Revival of Survival - The Leatherman Story

I was carrying a scout knife and used it for everything from slicing bread to fixing the car. But I kept wishing I had a pair of pliers! I went to the garage and picked up a file and hacksaw and tried to build what was in my mind.

~ Tim Leatherman

35 years of Ingenious Design

Portland, OR — In 1975, recent college graduate Tim Leatherman and his wife Chau set off on a roadtrip throughout Europe. The newlyweds had purchased a $300 Fiat which proved unreliable along the way and required multiple roadside fixes. Tim had the right know-how, but not the right tools to fix it.

“I was carrying a scout knife and used it for everything from slicing bread to fixing the car. But I kept wishing I had a pair of pliers!” said Tim.

Tim returned home to Oregon with an idea for a multi-tool to tackle life’s unexpected challenges. He asked his wife if she could support the family while he pursued his idea. With a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oregon State University, he took his idea, some sketches, and got to work.

He thought it would take him a month to develop a prototype. Three years later, he had a tool that he liked - the newly patented “Mr. Crunch”, #4,238,462.

Knife companies thought his invention was a tool. Tool companies thought it was a gadget. Neither were interested. For the next four years, he continued to try to sell his idea and received multiple rejections.

So, he partnered with his college friend, Steve Berliner. Steve’s fresh ideas and companionship rejuvenated and liberated Tim. The Pocket Survival Tool (PST) was born.

In their first year of business, Tim and Steve hoped to sell 4,000 tools; instead, they sold 30,000. And over the next decade, they would sell over one-million PST multi-tools.

Today, on the brand’s 35th Anniversary, Leatherman is continuing Tim’s legacy of unwavering perseverance, ingenious design, and commitment to quality with the revival of the Limited Edition PST.

“I’m incredibly proud to introduce a Limited Edition Pocket Survival Tool nearly identical to my original design. Every tool is crafted just like the original, but not in my garage!” said Tim, who serves as chairman of Leatherman Tool Group. “Seeing it brings back memories of what it took to launch this company. I’m in awe of how it has grown over the years and thankful for our dedicated employees and faithful fans who helped us reach this milestone.”

Founded in 1983, Leatherman is the world’s largest manufacturer of tools that prepare people for both expected and unexpected challenges, journeys and adventures.

Co-founder Tim Leatherman’s real life experiences inspired him to build the world’s first multi-tool, and his dedication to his product philosophy of creating multi-purpose tools with the highest quality, most functionality, least space, and least weight has driven Leatherman for 35 years.

The Oregon-based company distributes its high quality Leatherman multitools, manufactured in Portland, in more than 86 countries.

For more information about the original American multi-tool, visit www.leatherman.ca. ~