Best Keychain Multi-Tools with Scissors: Leatherman Micra vs the Competition

Introduction

Scissors are one of the most underrated features you can have on a keychain multi-tool. They handle tasks pliers and blades cannot, from trimming loose threads to opening packaging cleanly. This comparison looks at four of the most popular scissor-based keychain multi-tools: the Leatherman Micra, the Leatherman Style CS, the SOG Snippet, and the Gerber Splice. The Micra launched 25 years ago and was, at the time, arguably the best keychain multi-tool you could buy. The question is whether it still holds up against newer competition.

Why Scissors Matter on a Keychain Tool

For many people, scissors are the most-used tool on a small multi-tool. All four tools here make scissors the centerpiece, but they differ in how the scissors operate, what else is included, and how the whole package feels in the hand and pocket.

Leatherman Micra

The Micra uses the classic butterfly form factor with no externally accessible tools, which keeps it slim, simple, and satisfying to open. The tool set is well chosen: a combination tool with cap lifter and small screwdriver, a Phillips screwdriver, tweezers, a fingernail file with cleaner, a flat scraper and miniature pry tool, a small knife blade, and spring-loaded scissors as the main event.

One of the design’s real strengths is reach. Because the tools are long and slotted into the body, the screwdrivers offer generous reach for such a compact tool, and the small knife can be gripped securely. Because the blade does not lock, folding it onto your fingers is unlikely to cause a serious cut, which makes it a sensible compromise in places where locking knives are restricted. The plain stainless steel finish is the slimmest option; colored versions add a shell that increases thickness by about two millimetres.

Weighing 54 grams and measuring the smallest of the four closed, the Micra balances size, weight, and functionality better than anything else here. Its long track record speaks for itself.

Leatherman Style CS

The Style CS borrows the design language of the Skeletool range, with a hard-wearing composite shell over stainless steel and weight-saving cutouts. It is the lightest of the four at 41 grams and, in our view, the best looking of the group. The spring-loaded scissors are essentially the same as the Micra’s, just a couple of millimetres shorter.

The tools open from the outside for quick access: a sharp blade, a long Phillips screwdriver, a file that doubles as an excellent nail cleaner, and angled tweezers hidden in the body. The integrated carabiner clip is a standout detail, making it easy to attach to a keyring or belt loop, and it doubles as a bottle opener.

The trade-off is tool count. There is no flathead screwdriver or scraper, and the blade offers no protection if it folds toward your fingers. Great design, but a short tool list.

SOG Snippet

The Snippet takes an unusual approach. It has a pocket clip, and its scissors are not spring-loaded. Instead, extendable finger loops let you open and close the blades manually. Those loops are the tool’s defining flaw: they protrude awkwardly, wobble when used with one finger, cannot be adjusted, and eat interior space that could have housed more tools. They also make reaching the other tools awkward.

The upside is that the scissors themselves are the best of the four, slightly larger and highly effective. The knife blade is generous with a nice belly and a sharp edge, and the flathead screwdriver is long, wide, and precise, working well as a scraper or pry bar. There is also a cap lifter with a small screwdriver, a metal file with a nail cleaner, and, tucked between the scissor handles, a toothpick. The tweezers, however, are thin and flimsy, and there is no Phillips screwdriver at all.

Gerber Splice

At around 17 pounds, roughly half the price of the other three, the Splice is the value play. You get external tool access, a neat drop-point blade, a short serrated blade, a miniature screwdriver, a flathead screwdriver combined with an elaborate two-sided bottle opener, a short two-dimensional Phillips with a file, and strongly sprung scissors built into the pivot.

The scissors are good, though a step behind the other three. The drawbacks show in the execution: visible marks and scratches in the metalwork, very short reach on several tools, no tweezers, and a heftier 66-gram, wide and thick chassis that feels more industrial than refined. The serrated blade is an odd inclusion when scissors and a plain blade are already on board. As a gift, its packaging is nicer than the Leathermans’.

Head to Head: Size, Weight, and Value

Closed, the Gerber looks shortest but is the thickest by some margin, while the Micra is the smallest overall. Weights tell a similar story: Style CS at 41g, Micra at 54g, Snippet at 56g, and Splice at 66g.

Against the Style CS, the Micra wins on functionality thanks to the missing flathead. Against the Snippet, the Micra wins on the scissor handles getting in the way, the absent Phillips, weaker tweezers, and the extra bulk. Against the Splice, the Micra wins on finish, refinement, and carry comfort, even at roughly double the price. The Gerber is reasonable value for money, but the Micra is the clear overall winner, which is remarkable for a design that is still in the range 25 years on.

Conclusion

If you want the best all-round keychain multi-tool with scissors, the Leatherman Micra remains the one to beat, combining the best balance of size, weight, and genuinely useful tools. The Style CS is the lighter, prettier option if you can live with fewer tools. The SOG Snippet offers the best scissors but compromises everywhere else, and the Gerber Splice delivers solid value on a tight budget at the cost of finish and comfort.