Leatherman’s Unique, Affordable New Release Isn’t a Multi-Tool at All

But it might actually have a greater long-term impact than one of the brand's trademark pocket superstars.

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"Everyone said it was an overnight success, except those few of us who knew it was eight years of effort to do so."

I've always loved how Tim Leatherman describes the birth of his eponymous brand, a reminder that we rarely see the blood, sweat and gears that go into an idea long before it becomes reality and, eventually, a household name.

If that sort of thing intrigues you too, you'll be stoked to learn about the brand's latest release, which will not fix a leaky faucet, though it could help level a table when you are done reading (ba-dum-tss). 

I'm talking, of course, about The Leatherman Book .

Humble origins

While details are a bit scant at the moment, the elevator pitch for this book is that it tells Tim's inspiring personal story as a how-to guide for aspiring entrepreneurs and others chasing their own crazy dreams. 

Having met the man himself (whom I am calling Tim to distinguish from the brand) several years ago, I have high hopes for the 288-page hardcover tome, published by Ballantine Books.

Cerebral and self-effacing, Tim's idea for the product that launched 90 million multi-tools arose in a way many of the best do, on a trip. 

During a soul-searching adventure through Europe with his wife, Chau, in 1975, Tim's struggles with cheap hotel plumbing and a dodgy Fiat motivated him to add the following to a list of ideas for what to do with the rest of his life: "add pliers to a pocketknife."

He estimated it would take about a month. It took three years to develop what he called the "Dutch Army Knife," which totally flopped, and another five to redesign it into the lightweight, mil-spec product known as the Pocket Survival Tool (or PST).

Within a decade, Leatherman was selling over a million units annually.

Leatherman lessons

The book's insights come from not only that time period but from the time since, as he went from building a product to building a company. 

The lessons are not born of experience but at times counterintuitive, such as the one he states at the very beginning: "You don't have to be 'qualified' to pursue your big idea. In fact, it might help if you're not."

That one feels especially pointed because, presumably, if Tim had been knowledgeable enough to know he couldn't develop a revolutionary product in a month or even a year, he might not have even tried. 

Another takeaway touches on the competitive advantage of being serious about your principles and the importance of being willing to figure things out as you go along. 

I've seen both of those ideas at work at the actual Leatherman factory, where the brand is both committed to quality and constantly improving upon not only its products but the production process. 

In other words, if you're a fan of the brand and/or seeking to build one like it, The Leatherman Book , which costs less than a Micra (and comes with an OPNR keychain tool for the first 1,000 pre-orders ), is well worth the price of admission.

Availability and pricing

The Leatherman Book is available for pre-order now from a number of stores linked to on Leatherman's own product page. The price is $35 and the release date is October 6.

"The Leatherman Book"

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About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men's Health, Men's Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone's bike seat is at the proper height.

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