My redesign of the Skeletool

[stash]

I’ve bought a Skeletool CX last summer. I really like this multitool and I think that it’s an ideal multitool for city life. But I still think than it can be better. So I decided to make my own vision of Skeletool. I’m studying a 3D art program now, and I decided that this will be my first project.

I’ve read several threads about Skeletool on different forums. And a lot of people thought that the blade should have corresponding length to the length of a multitool. Now the Leatherman made it with Freestyle. But they cut the multitool to make the lengths correspond. I didn’t know at all about Freestyle, so I’ve gone the other way and made the blade bigger. Also I added a can opener, and I’ve found a place for two screwdriver bits instead of one.

Here is what I managed to design. All outer dimensions are the same as in original Skeletool, except for the thickness which is slightly bigger. My design is definitely heavier. I would expect something about 160-180-200 g.

I had to swap the carabiner clip and large bit driver; otherwise it wouldn’t be possible to use a screwdriver with a blade and blade cover of this length. If some rope or something is passed through the carabiner clip, the blade will cut that rope during the opening. But usually carabiner clip is used to hang the multitool on the belt. And people usually don’t open the knife while the multitool is hanging from their belts. And if someone needs to have the multitool on the string (industrial mountaineering etc.) there are plenty of other holes where that string can be tied.
The pliers are the same, except for the decorative indents. It seems that those are made with chemical etching, and they already quite rusty on my Skeletool, while the rest of pliers are perfect without any rust at all. I really think that multitool would be better without them. And the same goes for the holes in the blade. You just can’t cut any soft material (food etc.) without getting that material into those holes. I really hate to pick out different stuff out of those holes. So the blade is without decorative holes.

[stash]

It seems that I will be able to post only two pictures per post.

[stash]

And another 2

[stash]

and another

[stash]

And last 2. I thin it's clear how to get the bits from the handle. Push with one fingertip. Then with two fingerstips, and then wit one fingertip again.

[Benner]

Thought I'd pop this in here.

That is very impressive what you have done there. 

Welcome to MTO. 

[stash]

Tank you. Indeed, I should've posted it here.

[David Bowen]

I typed a really long reply to this and it disappeared....weird. Anyways it's AWESOME! I see a Skeletool 2.0 in the future if Leatherman could consider this.

[cliosguy]

great concept mate but be careful, gerber maybe watching

[EZ822]

You have a talent for this stuff. Great work!

[Mr. Whippy]

 I like the blade shape.  For me at least, I'd prefer a file over a combo bottle/can opener, but that's just nitpicking.  Nice rework of the design.

[Craig]

Nice job 

[Grant Lamontagne]

That is pretty cool!  Good work! 

Def

[glorn]

Having been schooled in industrial design and working with Solidworks, Rhinoceros, and Maya, I think I am qualified to say that your work is exceptional. I can appreciate the time you have put into that. Very nice.

You light very well, and your attention to detail is superb. May I ask what program(s) you are using?



G.

[hawkchucker]

Neat. You got serious skill on the puter!   

[DaveK]

How cool is that? 

Stash - do some more - it's excellent.

[doinitall89]

You impress me . . . VERY cool. And love the ideas. Keep it up man

[duckman1975]

Awesome, have you made working prototype? Dang you got skills!

[J-sews]

Most impressive work stash!


So as I see it, the Skeletool as produced by Leatherman has two "layers."  A thick layer that is made up of the pliers, the carabiner, and the bit holder. The way this layer is arranged pretty much determines the footprint of the tool, its length and its width.

The second layer is made up of the knife blade and the spare screwdriver bit.

What you've done is lengthen the knife blade so that it occupies the entire second layer, then added a third layer made up of two spare screwdriver bits and a can opener blade.

Again, nice work!

Do you have a picture of your tool viewed from the side? (edge view)

[Tinnie]

Send it off to Leatherman to make and then I'll buy one for sure

[donvito]

  good job.

[Mike504]

  Out standing work!!

