A Study of SeberTools; timeline considerations

[hiraboo]

When I posted about Swiss-Tech tools, I was also thinking about another great pocket-sized multi-tool, the Sebertool. But I didn’t have much knowledge about SeberTool, and informations on the internet have gone gradually.
In the meantime, I will try to make do with the information I have now.

1. Introduction
2. M² SeberTool
3. M³ SeberTool
4. M⁴ SeberTool
5. I² SeberKnife
6. IDL Tools
7. Summary

You can find great reviews of the SeberTool in MTo.

“SeberTech SeberTool M3” written by Grant Lamontagne
https://www.multitool.org/blog/sebertech-sebertool-m3

“Sebertech M3 Review” written by Grant Lamontagne
https://www.multitool.org/tools/miscellaneous/sebertech-m3-review


You can find some threads of the SeberTool in this forum. For example,

“Small beauties: Swiss-Tech, SeberTool, Buck” started by CeHo
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,79687.0.html

“SeberTech M4 keychain tool...Yay or nay?” started by ducktapehero
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,3615.0.html

“M4 Sebertool” started by J-sews
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,3088.0.html

In this thread, J-sews posted the “Sebertools.jpg” which seemed to show whole family of SeberTools.
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,3088.msg42548.html#msg42548
Perhaps it had been some server problems, unfortunately that file seems to be corrupt…
Does anyone have this image saved?


And there are detailed articles in Multitool Encyclopedia.

“SeberTech”
https://wiki.multitool.org/tiki-index.php?page=SeberTech



SeberTools were invented by Brett P. Seber and Gregory F. Rubin.



US Patent documents of SeberTool M2, M3 and M4.


I have a Japanese book introduces some Multi-tools including SeberTool. According to this book, Brett P. Seber was a designer of BuckTool. That is why SeberTool have smooth curves like BuckTool.
Meanwhile, more information about Gregory F. Rubin is not available.



Ryuichi, Hirayama (1998). Toolknife no Subete (Complete book of the tool knives). Namiki-Syobou, 197p


As far as I know, SeberTool had four products.



This image is from Keychain-Tools.com, whose website is already closed. I dig it using The Wayback Machine.

Product Name	Model # / Color	Model # / Color
M2 SeberTool	1800GB / Silver	1850GB / Black
M3 SeberTool	1900GB / Silver	1950GB / Black
M4 SeberTool	2000GB / Silver	2050GB / Black
I2 SeberKnife	1500GB / Silver	1550GB / Black

I will be posting about once every couple of days.
Please be patient. 

[Aloha]

 

Always great to see you post and the information you provide.   Thank you. 

[GotBluntnose]

Keeping an eye on this thread, maybe there are more than the original M4 Sebertool, IDL, Craftsman and Harley Davidson rebrands.

[charlie fox]

I still have my M2 and the the little i2 Seber knife. I still carry every now and again. Here's a pic of the knife, I'll dig out the tool when I get home and post a pic then.

[hiraboo]

> Aloha

And your warm words always encourage me. Thank you very much !
(⌒∇⌒)


> GotBluntnose

I've found some material related to your post. Please keep an eye on this chapter until the end.
(*^ーﾟ)b


> charlie fox

Thank you for showing us your wonderful I²SeberKnife.
Actually I do not have I²SeberKnife. I was having trouble getting those photos ready. You are great !
And I envy you…
(^p^)

1. Introduction
2. M² SeberTool
3. M³ SeberTool
4. M⁴ SeberTool
5. I² SeberKnife
6. IDL Tools
7. Summary

M² SeberTool 1800GB Silver / 1850GB Black

The silver model I have does not have "SEBERTOOL USA” engraved around the pivot. But I believe it is genuine because of it’s artistic combination of parts when folded.




Seber et al. US Patent 5,996,451 “Hand Tool with Sculpted Handles and Integral Key Ring” part of the documents. Filed Jan. 17, 1997, Date of Patent Dec. 7, 1999

If they say “patented”, that means the product was made after December 1999.




Instruction paper of the M² SeberTool.

The description is written in six languages. The lower right is the Japanese version.
If you Look closely, you will see “(C) 1997 All rights reserved”. So I would guess M² SeberTool was launched in 1997.




The clamshell packaging sold in Japan.

One import distributor packaged and sold SeberTools on its own.




Japanese version of the instructions and warranty.

If I accidentally break it, my tool will be sent from Japan to SeberTech headquarters in U.S. for repair. Of course, it is no longer valid. Not “Lifetime Warranty”, I am sad.



