Leatherman recently introduced “The Leatherman Garage,” which they say was “created for the tinkerers, do-it-yourselfers, and creators inside all of us.”
Leatherman did not send any press materials about the new program. As far as I can tell, The Leatherman Garage is some kind of sprint-run limited edition program.
A subsequent email to customers announced that the first Leatherman Garage release was almost here.
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Today, Leatherman sent out an email announcing that their first Garage offering, the “Mr. Crunch” multi-tool, was already sold out and retired.
Maybe the Mr. Crunch multi-tool will be available again in the future, but Leatherman does not touch upon whether the tool’s retirement will be permanent.
Here’s what all the hype was about:
The Leatherman Mr. Crunch is described as a limited-edition multi-tool that includes slip-on pliers from Tim’s original prototype.
The Mr. Crunch multi-tool features blunt-nose pliers, as well as “retractable” needlenose pliers.
Leatherman says that the Mr. Crunch “combined” the dual-style pliers with the FREE P4 multi-tool, although I’d say the limited edition tool looks very different from the FREE P4.
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It is, or rather was priced at $199, and includes a USA-made sheath with “Mr. Crunch” written across it in gold-colored letters.
Leatherman Mr. Crunch Multi-Tool Tools & Functions
- Bluntnose Pliers
- Premium Replaceable Wire Cutters
- Premium Replaceable Hard-wire Cutters
- Electrical Crimper
- Wire Stripper
- 420HC Knife
- Spring-action Scissors
- Package Opener
- Awl
- Can Opener
- Bottle Opener
- Wood/Metal File
- Phillips Screwdriver
- Medium Screwdriver
- Small Screwdriver
- Extra-small Screwdriver
- Pry Tool
- Ruler (1.41 in | 25 mm)
- Chisel
- Small Bit Driver with Eyeglasses Screwdriver
- Retractable Needlenose Pliers
Price: $199
SOLD OUT
You might want to check back if you have your heart set on a Mr. Crunch and are feeling lucky. When checking the link prior to publishing this draft, Leatherman’s site reported having (1) unit in stock, presumably from someone that cancelled. They also say that orders containing 2 or more Garage products might be subject to review.
This is what Leatherman says about their warranty for Garage products:
This is a Leatherman Garage product offering. As a limited-run product, it is not covered by the replacement portion of our standard 25-year warranty on full-size tools. We will still attempt to repair any Garage tools submitted for repair. If a repair can’t be made, we will offer a store credit of the full purchase value ($200).
Discussion
I very much dislike limited edition tool programs like this. I also find myself a bit confused about what The Leatherman Garage is all about.
Leatherman elaborates upon the “Garage” concept:
Here, we leave behind the doubters and the naysayers to enter a world of raw, unfinished possibilities. Where there are no bad ideas, only lessons to learn. Discoveries to make. paths to forge.
The garage is not a destination but the start of new beginnings. Sometimes you find an answer, and other times you leave with even more questions. But that’s all part of the process, and there’s no better place to embrace it than in the garage.
They also highlight:
EXPLORE WHAT’S POSSIBLE
EMBRACE THE PROCESS
ENGINEERED TO EMPOWER
And:
Sometimes, you don’t know what you need until you need it. By developing ingenious solutions to unexpected problems, the Garage helps consumers in surprising and indispensable ways. Their challenges become our own, and when we overcome them, we overcome them together.
As best as I can understand it, The Leatherman Garage will be about unique limited edition tools, some of which could potentially deviate far from existing Leatherman offerings.
The Mr. Crunch isn’t something I would buy if it were a main-line product, but I must admit my heart jumped a beat when I saw there was just one tool back in stock following the sold-out and retirement announcement email.
I can understand the reasoning behind a 500-quantity one-time-only limited edition. Scarcity drives interest, hype, and sales.
There are quite a few sprint-run, limited edition, preorder, and one-off tool and knife programs out there. Lots of brands have limited editions, especially in the EDC tool and knife market.
But, this seems like a far-from-ideal approach that is absolutely going to disappoint and frustrate a lot of customers. This was only the first Leatherman Garage tool launch, and I hope they make some changes.
