Charge vs Spirit, my views may have changed...

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Nikkogi

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Jan 19, 2009
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Hey guys, I am convinced that the two best multitools on the planet are the Leatherman Charge and Victorinox Spirit. I made a comparison review a few months ago and I favored the Charge due to the one hand opening knife blades. Now, I always have a Benchmade 940 in my pocket so I am not relying on my multitool blades as much. Also, I have found rust on a Charge TTi that has been sitting in it's nylon pouch unused..

The advantages/disadvantages of the Charge TTi/Ti are:

-titanium handles that aid in grip, comfort, and cool factor
-one hand opening blades that include premium materials on the plain edge blade varying from 154CM to S30V
-diamond file is the best file found in a multitool

-very rust prone tool, the bead blasted finish has very poor rust resistance
-bit driver is stubby, can't get into recessed/countersunk scews
-quality just isn't there
-have to open up tool to get to smaller tools

The advantages/disadvantages of the Spirit X are:

-very nice polished finish which makes it pretty much rust proof
-all implements are on outside
-multiple functions on one implement
-quality feel/functio

-screwdrivers are a bit slippery as they are rounded and polished
-tool is a bit slippery
-pliers are a tad to blunt

Where do you stand on the debate. What do you prefer, the Charge or Spirit?

Thanks
 
i'm still favoring my spirit. I used the awl for the first time recently, i'm glad it had the awl. i used it to punch a slot in an altoids tin and i also used it to scratch an itch on my foot. god bless the awl and it's many functions.
 
I use the awl to make pilot holes for driving screws etc. I really like having the chisel as well!
 
Waves , and Charges were my longest running multi relationship . I now only own Vic plier based mutis . I prefer the stronger / blunter plier shape on the Spirit , hey peeps. we are talking cast pliers here , blunter=less breakage .

Vic implements are superior in quality and design . The drivers work OK for me , then again I only do the most casual driving with the onboard driver system . I EDC a Leatherman Universal Tool Adaptor , and 1/4" hex bits . I do not like the bit system on the Charge and new Wave , I have had one breakage of the bit holder , and several jams .

I don't care about OH opening , multitool ergo's suck for knife type chores . I always carry a folder of some sort . The blade on my multi is only a tertiary back up .

If I was in a jurisdiction where you need a Tactical that flies under the Radar , I would probably still carry a wave , although I now prefer the OH Soldier in this role .

I do wish the handles of the Spirit were beadblasted or otherwise textured , someday I may try to do this myself.

From a design standpoint I prefer the softer Vic. Steel , in a pinch , I would rather have a bent than a broken implement . Leatherman should get on the cure , and simply buy their scissors from Vic .

If asked I always reccomend either a Spirit or a Wave .

Chris
 
I find myself preferring the Leatherman plier head over the Vic Spirit. Just seems more useful. For actual use, I'm finding I like a low end Leatherman over the higher end Wave or Spirit. One hand opening, or even outside opening implements are not that important to me. Pliers and screwdrivers are. And those are areas where the higher end Leatherman and Vic models have left me frustrated a bit too often.
 
I honestly have no idea which tool I prefer. I love the needlenose pliers, diamond coated file, cutting hook, and bit driver of the TTi while I love the quality, value, awl, chisel, etc on the Spirit. The Spirit hands down is a more capable tool then the Charge as well.. I am on the fence on this one, LOL!
 
Nikkogi said:
Hey guys, I am convinced that the two best multitools on the planet are the Leatherman Charge and Victorinox Spirit. I made a comparison review a few months ago and I favored the Charge due to the one hand opening knife blades. Now, I always have a Benchmade 940 in my pocket so I am not relying on my multitool blades as much. Also, I have found rust on a Charge TTi that has been sitting in it's nylon pouch unused..

The advantages/disadvantages of the Charge TTi/Ti are:

-titanium handles that aid in grip, comfort, and cool factor
-one hand opening blades that include premium materials on the plain edge blade varying from 154CM to S30V
-diamond file is the best file found in a multitool

-very rust prone tool, the bead blasted finish has very poor rust resistance
Click to expand...

This has been a mystery to me. There have been numerous credible reports of Leathermen being rust-prone. However, since late 1996, a fair number of Leatherman have passed in and out of my hands, used lightly to moderately hard, some in wet and mud, and none ever developed the slightest rust, including the bead-blasted models. If atmospheric conditions have any bearing; I live in a temperate climate with varying humidity, not near large bodies of water, and I usually wipe down tools after use, but seldom oil or clean them in detail. No rust. None. What am I doing right? :confused:

Nikkogi said:
-bit driver is stubby, can't get into recessed/countersunk scews
Click to expand...

