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Leatherman production timeline

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za Offline Max Stone

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #330 on: January 24, 2019, 05:50:07 PM
Added new logo, Hybrid/Vista that I missed, and new Free P2/P4 (pliers based). While Leatherman are positioning Free as completely new, it does follow an evolutionary path started by Wave in 1998, so I've tagged it under this branch.

Looking at the portfolio, any thoughts on what model is next up for discontinuation? Crunch? OHT?
Leatherman Family Tree.JPG
* Leatherman Family Tree.JPG (Filesize: 110.3 KB)
* Leatherman Family Tree.pdf (Filesize: 431.5 KB)
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us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #331 on: January 24, 2019, 06:09:43 PM
I'd say the Crunch is safe since it is the only type of its kind (hoping I am not jinxing this by saying it :facepalm: ) but the OHT may have its days numbered  :ahhh

Thanks for the updated pic :like: already downloaded  :tu:


us Offline SteveC

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #332 on: February 04, 2019, 02:01:23 PM
Great job on the family tree !    :cheers:


za Offline Max Stone

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #333 on: February 04, 2019, 03:27:31 PM
Thanks Steve. Puts a little perspective on their portfolio.  :hatsoff:
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Offline abwaluyo

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #334 on: June 04, 2019, 07:56:57 AM
what is the leatherman surge (tm) and surge (r) difference. is it related to the year of manufacture or something else? thanks for the information.  :multi:


za Offline Max Stone

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #335 on: June 04, 2019, 01:30:17 PM
Hello abwaluyo and welcome to  :MTO:

I may not be understanding your question. Maybe you are referring to TM (trade mark) and R (registered design/name)?  :dunno:
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us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #336 on: June 04, 2019, 04:35:08 PM
Welcome to :MTO: abwaluyo :cheers: I am going with Max about the R and TM meaning Registered and Trademark :cheers: Registered for a trademark will likely be an older tool as it hasn't been for sure approved at he time and TM will be newer as it was approved :tu: Datecodes inside the handles of the Surge will likely prove the theory :cheers: I am sure exceptions to this can always be found though :D


za Offline Max Stone

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #337 on: June 04, 2019, 06:49:25 PM
True Poncho.  :iagree:

Leatherman failed in their efforts to patent the PST in the early days, so they registered the design instead which gave them some means to go after other brands copying the design. This is probably a similar strategy they did for Surge. Trademark typically relates to the product name. I’m no expert on this, so maybe others can chime in.
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nz Offline zoidberg

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #338 on: June 05, 2019, 01:20:33 AM
Welcome to :MTO: abwaluyo :cheers: I am going with Max about the R and TM meaning Registered and Trademark :cheers: Registered for a trademark will likely be an older tool as it hasn't been for sure approved at he time and TM will be newer as it was approved :tu: Datecodes inside the handles of the Surge will likely prove the theory :cheers: I am sure exceptions to this can always be found though :D

I think it is the other way around Poncho.


us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #339 on: June 05, 2019, 11:10:02 PM
Perhaps :think: I have never really paid attention to all that kind of stuff :D


Offline abwaluyo

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #340 on: June 11, 2019, 12:03:31 PM
thank you very much for your reply. I'm glad my first post was responded immediately. I really appreciate this. Maybe the photo I sent can clarify what I meant.
Leatherman with the words Surge r vs. surge tm printed on the body of the unit.
IMG-20190517-WA0000.jpg
* IMG-20190517-WA0000.jpg (Filesize: 50.68 KB)
IMG-20190517-WA0001.jpg
* IMG-20190517-WA0001.jpg (Filesize: 30.7 KB)


Offline abwaluyo

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #341 on: June 11, 2019, 12:20:13 PM
Welcome to :MTO: abwaluyo :cheers: I am going with Max about the R and TM meaning Registered and Trademark :cheers: Registered for a trademark will likely be an older tool as it hasn't been for sure approved at he time and TM will be newer as it was approved :tu: Datecodes inside the handles of the Surge will likely prove the theory :cheers: I am sure exceptions to this can always be found though :D

 :iagree: Sounds reasonable. Thank you very much Poncho65


Offline abwaluyo

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #342 on: June 11, 2019, 12:28:05 PM
Perhaps :think: I have never really paid attention to all that kind of stuff :D
I believe, now you have been  :cheers:


Offline abwaluyo

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #343 on: June 11, 2019, 12:30:48 PM
True Poncho.  :iagree:

Leatherman failed in their efforts to patent the PST in the early days, so they registered the design instead which gave them some means to go after other brands copying the design. This is probably a similar strategy they did for Surge. Trademark typically relates to the product name. I’m no expert on this, so maybe others can chime in.
I just found out that PST had experienced something like this. Thanks for the info Max.


za Offline Max Stone

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #344 on: June 11, 2019, 01:43:25 PM
 :hatsoff:
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Offline ABURABURA

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #345 on: August 14, 2019, 03:03:52 PM
Anyone knows why the blades are different on the the two Leatherman tools I have.


za Offline Max Stone

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #346 on: August 14, 2019, 07:35:47 PM
Hello ABURABURA, I think the clip-point is an older variant. Should be covered in the PST chronology thread...
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Offline ABURABURA

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #347 on: August 14, 2019, 11:07:55 PM
Hello ABURABURA, I think the clip-point is an older variant. Should be covered in the PST chronology thread...
:facepalm:ok thank you!


za Offline Max Stone

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #348 on: August 14, 2019, 11:20:26 PM
The descriptions can be a little confusing (clip point vs. sabre point), but it’s just blade pattern changes Leatherman went through over the long production life of the PST.

