Coleman Pro Lock

[Chako]

I figured it was time to do a small expose on a now discontinued tool with some very innovative features, even by today’s standards….the Coleman Pro Lock. This is more for the new comers to this web site then anything else.

A bit of background history on mine is in order before I talk about the tool itself. The Pro Lock was my first good quality multi-tool. At the time, I was a bit jealous of my father’s dress Leatherman Pulse. I was in University and dirt poor, and could not afford a Leatherman. I came across the Coleman and loved the one unique feature that the Pulse didn’t have, and the price was right also. I believe I paid 39 in 1998 for it. I wore this MT for quite some time, and took good care of it. If I needed any dirty work done, I would use my American Camper. So you could say this one has a bit of sentimentality wrapped up in it.

The Coleman Pro Lock was a very unique multi-tool for its day. By the time that the Coleman was produces, various manufactueres had started figuring out how to improve the handle comfort. Coleman followed the lead of Schrade and decided to fold the handles around the pliers. Not only does this offer outside folding tools for easy access without having to open the pliers, but once you did open the pliers, your palms were greeted with a very comfortable smooth handle free of sharp edges. 











Of course, the way the handles wrap around the pliers, also caused its own ergonomic nightmare of sorts. Much like Schrade, the handles have a curve that sort of forces the hand to move towards the pliers when in use.
The special feature that made me buy the tool in the first place was the modular system they designed for the tools. The folding tools are in removable pods. My instructions state that new tool pods would be made in the fall of 98. Of course they never materialized. I read somewhere that Coleman ran into some patents, and were forced to cut short this promising tools lifespan. Consequently, no other pods were ever created for this innovative production multi-tool other then the two that came standard with it.





The pods lock into place via a metal tab that you can swing open and use as a lever to pry the modular tool pod out of the handles. It was all ingenious and worked very well, except one handle on mine was a real nail breaker for about a few months until it loosened up somewhat.











Inconveniently, the ruler markings are found on one side of each tool pod. In order to use them, you had to remove a pod beforehand.





The nice thing that really attracted me to this tool was the capability of using both tool pods at once if needed. Often, I had wished my American Camper was a bit more flexible. I found the Coleman system to fit the bill just right.  The promise of other tool that never materialized kept me thinking I had done a very smart purchase as this was a true multi-tool in every sense of the word.





Of course, none of this ever happened, and I was rather disappointed at the time that they never fleshed it out. 

So there you have it, some ramblings and photos of a unique multi-tool that never got the chance to reach its full potential. Oddly enough, for a tool called a Pro Lock, the implements do not lock whatsoever. They are referring to the tool pods locking into the handles. A quirky name for a quirky tool. Somehow that seems fitting.

[sawman]

This is the first time I've seen anything of the like. Thanks for that bit of history.

[MultiMat]

My Pro Lock also reminds me of a Schrade MT as well  .
The pods are a inspired idea & it was such a shame the different pods did not eventuate  .
Being able to remove the pod & use the tools as well as the pliers at the same time is a GREAT feature  .
 

[Chako]

Seems to be a fairly rare tool to get these days, as I don't believe they were on the market for very long. 

[Raukodur]

how hard would it be for a person experienced at modding (e.g. Bob, or Evil) to make different pods for that tool? Im guessing not very.

[J-sews]

A great concept! Too bad it it fizzled out before getting a chance to really take off. The construction of the tool isn't bad, but it isn't great either. (although the pod retaining clips lock up surprisingly well)

Mod fodder? Hmmm, I would find it rather.....challenging..... to produce the sheet metal pod housing.


On a different note: when Coleman got out of the multitool business after suffering a legal setback at the hands of the mighty Leatherman legal team, the apparently divested themselves of the Pro-Lock patent. Check out who the new assignee is:   Pro-Lock patent


Now wouldn't it be just the coolest thing if there was a Bear ProLock?!!

[Chako]

I would drink to that. 

[jzmtl]

Huh, why would leatherman go after coleman but leave all the other guys alone?

[J-sews]

Huh, why would leatherman go after coleman but leave all the other guys alone?

Back in the 90's, Leatherman was going after everyone, aggresively defending "their" multitool design. They had won 17 of 20 lawsuits at one point if I recall correctly. In the case of Leatherman -vs- Coleman, it wasn't the ProLock that was in question, it was a near-exact copy of the PST that Coleman had brought to market. 

[J-sews]

Pro-Lock paperwork:





(Additional cartridges available Fall 1998)

[jzmtl]

Huh, why would leatherman go after coleman but leave all the other guys alone?

Back in the 90's, Leatherman was going after everyone, aggresively defending "their" multitool design. They had won 17 of 20 lawsuits at one point if I recall correctly. In the case of Leatherman -vs- Coleman, it wasn't the ProLock that was in question, it was a near-exact copy of the PST that Coleman had brought to market. 

