Leatherman Skeletool CX - Camping and survival DIY multi-tool made in the USA with 7 essential built-in tools including pliers, wire cutter, and a knife, in stainless steel with a nylon holster

Product Information

This gives you a good edge, excellent corrosion resistance, and the ability to easily sharpen up. Choosing between the blade types comes down to how you intend to use them. Straight edge blades are the easiest to sharpen and do a great job at cutting smoothly and precisely through different materials. And yet, it doesn’t. A full size multitool has much better pliers. A full size knife is much more ergonomic and useful. People like having options. All those useless gadgets on multitools are why people buy them and keep them around, in case they need to use an awl or a gut hook. A Multitool is meant to prepare you for “anything.” The Leatherman Skeletool Multitool allows for component replacement. Leatherman provides various accessories and replacement parts for their tools, including blades, bits, and other components. This ensures that you can maintain and customize your Skeletool as needed. There are several different variants of the Skeletool, including the Skeletool CX and Skeletool RX. You also have multiple color and pattern choices. Each variety folds out butterfly style and has a variety of different tools and types of blades. Leatherman Skeletool Original, CX and RX Tools

So there are three ways to open the Skeletool CX. The first is just the blade itself. Because of the proportions of the tool, it’s very much handle-heavy compared to the length of the blade, which means you can get a full hand grip despite having a short blade. Some reviewers may bemoan a high handle-to-blade ratio but I find it to give you better control over the blade – more handle and less knife means more leverage on the knife. You’d think this would be an ergonomic mess but actually it’s a fairly comfortable knife handle. The slipjoints that hold the pliers are cut away in an arc where your forefinger sits, and the handle behind it is rounded to accommodate your other three fingers. You can easily fit your thumb on the spine of the blade for leverage as well. At this price point, however, there are some compromises. The lone blade features a hybrid straight and serrated edge made of mid-grade steel, which will require regular sharpening depending on your use. The straight portion is easily reconditioned, but sharpening serrations requires special techniques. Further, that blade is significantly shorter than it needs to be. There is almost a half inch of extra space in the handle that Leatherman conspicuously does not utilize. Overall, you get far more than you pay for with the Leatherman Wingman, including some truly unique features not seen in even high-end models. If you're willing to spend a little more, the Leatherman Skeletool CX offers better ergonomics but fewer functions. If you use a multi-tool for basic tasks but are prone to losing it, the Wingman won't hurt quite as much to replace. Apply a small amount of lubricant to the pivot points and hinges periodically to ensure smooth operation.Each type of Skeletool offers a different variety of knife. They come in straight edge, serrated or combo. Each blade is 2.6 in long and made from 420HC or 154CM stainless steel. Finally, the fully open position with the pliers deployed is arguable what these tools are all about. The curvature of the handles makes sense once you’re using the pliers – the carabiner side arm is concave to locate your fingers solidly, and the other side is convex to make it more comfortable for your palm. The pliers are narrow at the tip to use as needle nose for grabbing small objects, but you can also use the middle of the pliers to tighten or loosen nuts and bolts. I’ve successfully used the inner portion of the pliers to cut and strip wires for wiring repairs before – it requires a little practice to strip wires, but it works well for smaller (18-22ga) wires like those found in car electrical systems. I found over time that the knife is well suited to small tasks but I occasionally wished for a full sized knife for some things – like puncturing oil bottles, cutting cardboard, that sort of thing. I also found the handles on the pliers to be somewhat uncomfortable in extended use due to the odd shape and some sharp edges. But this isn’t a dedicated tool – it’s a lightweight minimalistic do-everything tool. It’s not going to work as well as the pliers on the Charge or cut things as well as a PM2. It does a good job of covering your needs at home but it’s not quite up to snuff as a dedicated work tool, which I think is what Leatherman was going for anyway.

The main tool of all Skeletool variants is a pair of needle nose pliers with regular pliers below them. There’s also a set of regular and hard wire cutters.We’re not going to lie to you, the Signal is a sweet multi tool. It looks sharp, comes in a variety of awesome patterns, and provides a ton of really useful tools. The Skeletool basically can’t compete with the Signal in any category but price.

