Leatherman has been in the multi-tool game since 1983, beginning with the design and manufacture of the original all-in-one tool, the PST. Retired in 2004, the PST (Personal Survival Tool) set the bar for multi-tools to come, both from the Leatherman company as well as from its competitors. No doubt thousands of original customers are still using and enjoying that very first PST to this day.

In 1986, Leatherman went small. The Mini-Tool model was the world's tiniest multi-tool, featuring full-sized pliers, knife blade, wire cutters and seven more tools for a total of ten. The company realized an entirely new marketing opportunity when it opened up the world of multi-tools to purse-carrying women and suit-wearing men with these slim, lightweight, and highly portable pocket-sized tools.

A few years further down the timeline, Leatherman pulled a one-eighty, this time going big. The company introduced the first of the Super Tool line in 1994, with their biggest and strongest multi-tool yet. With superior locking blades and heavy-duty capabilities, the Super Tool once again raised the bar for what multi-tools should and could be.

The innovations continued over the next several years, with the introduction of the popular keychain-sized Micra in 1996, and the next iteration of the PST - the PST II - that same year. The Original Wave hit the market in 1998, along with the Sideclip, Leatherman's first clip-on tool. The next year saw the arrival of the Crunch and Flair models, with the popular Pulse tool coming along in 2000.

Never one to rest on their laurels, Leatherman continued the improvements and innovation that have since become synonymous with the brand. The improved Super Tool 200 came to market in 2001, as did the first in the colorful Juice lineup of pocket-sized tools. The Squirt P4 and S4 keychain models continued the colorful trend, as did the Squirt E4 in 2003. The year 2004 saw perhaps the largest output of new and improved designs, with several new models being launched, including the New Wave, Charge Ti and the Blast.

In 2005, the company took their first shot at pocket knives, launching several new folding knife models, along with the Core and Surge full-sized multi-tools. Things got a bit funky the following year with the introduction of a couple of garden and/or hunting pruner-multi-tools in the Hybrid and Vista models. 2006 also saw a few new and improved versions of the popular Charge hit the market as well. A handsome lineup of hunting knives came along in 2007, with the Steens, Klamath, Nehalem and Ukiah models; while the Crater and Expanse folding knife line came out in 2008. At that same time, Leatherman broke ground again with their Skeletool and Skeletool CX models, two of the best looking and best functioning multi-tools on the market, then and now.

As we'd come to expect from this company by now, the next few years witnessed continued advancements. The Freestyle line was introduced, while the award-winning Super Tool just kept getting better with the launch of the Super Tool 300 in 2009. The year 2010 saw another huge leap as Leatherman became the first civilian-facing multi-tool company to address the specific practical and tactical needs of Military, Law Enforcement and Explosive Ordnance Disposal personnel with the MUT, MUT EOD and Super Tool 300 EOD models.

One of the latest products to arrive on the market is the soon-to-be-famous Wingman model multi-tool. As its name implies, the Wingman has your back at all times with an awesome combination of tools and features packed into one of the most lightweight and portable units ever. The Wingman is always at the ready - Johnny-On-The-Spot - and has lent itself to an entertaining series of promotional videos, as well.

As they near the 30-year mark, it's evident that the Leatherman Tool company is not slowing down. The innovations keep coming while the quality continues to improve. In fact, it's that very attention to craftsmanship that stands behind much of the company's success. This corporate devotion to quality is best summed up in the words of founder Tim Leatherman who, when once asked about his level of caring, replied, “My name is on every tool.”