Spirit owners club

[rp252]

Sweet pictures mate!  I really like the first one - kind of like an inverted pint of bear

[andrea.from.roma]

Thanks guys.

[Dunc]

Now that a few more of you own Spirits has anyone else noticed play and movements in the plier springs ? If you open the tool up then place your thumb over the hole in the spring , now close the handles and you will feel any play under your thumb .


Dunc

[Screwtape]

Now that a few more of you own Spirits has anyone else noticed play and movements in the plier springs ? If you open the tool up then place your thumb over the hole in the spring , now close the handles and you will feel any play under your thumb .


Dunc

Nope mine feels tight as a drum 

[andrea.from.roma]

Now that a few more of you own Spirits has anyone else noticed play and movements in the plier springs ? If you open the tool up then place your thumb over the hole in the spring , now close the handles and you will feel any play under your thumb .


Dunc

No problems here. My Spirit is two years old, I've used the pliers very often this summer at the sea and they are still tight.

[sappyg]

Now that a few more of you own Spirits has anyone else noticed play and movements in the plier springs ? If you open the tool up then place your thumb over the hole in the spring , now close the handles and you will feel any play under your thumb .


Dunc

can't say i can notice it... but i have noticed lateral movement in the blades now after heavey use. this is very minor IMO.

[Nikos]

Now that a few more of you own Spirits has anyone else noticed play and movements in the plier springs ? If you open the tool up then place your thumb over the hole in the spring , now close the handles and you will feel any play under your thumb .

I've only had it in one of my Spirits so far. It didn't affect the tool's performance; it just took away some of the warm and fuzzy feeling of clickiness when the plier jaws locked open. I eventually sent it in for repair, got a new one back within a couple of weeks, and I'm edc'ing it ever since...

[cadjak]

I just lost a Leatherman original Wave. (put it down on my truck roof and drove off). The SwissTools have most of what I use. My questions are;

1.. Spirit or standard SwissTool? (X model in each.)

2. I am a gadget freak and start adding stuff before I really know if I'll use them. Is there a significant benefit in the "Plus" gee gaws?

  Thanks for any help that you can give me.

[Styerman]

The Spirit is only slightly less competent than the Swisstool in a more ergonomic package . For EDC I would prefer it to the Swisstool .The plus features are nice to have , they increase the driver capabilities , give you a corkscrew and a place to stash the super usefull eyeglass screwdriver . The Leatherman Universal tool adapter will also work on the Spirit and the Swisstool X .

Chris

[cadjak]

I tried to find a Spirit X online. No luck. All seem sold out, back ordered or, unavailable. The 'standard" SwissTool X is more available and less money, when I do find them. I was hoping to try the Spirit. Any ideas where a Spirit X might be found?

[Nikos]

Did you try contacting Tim (aka felinevet)?

[cadjak]

Did you try contacting Tim (aka felinevet)?

Yup, comes up as "currently unavailable"

[Benner]

It's always worth a PM to see how quickly he could get one.  May be quicker than you think and Tim is a top guy.

[DaveK]

If you do decide a "bog standard" Spirit is the way forward - the cat man has this on edcsource.com right now:

http://www.edcsource.com/VICTORINOX-SWISSTOOL-SPIRIT-MULTITOOL,name,100236,auction_id,auction_details

[Styerman]

The "Butterknife " version is quite usefull . As a bonus , gives you an excuse to carry a SAK .

Chris

[cadjak]

If you do decide a "bog standard" Spirit is the way forward - the cat man has this on edcsource.com right now:

http://www.edcsource.com/VICTORINOX-SWISSTOOL-SPIRIT-MULTITOOL,name,100236,auction_id,auction_details

Thanks Dave,
    After seeing the photos of your collection, I feel like I have obviously stumbled into a group of individuals who would not be too judgmental when looking in my storage shed.  Also, I have to say that I was impressed by the time and effort that you have, obviously, expended in amassing your collection. Fantastic job!!

[DaveK]

Well, I know you intended that to be a compliment cadjak, but it's really more of an illness I have, than something to be congratulated on. This place is like Alcoholics Anonymous really, chatting with people who are as bad (or worse) gives me some small comfort

As for being judgmental - I try not to be! I generally like all multitools, obviously some more than others, but anything I list here as a failing in a tool, some will agree, and some will defend as a quality! For example, I'm not a great fan of the Swisstool or the Spirit and greatly prefer Leatherman tools. There are many people on here that think I'm bonkers for that!

