http://www.boatinternational.com | April 2016THE ESSENTIALS: BLADE,
PLIERS, CUTTERS,
SCREWDRIVER
AND CARABINER/
BOTTLE OPENERRob Doyle, yacht designer and naval architect, picks his
favourite design piece: a Leatherman Skeletool CXDESIGN HEROES
I remember seeing my
first Leatherman
multi-tool as a teenager in
the 1980s, watching how
the professional sailors solved
any problem with a Leatherman, duct tape
and a hammer. I needed to have my own.
Over the years I’ve owned a few, each
version improving on earlier models.
I love my current Leatherman, which I’ve
had since 2007, for its basic functionality.
The Skeletool CX is a third generation
of the multi-tool and represents a totalrethink on the philosophy: you don’t need
15 tools, just the basic ones that you use
the most. It was clever and brave of the
manufacturer to take away functions
while other brands were adding more.
It is beautifully crafted: low weight,
a compact design and a comfortable fit
in the hand. It is a joy to look at its dense
engineering and a pleasure to hold. As a
naval architect and designer, I appreciate
the balance between styling, engineering
and materials. This deep understanding
of what can and can’t work has protectedme from presenting unrealistic concepts.
It’s not “it can’t be done,” rather “it’s not the
right time for that idea”.
I always have my Leatherman with
me; it gives me a peace of mind knowing
that I have a knife, screwdriver and pliers
ready. Has it ever saved the day? Yes,
a million times: from fixing one of the
kids’ toys before they go thermonuclear,
to cutting a jammed line in a block while
under load. It’s never celebrated but the
one time you forget it will be the one time
you really miss it.BOAT LIFE
http://www.boatinternational.com | April 2016