From 1992 they began stamping a date code inside the handle (MMYY), so this will help you get a handle on the production year.  :cheers:

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,5877.0.html
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be Offline Top-Gear-24

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #349 on: November 04, 2019, 12:29:28 PM
Haven't checked the entire topic yet, but I'm going to ask anyway  :P.

Anyone knows which period the Crater and Expanse knives were/are made, I know they still sell some of the Crater knives, and that the Expanse versions are all retired.  But I would like to know the years these were made (I'm a bit of a fan of the series, I seem to remember they were not very popular at the time (got both my Crater E33L and my Expanse E33T at huge discount prices, since they didn't sell over here), but I really like them.


Offline ABURABURA

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #350 on: November 17, 2019, 02:25:39 AM
Hi ! I just got in the mail a new Leatherman pst2. With the date 0296 ! Does anybody know the month where Leatherman started producing the pst2 in 1996 ? I will add pictures later!  And the rare thing is that it doesn’t say Leatherman pst2 or Leatherman pst on it. It just say Leatherman tool.


au Offline gregozedobe

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #351 on: November 17, 2019, 04:15:23 AM
Hi ! I just got in the mail a new Leatherman pst2. With the date 0296 ! Does anybody know the month where Leatherman started producing the pst2 in 1996 ? I will add pictures later!  And the rare thing is that it doesn’t say Leatherman pst2 or Leatherman pst on it. It just say Leatherman tool.

Nice to get a new one all these years later.   :tu:

According to David LM may have used older handles:
"I got another unmarked PST II in a week or two ago dated 1195 & 0296"
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,15102.0.html

It is possible that the date code is when the handle was made, not when the complete tool was assembled, plus LM may have replaced with a used (and therefore older) handle when doing maintenance under warranty.  LM was also known to make handles in batches and stockpile them until used up.

"LeathermanTool" PST IIs aren't rare, LM obviously used the PST handles when they first started making PST IIs, later (when the PST hadles ran out ? ) they made specific PST II handles.
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Offline ABURABURA

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #352 on: November 17, 2019, 05:01:02 AM
Only thing that was missing is the instructions book but I can’t complain since I got it for a unbelievable price!


Offline ABURABURA

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #353 on: November 17, 2019, 05:03:16 AM
Nice to get a new one all these years later.   :tu:

According to David LM may have used older handles:
"I got another unmarked PST II in a week or two ago dated 1195 & 0296"
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,15102.0.htmlthanks for the info!

It is possible that the date code is when the handle was made, not when the complete tool was assembled, plus LM may have replaced with a used (and therefore older) handle when doing maintenance under warranty.  LM was also known to make handles in batches and stockpile them until used up.

"LeathermanTool" PST IIs aren't rare, LM obviously used the PST handles when they first started making PST IIs, later (when the PST hadles ran out ? ) they made specific PST II handles.


be Offline Ivo

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #354 on: November 25, 2019, 12:51:11 PM
Only thing that was missing is the instructions book but I can’t complain since I got it for a unbelievable price!

Very nice  :drool: :like: :cheers:
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ru Offline wowaboro

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #355 on: November 28, 2019, 06:40:43 PM
Hi ! I just got in the mail a new Leatherman pst2. With the date 0296 ! Does anybody know the month where Leatherman started producing the pst2 in 1996 ? I will add pictures later!  And the rare thing is that it doesn’t say Leatherman pst2 or Leatherman pst on it. It just say Leatherman tool.

Earliest PST II in my collection has 1195 (knife handle)/1095 (file handle) date codes.
« Last Edit: November 28, 2019, 09:17:38 PM by wowaboro »


be Offline Ivo

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #356 on: December 03, 2019, 12:06:30 PM
Added new logo, Hybrid/Vista that I missed, and new Free P2/P4 (pliers based). While Leatherman are positioning Free as completely new, it does follow an evolutionary path started by Wave in 1998, so I've tagged it under this branch.

Looking at the portfolio, any thoughts on what model is next up for discontinuation? Crunch? OHT?

Max can you also add the GENUS , I only see the VISTA and HYBRID  :hatsoff:
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za Offline Max Stone

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Re: Leatherman Multitool Family Tree
Reply #357 on: January 04, 2020, 11:34:43 PM
Hello all, for my first post on Leatherman Tools...

This may well have been done before, however if not, the following Family Tree may be of interest to some forum members. I've split it into inside- and outside-folding tools, and attempted to link related tools. Only the original model launched is shown as it would be too complex to list all variations. Non-folding tools, wearables and knives are not listed.

Kind regards, Max
My MT.o anniversary today...a year sure went by quickly!  :salute:
And I must admit that as much as I have learnt from the knowledge of the forum members, it has been the sharing of experiences and gaining others’ perspectives that has been the most valued.  :hatsoff:
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us Offline SteveC

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #358 on: January 04, 2020, 11:39:30 PM
 :like: :tu:


us Offline Poncho65

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Re: Leatherman production timeline.
Reply #359 on: January 05, 2020, 03:56:36 AM
Glad to have had you with us, Max :salute: here's to many more years :cheers: and  :iagree: that experiences of members here is what keeps me totally informed on lots of different gear as well :tu: :like:


 

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