I looked everywhere and found only a few magazine articles and advertisements for SeberTool.
One of them is an ad in a Japanese magazine for a cutlery store.


Advertisement of Oyasu-ya. Knife Magazine No.66 (October 1997), Vol. 12, No. 5, p. 44
Number 55 and 56 are M²SeberTool. #53 Leatherman MICRA and #54 Swiss-Tech MicroTechnician are also pictured..

I believe this is the first time SeberTool has been introduced in Japan. And this is consistent with the guess that M² SeberTool was launched in 1997.



I also found an article about Harley Davidson models.


McLean, Don. “omega PROVING ground”. Soldier of fortune (February 1999). Vol. 24, No. 2, p61.
The product name was Harley-Davidson M2 MotorTool. There were two models, HD-7 and HD-8. The only difference between them seemed to be the position of the engraved logo.



It is time to close this chapter.

Conclusion;
M²SeberTool was launchd in 1997.

[PitCarver]

I've got an M4.  I've had it so long I can't even remember where I got it.

[hiraboo]

> PitCarver


Thank you for posting the picture. Nice vintage M⁴ !
Σ(ﾟДﾟ )Wow!!
Maybe it's a 20th century legacy… oh, forget about it. Please wait a few days because I would consider about it in the next chapter.

1. Introduction
2. M² SeberTool
3. M³ SeberTool
4. M⁴ SeberTool
5. I² SeberKnife
6. IDL Tools
7. Summary

M³ SeberTool  1900GB Silver / 1950GB Black



Instruction paper of the M³ SeberTool.

The description is also written in six languages. The lower right is the Japanese version.
If you Look closely, you will see “(C) 1998 All rights reserved”. So I would guess M³ SeberTool was launched in 1998.

But as you see, M⁴ SeberTool is also introduced in this instructions.
It is impossible to determine at this time whether the two models were released at the same time or whether these instructions were simply printed later than the M⁴ was released.


M³ SeberTool was also available in the clamshell packaging in Japan. I forgot to tell you that which included the blue colored vinyl case and the key ring.






And M² and M³ ware also available in a black plastic box similar to that of Swiss-Tech tools.


The M² logo is painted red using permanent marker, seemed to distinguish from the M³.



Box art.



The box of SeberTool is bigger than that of Swiss-Tech. But no other accessories were included in this packaging.


I found an ad in a Japanese magazine for a cutlery store, which seemed to be the first time the M³ has been introduced in Japan.


Advertisement of Oyasu-ya. Knife Magazine No.73 (December 1998), Vol. 13, No. 6, p. 42
Number 41 is the M² SeberTool, and #42 is the M³.
Swiss-Tech #38 MicroTechnician, #39 MicroPlus and #40 Utili-Key are also pictured.
#43 is Coleman Pro Lock. This is another unusual tool. It is believed to have been launched around this time too.

The M⁴ has not yet appeared in this ad. It seems safe to assume that the M⁴ will be launched later than 1998.



It is time to close this chapter.

Conclusion;
M³ SeberTool was launchd in 1998.

[hiraboo]

1. Introduction
2. M² SeberTool
3. M³ SeberTool
4. M⁴ SeberToo
5. I² SeberKnife
6. IDL Tools
7. Summary

M⁴ SeberTool  2000GB Silver / 2050GB Black




Packaging art of M⁴ SeberTool.

The M⁴ was sold in a clear plastic box. But, oh no, I seem to have thrown it away.
Other than the instruction paper, there did not appear to be any accessories.




The instruction paper of M⁴.

The description is also written in six languages.
If you Look closely, you will see “(C) 2000 All rights reserved”. So I would guess M⁴ SeberTool was launched in 2000.
So I would say this is one of the last multi-tools of the 20th century !



I found an article about M³ and M⁴.


An unsigned article. “Adventure Quartermaster”. Soldier of Fortune (April 2000), Vo.25, No.4, p35, p37.

I believe this article was written in connection with the new launch of the M⁴.
I consider this another evidence that the tool was launched in 2000.



Were SeberTools more populer in the UK ?
I found SeberTech sponsoring a sporting event in the UK.


“Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon RESULTS”. 6th / 7th, July 2002



And there was the website “www.sebertool.co.uk” which had sold SeberTools and is now closed.
This is a list of SeberTools features they have created.


“Technical Specs” crawled by The Wayback Machine in 19, January 2003.



It is time to close this chapter.

Conclusion;
M⁴ SeberTool was launchd in 2000.

