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PST II Question

00 Offline 1jump2many

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PST II Question
on: November 09, 2009, 11:02:12 PM
I recently picked up a Leatherman PST II from another forum.  It's in mint/unused condition and I got it for $22 shipped!  The question I have is that it doesn't say PST II on the tool.  It has all the tools that a PST II would have and the date stamp on one handle is 02/97 and on the other is 01/97.  Did Leatherman ever make the PST II without PST II on the handles?  What year did the PST II start production?  Is mine an early version of the PST II?  Any information is appreciated.  Thanks.
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england Offline DaveK

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #1 on: November 09, 2009, 11:06:59 PM
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.
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00 Offline 1jump2many

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #2 on: November 09, 2009, 11:11:51 PM
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.

So then this would be more of a rarity then?
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us Offline Poncho65

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #3 on: November 09, 2009, 11:35:47 PM
I would say that they r more rare than 1 stamped wit PST II yes :tu:  Saying that the only 1 I own is like yours :D Guess I need 2 pick up 1 that  has PST II on it :think: :D


england Offline DaveK

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #4 on: November 09, 2009, 11:54:05 PM
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.
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00 Offline 1jump2many

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #5 on: November 10, 2009, 01:06:27 AM
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.

It seems from your experience there are more without PST II stamped on them.  When I see a picture of one usually the PST II is stamped on them, on eBay etc.  I was happy to get this one on another forum for $22!  And when I got it I was even happier to see the condition it was in.  I was surprised that it didn't have the PST II stamp on it and wondered what the deal was.  Thanks to you guys I now know the deal.  Thanks for solving this riddle for me.
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england Offline DaveK

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #6 on: November 10, 2009, 01:38:12 AM
If you dig back far enough through these forums, you'll find others solving that riddle for me too :tu:

What goes around, comes around as they say!
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ca Offline Chako

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #7 on: November 10, 2009, 01:54:29 AM
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.
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00 Offline 1jump2many

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #8 on: November 10, 2009, 02:40:35 AM
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.

That was what I thought my PST II might have been at first.  Just because it didn't have PST II stamped on it.  But both of my handles are 01/97 & 02/97 respectfully so after reading what others are saying I'm thinking it was an early model.  Not that it makes it a rarity though.  It almost sounds as if the PST II was Leatherman's clearing house of parts as time went on.
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england Offline DaveK

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #9 on: November 10, 2009, 02:51:48 AM
One theory I have on that is that the PST II was intended to replace the PST, as an upgrade (i.e. a PST with scissors). People forget that before 1996, there were only 3 tools. Although packaging of the PST referred to the "Pocket Survival Tool", there was no need to make a distinction on the tool itself. You have your "Leatherman Tool" (PST), Supertool, and Mini Tool. If the original plan was to simply stick scissors in the PST, then that would have been fine.

I wonder therefore if they tried to replace the PST, but buyers didn't migrate to the new PST II and eventually they realised that there was a market for both. Pure speculation on my part of course, but I've a feeling this is what happened with the Micra / Squirt S4 also.

It would be interesting to see the packaging from a 1996 PST II, to see how they described it.
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Offline american lockpicker

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #10 on: November 10, 2009, 02:58:06 AM
I'm glad they still make the micra.
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us Offline David

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #11 on: November 10, 2009, 06:39:49 AM
I`ve got two PST IIs One of each. Unmarked date codes of 0398 and 0498. PST II marked date codes 1198 and 1198.   :think:   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.
What? Enablers! Are you serrrrious? Where? I dont see any.
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00 Offline 1jump2many

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #12 on: November 10, 2009, 03:22:36 PM
I`ve got two PST IIs One of each. Unmarked date codes of 0398 and 0498. PST II marked date codes 1198 and 1198.   :think:   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.

You might have the evidence that shows an approximate time when they began to put the PST II stamp on the tool.  With all the members in here with PST II maybe we could figure it out.  Just from your two PST II's it appears like the middle of 1998.  That would be interesting if we could narrow down the time.  Of course there would be exceptions like the one Chako has with the handles that are years apart. 
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us Offline Smitty44

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #13 on: November 10, 2009, 09:08:19 PM
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.



