English 
Norwegian 
Swedish During a budget trip to Europe in 1975, Tim Leatherman and his wife Chau frequently encountered issues with leaking pipes in hotels and repairs on their unreliable Fiat by the roadside. Tim realized the need for a plier-based, multifunctional tool. «I had a scout knife with me and used it for everything from cutting bread to fixing the car. But I always wished I had a pair of pliers!»
When Tim returned to the U.S., he brought back the idea of a «multi-tool», along with some sketches he had made during the trip, and started working on it.
When Tim began developing the prototype for this new tool, he initially thought it would take him a month. Instead, it took three years to build the prototype he had envisioned and apply for a patent. With the patent application and prototype in hand, he started pitching his idea. Unfortunately, none of the companies he approached were interested. For another three and a half years, Tim received one rejection letter after another. Until he teamed up with his college friend, Steve Berliner, and in the spring of 1983, they received their first order of 500 tools from Cabela’s, officially launching the first Leatherman tool, the PST.
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About Leatherman
In 1975, during a budget-friendly trip to Europe, Tim Leatherman and his wife Chau frequently encountered leaking hotel faucets and makeshift repairs on their troublesome Fiat. Tim realized the need for a plier-based multi-tool. “I always carried a scout knife and used it for everything from cutting bread to fixing the car. But I constantly wished I had a pair of pliers!”
When Tim returned to the U.S., he brought back the idea of a multi-tool and some sketches from his trip, and he started working on it.
THE ORIGINAL
When Tim began working on the prototype for this new tool, he initially thought it would take him a month. Instead, it took three years to build the prototype he had envisioned, and he applied for a patent. With the patent and prototype in hand, he tried to sell his idea. Unfortunately, every company he approached rejected it. After three and a half years of rejections, he finally found a partner in his old college friend, Steve Berliner.
In the spring of 1983, they received their first order of 500 tools from Cabela’s and officially launched the first Leatherman tool, the PST (Pocket Survival Tool).
PROUDLY FROM OREGON SINCE 1983
From Tim’s first prototype to Leatherman’s latest multi-tool innovation, they have manufactured their tools in Portland, Oregon. When it’s time to test their tools, they do it in the breathtaking Pacific Northwest. Whether hiking in the rugged Cascade Mountains, fishing along the beautiful Oregon coast, or exploring the high desert in the east, they ensure their tools are reliable for any adventure or task, big or small.
We invite you to try Leatherman tools for yourself or read stories about people who have saved the day with quick thinking, their own two hands, and a Leatherman.