Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 21-25 of 90
 Perfect combination of form and function, if a little overpriced May 4, 2008
K. Geter (Denver, CO)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This is my first Leatherman, and I think I picked a winner. Small and light compared to the other Leathermans, and the only one other than the huge "Charge" series that has a 154CM blade. If you don't care about blade steel (I do), get the vanilla Skeletool with the non-serrated 420HC blade and save some $$. That's my only complaint: the CX is a bit pricey. But the tungsten coating and the strip of carbon fiber looks so cool! Having both a carabiner and pocket clip is a plus--there are times when it is easier to have it on a belt loop then in a pocket. Overall, a brilliant design, and...wait for it...it isn't made in China!
Good design, good build quality July 18, 2008
M. Kanai
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The Skeletool is an excellent niche tool that falls comfortably between Leatherman's larger outings and simple folding knives. At 5 oz., it is not exactly featherweight, but it is considerably less bulky and less heavy than most other multi-tools.
It has a couple of downsides which are immediately apparent or become apparent quickly. 1) No saw. Although the blade is 50/50 smooth/serrated, the serrations would be a poor saw substitute. 2) The "extra bit" slot in the handle is not secure enough. In my first week, I lost the stored bit in the handle. I've been more careful in how I handle it, but I think they could have tightened up the tolerances a little. 3) Bad initial bit selection. My Charge TTi came with a reversible phillips/flathead bit in the kit. The Skeletool comes with a phillips/phillips and flat/flat. I generally find the mixed phillips/flat bits to be useful because then I can carry an allen bit as well. Finally, 4) bad for lefties. Unfortunately, as a conscious design decision, the tool is not reversible for lefties, in particular this means that you have to open the knife blade by flicking it out with your middle finger instead of your thumb (and close the lever lock the same way). This is neither as safe or as comfortable as thumb operation. But, if you're used to left-handed opening of folding knives, then it's nothing new to you. As I rightie, it doesn't matter to much to me, so I'm just putting this issue out there.
One the plus side: everything else. Good ergonomic design for such a lightweight and minimalist tool. The build quality is high, with steel support bands and brass bearings for smooth action. Probably the best pliers you will find in a multitool of this size/wight, and a well designed blade. Lightweight package, but still sturdy enough to see some serious duty, and a good selection of tools (pliers, wirecutter, knife, bit driver, bottlecap lifter, and carabiner tool).
I would point out tool two issues in particular. 1) The "carabiner/bottlecap lifter" is really mislabeled and should be just called a tension clasp. While it has the limited functionality of being able to attach your Skeletook to a belt or gear loop, you should not overlook the fact that it can assist you one-handed openings. I found it to be very difficult to open the pliers with one hand (after a lot of practice I found an unintuitive way of doing pretty consistently), until I realized that if I snapped the clasp to my belt loop, I could use that as an extra hand of sorts. Also, while the bottlecap lifter is neat, it can also operate as a parcel hook.
2) The knife blade on the CX model is 154CM stainless. I believe the blade on the other model is 420HC stainless. I've had great luck with the 154CM steel, and I think it is a worthwhile upgrade for the relatively modest difference in cost. 420HC is more of a tool grade steel. Easier to sharpen, but it won't hold an edge as long.
All in all, a great multitool if weight and size are an issue.
 Sleletool vs Wave October 12, 2008
Manolis Manoli (Limassol Cyprus)
3 out of 5 found this review helpful
I did not regret for buying Skeletool but definately it does not compare with the Wave. See it this way if you own a Leatherman wave for more than two years and your wave still looks like brand new the maybe Skeletool is good for you. No way to take the abuse that wave can handdle but again then if you miss your wave in the office because is heavy then skeletool could be a solution.
FInaley i hate the holes on the blade ,, make cleaning dificult and all kind of jerms old food stucks in the holes.... i just love my wave .. i will sell my Skeletool sooner or later.
 Superb March 27, 2008
G. Griffin (CT United States)
2 out of 4 found this review helpful
An excellent product. It did take some time for Leatherman to complete this project, and Amazon needs to work on their customer service. But the product itself is very excellent as is the non-CX version. Don't wait, go purchase one!
Practical compromise April 29, 2008
Slare (Detroit, MI)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
I've had a few different cheapie multi-tools and finally decided to break down and go for a more practical, higher quality tool.
The CX is a nice compromise, easy to use, light, compact, and packing the most commonly needed features. I'd say for the most part I am looking at it as a pocket knife replacement, and in that function it is good, but not perfect.
The blade is a little small for the overall package size, and it is still a just a tad too heavy/bulky for daily carrying (imho). Looking at the unit it seems like a 1/2" or so could be removed without much impact, and then I think it'd be perfect.
The build is solid, and I haven't had the problem with the bit storage as some others have noted. But I do notice that the bit storage wall can be bent in a little to snug up the retention, and it goes to show that some units might have a looser retention than others. So I could see how it could be a problem particularly if you have a lot of other stuff floating around in your pockets.
If the tools included make sense to you, this is a solid unit.
Overall, pretty straightforward. If the tools fit your needs, the build quality is there. It just depends if the compromises in tools available is worth it to you.
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