OT - Thoughts on Leatherman Skeletool KB and Piranha 2?

Thanks for the suggestions. I went to a Walmart in the US to look at the variety, and it got me thinking more about what I want. I went ahead and ordered the Leatherman Skeletool KBX and a Micra multitool. The KBX has a blade made from 420HC (i.e., not great steel), but I bought it to keep in my life-jacket for sailing with the kids. The knife will be handy if an emergency arises and I need to cut someone free of any ropes or sailing gear. Plus, the pocket clip functions as a bottle opener.

As a general edc knife, the Skeletool is nice and small, but it has a few real shortcomings. For the price, it's great, but it is right-hand only. So for a better knife I went with a Spyderco Delica (in BGE green no less). Here they are compared...the Delica is about 2.75x the cost of the Leatherman, but it is certainly more than 2.75x the knife.


The Spyderco has a blade made from VG-10 steel (which is the same steel used to make Shun knives). You can buy a Delica with ZDP-189 steel, which holds an edge longer than VG-10, but is more difficult to sharpen. I tend to prefer the compromises that VG-10 present in terms of edge longevity, ability to take a sharp edge, and ease of sharpening. I found that the quality of the knife in general makes a big jump when you move from the $30 knife to the $60 knife. $80 seems to be a sweet spot, where the consumer can find just about any combination of attributes they are looking for. Above $80 gets into diminishing returns, unless looking for a considerably larger knife.

The Spyderco is truly ambidextrous, with a back-lock and the ability to move the pocket clip to either side of the handle, whereas the lock and the clip on the Skeletool are strictly right-handed. Being a lefty, I found the opening and closing of a right-handed folding knife more of a hindrance than I had expected it to be. The one benefit the Skeletool has over the Spyderco is its size and the deep clip. It sits in the pocket in a way that would not get it noticed at all. You can buy a deep-pocket clip for the Spyderco as an aftermarket item, but the stock version sits higher when in the pocket than the Skeletool.
 

They are both incredibly easy and comfortable to keep in the pocket. Although it is a bit larger, the Spyderco is beautifully designed as an edc knife, and in terms of comfort it basically disappears in the pocket. It also fits in the hand very nicely. Out of the box, the Spyderco was wicked sharp.



Overall, I am pleased with the Leatherman KBX, and I am deeply impressed with the folding knives that Spyderco has to offer (although there are other companies out there doing great things as well). There are so many great edc knives and tools out there now, I am really glad I moved on from my old Swiss Army knife.