My first pocket knife was a Swiss Army Classic that would make MacGyver proud. If Angus MacGyver could fashion thermite and small fertilizer bombs with his SAK, then about what he could do if he added pliers to the mix. One of the pitfalls to the SAK line is the lack of pliers on the pocketable models. The models that do have it, like the SwissChamp or VicorInox Handyman, just don’t seem robust enough for me. That, and they’re thick. If I were to EDC a SAK purely on size, I’d want it to be no bigger than the SAK Farmer. In fact, the Farm is almost perfect, were the knife steel a bit better and it had pliers. I love the idea of carrying an adult version of my first knife, having a saw for branches, and the leather awl for shoe repairs. But how often does that kinda stuff happen in my day-to-day? The Skeletool CX covers most of what I need and has it’s place in the outdoors.

Using a Multi-Tool for EDC

I work a desk job. My day-to-day doesn’t really require opening boxes, or cutting wires, or freeing myself from entanglement. I have, however, always carried a knife going as far back as I can remember. After binge rewatching Macgyver on Netflix, it made me think that a multi-tool for EDC might be far more useful. Being a knife nerd, I wanted some decent steel with a large enough blade to be useful, but also thin in the pocket to EDC. Queue the Leatherman Skeletool CX. 154CM blade, a flat-head bit with two sizes, a phillips bit with two sizes, pliers, wire cutters, bottle opener, in a package slightly thicker than a regular pocket knife.

I like to work on cars, perform house touch ups, and generally sort through things. While I generally have most tools stashed throughout my place like a squirrel, I can never find the right one when I need it. This covers 90% of the mundane tasks that don’t require specialized tools such as a bit small enough for eyeglasses or allen keys.

Size:

I thought about other Leatherman offerings, like the Surge, the Sidekick, and the Wingman; but I think that those fall too far into ‘thick’ for my pants. I wear Levi’s 510s jeans and with that skinny-fit territory, the Skeletool is on the end of the spectrum. I can pocket these with the pocket clip, but any bigger than this is a deal breaker.

This isn’t much thicker than a knife, though it is noticeable when you first wear it. After a week, I hardly notice it with my aforementioned skinny jeans. I would not consider this a concealed option in deep pocket or pocket clip carry. But since it is a multi-tool, I don’t consider it threatening.

About Author Jon Bao Writer and personality exploring the natural world by means of survival, bushcraft, hunting, fishing, and general outdoor adventures. See author's posts