Skeletool CX

So, I finally got fed up with never having a screwdriver when I needed it unexpectedly. Perhaps this was due to the recent MacGyver watching binge, but either way, I’m calling it excess frustration. It seems like it always throws me off when I’m trying to do something at work or at a friend’s house to their computer or… whatever. I had started to carry my little red Swiss Army knife a while back, and it came in handy at least a couple of times a day, so I decided it was probably worth further investment to get one with a real screwdriver on it.

Unfortunately, the Swiss Army Cybertool is completely underwhelming. And none of their other offerings seemed to be much different. So, we went down the line and checked out what else they had. I’m generally more a fan of Gerber’s ‘Press-and-flick’ action for multitools than Leatherman’s ‘Doubleunfold’ approach, but this one caught my eye enough I decided to look at it anyways. It’s a fair bit smaller than I remember the older Leathermans being, but maybe I’m just bigger than when I had last held it. It’s also a good weight–solid, but light.

The blade has a one-handed outside-opening with lock(which is definitely a good thing, I’ve learned!). It’s also easy enough to close with either hand. Folding it open, each side snaps into place solidly, and the curve makes it fit my palm very nicely. Opening it just halfway exposes the screwdriver. It’s a little bit off-axis, which is slightly frustrating, but an engineering tradeoff that works well enough anyways. The screwdriver bits are flattened

Finally, it has a really nice carabiner clip that  doubles (unexpectedly!) as a bottle opener. It works pretty smoothly, and without flipping or doing anything other than pulling it out of your pocket.

Here’s a couple of low-res pics of mine I took with my iPhone:

Skeletool CX - Closed

Skeletool CX - Blade

Skeletool CX - Pliers