The Great Debate: Leatherman Charge TTi vs. Victorinox Spirit (standard)

[Nikkogi]

Hey guys, I am going to do a comparison review of the TTi and the Spirit. First off, I'd like to say that I own all four variations of the Spirit and thirteen Charge tools. One could say that they are the best medium sized tools, and I'd agree with that 100%. In this comparison review, I am going to prove why I think the TTi is the superior multi-tool. I am going to be as fair as possible and not hold a bias towards LM.

Price- The Charge TTi's is about $120 at Kittery Trading Post. One could find them for about $100 on eBay and other sites like Amazon. But, $120 is what I paid at that particular point in time. The Charge comes with an S30V PE blade, Ti handles, a diamond coated file, a pocket clip, lanyard ring (both fixed and removable), a six piece bit assortment, and a premium sheath (nylon). So, you get a lot of expensive materials for the price paid. I paid $68 for my Spirit at the time (Kittery Trading Post) and that included a Victorinox Rally knife, a premium sheath (nylon). The Spirit can be had for $50 on eBay and Amazon. But, that's what I paid at the time of purchase. The Spirit is cheaper but you get a lot more with the Charge like premium materials and extra accessories. So, I am going to call this a tie. Sure the Spirit's cheaper but the TTi has premium materials- that's why it's $120. (Charge TTi- 1 / Spirit 1)

Sheath- The TTi and the Spirit both come with fantastic nylon sheaths. The Spirit's sheath vinyl with a nylon covering and it has the Vic logo riveted on the front. The Spirit's nylon sheath can only carry the tool vertically: no horizontal carry option is provided. The Charge sheath blows it away, IMO. It has both vertical and horizontal carry options, the LM logo rivited on the front, the ability to open the tool either closed or with the pliers deployed, and compartments to hold accessories like two side panels that can hold small flashlights, pens, sharpeners, and the like. The LM sheath also has a spot to put the bit cards. One can put two cards in the back, but the sheath is significantly bulkier. So, the TTi's sheath wins hands down (Charge TTi- 2 / Spirit 1)

Quality- Both of these tools are both of excellent quality. But, the Spirit wins, hands down. The Spirit is a lot more elegant. Everything clicks open and close and has a mirror polish finish. The Charge isn't a slouch, but it's no competition. ( Charge TTi- 2 / Spirit- 2)

Implement Deployment- The Spirit has all of it's implements on the outside. This is extremely handy, but the Charge takes it to another level. All of the Charge's "long" tools can be opened on the outside. This means the blades, file, and saw can be opened on the outside. The inner tools are stored inside the handle. Which is really no big deal to be honest with you. The Charge's two blades can be opened one handed and that is a deal breaker for me. The ability to open the blades one handed is extremely advantageous. So, one handed opening blades is better than all outside opening tools, IMO. So, the Charge wins- hands down. This is the reason why I carry a Charge/Wave/SURGE- one hand opening blades is extremely important to me. So, the Charge is the clear winner here. (Charge TTi- 3 / Spirit- 2)

Knife blade(s)- The Standard Spirit has one knife blade, a blunt tipped serrated blade with a small plain edge section on the base. I find this style blade to be very clever and it works well. On the forum, it has been called a "peanut butter" blade! I actually really like it. It cuts very well. However, the Charge is a clear winner again. The Charge has two blades which can be opened one handed, the best parts are that the main blade is made of S30v and the serrated blade has a cutting hook! That is another deal breaker for me. I use the cutting hook daily for opening packages etc. (Charge TTi- 4 / Spirit- 2)

Saw- Both of the tools both come with excellent wood saws. The TTi's saw teeth have a bias pointing inward and the Sprit's saw has no bias at all. This is a definite tie. (Charge TTi- 5 / Spirit 3)

File- Both of these tools come with an excellent file. The Spirit's file is extremely aggressive and the teeth go all the way to the tip! (something that needs to be addressed on the SwissTools) However, the Charge's diamond coated file blows it away. LM's files are the best in the business, hands down! The diamond file can be used to sharpen knives and other cutting tools so it's definitely nice to have. So, the Charge wins here. The Spirit gets honorable mention because the teeth go all the way to the tip- therefore I am giving the Spirit a point as well! (Charge TTi- 6 / Spirit- 4) I really wish Victorinox would make the SwissTool/SAK files have teeth all the way to the tip..

