Leatherman pliers are popular multi-tools with various small tools that can be folded into the handles. The company has patented designs and defends its branding. The name comes from the founder, Tim Leatherman, and has appeared in pop culture.
Leatherman pliers are the most popular and well-known tools manufactured by the Leatherman Tool Group company based in Portland, Oregon. Leatherman pliers incorporate other tools such as knife blades, screwdrivers and can openers, which, including the pliers themselves, can be folded into the pliers’ handles for compact storage. While sometimes used to refer to any multi-tool, the Leatherman name is a registered trademark of the company, which has patented various designs of its pliers and multi-tools.
The name “Leatherman” seems to suggest its general use: multi-tools arose from the tools used in the leatherworking industry. In fact, the product is named after the founder of the company, Tim Leatherman. According to the official company history, Tim Leatherman’s creation was inspired by his inability to find enough tools while on a European vacation in the 1970s. He founded the company in the 1980s and the folding multi-tool had become popular with campers, technicians and the general public by the end of the decade.
Although the company produces various devices, Leatherman pliers are the company’s most recognizable product. The jaws of the pliers can be folded into the handles, which also hold a variety of other small tools. Depending on the design, these tools may include knives, screwdrivers, wire cutters and strippers, hunting and fishing aids, files, scissors and rulers. When fully closed, the entire device can be the size of a pocket knife or smaller.
Leatherman pliers have appeared in various films and television shows, particularly in the action-adventure genre. Central characters in the films Rush Hour and Speed and The X Files TV series have used the devices for unlikely applications such as defusing bombs and performing alien autopsies. Most notably, TV action hero MacGyver used the Leatherman pliers to improvise a weapon in an episode of the popular TV series. Despite its obvious pride in these pop culture appearances, the company does not endorse its bomb defusing product.
The Leatherman name and design have become ubiquitous, inspiring similar products, some of which are called “Leatherman” as a generic term by casual users. While there are many commercially available multi-tools, Leatherman has defended its design patents in court. Likewise, it discourages the use of the word “Leatherman” to describe multi-tools it does not manufacture, as this risks turning their branding into a generic word like “aspirin.” Amusingly, some people have taken to referring to the multi-tool as a “Leatherperson,” in a parody of “politically correct” language.
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