Lost my Leatherman Style CS - Should I Get Another?

[calvinw]

I was at the Dodgers game last night and they wouldn't let me in the stadium with the Leatherman Style CS on my keychain. I took the shuttle up to the stadium, so throwing the Style back in my car was not an option. It's the playoffs, so missing the game was not an option. I reluctantly tossed it out, figuring it wasn't too expensive anyway.

So, now I'm wondering if I should get another Style CS or replace it with something else.

I carry a knife every day. I carried the Style for the bottle opener, scissors, occasional screwdriver and light prying (in that order).

There were some things I wished were better - I wish the screwdriver was a bit beefier for prying. I wish the bottle opener worked better - it's too slim and it takes a couple of tries to open a bottle.

I'm considering the Squirt PS4, but I'm not sure I need pliers and I wished the scissors were bigger (more comfortable, more precise, easier to use).

I think I know most of the other options out there (Micra, Dime, SAKs, pry bars). I'm looking for opinions from people who have carried the Style CS and found some product, or combination of products, they liked better.

 

[jeffwithaj]

Micra. Better tool but not as convenient to us as the CS on a keychain. I just stick it in my pocket.

 

[calvinw]

Thanks, Jeff. I don't think I want to carry another item in my pocket. Just looking for something on the keychain so I can drink beer and cut coupons.

 

[znapschatz]

What the CS has going for it is its form factor. I went through a trial period with a CS, but went back to my Micra, attached to my keychain with a quick-release clip. It is not much bulkier than the CS but with more utility, including a better bottle opener. The CS, however, is a flatter package that carries a bit better on a keyring, and because of the carabiner, goes on and off the keyring more smoothly. I liked it well enough, but missed the additional features on the Micra.

If you consider a bottle opener an important function, you should avoid the PS4, which has one of the crappiest cap lifters of any keychain m-t.

 

[afi1]

Replace it with a Gerber Dime! Great bottle opener that is always ready to go; good scissors and screwdrivers, too.

 

[calvinw]

What the CS has going for it is its form factor. I went through a trial period with a CS, but went back to my Micra, attached to my keychain with a quick-release clip. It is not much bulkier than the CS but with more utility, including a better bottle opener. The CS, however, is a flatter package that carries a bit better on a keyring, and because of the carabiner, goes on and off the keyring more smoothly. I liked it well enough, but missed the additional features on the Micra.

If you consider a bottle opener an important function, you should avoid the PS4, which has one of the crappiest cap lifters of any keychain m-t.

The caribiner-like form of the Style did not suit me well. I use a thin-ish cable keychain and the quick-release will too-easily disengage accidentally. Instead of using the quick-release, I just looped the cable keychain through the largest hole drilled into the curved section.

The bottle opener on the PS4 is worse than on the Style CS? That's troubling... it's pretty terrible on the CS. On the CS, the hook is just a tiny nub. Leatherman must have been working overtime to figure out something actually worse.

Replace it with a Gerber Dime! Great bottle opener that is always ready to go; good scissors and screwdrivers, too.

The Dime looks good if you were to carry just one tool. But I question the size and quality. Like everyone else on the forum, I carry a knife every day. The Dime basically adds two more blades (small blade and package opener) that won't get used. For quality, I used to own an old Gerber Clutch. The pliers would collapse under light pressure. After that experience, I never wanted another Gerber product. (Sorry, Bear! Sorry, zombies!)

I suppose I could take the proper BladeForums approach - BUY THEM ALL.

 

[znapschatz]

The caribiner-like form of the Style did not suit me well. I use a thin-ish cable keychain and the quick-release will too-easily disengage accidentally. Instead of using the quick-release, I just looped the cable keychain through the largest hole drilled into the curved section.

The bottle opener on the PS4 is worse than on the Style CS? That's troubling... it's pretty terrible on the CS. On the CS, the hook is just a tiny nub. Leatherman must have been working overtime to figure out something actually worse.

Concerning multi-tool bottle openers, Vics are the best, but more often I have a Leatherman with me. Leatherman bottle openers are usually a PIA to operate. Most of them are a bit annoying because of a basic design flaw. The original PST and Super tool were fitted with a combo tool that served both can and bottle opener functions well enough. When the same component was put into later models, the can opener worked the same, but on the full size line-- Wave, Charge, Supertool 300, Rebar etc.-- they don't allow the lower lip to grab a bottle cap. In order to get it on, you have to fold out the handle; easy enough to do, but sucky you have to do it. That's just sloppy design, could be fixed with minor changes to the combo tool shape, but Leatherman has apparently chosen not to bother.
On the Micra, the cap lifter works okay, as well as can be expected with such a bitty thing. But the rest of their keychain offerings, all Squirts and Styles, provide only a tiny and unsharp stub to grab the cap. To use it you have to fit the bit very carefully under an outie for enough purchase, and even then half the time it will slip off. The Micra proves it doesn't have to be that way.

 

[calvinw]

Thanks everyone for your input. I decided to go with a SAK Manager. I liked the Style CS very much, but I might as well try something new with this opportunity. And I never realized I needed to carry a pen until I saw the Manager.