Screwdrivers- IMO, this is the Spirit's major flaw. With the mirror polish finish in mind, the screwdrivers are extremely slippery and they are not rounded off properly. This isn't a huge problem, but the screwdrivers are definitely a step down from lets say a Supertool 300. The ST300 has the best drivers by far. The TTi has LM's bit driver which is excellent and the bits work extremely well. The Charge also has an eyeglass driver that is extremely handy. One could make the argument saying the Charge bit driver is stubby, which it is, but the versatility makes it super handy. Leatherman is also introducing long shanked driver bits for the MUT and I am sure that they will be available for the Charge. The Charge wins here... (Charge TTi- 7 / Spirit- 4)

Awl- The Charge doesn't have an awl, so the Spirit is the clear winner. However, I have an awl that goes in LM's bit driver. But still, the Spirit wins! (Charge TTi- 7 / Spirit-5)

Scissors- I have to admit, the Spirit's scissors don't open very wide. However, they cut very well. But the LM works just work better IMO because they can cut larger materials and they can be sharpened when the time comes! I don't know what your supposed to do when the scissors get dull on the Spirit. So, the Charge is the winner here. ( Charge TTi- 8 / Spirit- 5)

Versatility- This is where the Charge really shines. The Charge has bit drivers and multiple carry options. The LM bit driver is extremely versatile. You can can carry a multitude of bits that work extremely well. The Charge also has the ability of carrying it in the sheath, by using the pocket clip, or by attaching some cord or a carabiner to the removable lanyard ring. The Charge also has a fixed lanyard ring.. Without buying the Spirit Plus, you only get the tool... So, the Charge is the winner here. ( Charge TTi- 9 / Spirit- 5)

Bottle/can openers- This is where the Spirit really shines. The Vic can opener is extremely versatile, and the bottle opener can be used as a crate opener. Plus, the bottle/can openers work extremely well. The LM's work fine, but the Spirit's are above the competition. So, the Spirit wins! (Charge- 9 / Sprit- 6)

Wire strippers- The Spirit is a clear winner here. The Spirit has SO many different wire applications. It has an isolation cutter, a wire bender, a wire stripper, and a wire scraper! (Charge TTi- 9 / Spirit- 7)

Locking Mechanisms- The locking mechanisms are both excellent on both tools. The Charge has liner locks for the blades and "push" button lock mechanism for the inner tools. The Spirit's implements all are locked from a sliding mechanism. I remember reading the Spirit's lock's fail while using the awl as an ice pick.. It's definitely a tie! (Charge TTi- 10 / Spirit- 9)

Plier head- The Spirit has a hybrid blunt/needlenose plier head and the Charge has needlenose. I prefer the Charge because needlenose pliers are far more versatile. You also get a crimper on the pliers. So, the Charge wins in my book. (Charge TTi- 11 / Spirit- 9)

Wire Cutters- The wirecutters on both tools work well. But, the Charge has a slight edge because they cut wire far more cleanly. The Spirit bites then cuts and the Charge just slices. So, the Charge wins. (Charge TTi- 12 / Spirit- 9)

Quality of Engineering- The Spirit wins here, hands down. The Spirit is like a precision instrument, everything clicks! The Swiss also incorporate many different tool functions into a single implement. Whereas LM's philosophy is that each implement has one function, but that one function is going to work phenomenally. The Spirit wins here. (Charge TTi- 12 / Spirit- 9)

Ergonomics- They are both extremely comfortable to hold and use. The Spirit is more comfortable in the pliers deployed position and the Charge is more comfortable in the closed position! So, it's a tie! (Charge TTi- 13 / Spirit 10)

Extras- The Charge has a lot of extras that you don't ordinarily see on a multitool like a cutting hook, S30V blade steel, a diamond file, Ti scales, and a bit driver. The Spirit has a lot of unique implement like 595885 different wire bending/striping/scraping implements as well as the handy chisel.! This is a tie, folks! (Charge TTi- 14 / Spirit- 11)

So there's my take on the two tools. They are both wonderful. But, the premium materials, versatility, extra accessories, and the one handed blades of the Charge win me over. The Spirit is a good tool, but I truly believe the Charge is a better overall tool. The Spirit is put together extremely well, but the Charge's implements work better, IMO of course. So, the Charge is the winner here. But, as I said the Spirit's no slouch. So, feel free to add comments and critique mine! Thanks

 

[speedfan]

To avoid any misunderstanding, I first want to say I'm not trying to tear down your hard work, but recognizing it as a good write up and adding my two cents to it.