 :cheers:& :salute:


00 Offline 1jump2many

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #14 on: November 10, 2009, 10:03:37 PM
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.
 :cheers:& :salute:

That is what mine looks like too.  Do both of your date stamps match? As I mentioned above if all of us that own PST II's post our date stamps and whether PST II is stamped on the handle or not, we could narrow it down to when Leatherman started stamping PST II on them. 

That had to have been tough to quit smoking after 40 years.  I smoked for 15 years and quit in 1996 too.  To this day, every once in a while if I get in a line at a grocery store that sells cigarettes I'll almost flinch like I'm starting to grab a pack to buy.  I remember when I was stationed in Germany from 85 - 87 a carton of Marlboro's were $4.  The entire time I was stationed there Marlboro had a $2 coupon attached to the carton.  So a carton of American Marlboro's was $2!  Of course cigarettes were rationed, 4 cartons a month.  I'm sure during your career you remember cigarette prices at the PX/BX and Commissary being a lot cheaper than on the economy. 
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us Offline Smitty44

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #15 on: November 10, 2009, 10:19:40 PM
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.

 :cheers:& :salute:


ca Offline Chako

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #16 on: November 10, 2009, 10:44:57 PM
I have one other PST II with date codes 0797/0897. Only has the “Leatherman Tool” stamped on the handles along with the smaller “Portland OR”.
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00 Offline 1jump2many

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #17 on: November 10, 2009, 11:27:09 PM
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.

 :cheers:& :salute:

David's post earlier in this thread mentions he has two PST II's one dated 0398 and 0498 without the PST II stamp and one dated 1198 on both handles that is stamped PST II.  It's not concrete but it sure gives me the idea that they started stamping PST II sometime between 0498 and 1198. 

You were in 36 years and only stationed in Germany once?  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.  Plus I was married and couldn't have as much fun as I did the first time.  :cheers:
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us Offline Smitty44

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #18 on: November 11, 2009, 05:47:10 AM
      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.


 :salute:


00 Offline 1jump2many

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #19 on: November 11, 2009, 06:02:09 AM
      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.


 :salute:

That was what I was hoping too.  I may start another thread and ask everyone that owns a PST II to look at them and post the dates.

My second assignment was a joint unit on MacDill AFB.  We were contantly going TDY to various countries in the Middle East.  This was back before Desert Shield/Storm and also I was assigned to that unit during DS/DS.  We went TDY all over in that unit and would do stop overs in the Azores, Spain, Rhein Main, Naples.  I also went TDY to Italy and Germany while at MacDill too, along with many other places.  I was there maybe half the time I was stationed there.  A lot of travelling in that unit.  BTW, Happy Veterans Day to you.  :salute:
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us Offline David

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #20 on: November 13, 2009, 07:15:54 AM
Well I made a mistake. The PST II I got for my brother wasnt marked PST II after all. Its date codes are 0397 and 0497.
What? Enablers! Are you serrrrious? Where? I dont see any.
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00 Offline 1jump2many

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #21 on: November 13, 2009, 03:28:26 PM
David,

So far your earlier information is the best to determine when the PST II stamp was added, sometime between 0498 & 1198.  Everyone that has posted dates earlier don't have the stamp and those that posted dates later do.  Thanks for looking.
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us Offline ducktapehero

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #22 on: November 13, 2009, 03:47:08 PM
Quote
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.
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.
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00 Offline 1jump2many

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Re: PST II Question
Reply #23 on: November 13, 2009, 06:31:35 PM
Quote
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.
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.

My second tour was from 10/91 to 12/93 and I remember the Mark rate being 1.5 to the $.  I don't think it ever went over 2 DM to the $.  My first tour from 8/85 to 8/87 it was much better.  When I first arrived it was 3.4DM to the $ and then slowly decended until around 2.5DM to the $ by the time I left.  We used to get COLA to make up some of the difference the second tour I was there.
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