Leatherman’s Coolest Affordable Multi-Tool Gets Even Cooler

The Goldilocks option for lightweight, high-functioning EDC scores three fresh looks just in time for spring.

Hand placing a silver and gold multitool with a clip into a dark denim pocket.

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By Steve Mazzucchi

Published April 14, 2026

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Updated April 14, 2026

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Producing unmatched multi-tools and more out of its Portland, Oregon, factory for more than four decades now, Leatherman has easily surpassed the point where it offers something for everyone.

After all, its trademark product is available in everything from the $50 keychain Micra to the $250 halo-level Arc, plus a bunch of other compelling options in between.

Orange zippered pouch with organized compartments holding a multi-tool and small accessories, held in two hands. — Three new colorways for the Leatherman Skeletool CX, including Sandstorm, headline a number of refreshes with the Tool Pouch and Bit Kit paddles also getting updated hues.

However, for those of us who take a minimalist approach to our EDC multi-tools, there’s only one logical choice: the lean, mean and relatively affordable Skeletool CX.

That’s even truer now that it’s kicking off spring with an eye-catching makeover … or three, really.

True colors

Cutting to the chase, the three new colorways are Aurora (an orange/green/blue combo), Nocturnal (a dark blue and black mix) and Sandstorm (a brown and beige blend).

As with a host of Leatherman updates over the past couple of years, these treatments are more than window dressing, as the Cerakote finish on both the handles and the blades boosts their resistance to abrasion, wear and corrosion, too.

Two hands exchanging a Leatherman multi-tool with orange and green accents in an outdoor forest setting. — The Aurora colorway is easily my favorite, but now that there are nine, there really is something for everyone.

All three new colorways also come to the Skeletool KB, the CX’s super-affordable pocket knife sibling, which sneaks in a bottle opener.

The first two hues also hit the Skeletool KBX, which trades the KB’s plain-edge blade for a serrated one.

Two folding knives with pocket clips, one with a tan handle and bronze blade, the other with a blue handle and black blade. — The Skeletool KB in Sandstorm (left) and the Skeletool KBX in Nocturnal (right).

These new shades come on the heels of the knives picking up three other colors (Paradise, Verdant and Nightshade) last month.

Rounding out the mid-April color updates are new looks for the brand’s Tool Pouch, which now comes in Aurora and Teal Twist, and its Bit Kit Paddles, which now come in Yellow and Green.

Streamlined superstar

Yet even amidst that rainbow of fruit flavors, the Skeletool CX stands out by sneaking the most essential multi-tool functions into a more pocketable package.

Complete with a removable clip, the CX weighs just five ounces and, when closed, measures just four inches long.

Hands holding a Leatherman Skeletool CX multitool knife carving a small wooden stick. — The Skeletool’s 2.6-inch 154CM blade (shown here on the Nocturnal variant) is beyond qualified for tackling camp-adjacent tasks such as whittling.

Within that compact form factor, you’ll find a 2.6-inch modified drop-point blade made of affordable 154CM stainless steel, which offers a strong blend of corrosion resistance and toughness.

Like all Skeletool functions, the blade can be deployed with one hand thanks to the thumb slot, with a liner lock holding it firmly in place.

Hand holding a silver Leatherman multitool gripping a black fishing rod near a water body. — Pliers, which have long enabled Leatherman to stand out from Swiss Army Knives, are a staple feature to this day.

You also get Leatherman’s trademark pliers (both needlenose and regular), which also happen to integrate both wire and hardwire cutters at the base.

The large bit driver is pretty versatile out of the box, as the tool comes with Philips #1 and #2 bits plus 1/4″ and 3/16″ standard screwdriver bits, all of which can be stored within the handle until you need them.

Person in a red jacket using an orange and black Leatherman multitool on a trekking pole. — The non-driver-equipped handle, when bent to a right angle, provides plenty of leverage for serious screw tightening.

Even with all those hardy features, the one you’ll probably use the most is at the end of the other handle, as it’s not just a carabiner but also, yes, a bottle opener.

Availability and pricing

The Leatherman Skeletool CX in Aurora, Nocturnal and Sandstorm (plus six pre-existing hues) is available now for $100.

Leatherman Skeletool CX

$100 at Leatherman

About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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