First, I think it's impossible to pick a categorical winner because each category has a different weight to different people. For instance, I always have a full sized folder on me, so the blade category doesn't count for me. In fact, if I'm picking a winner on blades, it's the Swisstool Spirit, because it doesn't waste as much space and weight on blades I have no use for. For me, quality is a HUGELY important category, as is the ability to get to the tools from the outside (which also allows the Spirit to do things like arc the phillips head so it's closer to the axis of rotation).

Second, I think in the price category only price should be considered. Sure, the Charge TTi has the premium materials etc., but those are accounted for in other categories. I view those premium materials like the titanium as being the tools own fault, because for all that extra expense it still ends up weighing more than the Spirit.

As an aside, I can't figure out the LM can openers. Either I'm doing something wrong, or they take 10x as long to open a can as the Vic.
EDIT: just pulled up a video on youtube...I was doing something wrong lol.

 

[Nikkogi]

That's a fair post, although I think you completely misunderstood what I meant. The blades on the Charge are a HUGE advantage as you don't need to carry an extra blade with them. This saves weight in your load out and it allows you to carry something else. Also, the philips head on the Spirit sucks, lol. There's no doubt about it. It doesn't fit into screw head well and after hard use will shows signs of stripping. Plus, the Ti scales on the Charge are there for aesthetics as well as function. The Spirit is an extremely slippery tool. In wet conditions, it's like a bar of soap in my experiences! The titanium scales give it grip as well as extreme comfort. Also, you go in reverse when using the LM can opener as you push Vic can openers: the complete opposite.

One more thing I wanted to touch on is that Victorinox plier heads have extreme amounts of play in them in the pivot. I have had over 30 Victorinox tools (SwissTools and Spirits, have 8 now) pass my hands and all of them had a small amount of plier head pivot play. This lateral play in the plier head makes the pliers spread apart when cutting hard wire and I am sure it makes cutting thin wire harder. Also, the handles on the Spirit tend to develop side to side movement in the closed position after using the screwdrivers hard etc.

 

[speedfan]

See, for me, no matter what kind of blade was on the tool, it's not going to be a substitute for a dedicated knife for me. True, nothing on a multitool, any multitool, is as good as a dedicated tool, but a knife is easy to carry, 20 tools are not. As long as I'm going to carry a proper knife because it has significant benefit and is easy to do, I'll never reach to a multitool for the knife.

You know, I read a lot of people saying the Vic has a bad phillips. I just don't see it. Maybe mine was cut better than most or something, but it works just fine. And no, it's not that I don't know what a good driver is (if you look amongst my tools you'll find Wiha and Felo).

I can't comment on the play as it just hasn't been an issue for me but my sample size of Spirits is one, so it doesn't mean much. (Not to say I can't detect play if I check for it, just that it has yet to be an issue in use, so it doesn't affect me).

One thing I really don't like about Leathermans (I think all of them, the ones I've seen anyways) is that the pliers don't spread under their own weight. Also the mechanism leatherman uses for pulling the tools out is painful on my nails until the tool gets good and broken in.

One positive for the Charge that didn't get mentioned that I will mention - it can be taken apart.

 

[Nikkogi]

The pliers don't spread under their own weight because they aren't broken in yet. Unlike Vic tools, LM's need to be broken in and then the pliers open under their own weight.

 

[zyhano]

excellent write up. thanks a lot.
I have used both on a snowboarding/hiking holiday in switzerland and I agree on a lot of points. My preference for function goes to the charge. I'm leaving on a 10 day hiking trip soon and will the LM charge and an rc-4 as my knives/tools of choice.

 

[cdf]

I have owned Charges and Waves ( both great Tools ) , I now only EDC the Spirit . Better Ergos , and build quality , I hate the bit driver system on the waves and charges - fragile , and easily lost proprietary bits . I use the Leatherman Universal Tool Adaptor with my Spirit , and good old 1/4" hex bits ( they interpoperate with my screwguns and drill + work drivers ) .

As a general rule I would never use the drivers on SAK's and multi's for anything but the most casual of convinience driving , given these constraints , the spirit drivers work well for me . They hardly ever get used , as I EDC either a magnetic 1/4 hex stubby driver or more recently the new Kline 10 Fold driver .