They are of course wrong, but I'm trying to educate them

[MultiMat]

Well, I know you intended that to be a compliment cadjak, but it's really more of an illness I have, than something to be congratulated on. This place is like Alcoholics Anonymous really, chatting with people who are as bad (or worse) gives me some small comfort

Like AA but with a well stocked bar, with extended happy hours 

[Styerman]

Their are a lot of well informed and smart folks around here . Their insights are very valuable . However you have to bear mind that everyone's pattern of use and experiences are different . Some use multi's as a integral part of their daily "tool kit " , others like myself use multi's as a tertiary level backup for emergencies .

Chris

[cadjak]

[/quote]

Like AA but with a well stocked bar, with extended happy hours 
[/quote]

  Brilliant!!

others like myself use multi's as a tertiary level backup for emergencies .

  I'll hang out with any group that can use "tertiary" in casual conversation.   

[thebullfrog]

I'm happy to announce that I have made a donation to help save the kittens and am anxiously awaiting my ticket to join the owner's club in the form of a shiny new Spirit S.

[andrea.from.roma]

A.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I'm happy to announce that I have made a donation to help save the kittens and am anxiously awaiting my ticket to join the owner's club in the form of a shiny new Spirit S.

Welcome to the club matey

[Styerman]

Welcome Sir !

Chris

[thebullfrog]

  Been over a week and Tim still hasn't gotten me my Spirit! The anticipation is killin' me! 

[cadjak]

It's always worth a PM to see how quickly he could get one.  May be quicker than you think and Tim is a top guy.

Done, and one is on it's way to my door (I hope)! 

 Are there membership cards, meetings, secret handshakes, and tee shirts that come with the Spirit Owners club membership?

[thebullfrog]

 

So I got home from having dinner at my Mom's, and I had a Spirit waiting for me 
Been looking it over and fidgeting with it for the last couple hours. I gotta say I really don't get what all the fuss is about. I'm not really all that impressed. I mean don't get me wrong: it is very shiny. The design is simply brilliant, the build quality is indeed the standard to which not only multi-tools, but all products in general should me judged against. The precision of the construction does make it hard to believe it's a mass produced item. And sure, the attention to detail is almost unheard of. Okay okay, granted it is almost paradoxical in both it's beauty and strength. Hell, I can't even find a single flaw of any kind in the tool anywhere. But overall, I don't know, it just....oh who am I kidding? It's probably the single greatest EDC multi on the planet and I am absolutely in love 

I am seriously in awe of how well made it is. My only complaint is that it's actually a bit too thin to be totally comfortable in my hand. If it were up to me it'd have one more layer. Then it would fit my hand perfectly and would allow for the addition of scissors with both blades and an eyeglass screwdriver. Honestly the lack of an eyeglass driver is the only thing that keeps it from being absolutely perfect as an EDC (I wear glasses and rely on being able to fix them if needed). But overall it gets a 9.999 out of 10.

I have never seen something so perfectly made. The point where I really fell in love was when I looked closely at the spring for the lock bar. Looking at pics that seemed a weak link to me- that tiny little spring that can wear out. I thought i was like the spring they use in the SAK scissors. But it does seem to be a bit beefier and certainly stiffer. That's not what made me so happy though. It's the way it's laid out. The way it sits, and the way everything around it is shaped is perfect. It never really bends very far and all the curves maintain a nice long arc. It's virtually guaranteed to not wear out for a very very long time. It's so clear somebody spent a lot of time thinking about that littlest of details. Seeing that, and the ridiculously tight tolerances on ,well everything, including how tight the gaps between the backsprings are just restores my faith in companies' ability to still make truly well made products. If Victorinox can pump out a bazillion of these things every year at an affordable price, then every other manufacturer of anything really needs to step up their game.