Agreed, but so far, this hasn't been a big problem for me. Usually I have a bit extender on hand, which has helped on some occasions when the countersunk holes were wide enough to accommodate. OTOH, the versatility and convenience provided by the bit kit more than compensates for the shortcoming.

Nikkogi said:
-quality just isn't there
Click to expand...

But good enough. Mine have held up in use, which is what matters most. From reports, Leatherman seems to have a QC problem from time to time, but out of all I have experienced, 36 (:eek:, most eventually sold or given away), only one needed warranty service out of the box, and that came back in perfect condition within 10 days. I can live with this.

Nikkogi said:
-have to open up tool to get to smaller tools
Click to expand...

Even so, I find them as easy or easier to lift than implements on the Spirit. It didn't take long before the drill was second nature.

Nikkogi said:
The advantages/disadvantages of the Spirit X are:

-very nice polished finish which makes it pretty much rust proof
Click to expand...

:thumbup:

Nikkogi said:
-all implements are on outside
Click to expand...

Not always an advantage. Try nail nicks with wet, softened fingernails and/or cold hands and see how that works for you.

Nikkogi said:
-multiple functions on one implement
-quality feel/functio
Click to expand...

:thumbup:

Nikkogi said:
-screwdrivers are a bit slippery as they are rounded and polished
Click to expand...

Also, don't fit standard size slots as well, or so I have experienced.

Nikkogi said:
-tool is a bit slippery
-pliers are a tad to blunt

Where do you stand on the debate. What do you prefer, the Charge or Spirit?

Thanks
Click to expand...

Charge is my choice, although frankly, I wouldn't proclaim this or any multitool as "best." Almost everything currently in production has satisfied most of its owners; otherwise, they wouldn't lasted on the market. Over the last 13 years or so, I have tried many different models of Leatherman and Vic. All were entirely usable and I could easily have lived with any of them. As time went on, however, I found myself using some more than others, eventually to the point of regularly carrying one, others seldom or never. This had a lot to do with my particular work habits and life style; that is, the situations in which I would likely need a multitool. Time and again, I found myself gravitating to the Charge TTi as my EDC, or wishing I had taken it with me instead of the something else I had chosen that day.

For now, by a long process of discovery, a Charge has been my constant companion. The lack of an awl could have been a deal breaker, but a mod fitting into the clip slot fixed that. As an EDC, it has served my needs better than any I have worked with, but who knows? If my life style changes, so can my choices. However, one size doesn't have to fit all. To those among us who are more Spirited ;) , blessings upon you. :)

Admittedly, however, during the several times I have been in an emergency situation, anything, including a cheap knockoff, would have done the job. In one case, a rock would have sufficed.
That probably makes some kind of point.
Discuss. :D
 
I agree completely with what your saying bro.

But, I truly believe that the Spirit is a tougher multitool all around. The Charge is a beast and I have used them hard but the Spirit, in my tests is tougher. It's really beneficial to have the softer steel on a utility tool. Especially with the knife blades as the premium Leatherman knife blades (154CM/S30v) have sub standard heat treatment compared to lets say Benchmade. I have had the S30v blade on my user TTi chip out numerous times. I have also broken the flat head screwdrivers on various Leatherman tools over the years due to the harder steel. I also broke the plier head on two Leathermans: a SURGE and Skeletool CX. With the SURGE, I was undoing a shackle on the boat and with the Skeletool CX I was bending a piece of metal coat hanger. The Victorinox steel can be easily bent back with a vise if you get a bend in a screwdriver.

I have used the leatherman diamond file to square off the edges on the Spirit and I noticed that they work MUCH better then what the factory dishes out.

Also, the value of the Spirit is crucial. I currently have like 15 Charge's and I LOVE them and they are all greater then $100 bucks. Then there's the Spirit that you can get for $55ish and it has tighter tolerances, MUCH higher rust resistance, more tools/capability, and a smaller form factor.

For in the woods, the Victorinox multitools reign supreme as the blades can be easily touched up, they don't rust, and they have awls/chisels etc which would prove handy for trapping and other tasks.