There are multiple Leatherman Mr. Crunch multi-tool listings already on Ebay.
Jared
I get excited for novelty, but when I take a step back and consider whether I’d want it if it were available permanently… it looks good, but not fantastic. I imagine those jaws might be more annoyance than they’re worth.
Also, for a moment I though this was announcing the Leatherman Crunch was retired – that would have disappointed me. It’s on my “tools to buy eventually” list.
Gary Briggs
I agree, I have a Victorinox that is way better and 50 dollars less in price. I think you nailed it when you said “novelty” and they seen what happened with the NASA tool and kept right on swinging off of that one’s success.
Philip Proctor
Looks gimmicky.
Dustin
This is infuriating, i never reach out to customer service but I just contacted leatherman and told them what an stupid program this is. I hate that they took a page from the woodpecker book of pissing off your customer
Mr. X
Amen. Let’s engineer and build a “one time” tool that people might actually be interested in. Then let’s limit its availability. Brilliant.
That being said, I would pass on this Leatherman anyway.
Gary Briggs
Since msrp is usually controlled by supply and demand now they’re working right off of woodpeckers business model and jacking up their price by limited supply to high demand and creating less means less overhead in manufacturing costs yet still insanely high profit margins. People need to straight up boycott businesses pulling this unethical [*******].
Stuart
Please keep your language PG.
Omar
Stuart, I’d be very interested and perhaps as would others on a follow up article on this Leatherman Mr. Crunch. As this appears there is more appeals to emotional statements rather than statements with logic and factual evidence in general.
I’d like to think demographically speaking as grown men (and maybe women) we can all have a respectable, civilized discussion about our tool interests, as facts don’t care about your feelings. No one is forced to purchase this product at all for any reason. This is a net positive the free market exists on sites such as eBay where people if they so wish can sell items for whatever prices they chose to. If someone wishes to spend hundreds on their own money on a hand tool, that is their choice.
Similar to this is others choice NOT to spend their own money if they don’t want to either. Considering all 500 units sold within a very short time span, evidently there were people willing to pay the cost for this unit and did so voluntarily.
Stuart
What else would you like to learn about the Mr. Crunch? What facts did I leave out? What else is important to know about a tool nobody will be able to buy from Leatherman or dealers anymore?
I included everything I was able to find. What’s left to be said?
Retail arbitrage is a free market concept. Scalping is not the same thing.
There are more ebay listings now, with some prices over $1,000. Retail arbitrage becomes scalping when end users are deprived the opportunity to purchase products at their intended retail pricing.
Jason
PG? It’s the internet. My son is 6. Do you live in reality Sir?
Stuart
Sometimes foul language is justified. Other times it’s crude and unnecessary.
Frankly, foul language here or there isn’t a big deal, but I try to nip it in the bud when I catch it. Certain word choices often take away from whatever point someone is trying to make, but it becomes a bigger problem when things balloon out of control. This doesn’t happen with word choices as much as when discussions derail into political topics.
Was a language reminder after a single f-word necessary? Probably not, but I strive to encourage civil discussions, and sometimes that means reminders to keep language PG. Or maybe PG-13.
If you can’t say it on live TV or in an elementary school, you shouldn’t say it here.
Jason Ward
No offense man, but while I may agree with you on what you said at least the principles behind it. It doesn’t matter frankly we both ultimately know that.. At least I do I’m assuming you also do. You seem relatively educated compared to some. Now the other half of that where I disagree is that, while one can be honest without cussing, it’s inherently not how sociology works especially in the examples you gave which isn’t a bad thing unless you are not saying something in order to protect feelings. Proper communication is the most important thing between any two people. And ya, that’s going to appear in different ways. Arguing, yelling, cussing, etc. I don’t think it makes it easier to communicate I’m. Not saying that I do study psychology lol but I’m saying that it’s a waste of your time trying to police the internet IMHO. I’ve given up personally.
Stuart
I’m not trying to police the internet; ToolGuyd’s my house, and I can set the rules. For the most part, vulgarity isn’t an issue.
Maybe I was a bit too sensitive here – I’m human and not infallible. The intent was more to issue a general reminder than to censure that first-time commentor.
