
While on a budget trip to Europe in 1975, Tim Leatherman and his wife Chau constantly came across leaky hotel plumbing and road-side fixes for their cranky Fiat. Tim realized the need for a pliers based, multipurpose tool. \\u201cI was carrying a scout knife and used it for everything from slicing bread to fixing the car. But I kept wishing I had a pair of pliers!\\u201d.\\n\\nWhen Tim came back to the states, he took his \\u201cmulti-tool\\u201d idea, some sketches he made on the trip and got to work.