Leatherman Celebrates 35th Anniversary with Revival of Original Pocket Survival Tool

12th January 2018

The first-of-its-kind multi-tool returns: The Limited Edition PST

This is the first Tool Tale: In 1975, recent college graduate Tim Leatherman and his wife Chau set off on a roadtrip throughout Europe. Along the way, the unreliable Fiat the newlyweds had purchased for $300 required multiple roadside fixes. Tim had the right know-how, but not the right tools to fix it.

Tim returned home 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. He thought it would take him a month to develop a prototype. After eight years of toiling in his garage and multiple rejections, the Pocket Survival Tool (PST) was born. In their first year of business, Tim and his co-founder 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 Leatherman, 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.”

The PST is limited to 100x pieces in South Africa and will retail for around R3600,00. Made of 100% stainless steel, the Limited Edition PST has 14 tools in one including: Needlenose Pliers, Regular Pliers, Wire Cutters, Hard-wire Cutters, 420HC Knife, Wood/Metal File, Phillips Screwdriver, Large Screwdriver, Medium Screwdriver, Small Screwdriver, Awl, Ruler (8 in/20 cm), Can Opener and Bottle Opener. Each PST is stamped with Tim Leatherman’s signature and comes with an American-made leather sheath, emblazoned with a diagonal wordmark in gold foil, a throwback to the original. The Limited Edition PST will be available January 23rd at select Leatherman retailers.

About Leatherman
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 multi-tools, manufactured in Portland, in more than 86 countries. For more information about the original American multi-tool, visit www.leatherman.com.