Skeletool CX: a Lightweight Multitool Worth Carrying on the Road

How can you not like a product with a cool name like Skeletool. The name is directly inspired from its lightweight frame which is stripped down and punctured with holes designed to remove any bit of metal not absolutely necessary.

But the Skeletool also foregoes those extra tools that you don't really need and its focus is squarely on the essentials. The Skeletool CX includes:

• Needle-nose and regular pliers
• Wire and hard-wire cutters
• Carabiner/Bottle opener
• Bit driver with 4 bits: Phillips #1 and #2 and screwdriver 3/16" and 1/4"
• Combo knife with straight and serrated edge with locking blade (154CM stainless steel)

For a multi-tool, that's a pretty good selection of the tools you're likely to use, without any of the more dubious ones. For example, in addition to the above the Leatherman Wave includes two knives, a saw, scissors and two files. I don't think I'm going to miss those.

The big difference, of course, is the weight. The Leatherman Wave is 214 g (8.5 oz), while the Skeletool is only 142 g (5 oz). A difference that's well worth it.

There are two models of Skeletool: a based model and the Skeletool CX. While the Skeletool CX has a tungsten coating and a carbon fiber handle insert, this does not affect the weight compared to the base model. The value of the Skeletool CX, and the justification for the higher price, is the combination straight/serrated knife and the 154CM steel used for the blade instead of the 420HC steel of the base model. 154CM steel is a high carbon steel with 1.05% carbon and 14% chromium. It has better edge holding ability compared to 440HC steel, which contains about .4% carbon and 13% chromium.

Having a serrated blade comes in handy to cut ropes or twigs, although the serrated part of the blade is more difficult to sharpen.

The only small disappointment may be the size of the blade, which is a bit smaller than I had hoped. It appears to be about the same size than on the Leatherman Wave, though, and I'm sure it will be large enough for most applications.

An annoyance that I should mention as well: the plastic clamshell that the Skeletool is packaged in is frustrating to open: the plastic is too tough, and as you cut it, it comes apart in sharp shards. You could get hurt just opening the thing! If you didn't already have a solid knife, I'm not sure how you would open it. Compare this to the experience of opening an Apple product which is a pleasure in itself, before even using the product. Why put your customer in a bad mood just before they get to use your product for the first time and as they form their impression of it? The user experience includes the packaging...

The Skeletool CX makes a good compromise between utility and weight, and I'll be glad to carry it along in my pack as I get on the road.