Leatherman PST chronology project

[Poncho65]

@ least nobody thought we were close to finishing before he dropped the bomb about the PSTs

Man if the project was coming to an end when we got that info then the whole thing would have to have been thrown out the window  @ least now some of it can be salvaged

[woofer]

The collected information is most useful if you look at it from a perspective of "Where did LM get its supplies?" stance rather than "What did LM intentionally change?" position.

I had to admit, I kind of wish there were solid design considerations in the move from drop point to saber/clip point blades rather than have the reason be a simple supplier variance.
Major changes across the product line like the fat plier heads are so few and far between.

[J-sews]

True, but there were a few purposeful evolutionary changes:

The addition of date coding in November '92
The addition of a hardwire notch to the wire cutter
The addition of the lanyard attachment
Others?

[J-sews]

So according to Tim, the riveted tools are actually a parallel line on the PST family tree, not a sequential developement. (Which clears up a lot of confusion obviously.) So now I'm trying to re-write the chronology, but the question is, where to start??

I've been told that the first PST's did not have a lanyard attachment, and Tim tells us that they were made in USA with knurled screws, so therefore it seems as if either of these could have been the starting point:



Cabelas, Smitty44

•   Knurled screw construction
•   No lanyard attachment
•   Small diameter plier pivot
•   Only LEATHERMAN cast into plier pivot
•   No hard wire cutter notch
•   One handle stamped: LEATHERMAN TOOL, US PAT 4238862, PORTLAND OR
•   Other handle marked CABELAS
•   Inch ruler only, no metric
•   No date codes
•   Drop point knife blade
•   Knife tang not stamped (etched LEATHERMAN USA)
•   Milled awl blade
•   Off center screwdrivers pivot IN
•   Can opener has left hand cut



J-sews #1

•   Knurled screw construction
•   No lanyard attachment
•   Small diameter plier pivot
•   LEATHERMAN USA cast into plier pivot
•   No hard wire cutter notch
•   One handle stamped: LEATHERMAN TOOL, US PAT 4238862, PORTLAND OR
•   Other handle stamped POCKET SURVIVAL TOOL
•   Inch ruler only, no metric
•   No date codes
•   Drop point knife blade
•   Knife tang stamped LEATHERMAN USA
•   Milled awl blade
•   Off center screwdrivers pivot IN
•   Can opener has left hand cut


Earliest generation PST's? What do you guys think?

[Poncho65]

  It is very possible J-sews that yours is as old What is the story of how you got that 1 or have you probably already told it Seems to fit the bill as an old original PST though

[J-sews]

Well I am thinking that Smitty's is older, because the plier head on his only says LEATHERMAN, whereas the one pictured below that says LEATHERMAN USA. Plus Smitty was fairly certain that he purchased his PST in 1983, the year they were introduced.

[J-sews]

Okay, here's my latest stab at a chronology. Take a look and see if your PST(s) fit in with what I have posted here. Let me know if anything needs to be changed. When we get it right I'll post it on the Encyclopedia.


PST CHRONOLOGY:

1) 1983 Made in USA for Cabelas
•   Knurled screw construction
•   No lanyard attachment
•   Small diameter plier pivot
•   Only LEATHERMAN cast into plier pivot
•   No hard wire cutter notch
•   One handle stamped: LEATHERMAN TOOL, US PAT 4238862, PORTLAND OR
•   Other handle marked CABELAS
•   Inch ruler only, no metric
•   No date codes
•   Drop point knife blade
•   Knife tang not stamped (blade etched LEATHERMAN USA)
•   Milled awl blade
•   Off center screwdrivers pivot IN
•   Can opener has left hand cut

2) Early to mid-1980’s
•   Knurled screw construction
•   No lanyard attachment
•   Small diameter plier pivot
•   LEATHERMAN USA cast into plier pivot
•   No hard wire cutter notch
•   One handle stamped: LEATHERMAN TOOL, US PAT 4238862, PORTLAND OR
•   Other handle stamped POCKET SURVIVAL TOOL
•   Inch ruler only, no metric
•   No date codes
•   Drop point knife blade
•   Knife tang stamped LEATHERMAN USA
•   Milled awl blade
•   Off center screwdrivers pivot IN
•   Can opener has left hand cut