I also don’t allow personal attacks, or politics.
More than 160,000 comments in 13+ years, and I’m happy to say that most discussions are civil and clean.
Clay
Yep. Marketing via artificial scarcity. Not a fan.
Ball_bearing
Well, hope someone does a Video review.
And honestly hope that some of those sold went to actual customers and not just resellers/scalpers using bots.
Mr. Certainly
I didn’t even know about it until Stuart wrote this article. Limited edition releases that sell out instantly only tickle one’s Fear of Missing Out (FOMO as the kids call it nowadays) — and that’s not how I operate.
As an *actual* DIYer, I make do without. I improvise. I practice delayed gratification — mostly because there’s no way to make it work until then. And this way of living really works for me. Measure twice, cut once.
Having a tool series that goes directly in opposition to that patient, measured approach to life is something where I’ll shrug my shoulders and go “oh well, missed out. nothing lost, nothing gained.”
I don’t even bother looking at Woodpecker’s offerings, as I’ll usually see something really awesome that’s 100% never available again (which is insanely priced in used markets). I’ll pass on the mindset of “gotta take the risk, roll the dice, spend a lot of money, loot box it up, gamble away” for something that I’ll need to smash “REFRESH” at midnight hoping to get in the queue.
Maybe this sort of marketing strategy works works for some people, but for me, it only gives a strong negative impression about their entire brand.
Sad to see Leatherman go this route. What a shame.
Jo B
Decades of waiting….. and still no side cutters in the permanent line up.
Jim Felt
I think it’s a hoot! Marketing driven.? Vaguely nostalgic via Tim Leatherman driven? And certainly a possibility of collector driven?
Ain’t marketing departments fun? But I’ve yet to break, lose or feel the ones I have are lacking. So I’m not their target buyer.
Greg
The biggest problem with make limited edition or limited run anything these days is nobody but the manufacturers benefit. In days past before Internet shopping really took off and the technology was different a normal person had a chance at nabbing something limited editon or scarce. These days it’s not the case due to sophisticated auto buy “bot” programs that buy everything for scalpers or secondary market people looking to make a buck. A bad but good example is Supreme. The brand exists only to give the secondary market massive profit. Nearly everyone that goes to the “drops” is a resale person. The problem for them and anyone that goes down a similar is eventually the coolness wears off and sales fade. I think in this case it probably will be detrimental to Leatherman this garage deal. Also in this case where it’s a tool you might want to actually use, how are replacement parts handled especially anything unique that makes it limited editon?
Total turnoff to buying anything Leatherman now and I hope they learn.
Mark S.
This is disappointing but not unexpected. It looked cool but I couldn’t see myself using this tool. At least the OG Crunch is back in stock.
Taylor
It is, I looked about a month or so ago and it was Discontinued. No Amazon, Leatherman Website, anywhere. I think Grainger was the only place that I had found it. I thought Leatherman Permanently Discontinued the Crunch Model. I am NOT Complaining though! I had been meaning to Buy 1 to replace my Daily Carry Pliers and Holster.
Curt
Just purchased one from there website.
JoeM
…I wouldn’t touch that program with a ten foot pole…
I’m a Leatherman fanatic… Yeah, I admit it… I have an unhealthy love of the company. But this level of “Let’s just see what happens, then use Hype Marketing to inflate the price and exclusivity!” scheme… This is not what I want from Leatherman…
I want a return to the pre-insanity years. When upgrades and improvements were made based on User Input, not Sales. And I want Leatherman to shut down “The Garage” and open up the “Assembly Customizer” system. Instead of engraving and custom paint works on already-existing products… How about letting us put the parts we want together, the way we want, the order we want?
Maybe I want a Surge/Surge+/Whatever that replaces one of the two flat bladed screwdrivers with a package opener? Maybe I want an All-Black-Oxide edition of something they normally never release in Black-Oxide? Maybe I want to change the name from the company’s model name, to the name of my choice? How about that? Go ahead, charge a premium for getting exactly what you want… offer it to the wide market as a direct-from-the-factory edition… but shipping time extended because each one is hand-assembled in those configurations… Production number only limited by how many people order that exact combo, created by that original Leatherman creator/customer. This is the kind of thing we’ve been asking for all along, not “Experiment More”… Where the hell do they get that dumb idea? You know what DIYers love to do? Do things Themselves… You wanna target them, let them do what they want with the tools, don’t try to sell them what you think they want.
