held the Free tools in the store but never used them myself.

[SirVicaLot]

IMHO, the Free series is way overpriced for what you‘re getting. The Rebar can do more and is only half the price. You just don‘t get those fancy magnets 

Or you just get a Spirit, have a great tool and no clumping 

[Outback in Idaho]

IMHO, the Free series is way overpriced for what you‘re getting. The Rebar can do more and is only half the price. You just don‘t get those fancy magnets 

Or you just get a Spirit, have a great tool and no clumping 

 

[TazzieRob]

IMHO, the Free series is way overpriced for what you‘re getting. The Rebar can do more and is only half the price. You just don‘t get those fancy magnets 

Or you just get a Spirit, have a great tool and no clumping 

I HATE clumping on Leatherman. It's the lazy tool deployment option. Even the Free clumps and you have to put back the tools you don't want. Swisstools are classy, beautifully engineered tools

[Top-Gear-24]

I HATE clumping on Leatherman. It's the lazy tool deployment option. Even the Free clumps and you have to put back the tools you don't want. Swisstools are classy, beautifully engineered tools

I like it when the tools clump (except when opening one of the blades).  You can pick the tool that is easiest to pull out, and the ones that are more difficult to open come along, so you can pick what you need. Works fine for me  .

And it may have started as "an issue" on the oldest Leatherman tools, but they did a great job of turning it into part of the design (by making it so that the knives do open without the other tools coming along,  and the same goes for the Free, in my book the tool deployment works great on the Free).

As they say, "to each their own"...  .

P.S.: I'm still a big fan of Swisstools as well, I tend to pick the tool that is most soothed for the chores I expect to face.  Sometimes Swisstools are the best choice, other times a Leatherman is the must have.  And the funny thing is, in the end they would all be able to do whatever I throw at them, guess I'm just a little spoiled, that's all...

[SirVicaLot]

I HATE clumping on Leatherman. It's the lazy tool deployment option. Even the Free clumps and you have to put back the tools you don't want. Swisstools are classy, beautifully engineered tools

  I can‘t stand clumping either. I fixed it on the mod I made (Rebar parts on Blast body) by adding more washers, but that is something that should not happen. I picked that one tool implement for a reason, why would I want 4 more out, that I then have to push back in?