Why are good tools being discontinued?

[ReamerPunch]

 

[ironraven]

Which one now?

[rdub934]

Safe money is on them making room in the line-up for "new and improved". But that's not always the case.

Gerber discontinued the Octane without a replacement it was a great tool that could have benefitted from some refinement. Now they sent the Flik to the boneyard; I guess we will wait until Jan to see if a Flik 2.0 drops or if they just let it completely fade away. No Balance replacement yet.

LM is pretty good about fielding replacements or refinements, but the much loved Sideclip never got a true successor. I think they intended the Kick as the original replacement. The Skeletool is functionally similar, but the chassis is so different it is in a separate family. Maybe the Sidekick/Wingman/Rev is the closest thing currently available, but OHO, locking blade, and a general concensus of perceived lower quality takes it further away from the Sideclip.

SOG took forever to replace the SwitchPlier. They still haven't replaced the ToolClip. The replaced the good CrossCut with the CrossCut Poo.0. And now that its retired, we'll have to see what comes next in that family. Otherwise, they are still rocking some classics: PPP, PL, and Paratool.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Most manufacturers will tell you that the only two reasons products are discontinued is because:

A) a new version is coming out, like the Wave and 2004 Wave, or

B) sales of that tool are not as expected.

Occasionally a tool is such a good seller that the manufacturer can't discontinue it- the sales are good that the replacements come and go but the original is still kicking long after the replacements have been replaced.  Look at the Micra for example.

Def

[ReamerPunch]

The PST was popular, and still is. It is smaller than the Kick etc line, so I do not consider it having been replaced. I do not see why this was discontinued. Sure, now we have all sorts of removable parts and bits, oho blades, sliding pliers etc, but come on. It's the original Tool. Why on earth was it retired?

I got the Sideclip about a week ago. It's nice, and the fact that I like it so much, without it having scissors or reamer really says something. Honestly. Six tools, and three are flatheads. An awl could fit next to the blade, and the other handle doesn't have a long tool, even though it would fit. Hell, make it 1mm fatter, and put an extra tool in each handle. I am sort on the fence with the Sideclip. It is nice and compact, but rather limited. One could argue that the Wingman line replaced the Sideclip and its variations that never were.

The mini-Tool was in a league of its own. No true replacement. Did it not sell well? Or was it prone to breakage or something? 
Surely Evil's Incarnate would be popular. Have you seen that thread? That mini is mindblowing. Maybe a Mini II will show up eventually, but I doubt it.

The Squirt P4 is also a peculiar case of retirement. The PS4 scissor bar tends to break, so it cannot be called new and improved over the P4. Plus, not everyone wants scissors, or at least tiny ones. Why not have both P4 and PS4? Along with E4, I guess. Yeah, manufacturing cost is a factor, sure. But really, how many parts are different between the two? And those tiny scissors will be more complicated to make, compared to the small awl and flathead in the P4.

[cody6268]

Usually, it's because the tool needs improvment to the maker (in many cases, it doesn't),  or a tool we like just isn't a good enough seller (i.e. Victorinox Craftsman) to make the money they want.

Of course, I  too don't understand why the pre '04 LMs (PST, PST II, Mini Tool, ST and ST200) were discontinued.  The PST, PST II, and Mini Tool never got a true replacement.  The Mini Tool was the only small multi with full sized pliers, and the PST and PST II are very light and thin, yet contain most of the stuff I use.

[ReamerPunch]

It's just sad. You know? I got a Sideclip and a PST, and am amazed at the design and quality. Thin, light, compact, smooth, tight. Such marvelous creations. Fine, let's leave the Sideclip aside. Why discontinue the PST? It's the holy grail. I'd be proud to keep making it, along with all the new fancy designs. Many people got into the MT world with the PST, and are old-fashioned. Plus, it was not replaced. Why not keep the pst in production? Sad to see it go, glad I got one.

