Leatherman Tools are a singular example of the American success story. Founded in 1983 by Tim Leatherman, the idea for the original Leatherman Tool was conceived by Tim during a driving tour of Europe with his wife. The means of transport was a 1969 Fiat purchased for $300 which provided frequent roadside repair challenges as it broke down at regular intervals. Tired of tussling out these repairs with his pocket knife, Tim longed for an instrument that could be carried like a knife but would provide meaningful and useful tools to handle a variety of repair tasks beyond simple cutting.