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Leatherman
*** Shopping-Tip: Leatherman
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Image:Leatherman-logo.gif right
Image:Leatherman.jpg thumb|Leatherman multi-tool
Image:Leatherman and beltholder 20050613.jpg thumb|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 more sturdy and usually slightly larger than a
Swiss Army knife of similar functionality, each generally including a
knife,
pliers,
screwdriver and assorted other devices.
Description of tool
These are generally chosen for infrequently needed
repair work in light of the following qualities:
* 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 (general) 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 (control) button that allows the tool to be re-folded.
A line of similar multi-tools employing a different opening mechanism is also made by
Gerber multitool Gerber.
The method in which the pliers are exposed is similar to that of the
balisong/
butterfly knife.
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.
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.
Leatherman formed Leatherman Tool Group to sell his creation in
1983.
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
de:Leatherman
fr:Leatherman
Category:Mechanical hand tools
Category:Companies based in Oregon
Category:Camping equipment
*** Shopping-Tip: Leatherman
