User Review: Leatherman Style CS

I picked up this little multi-tool at REI several months ago. What I was looking for was a small, light little tool with a blade, scissors and tweezers. The Style CS has those things and also includes a nail file, flathead screwdriver, and carabiner clip/bottle opener.  

When I am backpacking, I rarely use my knife as it is, and I have found myself needing a pair of scissors far more often than a blade; I thought that the Style CS would be a perfect fit for my needs.  It is, in theory.

What I like:  As I said before, it is obviously light weight.  It fits in your pocket, your pack, or you can clip it anywhere to ensure you don't lose it.  It has all the features I wanted in a multi-tool.  When you pop open the tool to bust out the scissors, you can get quite a bit of leverage on the handles when cutting, which surprised me considering the size of the tool.  The blade opens without having to open the tool up.  Also, it never hurts to have an extra biner clip around.

What I dislike:  Basically, there is one major flaw in this tool that ruins it.  The blade and scissors are so incredibly dull it is not useable straight from the package.  This wouldn't be a problem, since it is relatively easy to sharpen a blade.  The scissors, however, are so small that it is not possible to sharpen them.  Trying to cut a piece of moleskin with the scissors turned into a massive hack job that resulted in me finally just ripping the forlorn chunk the rest of the way off, and moleskin doesn't tear easily.  Considering I would really only be taking this thing backpacking, a set of nice sharp scissors could last me quite some time.  

One minor caveat is that the "bottle opener" is pretty small and flimsy, and you have to pry several times around the perimeter of the bottle to get it open.  Not a big deal for me personally, but there it is anyway.  

Yes, the Style CS is very cheap, and there will always be those who love to say "you get what you pay for", and I would be one of them. However, if the scissors don't cut anything more substantial than lined notebook paper, then this thing isn't worth nearly the $20 price tag.  

Also, the name "Style CS" has me wondering if Leatherman was intending this to be more of a cutesy glove box accessory/stocking stuffer instead of useable tool.  Considering its flaws, it wouldn't surprise me.