Roughly designed after the very popular Leatherman Skeletool, the Style PS was built
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Fit and Finish
Everything that Leatherman puts their name on is held to a high standard of quality, even if it’s among their least expensive options. The Style PS is no exception, even though it’s so small, the attention to detail is on par with anything else Leatherman makes.
The only thing I noticed is a little play in both the scissors and plier’s pivot points. I noticed this when I first got it and the fact that it has not loosened anymore is an indicator to me, that it must be built-in tolerance allowing for smooth operation of the smaller tools and as the pliers are actuated the looseness disappears when the spring starts to apply some pressure.
One thing that did impress me was the precision of the plier’s tip. All other moving parts have a tight but not too tight feel and snap into their detent firmly.a
Size, Weight, and Ergonomics
Classified as a keychain-sized multi-tool and weighing in at only 1.58 oz. the Style PS is still nearly 3″ long. This is due to the handle design, like the Skeletool, it has a carabiner integrated into the end of one of the handles.
This really serves a couple of purposes. The most obvious is for clipping your keys to it. The carabiner also serves as another carry option, allowing you to clip the Style PS to your bag or even a belt loop.
Another thing that may not have been planned into the design is by adding the carabiner to the end of the handle it makes the one handle a little longer than the other. This gives you a better grip on the small handles and allows you to control the shorter handle with your thumb. Lastly, all of the tools (except the pliers) are accessible with the multi-tool in the closed position.
Strength and Durability
Made from high-quality stainless steel, like most Leatherman’s. The Style PS has only one handle scale that is made from very durable glass-filled nylon. The rest of the construction is stainless steel, making this little multi-tool quite strong for its size.
As for overall durability, the Style PS is pretty good. I have read of some people having problems with spring failures on the scissors but have not personally experienced any problems at all, your mileage may vary but with Leatherman’s excellent warranty policy you got nothing to worry about.
Tools and Features
To keep the Style PS TSA compliant, the size of tools is greatly restricted and of course no knife and since it’s a keychain multi-tool the size reduces the number of tools that can be fit into such a small package.
- Needle Nose Pliers
- Wire Cutters
- Scissors
- Nail File
- Small Flat Screwdriver
- Tweezers
- Bottle Opener
NEEDLE NOSE PLIERS: The needle nose pliers are quite good considering their size. The teeth precisely machined and are aggressive enough to perform most tasks without slipping.
The only thing that I would caution you about, is to not apply too much rotational force, as there is less than 1.6 ounces of steel in the entire tool. The rotational or twisting motion is the hardest thing that you can do to the plier’s pivot mechanism. It is the weakest point of most multi-tools.
WIRE CUTTERS: I was pleasantly surprised how well the wire cutters work on the Style PS. Frankly, I
SCISSORS: The scissors on the Style PS are okay for light-duty tasks like trimming fingernails, loose threads or clipping coupons, but I’m not sure how much medium-duty cutting you could get away with before these little guys would give out.
NAIL FILE: The nail file, that is also the screwdriver, is quite aggressive and does a decent job of smoothing out those rough edges after using the scissors to trim those nails.
SMALL FLAT HEAD SCREWDRIVER: Perfect for removing battery covers and other smaller flat and Phillips head screws. Also great as a very small pry bar.
TWEEZERS: One thing that more multi-tools should have but don’t are tweezers. The tweezers that come with the Style PS are very usable.
BOTTLE OPENER: What can I say, it’s a bottle opener, it gets the job done. It makes sure that you get your cold one open at the end of a long day.
Carry Options
The Style PS has really only two ways to be carried. The first and probably most common is right in the pocket with your keys. The second option is the carabiner, whether you clip it to your keys, a belt loop, or on a
Value
As with most Leatherman multi-tools, the value is excellent, as long as you take its designed purpose into consideration. As long as you understand that the Style PS is not going to compete with the Skeletool, Wave or Surge, you will appreciate what it has to offer. Although its toolset is limited, when flying, I rather have a Style PS than nothing at all plus it’s just nice to keep in my EDC bag as a lightweight back up.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to being TSA approved there is a gray area that I talk about in an article I wrote, check it out here (Are TSA Approved Multi-Tools a Myth?) The Style PS is pretty good at what it was designed to do, be TSA compliant, but as a multi-tool, it is lacking, only because of the sacrifices made to make it TSA compliant. If you really like having some sort of multi-tool while traveling, the Style PS is probably the best option for you and the Style PS will give you the best chance of getting through security with a multi-tool. (Like the STYLE PS click here to check the current price on Amazon) (paid link)
