The leatherman skeletool cx – the stuff little boys dreams are made of. And big boys too. Having been a fan of leathermans for a few years, I had a look at upgrading from my original one, the leatherman wave. I used my wave for work (a lot) and a whole host of other weird and wonderful jobs. It had more than stood the test of time – not to mention some serious hammer!

Due to my first hand knowledge of the quality of anything with the name ‘leatherman’ written on its side, I decided to go ahead and buy the skeletool cx. I’m yet to be disappointed. The leatherman skeletool is aimed more at outdoor stuff, whereas my leatherman wave is (and remains) more useful around the work environment. The skeletool oozes usefulness when you’re hacking about in the great outdoors – or simply trying to entertain the masses at a backyard barbecue.

It’s basically a pared down, lighter version of the wave. There are two types, the regular skeletool and the cx – which has a carbon fibre handle and tungsten coating to prevent scratching.

The main tools on it are:

• Needlenose pliers

• Regular pliers

• Wire cutters

• Hard wire cutters

• Knife – combination serrated/straight blade

• Bit driver – for which you’ll need to buy the full bit-kit though it does come with 2 philips and 2 flathead bits.

And that’s about it – unless you include the very handy carabiner clip that also doubles up as a bottle opener. The knife itself can be accessed without opening the leatherman to its full extension – practical.

One of the cool things about the skeletool is its handiness if you’re fishing or into similar outdoor sports. Both the knife and the wire cutters will come in very handy. Just don’t drop it in the water!