Journey and setbacks of an old fiat 600
In 1975, Tim Leatherman, just graduated in mechanical engineering, wants to discover the world. With his fiancée Chau, he embarks on a road trip through Europe. Their budget is minimal. The two lovers set their sights on an antique Fiat 600, which they bought in Amsterdam. Very quickly, the reliability of the Fiat fails them, and Tim spends a lot of time in the engine hood.
With basic tools and a pocket knife, Tim has to make many adjustments to the old Italian engine on a regular basis. That's when he came up with the idea of adapting a pair of pliers to his pocket knife, so that he would have one versatile tool.
A classic 80's start-up
Back in the United States, Tim wants to bring to life the tool project he imagined in Europe. Just as big data was born in the garage of its founder, Tim Leatherman is no exception to the rule.
It was in his brother-in-law's cubicle in Oregon that he began to imagine and implement his clamp prototypes. The first tests were made of cardboard, but Tim soon applied his know-how to create a viable prototype from scratch.
It will take him three years of hard work, alone, to finalize his project and be able to present his product to industrialists. This first model, named The Original PST (Pocket Survival Tool), gathers 13 different tools, weighs only 140 grams for a size of about ten centimeters.
A very complicated start
With a reliable prototype and a newly filed patent, Tim Leatherman is touring the stores that will sell his revolutionary tool.
The first returns are catastrophic. The refusals and refusals from the companies contacted were counted in hundreds. Tim loses confidence and no longer believes in his project. It is during a ping pong game that Tim meets Steve Berliner, his future partner. Steve assists Tim in his canvassing and their efforts finally pay off. Eight years after sketching his first designs in Europe, Tim finally received his first order, 500 pieces for Cabella's, a fishing and boating company.
An international development
Then, as in all American success stories, the product became known and orders began to come in. 30,000 PSTs were sold in the first year of marketing. Tim developed the production tool and then set up a design office.
After the success of his first model, he improved his tool to adapt it to military standards, which represented a strong commercial potential. The US Army was seduced and equipped some of its troops with the device. It's a jackpot! Leatherman's tools became more widely available and attracted new customers in a wide range of outdoor activities: boating, hunting, fishing and hiking.
In order to maintain a high level of quality, production is still based in the city where it began, in Portland, Oregon. Today, Tim employs 500 people and has a turnover of about 130 million dollars. Several dozen models are offered in the catalog, with variations of scissors and or multifunctional bracelets.
Like its enemy, the Swiss Army knife, the Leatherman pliers have been copied many times, but never equaled. The name "Leatherman" has become a generic term for a multi-purpose tool. In the boating world, many sailors use a Leatherman, and appreciate the 25-year warranty that comes with each product.