Man… It’s like they’ve lost their ever-loving minds in the past several years! A Raptor 2.0 that just replaced the Glass-Filled-Nylon handles with Aluminum, keeping the same design, would have solved 100% of the problems with the Raptor! No need for a whole lineup anymore, aside from multiple colours. Colours, fine, that’s cool with me. But to toally re-engineer a beloved tool over one tiny complaint from the target audience… in the process taking away several key functions? They’re smoking some devil’s cabbage in the marketing and engineering departments now! The Insense is laced with LSD and the Water Cooler has a spicket for Peyote!
This isn’t innovation, it’s insanity!
Dt
I wish Leatherman would give you options like SOG does. https://sogknives.com/by-product-type/accessories/
JoeM
Effectively that’s what I’m talking about. Though, it would all be from the ground up. You start with a base “Model” or family it comes from. Then you start adding parts where you want them, the system says “That doesn’t fit” when it doesn’t. You futz around with the configuration and features until it’s perfect, you name it, you order it, Leatherman gets to post your final product along side your name, for people to browse if they want. Said “Name” can also be a code name, if you start making more than one, and they’re all listed under your “Designer Name” then people can follow and buy things from creators they like, or use those ideas to make their own version. Maybe with the tools flipped to a “Left Handed” version or something?
Right now, although it is highly frowned upon, and voids your Leatherman warranty, there are places like Etsy and Thingiverse where people machine or cast parts for the models of Letherman you have. So you could replace something you never use with, say, snips of some sort. maybe a hex wrench combo, or a fish descaler… things Leatherman never put in their model line to start with. I’d like to bridge that gap, and have Leatherman offering to assemble those options straight from the factory. there are countless models where the one I want is just one feature away from being justifiable. Or, it doesn’t come in my preferred Black Oxide edition. With customization of the full build? That would kill the Thingiverse/Aftermarket Mod market all together. But everyone would get what they wanted from the company direct, so there would be no need to truly cause problems.
Hell, I wouldn’t mind if there was a line of their tools that teamed up with Benchmade to use higher-grades of steel for the knife blades, and different materials for the scales, exclusive to Benchmade designs. If my Wave or Surge could have the Carbon Fibre scales from the Benchmade Crooked Creek knife? That would be awesome, and worth the extra money! (Scales, obviously, reshaped to fit the Leatherman tool, not literally the scales right off those knives… ’cause that would be silly. I just mean the patterns and materials being the same.)
Peach Szabo
I own a Leatherman 200 that says patient pending on the handle. Very useful very versatile . The pliers twist due to too much torque the jaws of the cutters are damaged . I bought it a long time ago I has pulled me out of tough situations on many occasions over the years. If memory serves I believe I paid 40 dollars for it. 200.00 limited edition marketing ploys not so much. But I guess if people are willing to pay secondary market prices just for bragging rights.
Those folks will probably never use them anyway.
Ray
$460, $510 I wouldn’t have thought that they would have sold any.
Mikedt
Didn’t know the “garage” existed till this moment. Some of this tool seems cool but I’m not dropping $200 on it even if it was a permanent stock item.
You want to do something special for me Leatherman? Some way of generating a bigger profit margin? Make your custom shop do things other than engrave a blade or paint a multi-tool. How about better blade material? The ability to substitute a secondary tool for one that suits you better? I have never needed to open a can so would swap that tool out in a hearbeat.
William Adams
It’s like Lego — while we all want the company to make exactly the bricks which we want at an affordable price, the company has to work to maximize profit:
– they have a limited production capability
– there are a limited number of stores which are willing to dedicate a limited amount of shelf space
– there are only so many birthdays or Christmas presents being bought each year
For Leatherman, they have to maximize profit, working w/ the materials which they are able to source, and the labour which they can bring to bear on transforming them into products.