3) Late 1985 – early 1989 Made in Japan concurrently
•   Riveted construction
•   Hollow base rivets
•   No lanyard attachment
•   Small diameter plier pivot
•   Staked plier pivot
•   Only LEATHERMAN cast into plier pivot
•   No hard wire cutter notch
•   One handle stamped: LEATHERMAN TOOL, US PAT 4238862, PORTLAND OR
•   Other handle stamped POCKET SURVIVAL TOOL
•   Inch ruler only, no metric
•   No date codes
(Note some Japan tools appear to have handles obtained from the same source as some USA tools)
•   Drop point knife blade
•   Knife tang stamped LEATHERMAN JAPAN
•   Milled awl blade
•   Off center screwdrivers pivot IN
•   Can opener has left hand cut
(Note Japan tools appear to have several of their blades obtained from the same source as USA tools)

4) Changes to tools produced in Japan:
•   Solid base rivets
•   Lanyard attachment added
•   One handle stamped: LEATHERMAN in large font. Also stamped TOOL, US PAT 4238862 (no PORTLAND OR)
•   Other handle left blank

5) Still more Japanese changes:
•   US PAT 4238862 replaced by REG’D TM 1325473
•   Can opener has right hand cut

6) Mid-1980’s changes to USA-made tools
•   Added lanyard attachment
•   Handle stampings: US PAT 4238862 no longer appears. (LEATHERMAN TOOL, PORTLAND OR remains)
•   Other handle blank

7) Later-1980’s changes
•   Handle stampings: REG’D TM 1325473 added
•   Ruler becomes inch/metric
•   Switch to saber-clip point knife blade
•   Knife tang stamped LEATHERMAN USA
•   Ground awl blade replaces milled awl
•   Can opener switched to right hand cut

November 1992:
•   Date codes added

9) Mid-1990's?
•   Opposite faces of handles stamped for the first time, with LEATHERMAN TOOL
•   Clip portion of knife blade made shorter (no longer a Saber)

10) 1996
•   Hard wire notch first appears
•   Handles no longer stamped with REG’D TM number

11) 1998??
•   New off-center screwdrivers pivot OUT (0997 earliest seen)

12) 2001??
•   New plier head has larger pivot (0601 earliest seen)
•   Hard wire cutter notch has cast in indicator arrow
•   Knife tang stamped LEATHERMAN only (USA dropped)

13) 2002?
•   LEATHERMAN TOOL cast into plier pivot (USA dropped)

14) 2004
•   PST Discontinued (1004 latest date code seen)

[Benner]

Sorry it's late, but here is my input.

The riveted PST obviously has no date mark, but the other was made in Dec 2000.

Here's some comparison pics for you. 

[Smitty44]

The new info in Reply 81,looks good to me Bob,and thanks for all your wisdom and work on this subject that really started the multi era.

[J-sews]

The new info in Reply 81,looks good to me Bob,and thanks for all your wisdom and work on this subject that really started the multi era.

Thanks Chief, but I consider it was a team effort!

Sorry it's late, but here is my input.

The riveted PST obviously has no date mark, but the other was made in Dec 2000.

Here's some comparison pics for you. 

Great comparison pics Ben. 

So referring to Reply 81, do you see your riveted tool to be a category #5 and your newer tool to be a category #11  ?

[Poncho65]

If it helps any Bob my July 94 PST is only stamped on 1 side (not both) as per the question mark in cat 9 this may get you a little closer in pinpointing that as well

Man that is a great timeline for the little ole PST great work there organizing it It is sure to help identify many a PST in the future

[Benner]

So referring to Reply 81, do you see your riveted tool to be a category #5 and your newer tool to be a category #11  ?

I'd say so. 

[DaveK]

....(Note some Japan tools appear to have handles obtained from the same source as some USA tools)....

....(Note Japan tools appear to have several of their blades obtained from the same source as USA tools)....

Could these simply be warranty repairs? I.e. they were made in Japan, but were repaired in Portland?

Difficult isn't it?

[J-sews]

....(Note some Japan tools appear to have handles obtained from the same source as some USA tools)....

....(Note Japan tools appear to have several of their blades obtained from the same source as USA tools)....

Could these simply be warranty repairs? I.e. they were made in Japan, but were repaired in Portland?

Hmmm, could be, but I don't think so. Check out the two below for instance. Top one is riveted, made in Japan. Bottom one is knurl screwed, made in USA. Look closely. The handles and plier heads came from distinctly different stamping and casting dies. Not surprising.





Now look at the blades and drivers. The weird left-hand can opener, all the screwdrivers, and the knife blade are identical, right down to the grind marks. And it seems as if all the early PST's are this way, whether they are made in Japan or made in USA. So thats why I suggest these blades and tools came from the same source. 

[DaveK]

Yeah I see what you mean..

We need to know form Tim. Did Portland ship some parts to the place in Japan. Or did they send dies? Or was some assembly of Japanese parts done in Portland?

Or something else?