From Pliers to Premium Blades: A Brief History of Leatherman and Its Next Chapter

If you’ve ever carried around a multi-tool, chances are it was made by Leatherman. The Portland-based firm has not only dominated the market share on multi-tools for decades but is unanimously considered the best around. Since debuting its first model in 1983, Leatherman’s range has expanded considerably, from the 20-tool Arc to the simple Raptor rescue scissors or the small-but-mighty Skeletool. There’s basically a hand-assembled Leatherman unit for any situation or type of person.

Lately, the brand has expanded into its first-ever premium knife collection, featuring a trio of fixed blades and two folders. But seeing that multi-tools are what the brand was founded on, we mustn’t forget their legacy and how they’ve changed the game. 

In this guide, we’ll trace the company back to their roots and provide a bit of history on Leatherman, leading up to their latest endeavor.

The Leatherman journey truly started in 1975, when Tim Leatherman and his wife took a budget trip through Europe. Being a mechanical engineer good with his hands, Tim attempted to fix his uncooperative Fiat and leaky hotel plumbing himself. The only problem was he just had his pocket knife. 

And then it dawned on him, there are plenty of multi-tools based on the classic Swiss Army knife formula, but none built around one of the handiest tools of all: a pair of pliers.

Tim set out to design his own foldable pliers that could fit into his pocket. To enhance its versatility, it would also be surrounded by your essential tools as well. After years of sketching and prototyping, he was finally able to file a patent in 1980 with the help of machinist Steve Berliner — who became his cofounder of the eponymous Leatherman Tool Group.

All that hard work eventually resulted in the debut of the Pocket Survival Tool (PST) in 1983. Compared to the brand’s current offerings, the palm-sized PST really looked barebones. It featured a pair of needle-nose pliers with wire cutters, integrated with an assortment of tools commonly found on your basic Swiss Army knife. 

The PST was a hit, filling 500 orders from a Cabela’s catalog and quickly becoming a favorite for handymen and outdoorsmen everywhere. Word of mouth caused Leatherman’s reputation to grow, selling tens of thousands in only about a year.

In 1986, Leatherman’s range expanded for the first time with the Mini Tool, a 2.6-inch multi-tool that just featured 5 functions in total. This would be the first of many new, thoughtfully-constructed multi-tools that would be introduced throughout the brand’s expansion in the ‘90s. 

Reputation grew even more as awareness of the company’s manufacturing methods increased, including their manufactured in the USA construction, hand assembly, and continued innovation with each new model. Today, Leatherman says that around 1 out of every 11 people in the U.S. owns a pair of their multi-tools. Inspiring countless inferior knock-offs, the company gets so much play because of their ability to pinpoint a specific need and design a device to fulfill it, be it a handyman, a police officer, a frequent camper, or an EDC enthusiast.

This past summer, Leatherman debuted its first real crack at premium knives, featuring a trio of fixed blade models that we’ve been really into: the Trac, Rustle, and Pioneer. Let’s dive in…

Trac

First off, let’s start with the most versatile of the bunch. Available in Alpine, Earth Brown, and Jet Black handles, the Trac is a 4.2-inch drop-point fixed blade, balancing cutting performance and utility. If you’re headed outdoors, this is a solid choice because it can do an array of tasks, from field dressing game to foraging to camp cooking. 

Built with full-tang construction, the knife features CPM MagnaCut stainless steel like the rest of the fixed blades and weighs 6.4oz with exceptional balance thanks to the hollow saber grind and G10 handle. It comes with a full-grain leather sheath that gives you the ability to carry this knife vertically or horizontally, left or right. The Trac is priced at $300 from Leatherman’s website.

Rustle

For more sophisticated cooking in the wild, the Rustle is a purpose-built knife, whether you’re chopping vegetables or slicing meat. Reimagining the santoku blade profile for outdoor use, this fixed blade sports a 4-inch full flat grind CPM MagnaCut blade that’s both corrosion resistant and super tough. Also full-tang like the others, with a G10 handle, the knife comes with a waterproof Kydex sheath for extra protection against the elements.

A modern chef’s knife with a heritage spirit, inspired by chuckwagon cooks, it comes in Alpine, Evergreen, and Vapor Grey scales and weighs just 4.3oz. Priced at $280, the Rustle is available from Leatherman’s website right now.

Pioneer

Last but certainly not least, the Pioneer is the robust fixed blade you’ll need for things like bushcraft or general surviving in the wild. The sledgehammer of the trio, this 5-inch CPM MagnaCut blade is quite imposing with its angular Japanese tanto-style blade that’s perfect for serious chopping, prying, and batoning. With a 10-inch overall length, you’ll have plenty of space between your hand and what you’re attacking.

Weighing 8.3oz, the Pioneer is also the most robust of Leatherman’s fixed blades, giving you plenty of slicing power in the process. Also equipped with G10 scales, the knife comes in Alpine and Orange Pop colorways. It comes with a hybrid leather-and-Kydex sheath that also gives you multiple carry options with a low profile. Moreover, a ferro rod slot is a nice touch for survivalists. The Pioneer is priced at $300 from Leatherman’s website.