The Must Have Multi Tool

There is probably not a pocket knife on the market that has quite the history as the Leatherman Wave Multi-tool. The history of this must have, all in one, multiple use tool dates back to his patent date of 1982. This tool was developed by mechanical engineer major Timothy S. Leatherman at Oregon State University. Timothy found that it was very difficult to repair his car using an ordinary pocket knife and went on to create what most referred to as a Boy Scout knife combined with pliers. Timothy got his first patent for this device in 1980 however; this initial invention was very far from the finished product known today as the Leatherman Wave.

Timothy initially tried to market his product to companies such as AT&T who had many technicians in the field in need of this type of tool. However, he did not have much luck in recruiting any large clients to try his product. Timothy began to work on the design of his product while finding customers through mail order catalogs. This strategy proved to be quite successful for him and in 1983, he went on to launch the Leatherman Tool Group.



The success of his company was phenomenal and the Leatherman Tool Group began to develop new products and designs. They incorporated scissors and other smaller accessories such as screwdrivers and files into its product. They also came in different sizes that would be easier to carry. By 1992, the company actually tripled their factory size and found that they had captured their market share of the multi-tool industry. The Leatherman tool was on its way to becoming a household name and the company had not even fully developed or released its most popular tool yet, the Leatherman Wave. In 1995, the company released the Leatherman Super Tool, which showcased the first model with locking blades. This product went on to sell over 1 million units making it the number one Leatherman to own. The success of this product led the company into television advertisements showing real-life individuals’ using the Leatherman to survive. The success of the Leatherman super tool was the basis and foundation that led to the development of its most popular product.

The Leatherman Wave was released in 1998 and displayed at the Shooting Hunting Outdoor Tradeshow. The Wave is a one-of-a-kind multi-tool that allows the user to access its blades without having to open the pliers. It also allows the individual to access the blades of the tool using only one hand. The use of this one-handed action was apparent in a big Hollywood movie. Jackie Chan was shown opening this tool with one hand in the movie "Rush Hour" and using it to defend himself against would-be attackers.

The Leatherman Wave is the most popular Leatherman in history. It is used extensively everyday by everyone from handyman to law-enforcement agents as well as survivalists. This product features a wire cutter, knife, serrated knife, scissors, saw, diamond file, wood/metal file, screwdriver, two bit drivers, a ruler, bottle/can opener, as well as a wire stripper. It is a versatile, well designed and durable tool that has a rich history and will probably continue to be the number one selling multi-tool available today.