Portland, OR —In the summer of 2012, Leatherman Tool Group acquired its second company, Seattle-based PocketToolX™. For the remainder of 2012 Leatherman continued to manufacture existing PTX designs under the Leatherman name. Now the company is debuting new activity-specific models for hunting and shooting sports: theCam™, Pump™ and Rail™.
Traditional Leatherman tools with multiple moving features require upwards of 150-200 processes and points of contact before they are on their way out the door of their one and only manufacturing facility in Portland, Oregon. All this attention to detail is what makes the tools so popular, but it also equals a longer time-to-market.
“This new style of tool has fewer parts to stamp, machine, finish, assemble, etcetera, so we can test and produce our ideas faster,” says Product Manager Blair Barnes. But that doesn’t mean there is any skimping on the legendary Leatherman design principles. Barnes and his team are tasked with constructing multiple, meaningful tools, “…not just gimmicks,” to all function in one piece of material. These pocket tools feature accessories that enhance use but don’t detract from the overall concept in weight and size. “The design is the most exciting part,” says Barnes. “It’s definitely a challenge.”
The first new pocket tools in 2013 will include the Cam for bow maintenance, Pump for shotgun, and Rail for rifle. They will have features such as sight adjustment tools, a broad head wrench, and choke tube adjustment tools. They will be constructed from 100% stainless steel with a potential upgrade to titanium that has been discussed, but not finalized.
The hunting/shooting pocket tools will retail for approximately $35-45 USD and be backed by Leatherman’s no-questions-asked 25-year warranty. The Cam, Pump and Rail will ship in June 2013.
