An r/hermesagent thread documented trimming a skills folder from 73 to 26 to cut per-message token cost. This walks the audit and the Scavio replacement for 5-8 narrow web skills.
Prerequisites
- Claude/Hermes/OpenClaw with a skills folder
- A 2-week usage history (or honesty about what you actually use)
Walkthrough
Step 1: List every skill currently loaded with its description token count
Where do tokens actually go?
Text
// For each skill file, count description tokens. Sort descending.Step 2: Drop skills not invoked in 2 weeks
Honest log = honest list.
Text
// Run a 2-week trace if you have logs.Step 3: Drop duplicate skills (multiple 'fetch URL', multiple 'search')
Pick the strongest, kill the rest.
Text
// Duplicates often happen when you install bundles. Keep the most reliable one.Step 4: Replace 5-8 narrow web skills with Scavio MCP
One MCP, multi-platform.
Bash
// Drop: google_search, reddit_search, youtube_search, amazon_search, bing_search, generic_scrape
// Install:
claude mcp add scavio https://mcp.scavio.dev/mcp --header 'x-api-key: $SCAVIO_API_KEY'Step 5: Re-measure token weight after trimming
Honest before/after.
Text
// Per-message input tokens before vs after. Expect 4-8K input token reduction at 70 → 26 skills.Step 6: Re-audit quarterly
Drift back is real.
Text
// Skills tend to creep back. Quarterly: same audit, same trim discipline.Python Example
Python
# Per-week: 40 skills × ~150 tokens = 6K input tokens saved per message × 300 messages/week = 1.8M tokens saved.JavaScript Example
JavaScript
// Config-discipline tutorial.Expected Output
JSON
26-skill folder (down from 70+) with Scavio replacing 5-8 narrow web skills. Per-message input tokens drop measurably.