This is the Leatherman Free® K4X, it’s a pocketknife and multi-tool that comes with a 25 year warranty, and each one is made in the USA at the Leatherman factory in Oregon.
The Free® K4X is a more traditional pocketknife when compared to the plier-based multi-tools that Leatherman is famous for. It still offers a number of additional tools and gadgets of course, but its main role is to serve as a knife.
The Leatherman Free K4X has a knife blade as well as a set of spring-action scissors, a pry tool, a package opener, an awl, a bottle opener, a Phillips screwdriver, a medium flathead screwdriver, and an extra small screwdriver.
The Origins Of Leatherman
The Leatherman story began in 1975 when Tim Leatherman, a mechanical engineering graduate from Oregon State University, embarked on a backpacking trip across Europe with his wife.
It was during this journey that Tim found himself frequently in need of a versatile and compact tool that could perform multiple tasks – he soon realized that there was a gap in the market for a product that offered more than a Swiss Army knife while still remaining lightweight and compact.
Upon returning home to Oregon he put his mechanical engineering degree to work and began working on his first prototype, a multi-tool that combined the functionality of a pair of pliers with a variety of other essential tools. After several iterations and a number of years of development, the first Leatherman multi-tool, the Pocket Survival Tool (PST), was born in 1983.
The PST was an instant hit, and the company quickly outgrew its humble beginnings. By 1984, Leatherman Tool Group had moved to a larger facility and expanded its product line. Leatherman produces and assembles its tools in Portland, Oregon and they offer a 25 year warranty on their wares.
The Leatherman Free® K4X
The Leatherman Free® K4X is one of the company’s newer creations, and it falls more into the pocketknife genre than the multi-tool category. It has a 3.3 inch 420HC stainless steel blade with a serrated section, ideal for regular day-to-day pocketknife jobs like opening parcels and cutting twine.
It also has a set of spring-action scissors, a pry tool, a package opener, an awl, a bottle opener, a Phillips screwdriver, a medium flathead screwdriver, and an extra small screwdriver.
The package opener will likely get the most use for many, as it offers a quick way to cut through packaging tape without needing to get the knife blade out.
All of the tools except the plier head are equipped with a magnetic locking system to keep them securely in place when they’re being used – to save people from having nasty accidents – particularly with the knife.
Each Free® K4X has a removable pocket clip, a weight of 5.5 oz or 155.9 grams, a closed length of 4.5 inches or 11.43 cm, and an open length of 7.8 inches or 19.81 cm. You can visit the listing on the official Leatherman Amazon store here.
Images courtesy of Leatherman
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