Leatherman multi-tool

A Leatherman Wave with all tools unfolded

Leatherman and belt holster

Leatherman is a trademark for a line of multi-function hand tools produced by the Leatherman Tool Group. The tools are usually slightly larger than a Swiss Army knife of similar functionality, each generally including a knife, pliers, screwdriver and assorted other devices. Image File history File links Leatherman-logo. ... Image File history File links Leatherman multitool File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Leatherman multitool File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Image File history File links Leatherman_Wave_060407_115706. ... Image File history File links Leatherman_Wave_060407_115706. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 539 KB) Description: Leatherman and beltholder, photo taken in Sweden Source: Photo taken by Jonas Bergsten using a Canon PowerShot G3. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2272x1704, 539 KB) Description: Leatherman and beltholder, photo taken in Sweden Source: Photo taken by Jonas Bergsten using a Canon PowerShot G3. ... A trademark or trade mark[1] is a distinctive sign of some kind which is used by a business to uniquely identify itself and its products and services to consumers, and to distinguish the business and its products or services from those of other businesses. ... A hand tool is a device for doing a particular job that does not use a motor, but is powered solely by the person using it. ... A Swiss Army knife (abbreviated SAK) is a multifunction hand tool. ... Exceptional Laguiole knife made with Crust of fossilized Mammoth Ivory Laguiole knives A knife is a sharp-edged hand tool used for cutting. ... Needle nose pliers Pliers are hand tools primarily for gripping that use leverage There are numerous different jaw configurations to grip, turn, pull, or crimp a variety of things. ... A basic screwdriver (Phillips tip shown) A screwdriver is a device specifically designed to insert and tighten, or to loosen and remove, screws. ...

Description of tool

These are generally chosen for infrequently needed repair work in light of the following qualities: Repair and Maintenance is fixing any sort of mechanical or electrical device should it get out of order or broken (repair) as well as performing the routine actions which keep the device in working order (maintenance) or prevent trouble from arising (preventive maintenance). ...

• compact and light (suitable to wear in a belt holster in some applications)
• constructed as a single piece with various moving parts, so one component is not lost while using another
• when collapsed for storage, relatively smooth and blunt compared to the equivalent discrete tools, thus reducing frequency of damage to items stored along with it.

Some models of the Leatherman brand (but not all) have a built in safety mechanism that locks selected tools in the open position when fully unfolded. Different models have different methods for unlocking the tools. In some, one of the other tools has to be partly unfolded to release the first one; if all the tools of this model were to be fully unfolded simultaneously, then an external tool might be needed to unlock them. In other models, there is an unlock button that allows the tool to be re-folded. Storage is the at least semi-permanent holding of an amount of something. ... Fatale is also the title of a comic book published in the mid-1990s by Broadway Comics. ... Warning signs, such as this one, can improve safety awareness. ... The word lock came from Anglo-Saxon loca = a secure enclosure. Currently lock has several meanings: A lock (device) is a mechanical fastening device which may be used on a door, vehicle, safe, or other container. ... A button (control) is a simple physical mechanism for controlling some aspect of a machine. ...

A line of similar multi-tools employing a different opening mechanism is also made by Gerber. A Multiplier 400 Compact Sport Gerber multi-tool, in the closed position. ...

The method in which the pliers are exposed is similar to that of the balisong/butterfly knife. The balisong or butterfly knife is a form of folding pocket knife with two handles that counter-rotate around the tang such that, when closed, the blade is concealed within grooves in the handles. ... A butterfly knife at various stages between its closed and open states The Balisong is a butterfly knife, and is sometimes known as a Batangas knife, is a form of folding pocket knife with two handles that counter-rotate around the tang such that, when closed, the blade is concealed...

Company history

The Leatherman Tool Group was founded by Timothy S. Leatherman, a 1970 graduate of Oregon State University, who majored in mechanical engineering. According to a December 10, 1981 column written by Bill Monroe in the Oregonian, Leatherman came up with the idea of a "Boy Scout knife with pliers" during a 1975 driving tour of Europe with his wife, when he was unable to use his pocket knife to fix his repeatedly malfunctioning car. 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link is to a full 1970 calendar). ... Oregon State University Oregon State University (OSU) is a research and degree-granting four-year public university located in Corvallis, Oregon. ... The W16 engine from a Bugatti Veyron Mechanical engineering is a very broad field of engineering that involves the application of physical principles for analysis, design, manufacturing, and maintenance of mechanical systems. ... December 10 is the 344th day (345th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... An Oregonian is a resident or native of the state of Oregon; The Oregonian is the daily newspaper in Portland. ... Polish Boy Scouts fighting in the Warsaw Uprising Boy Scouts originally denoted the organization that developed and rapidly grew up during 1908 in the wake of the publication by Lord Robert Baden-Powell of his book Scouting for Boys. ... Needle nose pliers Pliers are hand tools primarily for gripping and cutting that use leverage and numerous different jaw configurations to grip, turn, pull, cut or crimp a variety of things. ... 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1975 calendar). ... A pocket knife is a type of folding knife with a blade that fits inside the handle. ...

Leatherman spent several years perfecting his prototype, getting his first patent in 1980. He also spent those early years refining his sales model. He originally expected that industrial companies with large staffs of technicians would be his target customer, but attempts to sell the tool to companies such as AT&T failed. It was only after following the advice of a contact at the Early Winters catalog company to simplify his product that sales began to grow. It was mail-order catalog companies such as Early Winters and Cabela's that gave Leatherman his first significant sales. Prototypes or prototypical instances combine the most representative attributes of a category. ... 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... AT&T Inc. ... Early Winters, Ltd. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Mail order. ... Cabelas is a direct marketer and specialty retailer, of hunting, fishing, camping, and related outdoor merchandise, based in Sidney, Nebraska. ...

Leatherman formed Leatherman Tool Group to sell his creation in 1983. 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Leatherman Tool Group official website
• In praise of Leatherman Tools, a December 2001 article from Popular Mechanics, with a photo of a prototype
• Short biography of Timothy S. Leatherman, from an OSU Academy of Distinguished Engineers web page