Leatherman Garage

[Outback in Idaho]

  Leatherman Teases Innovation ‘Garage’: What Does It Mean?
  Source: https://gearjunkie.com/news/leatherman-garage-concept

  Leatherman just unveiled plans for its limited Garage line of products. Described as an “innovation hub,” the Garage will focus on producing innovative, small-batch designs that extend beyond the realm of pocket tools and knives.

  Current details are pretty vague, but it sounds like the global multitool megabrand is attempting to run it back to its humble beginnings in Tim Leatherman’s Portland garage some 40 years ago. Here’s what we know so far.

  The Leatherman Garage design team will experiment with new materials, blueprints, and processes. If all goes according to plan, the Garage should prove a veritable crucible of creativity and thoughtful engineering.

  The brand says that offering limited-run gear on a more select basis will allow its designers freedom beyond the red tape and demands that come with mass production. And the pared-down, one-time-release model should make receiving customer feedback faster and simpler.

  At the time of writing, the Garage is a fledgling idea, and there are no prototypes that we can report on just yet. But dexterity has always been the brand’s superpower, and we look forward to testing whatever comes out of the Leatherman Garage. So stay tuned — we’ll update some of the first creations coming from it.

  For updates on the forthcoming Leatherman Garage, including exclusive access to its small-batch releases, sign up at leatherman.com/garage.


  In 1975, Tim started with some sketches and an idea in his garage. Over 40 years later, we're celebrating our birthplace and exploring what's next for Leatherman.
  https://www.leatherman.com/garage.html

 

[Aloha]

 

Sounds like they'll be expensive. 

[Syncop8r]

 

[Barry Rowland]

 

[Rich_SD]

That part that stuck out to me was "limited runs of 1,000".  I have the feeling these are going to be tools that sell out on Day 1 and are immediately posted on eBay for triple the price.  I feel sorry for collectors like Chako that try to get one of everything.  I have high hopes, but I suspect I'll never get the chance to buy one from Leatherman at list price.

[ReamerPunch]

 
No idea, but I am not getting my hopes up. There are already fantastic tools out there to get.

[Juan el Boricua]

Maybe this will be the place of the "NexGen" of Minis, Crunches, TTi's, and Juices from where they'll come back...

(If the prices are what they are NOW, I don't want to think about what they'll be THEN! )

[Tasky]

"The brand says that offering limited-run gear on a more select basis will allow its designers freedom beyond the red tape and demands that come with mass production"
It will likely also restrict your customer base, to the point where you're relying solely on die-hard collectors not running out of money... Everyone else will just think you're a smurf and because they can no longer buy your smurfing artisan junk, you will cease to be relevant in the modern market.
I've seen it happen with several brands who made this mistake.

[Chako]

No worries here. I do not plan on buying too many, if any of these type of cash grab things.

[Aloha]

Is this all really code for LM finally figured out what to do with TTC 

Seems like LM is doing what other brands have done.  I sure hope whatever they churn out is good quality not just pretty.  I don't imagine collectors ( likely market ) will be using them but they sure will be scrutinizing them big time.   I look at the Signal and wonder if this is what they have in mind?  Charge also comes to mind.  The Surge could use some "upgrading" as fas as knife blade steel IMO. 

I also wonder how many of MTO modders ideas they'll borrow  .     

[genevabuck]

Is this all really code for LM finally figured out what to do with TTC 

Seems like LM is doing what other brands have done.  I sure hope whatever they churn out is good quality not just pretty.  I don't imagine collectors ( likely market ) will be using them but they sure will be scrutinizing them big time.   I look at the Signal and wonder if this is what they have in mind?  Charge also comes to mind.  The Surge could use some "upgrading" as fas as knife blade steel IMO. 

I also wonder how many of MTO modders ideas they'll borrow  .   

That was my thought. Sorta like how a company like Benchmade will commission a famous blade smith to add a special blade or handles to a pre existing knife. If $600 multi tools are your thing this may be your ticket.

[Poncho65]

It may have to do with how people went crazy over the NASA  Charge

I won't ever be able to afford any of them probably but I did get an email and signed up for updates 

[Tasky]

NASA stuff is proper cool, though. People still buy Fisher space pens, even outside of the EDC community... but what neither they nor even the majority of the EDC lot will do, is drop £3-400 on a semi/pseudo limited edition carbon fibre & textured titanium tacticool pen, especially when it still only takes Fisher refills!

So LM definitely barking up many a wrong tree here, I expect.

[Adam5]

It may have to do with how people went crazy over the NASA  Charge

I won't ever be able to afford any of them probably but I did get an email and signed up for updates 

Are you going to let that stop you?      

[Aloha]

We'll see if this actually gets going.  We've had plenty of ideas and as we saw TTC ran with a lot of ideas.  I sure they don't think adding a super steel main blade is something special.  This could a a fun project to release BO tools that have never been BO.  Crunch comes to mind.  I would also like to see the Signal further developed.  Lets see a scaled down blade exchanger while you're at it.  Damascus is pretty but lets see added function and further development.  I like the ratcheting bit extender.  I don't really want to see scales added or paint.  Let loose with some of the things that would really be fun.  How about a lego MT?  One we can disassemble and add parts to.  They can make the parts and we can pick and choose?  Custom configurations to our needs/wants. 

Just thinking out loud.         

