You've hit the nail on the head The first PST IIs (released in 1996) used the PST handles, so what you've got is an fairly early one. Later, they started stamping the handles PST II.
That's a good question, and I don't really know the answer tbh. I've seen equal numbers of each myself, and have traded quite a few in and out!Right now, I have 3 PST IIs, 1 is marked "PST II", the others are like yours. My daughter has one like yours too, so that's 3 out of 4.My "PST II" marked tool, is dated 0903, which is a late model, as they were phased out in 2004, I don't have enough info to say when they changed to the marked handles.
There are also a few out there that Leatherman decided to make out of spare parts and/or repairs. My fist PST II off of eBay, I bought because I thought it was a PST. It appears that Leatherman used half of a PST (dated 0297) and mated it with half of a PST II marked handle containing the scissors (dated 0802). I didn't know any better and saw the PST side labeled Leatherman Tool Portland Oregon on the eBay photo. When I got it in the mail, I was very confused as the other side was marked Leatherman PST II. Either it was a repair job, or it was made from misc parts. So there are even stranger matches out there to look out for.
I`ve got two PST IIs One of each. Unmarked date codes of 0398 and 0498. PST II marked date codes 1198 and 1198. I`ve got another on the way marked PST II that I bought to give to my brother for his birthday. I`ll check the date codes on it when it arrives in a few days.
Mine is dated 0596,one of the first one's they made,and only has leatherman tool in small print,and Portland OR. on the side,besides being one of my favorite tools,it is the same Month and Year that I quit smoking after 40 yrs. &
Both of mine are stamped 0596,I know from past posts that a lot of them have one or two months difference in the handles,I'm thinking they put PST II on the handles in 98 or 99.I was stationed in Germany from 63-66,and got ration cards for cig's,coffee,and booze,and some other things that I never bought,at that time the cheapest cig's I got was $1.50 a carton. &
It looks like late 98 is when they started putting the PST II stamping on,hope someone can narrow it down between Apr. and Nov. I went back to Germany a couple more times,but 63-66 was the only long tour,the rest was short tour,and stop overs,I could get 5 Marks for a dollar back then,when I went back in 85 I was lucky to get half that,but in 85 in the UK the Pound was at its lowest,thats when I had a split tour between Germany and the UK.
I was in over 8 years and was stationed there twice. The second time the Wall had just fell and the Mark to $ rate was really bad.
QuoteI was in over 8 years and was stationed there twice. The second time the Wall had just fell and the Mark to $ rate was really bad.I was stationed over there from Jan 91 til Mar 92. I remember talking to guys who had been to Germany years before and they said the Mark to dollar rate was a lot better in the old days. IIRC it was about 2.5 Marks to a dollar when I was over there. But I may be wrong. It's been a few years and my memory(as well as a few other things) is fuzzy.