It would be nice if rather than a limited run they’d have a limited time for placing a pre-order, but that becomes complex legally very quickly.
It’s a lot more workable to just make as many as one can and sell it — even on a small scale — look at Peter Atwood.
(and yes, I’m still bummed that I managed to get an Atwood Brewdriver for my brother-in-law, a Prybaby for my son, and a whistle for my daughter, but have not yet managed to snag an Atwood Pocket Tool for myself — anyone have a Snakebite to spare?)
Stuart
The Atwood model works for him – “here’s what I made, here’s how many I made, try to get one if you’re fast.”
Other makers go the preorder route.
Tom Bihn, a USA-based bag and pouch maker, just released preorders for a pen/pencil holder they retired a few years ago. If you want one, you can get one, and they’ll ship in April.
Woodpeckers has a One Time Tool program, where they experiment and refine, and fit production into their schedule. If you want one, there’s a preorder period.
Spyderco releases x-number of “sprint runs” to their dealers.
Olight has limited edition colors in x-number of fixed quantities.
With Leatherman, they sent a “sorry, it sold out and is retired” email without sending an actual announcement.
LEGO tried the limited-quantity route and changes practices because of it. They did this with a Mars rover model that they apparently had some kind of limited production rights to due to an agreement with NASA or JPL, and with BrickLink, they have limited-quantity crowdfunded models.
You also *can* buy almost any LEGO brick you want, direct from the company, except for very obscure specialty parts and licensed parts (such as Star Wars or Marvel characters).
Sure, Leatherman has a right to maximize their profits, but it’s preferable if they do this without disappointing their user base.
It’s also worth noting that Leatherman has a lot of pricing flexibility here. If these Garage tools are sold directly by Leatherman to customers, none of the asking price goes to dealers, it all goes to Leatherman.
Yadda
Modifying Leatherman multi tools has been a big deal for many people for decades. Seeing Leatherman do this on a limited basis is interesting. I see this as their way of experimenting with new options to see what might sell long term. I wouldn’t buy one personally, but there are at least 500 people that would and did. The secondary market on these will continue to be healthy if the past is any indicator of the future.
Jesse M
Limited “Addition”…not impressed.
Diego
You should see the Tom Sachs collab selling for north of $5000. Silly for a tool, once you step into the collectors realm the price gouging outweighs the usability. I understand their marketing decision, but will not be buying any collector limited release tools.
Rx9
“Empower” in the marketing blurb.
$200 msrp.
Cringe overload.
Richard Miller
I don’t understand anger because you feel a company is pricing their product too high. I can’t wrap my head around it. It just seems like such a bizarre approach to life.
I also don’t understand feeling entitled to something. If someone snaps it up before I do and resells it at a higher price, I can either pay for it, or just do without. None of this is essentials to life.
Getting angry because someone bought some thing and flipped it for a profit is jealousy and an mentality at work.
Stuart
What I’m worried about is that the ratio of end-user to reseller/scalper purchases is going to increase.
In the gaming console industry, resellers use bots and helpers to purchase as much inventory as possible. The average individual end user shopper is frequently at a disadvantage.
If these drops are going to be in limited quantities each time, there’s a chance more and more tools will be purchased by resellers than end users.
I have fielded enough “where can I buy… [limited tool]” and “why can’t I buy… [limited tool]” emails over the years to know that it’s a huge sore point.
In some areas, end users never have a chance to buy certain tools or promotions because resellers claim entire inventories.
Is there a ratio for reseller purchases that you would find unacceptable? 25%? 50%? 85%?
Richard Miller
I’m happy to respond, but first let me clarify. I didn’t see you as angry. I saw you more as critiquing the business practice.
I’m coming from the angle, let the market dictate the price and availability. Example: if a manufacturer drops a limited run item at $200 per unit, and resellers snatch up 100% of it, then proceed to resell them for an average of $400 per unit. The market value of that unit was $400. I don’t know why the manufacturer chose to under price it so much. Why did they leave so much money on the table? Maybe they did it for marketing. Maybe the public backlash for pricing it at $400 would have been higher than the public backlash at the resellers. I don’t know.
