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.
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.
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.