I only use multi tool blades as backups , their blades suck ergonomically when used as knives .

They are both fine tools , but the Spirit has a better tool density , I like the curved handles (they feel like real pliers ) . I much prefer Vic's implement quality /loadout .

BTW , good review , I would say that the Wave/Charge family , and the Spirit are the best of the medium duty multitools . It just depends on what features you need /value , I place little value on premium steel blades or one handed opening , therefore I come down on the Vic side of the fence .

Chris

 

[Corycraft55]

This was a great review. As I've owned the TTI and the Spirit this was a fun read. I wanted to touch on a couple of points that are deal breakers for me that were not mentioned.

First, the TTI was my end all EDC tool and knife, I loved it, used it every day and was never without it. Because of its value to me I took great care of it and never abused it. The ability to take it appart and maintenance it was a must for me, as tools broke I could replace them easily and it kept me functioning for about five years with that tool.

That being said I must remind you that tools did break, can opener, plyers, and screwdrivers, but I was always able to fix it. The deal breaker for me was the plyer pivot point, where the pivot rides against the frame of the handles. In order to keep the plyers open there is spring tension between the plyers and the handles, no big deal.

Not so, I noticed that repeated use had caused stress fractures in the handles at that pivot. No big deal you might be thinking "just send it in and use the famouse 25 year warrenty" I couldnt. being on deployment ment I only had that tool and I needed it to last. With a broken heart I retired that tool and replaced it with the Spirit.

Without going into all the details of the Spirit I will just touch on one, the plyer handle pivot. The spring is a seperate, independant stand alone part of the plyers, and with the same amount of use daily for three years there are no stress fractures, and the same spring tension as when I purchased it "still snaps open and closed" and no broken tools. Reading this thread almost caused me to buy another TTI, but I just cant get away from the Spirit.

 

[jonnyt16]

Here's a factor nobody mentioned: sexyness! I mean really, is there a sexier looking multitool than the Spirit on the face of the Earth? No way, not even close!

 

[Sir Joe]

I have seen a video of how the pliers on the charge bend when twisted (used to bend a nail with their tip) while the spirit does not.
In that video the spirit was cutting nails much much more cleanly and easier and faster than the charge.

Unfortunately I must disagree with the sexiness of the spirit, I find it very unappealing, even the new x which anyway is better looking than the old one (but no idea if as sturdy).

I am reading in bestmulti-tool.com that the ALX would be an "improvement" over the TTi for sturdiness of the pliers??? Never heard before.

If I too, like speedfan, would prefer a separated knife, and would looking on a multitool mostly for things like pliers, file (wood and metal), screwdrivers, awl (I find it useful also to open knots), which multitool would be better? Vic? Sog? Gerber?

 

[comis]

I think it is difficult to do comparison like this because everyone has different preference on different category. For example,

Price - different parts around the world has different pricing to LM vs Spirit.

Sheath - It is not part of the tool, and give it scores is unfair to tool comparison.

Implement deployment - If you are reading the on-going thread in general discussion, then you will see almost 80% of people responded mostly didn't use their MT for blade or don't think it is that important. And it's difficult to say 4 OHO tools is more important than 'easy outside access to all tools'.

Blade and Saw - without actual good edge retention test and saw test, it's not fair to conclude one is better than the other. Also, let's not forget to take into consideration of how easy/fast to resharpen. I am currently running saw tests on 20 different popular models and rope cutting retention tests for many major brands MTs, and if you are interested, please keep an eye out for my post.

Pliers head - Some wants it more robust, some wants it more versatile. It won't be fair to say one is better than other, unless we could prove that Charge head is also more robust than Spirit's.

Weight - Spirit wins?

Length - Spirit wins?

Width - Spirit wins?

Rust proof - Spirit wins?

Corkscrew compatibility - Spirit wins?

Pocket clip compatibility - Charge wins?

In short, unless we have objective tests that could quantify the comparisons, it is not too realistic to say one is better just basing on personal preferences. If a certain aspect is really important to me(for example, rust proof), then regardless whether Spirit or Charge wins, I will still prefer Spirit in the end.

 

[znapschatz]

I have seen a video of how the pliers on the charge bend when twisted (used to bend a nail with their tip) while the spirit does not.
In that video the spirit was cutting nails much much more cleanly and easier and faster than the charge.