I brought my TTi camping last year and I noticed all specks of rust on the plier hinge and on the frame itself from being in the nylon sheath and going kayaking. The TTi never got in contact with water either. When I went to Florida I had a SwissTool RS in my bathing suit while I was diving for scallops in NE Florida and their wasn't a speck of rust on it.

I love both tools and I can't decisively pick a favorite. They are both good in different aspects.

My ideal MT would be a Victorinox multitool with one hand opening blades, more needlenose pliers, and a diamond coated file! That would be awesome!
 
Nikkogi said:
Also, the value of the Spirit is crucial. I currently have like 15 Charge's and I LOVE them and they are all greater then $100 bucks.
Click to expand...

:eek:15 Charges? :confused: I have only one, for which I paid $80 NIB delivered from an on-line vendor. This wasn't much more than what Waves were going for at the time, and I felt the S30v blade but especially the nifty handles were worth it. They feel so much better than the sharp-edged Wave, and that's not a small thing in a hand tool. There's one area where the Swiss excel. All Vics feel better in the hand than all Leathermen, although not in a dealbreaking way for me. My wife has another opinion. She prefers Vic, won't even touch a Leatherman tool (except for Squirt S4) and thinks my preference for them is a character defect.

However, I would not have paid $100 or more. Had it not been for the lower price, I might have stayed with the original Spirit I then owned. Much of what you like about it, I did too.

Nikkogi said:
Then there's the Spirit that you can get for $55ish and it has tighter tolerances, MUCH higher rust resistance, more tools/capability, and a smaller form factor.
Click to expand...

But no lanyard ring or pocket clip, both biggies for me, nor OH blade opening, which has spoiled me for anything else.


Nikkogi said:
For in the woods, the Victorinox multitools reign supreme as the blades can be easily touched up, they don't rust, and they have awls/chisels etc which would prove handy for trapping and other tasks.
Click to expand...

Good points, but I don't spend much time in the woods these days. Life style issues determine choices, right?

Nikkogi said:
My ideal MT would be a Victorinox multitool with one hand opening blades, more needlenose pliers, and a diamond coated file! That would be awesome!
Click to expand...

Actually, yes. :)
 
Hi,

I have 21 Leatherman Charges. None have rust.

When I get a new one, I wipe it down with a silicone cloth and when I carry one, I wipe it down with a silicone cloth every week just like I do with my carry knives.

I do like the Victorinox tools except for them being a bit tough to get the secondary tools out. They get the same silicone cloth treatment. Only difference is I don't carry any of the 5 Victorinox tools that I own all that much.

Best - Joe
 
My original charge Ti does have some rust on it. but that was after spending a week lost in the snow.
 
Personally I consider the Leatherman/rust myth busted . With even minimal maintenance , rust is very unlikely to appear .

I came by this observation working in a buildiong that had been abandoned for 18 years , where I was trying to get the infrastructure back on line . Some of this stuff was very dirty , and corrosive , I got covered with rusty black and grey water mumerous times . Trying to get the Sprinkler system back on line caused further innundations , again with very dirty water . For the first part of the summer I rocked a Charge and a Vic. rescue tool , for the last half I packed a Swisstool RS , and the same Rescue tool , plus a Strider SMF as Crackhead/ho repellant . All survived with no rust , only some slight discoloration .

Chris
 
I disagree with you there. Leatherman tools develop surface rust very easily. They don't like rust up to an unusable point, but surface rust is inevitable. Surface rust is very common under the titanium handle scales in my experiences as well.
 
I like my Charge + Waves. My wave is actually being sent to the LM right now for warranty service because there is some looseness in the plier head. I also, generally carry a folder, so I don't use the blade a whole lot, but I do like that it is a good one-hand opener. I think most users wont be able to notice the difference in steel between the 420C and the 154CM in the Charge vs Wave, but I suppose it's nice to have. Now, what I really don't like on the Swisstool line is that they have nail nicks to deploy all the tool. That is a big bummer if you are wearing gloves.
 
ikiddp9 said:
+1!
I may add... a pocket clip option too!
Click to expand...

I agree. It would be a Spirit with textured handles, removable pocket clip/lanyard ring, Leatherman style pliers, a diamond coated file, and a one hand opening blade made out of a harder steel. It doesn't have to be a super steel but a little harder then the regular Vic still. It would also weigh in at aroung 6 ounces or so. That would be perfection.
 
IMO Spirit>Charge, however on a side note, Surge>Swisstool, but the Surge and the Spirit belong in different categories so I can't compare them.
 
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