[hiraboo]

1. Introduction
2. M² SeberTool
3. M³ SeberTool
4. M⁴ SeberTool
5. I² SeberKnife
6. IDL Tools
7. Summary

Did I say that actually I don’t have I² SeberKnife ?
Unfortunately it is true.
So the only thing I can do is post pics I get from the internet.



I² Seber Knife 1500GB Silver / 1550GB Black
Image retrieved by Google from a Taiwanese site “https://www.police.com.tw/“.

They seem to be selling it, but I don't know how to buy it.


I don't even have the instructions. So the method used previously to guess the release date cannot be used here.
But there are clues.



SeberTool.co.uk. “I² SeberKnife”. crawled by the Wayback Machine at January 19, 2003.

Note that this date is not the date the site was actually updated, but the date the Wayback Machine retrieved the data. And it is the oldest one I could find.

As you see, they said

we are the first web site in the world to carry the new I2 Sebertool.

So I can assume that the release date for I² was around this time.
And remember the SeberTools were also sold at Keychain-Tools.com  ?



Keychain-Tools.com “Swiss-Tech Multi-Tools [sic]”. crawled by the Wayback Machine at May 06, 2003.

This data is also from 2003.
So I strongly suspect that the I² was launched in 2003.
OK ?

...Ah, a lot of question marks in this chapter.



It is time to close this chapter.

Conclusion;
I² SeberKnife was launchd in 2003.

[hiraboo]

I was going to post this image but made a mistake.



Keychain-Tools.com “SeberTech i2 SeberKnife”. crawled by the Wayback Machine at July 28, 2003.

[hiraboo]

1. Introduction
2. M² SeberTool
3. M³ SeberTool
4. M⁴ SeberTool
5. I² SeberKnife
6. IDL Tools
7. Summary

IDL T⁷ MultiTool 1900CP / SeberTech M³ SeberTool 1900GB

The T⁷ is the only tool I have made by IDL.
And this time, I have kept the card that came in the package.



The card that came in the T⁷ package.
There are no other accessories.

If you Look closely, you will see “(C) 2007 All rights reserved”. So I would guess T⁷ MultiTool was launched in 2007.
And I know you will also see “Made in China to IDL Tools International specifications”, sighing deeply.


Normally I would draw a conclusion here, but in this case I will continue the discussion a bit further.


IDL tools had got patents of SeberTool in 2005 and took over its manufacturing and sales. They used to post this information on their website.


IDL Tools International. “About IDL Tools ”.  crawled by the Wayback Machine at November 29, 2010.

In 2005, utilizing a subsidiary we acquired certain assets of SeberTech / Seber Inc.. These assets helped us to develop a family of products including the ViperGrip pliers, T-Tools keychain multi-tools, Sliver Ultra-thin knives and PowerShift Dual-stage snips.

In fact, they had been selling T¹⁰ MultiTool and other products on their website since 2005.


IDL Tools International. “Home”.  crawled by the Wayback Machine at December 13, 2005.


Me: “Your Honor, I request the appearance of an important witness before this Court !”
The President Judge: “Denied.”


Oh... But here's an important testimonial that Poncho65 posted.
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,3088.msg128809.html#msg128809

Poncho65 said

I just went and checked mine

It was USA M4 repacked in the IDL T10 package 

Sorry to hear that the newer ones aren't as good of quality

Thank you Poncho65, you are not guilty.


Based on these evidences, I believe that the IDL MultiTools had been on the market since 2005. Initially, it appears that IDL Tools was selling repacked USA products that SeberTech had in stock.
And it seems that the production in the Chinese factory started in 2007.   







See these excellent threads for related information.

”Serber and IDL keychain multi-tools” started by Chako
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=21516.0

”Craftsman tools" started by scrappy
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=23669.0

And of course Multitool Encyclopedia.

“Craftsman”
https://wiki.multitool.org/tiki-index.php?page=Craftsman



It is time to close this chapter.

Conclusion;
IDL Multi-Purpose Tools was launchd in 2005.

[hiraboo]

1. Introduction
2. M² SeberTool
3. M³ SeberTool
4. M⁴ SeberTool
5. I² SeberKnife
6. IDL Tools
7. Summary

The "summary" is a summary.
It is a repetition of the previous, nothing more, nothing less.
Sorry.

Model	Year
M2 SeberTool	1997
M3 SeberTool	1998
M4 SeberTool	2000
I2 SeberKnife	2003
IDL MultiTools	2005

Thank you for your attention.