[bobartig]

I assume this is at least in part to capitalize on the recent FOMO marketing trends that are popping up across all forms of collectible goods. Knives have had this for years with companies like Spyderco. Sports Collectibles and Magic the Gathering have launched their "limited availability" print-on-demand products that are on sale for 24 hours or a week.

[GearedForwards]

I may be missing something here, but 1,000 isn't mass production? Are they going to claim that these innovative engineers are going to hand produce 1,000 units of each design?

[Poncho65]

Are you going to let that stop you?      

Yep price is always my biggest deterrent If money wasn't an object I would have a very large collection

[Chako]

I am the same Poncho65. I must be getting quite jaded. I am no longer chasing things that are artifically high for the sake of the collector community. Sounds like a giant cash grab to me these days. For instance, I just received that special Edition PST, a Topo Skeletool, and that Leatherman Hands Free Tool. The price increase to convert those from US to Canadian, plus the 56 American to ship it to me, made me realize that if only Leatherman sold this stuff in Canada as they should, I would have gotten it all at half the price. It soured me, I can tell you.

What many may not recall is that when TTC first came out, their tools were not that much more expensive than the Leatherman fare. It was very reasonable. Now it is getting harder and harder for me to even justify the high prices of Leatherman tools these days. When I first got into collecting Leatherman, you could buy a Charge for 140 dollars. Now it is north of 200.

[tango44]

Leatherman and cheap are words that does not belong in the same phrase, something expensive for sure...

[Aloha]

I may be missing something here, but 1,000 isn't mass production? Are they going to claim that these innovative engineers are going to hand produce 1,000 units of each design?

1000 pieces is a sprint run at best.  I can't really see then hand producing ( by definition ) the pieces.  They have tooling so I imagine them starting with a current format, like the Charge/Wave.  This is why I said I hope they don't think adding paint or a Damascus main blade is gonna get anyone excited at least not me. 

 

[GearedForwards]

1000 pieces is a sprint run at best.  I can't really see then hand producing ( by definition ) the pieces.  They have tooling so I imagine them starting with a current format, like the Charge/Wave.  This is why I said I hope they don't think adding paint or a Damascus main blade is gonna get anyone excited at least not me.

I guess my point was, if you can ramp up a run of 1,000 of a product, surely most of the hurdles or mass production have already been passed?

[Barry Rowland]

  completely!  That's probably why I started collecting Opinels 

Yep price is always my biggest deterrent If money wasn't an object I would have a very large collection

[genevabuck]

I just hope that this isn’t something along the lines of an expanded clothing line, cutlery, cologne, luggage, etc.

[Aloha]

GF  .  Yes sir.  As Chako said I feel its a money grab and while I have no issue with that I do hope its innovation and design rather than pretty colors and Damascus blades.  It also makes me think, isn't this what R&D is for?  This "garage" is what then again? 

[GearedForwards]

It may be their reaction to the Free series not doing as well, why wait to recoup R+D costs through product sales if you can fund it will boutique product runs? Whilst those exact products may never be generally produced, versions in lesser materials with a slightly altered design could certainly take advantage of mechanisms derived from the scheme.

I would want to at least see knife industry level fit and finish in these products, the type of general play and finish that is acceptable in Leatherman tools would never go over well in the knife hobby and there's zero reason why the standard shouldn't be there.

If you're not going to put out quality then you're just overcharging people for the name of a man no longer involved in making the tools.

[Rich_SD]

On the positive side, this could be something cool.  Maybe it's a response to all of the people that want to buy spare parts for mods from Leatherman.  Maybe it's a response to people who asked for a specialty shop from Leatherman where we could pick our own tool setup.  Maybe it's a forum for discussion on different Leatherman design ideas.

I think the only thing that will piss me off is if they sell something and manufacture so little that they all get bought up instantly by resellers.

[Aloha]

 

Is this LM pivoting?  This seems to be a work tossed about a lot these days.  If LM is using this garage to try out new ideas they better get the fit and finish together.  I mentioned those that are likely to buy these garage tools will be very much scrutinizing these tools ever so closely.  This could be a disappointing venture.  I hope not and I'm all for LM pushing limits.  Many wont be fans of paint or newer blade materials.  This can be done currently. 

I can't even keep track of all the amazing things the modders here on MTO have come up with.  Not the leave out others who have done some really cool things. 

I wonder if the the Free series was created in this garage how badly down hill this would have gone?  I didn't pick one up but from all I read this would have been a thumbs down.       

[Aloha]

@ RichSD, at runs of 1000 or less I'd imagine it'll be similar to any maker.  They will retail on the secondary market for much much more.  Look at the LE SAKs, and knife industry, GEC for example.

I am excited to see what they come up with.  I'm sure over the years they have had some engineers who wanted to run wild with design.  They have been on our boards and I'm sure they've seen some cool stuff.  Most of the stuff here is one off or very limited.  The Skeletool hammer and nearly everything EVIL did with the Skeletool.   

[Rich_SD]

@ RichSD, at runs of 1000 or less I'd imagine it'll be similar to any maker.  They will retail on the secondary market for much much more.  Look at the LE SAKs, and knife industry, GEC for example.

I'm sure they'll be much more on the secondary market - that alone I don't have a problem with.  What I hate is a manufacturer not creating enough items to satisfy the immediate buyers so even someone who tries to buy it on Day 1 is out of luck (unless they're a dealer of have some inside connection).  GEC is a great example of a company that does that crap, so their stuff is dead to me