I saw the same video. Of course, the outcome might have been the same with the Spirit, but that wasn't the multi-tool in the matchup. It was the Swisstool, a heavy duty multi-tool compared to the medium size Charge TTi and not a comparison of equals. In addition, the Vic plier jaws are more blunt and can absorb the twisting motion with less stress than the much thinner Charge needle nose, which was also compromised by that stupid cap crimper.

Unfortunately I must disagree with the sexiness of the spirit, I find it very unappealing, even the new x which anyway is better looking than the old one (but no idea if as sturdy).

Equally sturdy.

I am reading in bestmulti-tool.com that the ALX would be an "improvement" over the TTi for sturdiness of the pliers??? Never heard before.

Probably because the ALX doesn't have that stupid cap crimper. But I must admit, in all the years I've used the TTi, I never had a real problem with the reduction of the plier jaws gripping surfaces.

 

[Sir Joe]

Oh you are right.
It was not the spirit.
So you say (for direct experience) or you guess that the pliers on the Spirit would/could be less sturdy than on the Swisstool?
Pity I could have liked the Spirit, but I deeply dislike the look of the Swisstool.


The ALX has got Crimper too.
I think that website was saying that the ALX have better material and design. Look here.

 

[znapschatz]

Oh you are right.
It was not the spirit.
So you say (for direct experience) or you guess that the pliers on the Spirit would/could be less sturdy than on the Swisstool?
Pity I could have liked the Spirit, but I deeply dislike the look of the Swisstool.

Although I have had experience with both, I never made such a side by side comparison, so I can't answer for sure if the Spirit pliers are equal in gripping power to the big boy. But they are a bit smaller and of a more pointed shape than the original, so the laws of physics tell me they might not be as sturdy. However, during the time I used the Spirit pliers, it was equal to any task I put it to. If you like the Spirit, you needn't worry about its capability.

The ALX has got Crimper too.
I think that website was saying that the ALX have better material and design.
I am unaware of that.

You're right about the ALX. I was thinking of the AL. But I can't see any reason why the ALX would be much different in quality than any of the other Charges.

I am looking at the Surge. Apart for its heaviness, it looks amazing.
Is that the Leathermann with sturdier Pliers?

Definitely sturdy pliers, but I cannot look at the Surge apart from its heaviness. A few years ago I tried to EDC one. The implements were great, but it was too much for me. When carrying it a few hours, it would get uncomfortable and my hip would start complaining. In a separate bag, fine, but I don't roll that way. True, some people manage fine with it, so maybe I should just whip myself into better shape .

 

[Nikkogi]

Quite a few years later and I prefer the Spirit now after extensive use with both MTs. I wouldn't say one is necessarily better than the other. Overall, I prefer the Spirit because it requires me to make less compromises. I greatly prefer the longer shank screw drivers, all outside opening tools, better quality (not debatable) and the maintence free design. That INOX steel is damn near rustproof. That isn't saying the Wave/Charge aren't good tools. They're excellent and an industry standard for good reason. I own several and carry them occasionally. The Wave is the Sebenza of the multitool world and that is fact It's the yardstick in which other MTs are measured by!

 

[Gima Nord]

At the end it comes down the personal preferences. For me the bit driver feature of the charge /wave is a must. So much torx and allen screws on everthing nowadays and the leatherman implementation and easy to carry flat bits is a superb solution. My gripe is the eye glass driver that is useless. That bit is so fragile.

 

[znapschatz]

At the end it comes down the personal preferences. For me the bit driver feature of the charge /wave is a must. So much torx and allen screws on everthing nowadays and the leatherman implementation and easy to carry flat bits is a superb solution. My gripe is the eye glass driver that is useless. That bit is so fragile.

Me too on the eyeglass driver. On a tool of that size, a teeny screwdriver makes no sense. With a screw head small enough to need it, a fine touch is usually necessary, hard to achieve with an 8+ oz. lump behind the bit. In 7 years, I have only used it once, except as a punch once in a while, and didn't enjoy the experience. There is no need for it. A proper tool for the purpose would be small and slim, easily carried as an extra. An awl in its place would have made the Charge/Wave perfect, in my opinion. Because I won't own a full size m-t without an awl, I almost passed on a Charge TTi because it didn't have one, but found an awl mod that fit into the pocket clip slot, a not perfect but acceptable solution. It's been my main multi-tool ever since.