Leatherman Skeletool Aluminum Scale Multitool - Leatherman 830845

For some, lightness trumps complete versatility when it comes to choosing a multitool. A bicyclist is the most obvious example of someone who would prefer a light tool with a few good functions to a heavy tool with many good functions – particularly if they are a competitive bicyclist, who needs to keep weight to an absolute minimum. Other people who might need such a tool include those who crawl frequently into narrow spaces (plumbers, miners, etc.), and those who make casual use of multitools for tightening a screw here and a bolt there.

The Leatherman 830845 Skeletool Aluminum Scale Multitool is a very spare model, unlike some of the more complex Leatherman multi-pliers, which bristle with onboard tools like a porcupine bristles with spines. The Skeletool not only eliminates all onboard tools except those likely to see maximum use – needlenose pliers, wire cutters, knife blade, and universal bit driver – but it also features a literally skeletal design, filled with as many holes as is possible without weakening the overall toughness of the tool.

The Skeletool is a full-sized multitool, meaning that you can get plenty of leverage when you are using the pliers head or the bit driver. As anyone who has worked with their hands will know, there are situations where a strong application of leverage is the only way that a tight bolt can be loosened, a loose pipe can be tightened, and so on. Thus, although there are pocket-sized multitools which are as light as, or lighter than, the Skeletool’s 5 ounces, they lack one thing that the Skeletool possesses thanks to its overall length – leverage. A keychain multitool may simply be unable to handle some tasks that the Skeletool will be able to cope with.

The Leatherman 830845 Skeletool Aluminum, like all its kin, is made far more flexible than its limited number of tools would suggest by the presence of a universal bit driver in one handle. Six bits are included, and you can expand the work possibilities of the multitool even more by buying one of Leatherman’s bit kits – or any other set of bits that will work with the device.

On top of all its other features, the Leatherman Skeletool Aluminum has a carabineer clip which doubles as a bottle opener, as can be seen in the illustration accompanying this article. Some customers who are satisfied with the Skeletool overall also report that the bottle opener is their favorite part of the implement, because it so easily pops open a refreshing bottle of soda, juice, or beer after a hot, sweaty work session. The carabineer clip also slots neatly onto a belt loop, obviating the need for a belt holster – although, of course, you can carry it in one if you need to keep it dry and protected from scrapes and dings.