LEATHERMAN FREE
HOW DO YOU MAKE THE BEST BETTER?
Leatherman has owned the multitool market since 1983 when Tim Leatherman created the Pocket Survival Tool. The Wave has owned that market for the past 25 years. How could we make improvements on such a seemingly perfect tool?
Over the course of 5 years, we completely redesigned the multitool to be stronger, less intimidating, one-hand-opening compatible, full of haptic feedback, longer lasting, and more modern looking. We also brought one lock architecture into three different form factors.
WE STARTED WITH OUR CORE
Being a “core” multitool, these tools might be used doing DIY projects, on outdoor adventures, in professional situations, or kept handy in case of an emergency. These are the tools that can do a bit of everything.
Historically, Leatherman’s largest user base has been white middle-aged men. A Leatherman has been seen as a dad’s tool that gets passed down to the next generation.
But what about those who haven’t heard of Leatherman? We wanted to appeal to younger, more diverse, and more urban consumers. To do so, we would have to make sure these tools could cater to different lifestyles and be less intimidating to those who may have never held a pocket knife or multitool.
PROCESS
