tldr; Compact 4-tool EDC. Pliers, blade, screwdrivers. Discontinued now. Simple and capable in small package. Find used.
$99.95 on AmazonScores based on sentiment analysis of topic-related comments
Best praise vs top criticism for Leatherman Juice S2
“Dude I had a juice back in high school (04-05ish). Got lost in a move somewhere along the way and miss it. Got a skeletool as vendor swag at work and have been carrying it for a while and really only wish it had scissors. May need to try out another one.”
“Leatherman Skeletool CX first impressions. I bought then immediately sold a nice Juice S2 and got this instead. Ohh yeah baby! I am happy now! There’s a backstory but basically I had been wanting a juice s2 for a long time because I loved the slimline shape and thought it would be good for pocket carry. But as soon as I got it I realized it was much too heavy for me, despite appearing perfect on paper. Flipped it immediately for a $10 profit (I spent about 30 min cleaning and polishing it up and took good pics). Seeing the CX on sale (rare) at B&H Photo finally gave me the justification I needed to get one. And holy smokes. What an instrument. Complete opposite reaction compared to the Juice S2. This one is not only a keeper, I think it might be in my top 3 now. Maybe top 2. It’s not as slimline as the S2 but it’s definitely lighter, and feels more compact. Ironically, this skeletool feels like it’s missing lots of tools. It’s basically just pliers, a knife blade, a screwdriver, and a bottle opener. That’s it. Pretty sparce, right? But the tools it does have seem to excel. The way the blade clicks open and unlocks with one finger. The artistic, sweeping lines. The polished and tight fit and finish and that Leatherman “quality”. The locking bit mechanism was a pleasant surprise; I hadn’t noticed it until holding one. And the carabiner clip was a main selling point to me as I want to try dangling it from a backpack strap for easy access. The tools it does feature seem very solid and probably outclass some competitors. The pliers and bit driver seem particularly magnificent. These are just my first impression hot takes. I could be completely wrong about this thing and I’ll find out once I get into the field with it. But wow, great first impression.”
21 Reddit opinions analyzed • Last updated 4/4/2026