I’m just saying, if the market value is $400 and somebody wants to do arbitrage, that doesn’t bother me.
If the negativity exceeds the value, hopefully the manufacturer will adjust their practices. If not, then let them suffer.
If it was worth $200 to me, and the market says it’s with $400, then I do without. Bummer, but shrug.
I understand some people see this differently and I am OK with that. I don’t understand it, but I’m not bewildered by it. What bewilders me is when people get so angry over it. That just seems weird.
I’ve been studying Tom Bihn for awhile. I am the silent partner in a small company that manufactures and sells nylon sewn goods. (Bags, pouches, etc.) We do limited runs. We just ran out of one of them this morning. We cannot feasibly purchase the material again. I’m sure there will be some grumpy people. Do we make 500 people happy and 10 grumpy? Or do we avoid making the 500 people happy just to keep the 10 people from being grumpy? What if some of them get flipped for double the price? (They won’t. My son has a cult following but not that big yet.) it’s a balancing act that I don’t know that I have all the answers to.
Stuart
New designs are a great idea, and limited editions help to mitigate risks. At the least, offering direct-to-consumer means they don’t have to produce minimal quantities for their dealer networks.
I can understand limited quantities. A batch of 500 units means that they were able to ship quickly, and I’d think it would have allowed production to be more easily shoehorned into their scheduling.
I was annoyed that I only received an email after everything sold out. “Here’s our limited edition tool, and it sure sold out quick.” I now understand that Leatherman seemingly established a new email list for Garage announcements, but they sent 3 emails to me despite that, none of which increased my chances of being able to post about the tool in a timely manner or attempt to purchase one myself.
If I’m disappointed as a customer, how many others are in the same boat.
The volume and activity of ebay listings so far indicates that Leatherman Garage listings could be highly lucrative to resellers. That’s not going to be good for users looking to purchase tools for their own purposes.
Tom Bihn is exemplary example of a customer-focused business.
Tom Bihn limited quantities: TB informs customers as to exactly what will be available, and when it will be available. Sometimes they have 2 drops in a day, giving shoppers more than one chance to buy what they want. This also helps to ensure there’s no preferential time zone.
Tom Bihn preorders: Some TB drops don’t have limits. You have a chance to preorder a limited or unique offering or combination, and it ships at a later time. There’s the potential for fabric limitations here as well.
Leatherman’s first Garage launch was imperfect, but it’s very forgivable if they learn from it. What could they do to ensure potential customers are satisfied? How could they potentially thwart resellers to where it doesn’t take away from customers shopping for themselves?
Maybe future Leatherman Garage drops could feature x-number of units immediately available, plus a window of y-hours/days where they accept preorders.
If someone misses out on a limited edition anything, that’s okay. It happens, and will happen. For the Mr. Crunch, I think Leatherman tried to build hype rather than to thoroughly inform. Two “something’s coming” and one “sorry, it’s gone” emails support this. The issue of scalpers isn’t so much of an issue for this tool; my worries are about how purchasing for resale could affect future Leatherman Garage drops.
There are 30+ ebay listings for the Mr. Crunch right now. What’s going to happen once the idea of purchasing for resale becomes more popular?
Every holiday season, Home Depot has several “buy a cordless starter kit or combo kit, get a free tool” promotions, usually featuring Dewalt, Milwaukee, and Makita at the least. Some of the tools and starter kits sell out extremely quickly. These promos are very aggressively priced. Resellers sometimes wipe out the inventories, and it’s worse when they “hack the return.” The tools from these promos very quickly flood Amazon and other online marketplaces.
On one hand, it can be considered retail arbitrage. A reseller purchases something at Home Depot and sells it at Amazon or ebay. On the other hand, it’s scalping when the reselling activities deprive individual users of the opportunity to purchase tools at their intended promotional prices.
It always makes people angry when they cannot get something at the price it was meant to be sold at, although this is diminished with time. 30 ebay listings for the Mr Crunch right after it launched and sold out is going to create different feelings than listings one year from now.
When someone flips a house, they buy, improve, and then sell a property. When someone buys a scarce item and then immediately tried to sell it at substantial markup, that’s scalping.