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Friday, 20 January 2017 22:52

What Were They Thinking?

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It seems to be generally agreed that Leatherman's offerings from SHOT this year are somewhat lacking given the recent excitement of Gerber's Center-Drive and SOG's entire new multitool lineup.  Their response is basically simplified versions of what they have been producing for years.

The issue here is the let down- and it's bigger that we think.

Gerber came out with a new tool that was exciting. Whether you like the Center Drive or not, you have to admit that there was an awful big splash for a multitool, almost indeed as big as when the Tread was launched.

Then SOG announced a pile of new tools to fit almost every need, every size and every budget, and our excitement grew.

The multitool industry goes in cycles, and this is our upswing, and the first one we've had in years. I would say the last time the market suddenly surged forward like this was 2007-2009 when CRKT was putting out Zillas and Guppies and Lumabiners and Victorinox was riding high on the Spirit and Leatherman gave us the Skeletool and things were great.

But here we are, all fired up and ready to ride off to the stores and drop gobs of cash on new tools, and where is the most exciting, groundbreaking, industry leading multitool manufacturer?

Behind the outhouse, pants around their ankles, trying to sell us on broken bits of former glories.

It's not only somewhat disappointing for us, it has got to be downright embarrassing for Leatherman, the company that built this industry. What were they thinking, giving us a bracelet and then sitting around playing with their bottoms while the companies seen as copycats run rings around them.

If Leatherman wants to stay number 1 in the indusry they (arguably) single handedly created, they are going to have to retaliate with a lot more than a coupleof folding plier tools with no pliers.

Grant Lamontagne

As the founder of Multitool.org Grant has been a collector of Swiss Army Knives and multitools for over 25 years, and a user for over 40 years. 

With a day job working in the field, either out in the woods or on industrial sites, Grant uses tools every day for all manner of different purposes.