Leatherman Style CS questions

S

Shawn7656

Joined
Feb 15, 2012
Messages
370
I work at a store that's closing, and right now all tools are 10% off. With my employee discount I get another 10%. The CS is being sold for $20, but with 20% off I can get it for about $16 with tax. Is this tool worth having for that amount of money? It seems to be a bit cheaper than what I see online, but it's hard to know if the quality is there. I know it's a Leatherman so I have high hopes, but I was looking for some feedback on the knife before making the purchase. I could see pliers being slightly more useful than scissors, but this is the only small multi-tool made by Leatherman that's sold at the store (plus the PS doesn't have a knife IIRC). Looking back on the last month, though, there have been many occasions that scissors would have been much more appropriate than a knife, and I didn't have any.

Is the chisel ground blade a problem causer? I only have a couple knives that are like that and I've found I can't really get them sharp enough for my liking, though it could be my technique. Is it an effective cutter? Would it be better to grind down the other side of blade as well? I'll probably always have another knife on me as well, but I figure there's no point in having something useless with me.

Is the screwdriver strong enough? The strength of the screwdriver seems to be questioned a lot, but I haven't found any reviews actually stating that it has broken or bent, just that they think it might not be strong.

Lastly, how does it feel? When using its tools does it feel good in the hand? Is it too small to effectively maneuver or is it big enough to get a good grip on it?

Thanks in advance for your replies :)
 
I'd say grab it. One thing I've found about keychain type tools is variety is king. I currently carry a modded CS on my keys. Scissors swapped for Squirt pliers and the knife blade swapped for Squirt scissors. Of course as soon as I did that mod the PS was announced. Still, the fun was in actually doing the mod.

The mini skeletool some folks title the CS or PS is somewhat a misnomer. It's much more comfortable than a Skeletool to use and for a small tool I do quite a bit with it. I also mossed the screwdriver for a nail cleaning tool but left enough of the screwdriver tip to work as a driver for tightening screws on my glasses. I also carry a Skeletool as my EDC so the knife blade wasn't needed on my CS/PS Frankenstein mod.

It's a cool tool that actually IS very usable. Again, grab it.
 
My son (8 years) has a CS. The screwdriver is handy for replacing batteries in all of his toys and Xbox stuff. He also uses the scissors to open bagged items or during crafts at home. The small blade works great for cutting taped packages and school box tops. You'll find the tweezers useful once you actually have some nearby.
 
Take it... Few of them if not one... It's nice usefull keychain tool, and you won't regret it...
 
I have a Style CS, and it's not a bad keychain tool. The scissors are great, and the driver is small but does work in a pinch. The knife is rather tiny but it's more of a back up blade. However, I switched it out from my rotation and replaced it with a Vic Classic SD Alox (much smaller). But for $16, it's worth it for sure.
 
Thanks for the feedback guys! Has anyone had problems with it falling off of whatever they clipped it to? I saw a couple people saying stuff like that...


I think I'll have to grab one tomorrow on my break (off today). I've never carried a multi-tool before. I wonder if it'll convert me into a user! I've got one in my car and one in my room, but they rarely get used.
 
As a match-up for something like a Super Tool 300, Vic Tinker or OH Trekker, it provides supplementary implements lacking on the others. However, on those seldom occasions when going solo, I prefer a Micra or one of the Squirt models. These offer more utility in the same size format. That said, I think it worth the price just for the finger toy experience, if nothing else.

This keychainer is a real cutie, useable, well made and worth the price, but with one bad. The nail nick on the blade is too close to the pivot, making it a bit difficult to access. What is most annoying is that it was done that way for looks, not function. The designers put two stupid drill hole where the nail nick should have been. It wasn't necessary and I hate it, but not enough to reject the thing out of hand.

It always bothers me when a tool maker sacrifices function for appearance.
That's just wrong :grumpy: .
 
I've yet to see a Leatherman keychain tool that can top the mighty Micra. YMMV.
 
mnblade said:
I've yet to see a Leatherman keychain tool that can top the mighty Micra. YMMV.
Click to expand...

There are several keychain multi-tools in my collection. Although I like and use them all, I think the Micra is still best of breed. But you can't please everybody. My wife dislikes it so much that when we're out and she has a need for scissors, she would rather do without than accept an offer of my nasty Micra. Her idea of a proper multi-tool is a Victorinox SAK (she has a pre-parcel hook Climber) and that Leathermen are crude industrial gimmicks that don't belong in anyone's pocket, let alone hand. We have agreed to disagree ;) .
 
znapschatz said:
There are several keychain multi-tools in my collection. Although I like and use them all, I think the Micra is still best of breed. But you can't please everybody. My wife dislikes it so much that when we're out and she has a need for scissors, she would rather do without than accept an offer of my nasty Micra. Her idea of a proper multi-tool is a Victorinox SAK (she has a pre-parcel hook Climber) and that Leathermen are crude industrial gimmicks that don't belong in anyone's pocket, let alone hand. We have agreed to disagree ;) .
Click to expand...

While I disagree with her conclusion, I admire her passion. :)
 
Well I bought it. This thing is Tiiiiiiny. It's about the size of my ring finger when closed. I like it though!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top