The Leatherman Story

The Leatherman Story

It started with leaky plumbing and a cranky Fiat

In 1975, a young engineer named Tim Leatherman was travelling across Europe with his wife on a tight budget. Between leaky hotel plumbing and constant roadside repairs to their temperamental Fiat, he kept reaching for a tool he didn't have: a pocket knife with a proper pair of pliers built in. In a hotel room in Tehran, he shaped his first cardboard model of what would become the Pocket Survival Tool.

From cardboard model to an American icon

It took years of refinement. In July 1983, Tim Leatherman and Steve Berliner founded Leatherman Tool Group in Portland, Oregon, and that spring the company shipped its first order — 500 tools to Cabela's. The tool was the PST (Pocket Survival Tool), and it created a category. By the following year Leatherman had sold nearly 30,000, and the modern multi-tool was born.

Still made in the USA

More than four decades on, Leatherman still designs and manufactures in Portland, Oregon. That control over materials and machining is why the tools feel the way they do — tight tolerances, blades that lock, and pliers you can put your weight behind.

Backed for 25 years

Leatherman builds tools to be used hard and kept for decades, and stands behind them with a 25-Year Guarantee against defects in materials and workmanship. See how the guarantee works in Singapore.

Always innovating

The Wave became the best-selling multi-tool of all time by putting its blades on the outside, so you can open them one-handed without unfolding the pliers. More recently, Leatherman brought premium CPM-MagnaCut blade steel to the flagship ARC and the new Wave Alpha — steel that holds an edge longer and resists corrosion.

Trusted where it counts

Leatherman tools ride in the pockets and kit bags of tradespeople, first responders, soldiers, sailors, and anyone who would rather fix a problem than wait for someone else to. That is the standard every tool is built to.

Leatherman in Singapore

X-Boundaries is the authorised Leatherman distributor for Singapore and Malaysia — genuine tools, local warranty support, and people who know the range. Explore the collection or start at our Leatherman home.