Leatherman Skeletool Fails
Sometimes, when you need it, your equipment will fail.
I have long gone on about how much I like my Leatherman Skeletool. Well, after years of fairly hard use, mine finally failed:
It was no match for a stubborn whirlpool tub drain. A pretty clean break:
It says it has a stainless steel body but it looks to me like the stress point there is made of the same material that Matchbox Cars and Walther P22s are made of (I’m no metallurgist though):
They have a 25 year warranty so no worries. And it looks like I’ll get a decent knife out of the breakage:
October 7th, 2013 at 6:30 pm
/me pours out a .40 in it’s memory.
October 7th, 2013 at 6:37 pm
I don’t buy Leatherman stuff because of their support of anti-gun politicians in the past.
Check out the Gerber Suspension. I have one and it’s fantastic.
October 7th, 2013 at 7:03 pm
I’ve broke two or three at the same spot, and lost the bit twice. Warranties are nice.
October 7th, 2013 at 7:28 pm
I keep the broken ones around for parts, although I’ve never actually sent one in for warranty. I’ve swapped out many a broken screwdriver on them. Still, it sure emphasizes ‘two is one and one is none’, eh?
October 7th, 2013 at 7:40 pm
If it’s a cast part, the grain structure is likely similar to the pot metal casting, so when they break, they’ll look alike. Steel will be better than random zinc alloy, but that’s a part that should be forged.
I favor a Gerber Diesel, though I don’t know if the parts are any better. The pliers slide out the end, and you’re left squeezing the outside of the grips rather than the side with the edges.
October 7th, 2013 at 7:45 pm
The price of sexy. Why does it need to be hollowed next to the fulcrum point?
October 7th, 2013 at 9:26 pm
I’ve used the Leatherman warranty a couple of times. Sent in a Wave that was rusted out and lokked like it been dragged along behind a car and then left in a pond for a few months.
Couple of weeks later had a brand new one.
They make a good product and they stand behind it. Love my Skeletool.
October 7th, 2013 at 9:32 pm
That is the result of bruit, super human, Hulkish force. Apparently you are still the badass I met at Charlie Pepper’s years ago.
October 7th, 2013 at 10:31 pm
I favor my Buck Knives 730 X-Tract Multi-Tool: every tool deploys using just one hand. I, too, remember Tim Leatherman’s siding against his customer base, insisting that he has the right to express his political views. Yep, he sure does. I, too, may exercise my choice when the time comes to buy a new gift or personal multi-tool.
October 7th, 2013 at 11:04 pm
The darker area on the 2nd pic, towards the middle of the broken cross section looks like a void or inclusion in the steel. Almost certainly a weak point. But the ever so slightly darker quarter circle discolored portion at the top right of the break could be the sign of a fatigue failure. At the very tip of the top right looks like a rust spot – could be a little stress concentrator that got the failure started. Hard to tell with the low res pics.
October 8th, 2013 at 12:16 am
I am a metallurgist and a forensic engineer. If you still have the broken pieces, I would love to take a look and do a workup for you. It would take couple of days and I can then ship it back to you.
October 8th, 2013 at 6:41 am
It says it has a stainless steel body but it looks to me like the stress point there is made of the same material that Matchbox Cars and Walther P22s are made of (I’m no metallurgist though)
If you mean the general rough sharp look of the break, pretty much any metal with a crystalline structure (which is most of them including good stainless steel and cheap cast metal) looks approximately like that when broken. The only metal I know that looks noticeably different to a layman like myself (amateur blacksmith) is the now-rare carbonless true wrought iron, which has a somewhat fibrous structure.
October 8th, 2013 at 6:53 am
The last time I had a broken Leatherman tool I had a new one in my hands a week after I mailed the broken one.
October 8th, 2013 at 8:03 am
I broke one of the jaws off mine trying to twist something. Sent it back to them and received a new one a few days later.
The solid stainless model is stronger than the carbon fiber look model… but the steel for the blade on the CF one is better and holds an edge longer.
October 8th, 2013 at 9:39 am
You don’t know your own strength!
Two is one, right?
October 8th, 2013 at 10:55 am
Wow I’m impressed. I handed out a bunch of Leatherman Waves to some trainees from the USMC and they haven’t broken them yet to my knowledge.
I was told they could break anvils and bowling balls.
October 8th, 2013 at 11:41 am
If you want one that won’t break, get a Gerber Diesel.
If you want one that is lightweight, get another Letherman.
It’s a tradeoff; TANSTAAFL and all.
October 8th, 2013 at 11:59 am
Probably better to get the regular toolbox for a job like that. Save the Leatherman for emergencies when the tool box is too far away!
I know, because I broke an implement off mine because I was too lazy to go get the right tool out of the box.
October 8th, 2013 at 12:48 pm
What Chas said.
For housework, use proper tools – they make the job easier as well as not breaking.
And they’re less hard on the fittings you’re working on.
October 8th, 2013 at 3:00 pm
I have a skeletool and it definitely isn’t for hard use. Let us know what happens with the warranty, I am interested.
October 8th, 2013 at 6:37 pm
I may do that if I don’t need to send it back.
October 9th, 2013 at 9:39 am
Are we all agreed that “multi” tools and “universal”
convenience stuff are NOT suitable substitutes or replacements for actual tools of practicing the trade?
I’m a (multi)tradesman. Folks gift things like these a lot. They’re GREAT- for re-gifting to apartment dwelling metrofolk.
Who exactly are the craftsmen under the hallmark pronouncing an assumption of quality of
such products? (design, engineer, materials, production, final claim of “good” with hallmark stamp)
OTOH, pliers, are NOT to be expected to be a suitable torsion tool.
October 9th, 2013 at 10:46 pm
I dunno, Capt. – a Gerber might well have saved my life one day from the leaking valve packing on a rather large cylinder of Methylamine.
Hell, a long gun is better in a gunfight, but a pistol is more than likely what we’re gonna have at hand…
October 10th, 2013 at 12:40 pm
@M Gallo: “a rather large cylinder of Methylamine”. Did you just out yourself as Heisenberg?