scott_sanford

So I was looking at my Leatherman tool the other day and had what seemed to me a simple idea for an improvement. This one is a Charge TTi, but it applies to a lot of the models with outside blades, such as the popular Wave. My tool has several gadgets on the outside (so it doesn't need to be unfolded to use them), and comes with two knife blades designed for one-handed opening. The other outside options are a saw and a file, neither of which is quite as useful; held in the right hand, one of the two knives will be under the thumb - held in the left hand it presents the other tools but no blade or thumb opening feature.

Many people are left handed. Also, the blade mounting is standardized; there seems no reason why any blade could not be put in any position. (This is tricky to do yourself because you need moderately rare tools such as a pin torx driver.) Thinking it over, I couldn't see any reason why it couldn't be made with parts on hand nor any difficulty marketing a left-handed Leatherman.

So I found a spare moment and brought this up to the only person I know who's both left handed and a long term Leatherman employee. I hardly had begun my explanation when he got a knowing smile and I realized he'd heard this many times before. Apparently this gets suggested a lot, including several times a month via the website, and the company for some reason has yet to actually try marketing a mirrored tool. Harrumph.