I keep looking at it and comparing it to my beloved and ever-faithful Surge. It's almost hard to grasp how something so much smaller, and so much lighter could have just as many, if not more tools. And have tools that are so thick and sturdy, and the entire multi just feel so much more solid. Suddenly the Surge is excessively heavy for it's strength. It's minor rattles are suddenly deafening. It's large array of implements is just sloppy, inefficient, and inadequate. Don't get me wrong, I'd still bet money the Surge could take more abuse, and the bit drivers add tons of functionality the Spirit can never hope to match. But with a lot less bulk, and probably half if not less the weight, the Spirit is probably 90% as strong and packs in virtually all the functionality you'll ever need on a day to day basis- and with no extra parts to lug around. If I'm gonna be doing something I know will be abusive, or will need Torx or Robertson bits, then I'll grab my faithful Surge, but for every other day (that is to say the other 360 of them) I can't imagine anything else I'd rather carry. That is, until they add an extra layer 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I'm going to hazard a guess and say your quite fond of it then mate

A very fine post that mate

[Styerman]

Well thought out post Buddy ! The Spirit is a Sweet EDC . If you want a Brute for end of the world scenarios , your're gonna love the Swisstool RS ! Enjoy your new baby .

Chris

[Nikos]

Hey, welcome to the club mate.

I am seriously in awe of how well made it is. My only complaint is that it's actually a bit too thin to be totally comfortable in my hand. If it were up to me it'd have one more layer. Then it would fit my hand perfectly and would allow for the addition of scissors with both blades and an eyeglass screwdriver.

That's an interesting idea, but its thinness is one of the things that appeal to me in the Spirit. I mean, if it had an extra layer it would roughly be as wide and heavy as my TTi which is imo hands-down the best MT you can get at its size/weight.

Honestly the lack of an eyeglass driver is the only thing that keeps it from being absolutely perfect as an EDC (I wear glasses and rely on being able to fix them if needed). But overall it gets a 9.999 out of 10.

I guess you got just the tool and not the "plus" package. You could always get the corkscrew+mini screwdriver from Tim. I'm always carrying them in my wallet, as they take up virtually no space.

I keep looking at it and comparing it to my beloved and ever-faithful Surge. It's almost hard to grasp how something so much smaller, and so much lighter could have just as many, if not more tools. And have tools that are so thick and sturdy, and the entire multi just feel so much more solid. Suddenly the Surge is excessively heavy for it's strength. It's minor rattles are suddenly deafening. It's large array of implements is just sloppy, inefficient, and inadequate. Don't get me wrong, I'd still bet money the Surge could take more abuse, and the bit drivers add tons of functionality the Spirit can never hope to match. But with a lot less bulk, and probably half if not less the weight, the Spirit is probably 90% as strong and packs in virtually all the functionality you'll ever need on a day to day basis- and with no extra parts to lug around. If I'm gonna be doing something I know will be abusive, or will need Torx or Robertson bits, then I'll grab my faithful Surge, but for every other day (that is to say the other 360 of them) I can't imagine anything else I'd rather carry. That is, until they add an extra layer 

Just to set things straight, the Surge is not a good comparison for the Spirit, as it belongs to a completely different size/weight league. However, I do agree with you on it being "stronger" than the Spirit. That's why I EDC my Spirit when in urban environments, but go for my TTi when going orienteering or camping etc. Anyway, the main strifes people have with the Spirit do not regard its build quality or tool density, but the efficiency of some of its implements. For example, the scissors don't open up very wide, the wire cutter is not that good with soft wire, the pliers head is neither blunt- nor needle-nose, the blade(s) are not OH and the steel used is not something to write home about, the phillips screwdriver doesn't have enough grip (supposedly, although I can attest to the opposite), there is no ruler, the handles can get slippery being that polished, and the lanyard hole is seriously weird. Spirithuggers , like myself, just don't bump into these problems; I like the scissors, as I don't cut that thick materials to require a wider opening, I'm mostly into thicker wire and I don't mind taking softer wire through the cutters 2-3 times, I love the "combo" plier head, OH blades would certainly raise some sheeple eyebrows, I don't do lanyards on my MTs, I cope with the lack of a ruler with throwing an IKEA paper ruler in my wallet, and the BO coating on my current EDC Spirit seems to make it as grippy as I'd like it to be. So, is it the perfect tool? Certainly not. Is it the best for my day-to-day needs and my work/house/urban environment? Certainly yes.

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