Our decide
This gentle and slim multi-tool focuses on well-executed necessities—corresponding to exact, snug pliers—and it has no fillers. It’s simple to hold day by day and constructed to final.
Of all of the multi-tools we tried, the Skeletool CX is the one we saved reaching for lengthy after testing concluded, and it’s the one we nonetheless carry day by day, three years later. Its knife deploys and locks easily with one hand—with out your having to first open up the pliers. And its high-quality, 154CM blade metal holds an edge longer than most multi-tool blades. Different multi-tools are so cumbersome that they have to be carried in a belt sheath, however the lighter, slimmer Skeletool suits comfortably in a pocket. It could additionally clip onto a belt or backpack with both a pocket clip or a carabiner (which doubles as an easy-access bottle opener). The CX’s pliers unfold simply, have the precision to drag a small splinter, and are snug to carry, because of the uneven deal with. This multi-tool’s two Phillips and two flathead screwdrivers capably deal with the most typical screws. And the Skeletool is backed by a 25-year guarantee. However this mannequin is so sturdily constructed, we’d be shocked should you wanted to make use of the guarantee; different Leathermans we’ve owned and used for over a decade have held up completely.
Closed dimensions: 4⅛ by 1¼ by ½ inches
Weight: 5.2 ounces
Blade size: 2⅝ inches
Instruments included: needle-nose pliers, wire cutter, bottle opener, Phillips screwdriver (2), flat screwdriver (2), carabiner clip
Additionally nice
The Free P2 has a bigger device choice—together with scissors and a bundle opener—than the Skeletool CX. However the largest distinction is that the entire instruments, together with the pliers, might be deployed utilizing one hand.
In case you are searching for a bigger multi-tool, but one that’s extraordinarily simple to make use of, we suggest the Leatherman Free P2. The Free P2, launched in 2019, is a completely new design for Leatherman. With its handles closed, the entire instruments might be accessed with a single hand, a singular function on the earth of multi-tools. You possibly can even deploy the pliers one-handed, with only a flip of the wrist. After we examined the Free P2 for a number of weeks, different full-size multi-tools, such because the basic Leatherman Wave+, began to really feel clunky and laborious to open. The Free P2 is over 2½ ounces heavier than the Skeletool CX, nevertheless it has a slender, streamlined design and comes with a pocket clip. Though it has extra weight to it, we by no means discovered it unwieldy or awkward to hold.
Closed dimensions: 4 by 1½ by ⅝ inches
Weight: 7½ ounces
Blade size: 2⅝ inches
Instruments included: needle-nose pliers, wire cutter, electrical crimper, wire stripper, knife, scissors, bundle opener, axe, can opener, bottle opener, wooden/steel file, Phillips screwdriver, medium flat screwdriver, small flat screwdriver, extra-small flat screwdriver, pry device, ruler
Additionally nice
The Sign has the Skeletool’s fundamental set of instruments, plus a number of extras geared towards the outside and emergency preparation, together with an efficient whistle and a fireplace starter.
If you happen to’re somebody who spends loads of time exterior, or should you merely wish to up your emergency-preparedness recreation, we additionally just like the Leatherman Sign. At its core, the Sign shares many traits with the Skeletool CX: a stripped-down device choice, the asymmetrical handles, and the carabiner-clip bottle-opener function. The place the Sign differs is within the added emphasis on outdoor-oriented instruments. Along with the knife, pliers, bottle opener, and screwdriver, there’s a whistle, fire-starter rod, knife sharpener, noticed, and axe. This multi-tool is bigger than the Skeletool CX, however the extra instruments—particularly the whistle, fire-starter rod, and blade sharpener—are so properly built-in into the design that it’s stunning how little bulk they add. Additionally they work properly! As a result of it’s extra geared towards tenting and survival, the Sign is extra sturdy than the Skeletool, with bigger pliers, replaceable wire cutter blades, and longer plier handles.
Closed dimensions: 4½ by 1⅝ by ¾ inches
Weight: 7½ ounces
Blade size: 2¾ inches
Instruments included: needle-nose pliers, wire cutters, knife, noticed, hammer, axe, can opener, bottle opener, Phillips screwdriver, flat screwdriver, quarter-inch field wrench, 3/16-inch field wrench, carabiner, ferro rod, whistle, sharpener
Additionally nice
For such a small mannequin, this device is surprisingly succesful. And the Dime’s pliers, bottle opener, and clamshell cutter are fairly satisfying to make use of.
The Gerber Gear Dime is smaller than a Bic lighter, but it’s succesful and satisfying to make use of. Designed to connect to a keyring, it comprises an incredible number of helpful instruments, together with scissors, pliers, a bottle opener, a knife, two screwdrivers, and a clamshell cutter (for safely slicing open retail packaging). The Dime has some good touches—there’s an externally mounted bottle opener (like on the Skeletool CX), exact plier jaws, and a cool number of colours (black, inexperienced, and purple). And it normally prices beneath $30. However the knife blade doesn’t lock (typical of instruments its measurement), and its pliers make higher tweezers than the precise tweezers it consists of.
Closed dimensions: 2¾ by 13/16 by ½ inches
Weight: 2.3 ounces
Blade size: 1⅜ inches
Instruments included: needle-nose pliers, common pliers, wire cutters, tweezers, bottle opener, knife, clamshell opener, scissors, flat screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, coarse and fantastic file, lanyard ring
Additionally nice
The Leatherman Free T4 lacks pliers, so it’s smaller than the opposite fashions right here, nevertheless it has a pleasant set of fundamental instruments and a robust construct high quality.
Pliers add a variety of performance to a multi-tool, however additionally they add measurement. If you happen to’re in search of one thing a little bit smaller, we just like the Leatherman Free T4. This plier-less mannequin has a well-rounded number of instruments, together with scissors and tweezers. It additionally has options that many non-pliers fashions lack—the entire instruments, together with the knife, lock within the open place, and it has a pocket clip. As with the Leatherman Free P2, with the Free T4 you may deploy the entire instruments utilizing just one hand (though the knife is usually a little tough). This mannequin is solidly constructed and is roofed beneath Leatherman’s 25-year guarantee.
Closed dimensions: 3⅝ by 1 by ⅞ inches
Weight: 4.3 ounces
Blade size: 2 1/16 inches
Instruments included: knife, scissors, pry device, bundle opener, axe, bottle opener, file, Phillips screwdriver, flat screwdriver (3), tweezers
Additionally nice
The Gerber Armbar Drive is much like the Free T4, nevertheless it’s not as refined. It’s additionally not as costly.
In case you are searching for a easy, budget-oriented multi-tool, we suggest the Gerber Gear Armbar Drive. Just like the Free T4, this one lacks the pliers, so it doesn’t have the performance of fashions just like the Skeletool CX. But it surely makes up for that with its small measurement and weight. The Armbar has a fundamental but well-rounded set of instruments: knife, screwdrivers, bundle opener, scissors, and a bottle opener. The design of the bottle opener is particularly creative and can be utilized shortly with one hand. The downsides are that the screwdriver doesn’t lock within the open place (however the knife does), and it lacks a pocket clip. In any other case, we see this can be a nice entry-level multi-tool for somebody who doesn’t need the added bulk of the pliers.
Closed dimensions: 3½ by ¾ by ¾ inches
Weight: 3.1 ounces
Blade size: 2⅝ inches
Instruments included: knife, Phillips screwdriver, flat screwdriver, pry device, bottle opener, scissors, axe, putting device
