Leatherman Multi-tools

Weight: 142g / 5oz
Closed Length: 10cm / 4”
Blade: 6.6cm / 2.6”

The Leatherman Skeletool RX is for the basic hero. This lightweight, seven in one multi-tool can be easily operated with only one hand and aside from the tools found on the common Leatherman, it carries only the essentials; a blade, screwdrivers and a glass breaking kit. The 154cm blade is serrated for cutting most anything and the screwdriver includes Phillips #1-2, a 3/16” flathead, and a glass breaker bit. One of the two, double-sided bits can be snapped into the bit storage while the other is readily available when the Leatherman is opened. A release button and the over all design of the Skeletool protects the bits when not in use. I like the carabineer and pocket clip features to ensure it stays where you put it, especially without a carrying case. 

The Leatherman Skeletool has a Swiss cheese design that makes it lightweight and sleek.

The serrated blade is easily accessible from the outside with only one hand. It can cut through most anything, especially fabrics.

When opened, the screwdriver bits are accessible as well as the pliers and wire cutters. The carabineer is at the upper left and doubles as a bottle opener.

• Screwdriver bit storage
• Pocket Clip
• One hand operable
• Outside accessible
• Lightweight

1. Serrated Blade
2. Pliers (Regular & Needle nose)
3. Bit Driver
4. Wire Cutters (Regular & Hard)
6. Carabineer/Bottle Opener
7. Glass Breaker

The screwdriver has four different bits that slide in to the slot shown above. One of these bits is the glass breaker tool.

 

---

Price: $169CAN / $139.95US
Closed Length: 10cm / 4”
Weight: 235g / 8.3oz
Blade: 6.6cm / 2.6” 

The Charge ALX is your beefy, middle of the road, everyday multi-tool. It has two cutting blades (one serrated and one straight), a saw and a file accessible on the outside. On the inside, you will find the standard Leatherman pliers with wire cutters, two regular screwdrivers with four bits, plus one micro-bit and a bottle opener. There is a lanyard ring to attach to incase you are worried about it dropping, but the things that set this Leatherman aside from most is the electrical crimper and a ruler located on the inside.

The Charge ALX has four features on the outside; the saw, serrated knife, regular straight knife and a file.

There are two screwdrivers with four different types of bits. The micro bit (pointing down in the above photo) can be used for the tiniest of screws. On the top above the flathead screwdriver is a lanyard ring to tie a rope/string/lanyard to.

• Stainless Steel
• One-handed operable
• Outside accessible tools
• Lanyard ring

1. 420HC Serrated Blade with Cutting Hook
2. 154CM Knife
3. Saw
4. Diamond Coated File
5. Pliers (Regular & Needlenose)
6. Wire Cutters (Regular & Hard)
7. Electrical Crimper
8. Screwdrivers (extra bits in carrying case)
9. Can/Bottle Opener
10. Small Bit Driver
11. Ruler (19cm / 8”)

Although this is the bulkiest of the three, the ALX comes with extra screwdriver bits, an extra lanyard ring and a pocket clip.

 

---

Price: $137.44CAN / $109.95US
Closed Length: 11.43 cm / 4.5”
Weight: 212.6g / 7.5oz
Blade: 6.93cm / 2.73” 

The Signal by Leatherman is the ultimate outdoors-person multi-tool. This 19-in-1 can do it all from starting a fire to calling your dog. It hammers, wrenches, screws, sharpens and saws… and more! It’s not even the heaviest of Leathermans in weight and is by far my favourite of the three. Here is why:

The blades are easily one-hand accessible on the outside while the majority of the other tools can be locked inside. It is compact, lightweight and has more tools than any other multi-tool on the market. You could live in the backcountry for days if this was your only means of survival, and you can thank the impressive tool set for that!

This 19-in-1 multi-tool is the ultimate in outdoor survival for the avid backcountry user.

• One-handed operable
• Outside accessible tools
• Lockable
• Pocket Clip
• Lightweight

1. 420HC Straight Blade
2. Serrated Blade
3. Saw
4. Hammer
5. Regular Pliers
6.Needlenose Pliers
7. Regular Wire Cutters
8. Hard Wire Cutters
9. Phillips #1 Screwdriver 
10. Phillips #2 Screwdriver
11. 3/16” Flathead Screwdriver 
12. Can Opener
13. Bottle Opener
14. ¼” Hex Bit Driver
15. Removable Sharpener
16. Awl
17. Box Wrenches

Two blades are easily accessible with one hand from the outside. The knife has both a straight and serrated blade.

Three of the many features shown in one small space. The screw driver, bottle opener and awl.

The safety whistle, shown above, is easily removed but steadily secured when not in use.

The Signal is not very bulky and has a very sleek design that is functional and small enough despite having 19 different functions.

The sharpener tool is removable and also works to strike the top of the safety whistle to ignite a spark when building a fire.

 

---

I really like the Leatherman Skeletool for being a lightweight, emergency response multi-tool, for EMT’s or first responders who need to be prepared to break glass and cut fabric quickly. Using only one hand you are able to open and operate all features, inside and out. It does a great job of saving space and weight by combining a Swiss cheese design with two in one features, such as the carabineer/bottle opener, and the bit driver and storage. If having a one handed multi-tool is critical for your profession I highly recommend the Leatherman Skeletool RX. It is small, lightweight and instead of a sheath it comes with a pocket clip, giving it that pocketknife feel.

The Leatherman Charge ALX is the heaviest and most bulky of the three Leathermans in this review. At 10cm and 235g you will definitely notice its presence. I like that all the features are lockable so you know they will perform as advertised every time and it comes with every screwdriver bit you will ever need. If these features align with your general tasks then this is the Leatherman for you.

The Leatherman Signal is the ultimate multi-tool for the outdoorsy types. It is well thought out and designed by Leatherman’s development team and includes more features per ounce than any other multi-tool. You can start a fire with the Ferro Rod, summon help with the safety whistle and keep youre blades sharp with the sharpening tool. These three removable pieces are easily secured to the tool without any chance of losing them. The hammer tool sends tent pegs into the ground like butter and the combo blade is both serrated and straight, located opposite the saw. The carabineer can hang anywhere you want it, and a pocket clip will keep it from falling out and losing it. The standard Leatherman pliers, wire cutters, screwdrivers, bottle opener and more can be locked inside when closed, but the one handed accessible knife and saw can still be used. There is no dedicated lanyard ring, but the design allows for options to do so in many places. I would recommend this product to everyone.