Ah, guess all those money spent on lawyers didn't work too well, look at the market now.

[fatcat55]

I have never seen this tool before. Thanks for sharing the pictures and the information.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Further reading on the Pro-Lock if anyone is interested:

Coleman Pro Lock Review on Multitool.org

Def

[ACHË]

That is one amazing tool....

You think you've seen it all as far as MT's go.....and then.... 

Great post

[ACHË]

Now coleman seems to have changed their MT design.........erm..........process?

[jzmtl]

I guess you can gather some chopsticks and pencils for firewood with that saw. 

[yud]

That is quite the lighter

[KirbyF]

Thank you so much for the write-up on this amazing tool!  I actually own one,  I'd guess I purchased it in the late 90's at some point.  Several members of my family started showing up at get-togethers showing off their sexy new leathermans which were way out of my price range.  But when I saw the Coleman version for a measly $40 I thought "What do I have to loose?" and it's one of the best camping purchases I've ever made.  I still have it 15 years later and it works great on every outing.

The removable pod feature is sheer brilliance.  Like you mentioned, it allows you to use one tool from each pod at the same time, or hold something with the pliers while you work it with one of the other tools.  But the most frequent occurance for us is while making dinner or something and one of us might be using the knife or can opener while another of us is using a screwdriver or file.

I really mourn the fact that additional pods never materialized.  I really hope the current patent holder does something with this nifty design.

Oh, and I forgot to mention the other crazy part.  Nowadays at family gatherings I don't see anybody else still carrying their leathermans, and when I pull out the Coleman tool there is almost always some exclaimation about how cool and useful it is.  (and almost always a "where did you get that?")

[scrappy]

I owned a pst knock off so I can see why they would be sued but the prolock should have been kept in production, the handles could have made it a very popular tool imo

[NutSAK]

Thanks for the review Chako!  That is an interesting tool indeed.  I'd like to pick one of these up if I can find one--it seems fairly compact and worthy of BOB duty.

[Poncho65]

To bad this one didn't take off as the idea behind it is very interesting Who hasn't had something with your pliers and wishing you also had a screwdriver  I know I have Or hold something with the pliers and cut it with the blade that was in the handle just a minute before

 

[Grant Lamontagne]

The problem is that the tool end of the handles is the expensive part, and the pliers are the cheap part.

That meant that the add on cartridges cost almost as much as just buying another tool.   

Instead of customizing your load out it became just as easy to have a specific tool in the glove box, in the shop,  in the drawer, in the range bag, in the tackle box etc instead of having one tool and a number of optional outfits sold separately.

Def

[genevabuck]

I have one of those still in the clamshell. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Might as well, they aren't that useful when you take them out! 

Def

[Poncho65]

Might as well, they aren't that useful when you take them out! 

Def

 

 

[David Bowen]

Living in small town USA I always see the same old tools and not much variety. Lots of leatherman's and a few Gerbers. Things like this don't usually show up and I'm glad we stopped in this consignment shop today. I about went crazy when I spotted a Coleman Pro-Lock in the display case next to a PST and some other knock off stuff. I had never seen one in the wild and it was cool to see one here. It's slightly neglected with some minor corrosion, sand etc but the blades were factory sharp. Like someone put it in a tackle box and only used the pliers. I've cleaned it up some and it'll be a nice addition to my collection. I was hoping the Leatherman was an early model but it was a '99 in perfect condition but I've got enough of them. I did some digging up of info on the Pro-Lock and it's a pitty it never became more than it was.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk

[Chako]

That is a great find. They aren't all that common these days. 

[clown]

I'm glad someone bumped this thread up.  I've never seen this tool before.  For those of you that have them, how would you rate the overall quality of the tool, innovation aside?

[David Bowen]

I'm glad someone bumped this thread up.  I've never seen this tool before.  For those of you that have them, how would you rate the overall quality of the tool, innovation aside?

To me; quality is a 5. 10 being victorinox and Leatherman being maybe 7. It's innovative but quality feels like a Chinese copy of a Schrade tool in some ways. Love the idea though, my pliers have play from being used hard I think or had play before and usage made it worse. Still I didn't want to pass up on this piece of history.

Sent from my SM-T377V using Tapatalk

[Sam Lim]

I'm glad someone bumped this thread up.  I've never seen this tool before.  For those of you that have them, how would you rate the overall quality of the tool, innovation aside?

To me; quality is a 5. 10 being victorinox and Leatherman being maybe 7. It's innovative but quality feels like a Chinese copy of a Schrade tool in some ways. Love the idea though, my pliers have play from being used hard I think or had play before and usage made it worse. Still I didn't want to pass up on this piece of history.

Sent from my SM-T377V using Tapatalk

The big question. How much did u pay for it? I saw it once on ebay recently. Got it on my watch list but somehow it still slipped through..