[rdub934]

It's just sad. You know? I got a Sideclip and a PST, and am amazed at the design and quality. Thin, light, compact, smooth, tight. Such marvelous creations. Fine, let's leave the Sideclip aside. Why discontinue the PST? It's the holy grail. I'd be proud to keep making it, along with all the new fancy designs. Many people got into the MT world with the PST, and are old-fashioned. Plus, it was not replaced. Why not keep the pst in production? Sad to see it go, glad I got one.

SOG kept the PST alive with the PPP

[Poncho65]

I love the PST myself and wished it had a more direct descendant than the Rebar It didn't have as comfortable handles as newer tools and it doesn't lock.  LM was being smart business wise but it still doesn't mean it was what a lot of people wanted I am hoping that we all benefit in the long run from all these new innovations though

[Poncho65]

It's just sad. You know? I got a Sideclip and a PST, and am amazed at the design and quality. Thin, light, compact, smooth, tight. Such marvelous creations. Fine, let's leave the Sideclip aside. Why discontinue the PST? It's the holy grail. I'd be proud to keep making it, along with all the new fancy designs. Many people got into the MT world with the PST, and are old-fashioned. Plus, it was not replaced. Why not keep the pst in production? Sad to see it go, glad I got one.

SOG kept the PST alive with the PPP

 

 

[sLaughterMed]

Honestly, after 21 years I suspect PST sales were starting to stagnate. Competitors like SOG, Victorinox and Gerber were modernizing their lineups, and Leatherman hadn't, with the exception of the Pulse and OG Wave. There's a saying in business "grow or die". Even if a business does everything right, they will lose customers. The only way to survive is to be constantly be gaining new customers. Can't grow if you don't offer something new.

[ReamerPunch]

Which is why all those nice multi-tools died out, like the A100, Schrade visegrips, Bucks etc.

Doesn't SOG still make the PPP and Paratool? Though moving production to Taiwan helped.

[sLaughterMed]

Which is why all those nice multi-tools died out, like the A100, Schrade visegrips, Bucks etc.

Doesn't SOG still make the PPP and Paratool? Though moving production to Taiwan helped.

Yes they do, no clue why though. The Paratool especially seems to lack in sales, and it often retails for the same price as a Wave!

[ThePeacent]

I also feel this is today's incarnation of the PST.



Sadly, other great tools have been discontinued.



 Some very unique ones.



 But thanks to the Internet, many of us have been able to get lots of them. 



Some pics for those nostalgic members like myself, of old discontinued pieces I have managed to acquire:

[dks]

[ReamerPunch]

What's that PPP next to the Spyderco? It seems packed, and the square pliers tip isn't too bad to look at either. 

[Syncop8r]

I guess it's because sales drop so new products are needed to generate sales, and changes over the years in how they are manufactured means the quality these days isn't what it used to be.

Like I said, that's a guess.

[dks]

People complain about the PST being discontinued, but you can still buy one new from eBay etc.for a reasonable price, after all these years (I got a NIB BO PST last year, I think, for about  $50, and the seller had lots more to sell).
 So, really, they probably just made too many to begin with, and had to stop making them.

[Sazabi]

What's that PPP next to the Spyderco? It seems packed, and the square pliers tip isn't too bad to look at either. 

After trawling through his posts, I found the answer for you:  It's a Power Plier, the older, non-locking version of the (you guessed it) Power Lock.

And yes, I want one too. >.>

[ThePeacent]

What's that PPP next to the Spyderco? It seems packed, and the square pliers tip isn't too bad to look at either. 

After trawling through his posts, I found the answer for you:  It's a Power Plier, the older, non-locking version of the (you guessed it) Power Lock.

And yes, I want one too. >.>

Indeed. you want one. And many people who still don't know they want it.



My second favorite SOG product of all time. A tank



And the sturdiest feeling MT I have. Zero handle flex at full pressure.



Really, feels stronger than my Surge, ST300, MP600 BN, Powerlock, Core, and every other MT I've had or handled.



And it's a beauty, while keeping a reasonable weight and really complete tool loadout.



...lovely Robertson screwdriver   





It's the multi that angers me the most the fact it was discontinued.





Sheath is , also. True old quality leather.



Only drawback is no locking tools, at least for me.

[Poncho65]

Great pics ThePeacent