[stash]

Thank you all. I really appreciate this.

glorn: It is modo 302 with built-in renderer. I really like this program. I wanted to master an art program for a long time. I tried to learn 3Ds Max 7-8 years ago, but I haven’t gone further than tutorials. After that I worked with CAD software like UGS NX, KOMPAS and Solidworks and now I have to work in AutoCAD (even without 3D) because it’s company standard. And recently I decided to master some 3D art program, because it will allow me to quickly visualize my ideas. I tried several different programs, but chose modo.

Here is the scene setup. I took it from one of the tutorials.


J-sews: Actually the main purpose of the third layer is to give enough support to the palm when using multitool as pliers. Otherwise the handle with a screwdriver would cut into the palm. In the original Skeletool CX carbon plate does this. So I used the third layer. And there was some free space in the third layer on the other handle. I placed there a side clip. It attached angularly, so I’m not sure how convenient it would be on the belt.

[J-sews]

It is a brilliant bit of work stash, no question about it


About how long does it take to create this design on the computer? (hours)

[DoughDTD]

Very well done.  You have some fantastic ideas there, and it's clear you planned it all out thoroughly.  I have also done work in AutoCAD (3D sucks in that!), SolidWorks, and UGS NX 5.0.  I'm curious how much easier it is to just make a visual representation and render it in modo as opposed to making a full on engineering drawing in a modeling program.  Looks very interesting.  Anyway, great work, and I can only HOPE leatherman reads the forums and takes this thread into serious consideration. (and throws you some intellectual intelligence coin as well  )

-Dough

[zepla]

Very cool work dude! 

[stash]

I would say that it took me about 100 hours to model this, but quite a big part of that time I used to watch different tutorials and read help. Also I remodeled certain parts several times. Especially often I remodeled the blade cover. First I made a pimple on this cover so it wouldn’t touch the other handle when multitool is closed. Then I remade that part of the blade cover that is near the end of the blade, so it would cover the bit in the bit driver completely. On the original Skeletool when it is a flat screwdriver bit in a bit driver and the Skeletool used as pliers the corner of that bit cuts into the palm. And last time I changed it when I was pointed out that the liner is too open and can be easily accidently pressed and it’s dangerous. So I enlarged the blade cover.

Then I spent about 50 hours to visualize the model. It was my first time texturing anything, so again I spent a lot of time on learning. I tried different textures, made a lot of test renders and they didn’t render properly, so I learned how to make a UV map and made one for metal parts. Also I spent a lot of time on a texture for carbon parts. I lack experience in texturing, so I tried to find a texture for carbon in the net. In the end I used a texture for crocodile skin as carbon, just painted it black instead of green.

I’ve made a mistake when I used polygon method to model this. I should’ve used curves. I would make it much faster. I had to move and change every polygon when I wanted to change something. And the model too would be smoother. Polygon method is good when creating models for real-time applications (games).

Also I think it would be quite easy to model this particular item in CAD software. Mainly because it consists of large number of flat details. So it would just like this: draw a sketch then extrude – draw a sketch than extrude and so on. I think I would make this model in SolidWorks in 20-25 hours, and then I would visualize it with a PhotoWorks within 8-10 hours with all the test renders. I just wanted to learn modo.

But I just don’t know how long it will take me in SolidWorks or NX to model something of complex ergonomic form. For example an ergonomic handle with deepenings for fingers. Probably weeks with creating all those curves and then creating surfaces through curves.

And in modo they have sculpting tools. So I would just sculpt this handle in rough form, and then using that sculpture as a background I would just create new polygons over that sculpture, constraining them to existing geometry. Just like papier-mâché. Choice of a program depends on model.

And of course there is always that that you don’t need to be precise. It was hard to me at the beginning, but then I accepted that no one is going to make a program for NC unit out of my model. It will be only a picture. So if there is something wrong with the model, but you can’t see it on the final render then let it be. It’s okay. And it saves a lot of time.

[J-sews]

Amazing stuff stash, far over my head I'm afraid   Do you have any plans to produce an actual prototype?

[J-sews]

Amazing stuff stash, far over my head I'm afraid   Do you have any plans to produce an actual prototype?

Because if you don't, I might just give it a go someday.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Put me down for one!

Def