The bottle opener is one of the better versions we’ve seen on a multi tool and is fully capable of popping a beer or soda cap without issue. Screwdrivers: The multitool features both a Phillips and a flathead screwdriver, offering versatility for tightening or loosening screws during camping trips. The Leatherman Skeletool Multitool is a versatile and compact tool designed for outdoor enthusiasts and campers. It combines multiple functions into a single tool, including pliers, a knife, screwdrivers, and more, making it a handy companion for various tasks in the wilderness. It comes standard with a double end Phillips head bit and has space in the handle to hold a spare. Depending on the variant you choose you can also get bits such as a carbide glass breaker, great for EMTs and other first responders. Carabiner/Bottle Opener One thing the Skeletool CX has over many other multitools – and over the standard, much cheaper Skeletool – is a real knife. It’s not huge, but it’s what I consider real. By real I mean it’s made with an EDC-worthy stainless steel and it’s not partially serrated. This is the big issue with the standard Skeletool – using half of the small 2.6” blade for some partial serrations leaves you with hardly any cutting surface of either variety. Neither fish nor fowl, no thanks.We are one of the UKs most experienced providers of climbing, walking, scrambling, mountaineering and navigation training courses.

Overall if you’re considering the Wingman we’d recommend the Skeletool. It’s lighter and smaller, yet provides probably 80% of the utility of the Wingman. Pliers: The Skeletool includes needle-nose pliers with a wire cutter, allowing you to grasp and manipulate objects with precision. A very well made and beautifully engineered multitool. With its lighter weight, pared down tools and custom choice of bit attachments it’s a great choice for winter walkers, climbers and mountaineers. Don’t want a Leatherman? The Victorinox SwissTool Spirit X is an often overlooked option in this market. It’s much more feature-heavy – and weight heavy, being about 50% heftier at 7.4 ounces. It does have a great set of pliers as well as a full complement of tools including scissors, a saw, and dedicated bottle and can openers as well as dedicated straight and Philips drivers. The Skeletool cuts a lot of weight by having these features be multi-function, like the bit driver and the combination carabiner/bottle opener. It must be said that while they don’t grab all the headlines, the Victorinox multitools are arguably the best-made tools in this segment. Wrap-up Recently, fellow IFMGA mountain guide Jeff Dobronyi joined the review team. Jeff's busy outdoor lifestyle requires having the right tool for the job, whether that's repairing ski gear or mountain bike components in the field or doing repairs, or slicing food at home.We wish the main blade were not serrated. Yes, a serrated edge cuts a few things a little better than a straight edge. But that serrated edge suffers or completely fails to cut other things, especially when it is dulled. Once dull, a serrated edge is more difficult to sharpen, whereas the included sharpener on the Signal could be used to resurface an entirely straight-edged blade. The inclusion of a serrated portion on the blade seems like a marketing move more than a practical one. The Signal is unique and functional. It isn't too huge or too clumsy to use. With it, Leatherman comes another step closer to abandoning their proprietary bit driver interface. They built in the expected "squashed" bit driver, but they also included a standard 1/4 inch drive bit holder. We like this. The standard bit holder isn't oriented in an ideal fashion, but it is better than nothing. For survivalists looking for a multi-tool designed with bushcraft in mind, while also functional around the home, the Signal is a great piece of gear to add to the kit. The Leatherman Wingman is a full size multi tool designed for the value market. It includes a selection of the most in demand tools found in multi tools but built for occasional use. The Wingman has full sized pliers, a full size combo knife, and a large pair of scissors. When used properly, the Leatherman Skeletool Multitool is safe to use. It is important to follow the instructions provided by Leatherman and exercise caution when handling the tool’s sharp edges and blades. Keep the multitool away from children and use it responsibly to prevent accidents. The Signal is Leatherman’s wilderness survival multi tool. It provides you with 19 different tools and is tailor made for hikers, campers, and other outdoorsman. It’s built on a slightly less beefy version of the Leatherman MUT frame and uses a butterfly fold design.