Latest Review
Leatherman is a brand name well known for its excellent series of multi-tools. They range from sizes that fit in your pocket or on your key chain to ones that clip to your belt or in a holster. All sport various implements that give the device multiple uses: knives, files, scissors, pliers, snippers, screw drivers and more. While handy and functional, the bigger models can be a bit heavy to carry. And maybe your pockets are already loaded with gear and there’s just no room. If either are the case, Leatherman believes they have the answer for you: the Leatherman Tread.
The Tread is a multi-tool that takes the shape of a bracelet. Wrapped into this wearable are 25 different tools. Included on the Tread are screwdriver heads, hex drives, socket drives, a cutting hook, glass breaker, oxygen tank wrench, SIM card tool and a bottle opener. Many of these you find in other Leatherman tools, but not in this volume. The idea for the Tread came as a result of a family vacation, where Leatherman President Ben Rivera was stopped at Disneyland security for carrying his Skeletool, which he could not get through the security checkpoint. As a result Rivera began crafting his idea for a different type of multi-tool. Interestingly, as his vision was formulating he actually wore a bike chain on his wrist to see how it felt to wear something of a tool nature on his wrist.
The Leatherman engineering team, designed each link in the Tread, which are metal injection molded of 17-4 stainless steel. The design of the Tread is pretty clever: each link has a tool on either end and wrench heads in the center of the links as well. Off the wrist, you find the tool you need and hold the The bracelet can be adjusted in 1/4″ increments to fit any wrist size and lets you carry just the links you need the most. The links can be swapped and arranged as the user chooses. If you never use the oxygen tank tool you can opt to leave that out. It can be crafted just they way the user wants and with the tools in the order the user wants. The tool comes in two finishes: stainless steel and black DLC. The bracelet looks wide, like a watch bracelet or strap, and while they show a businessman wearing one during a presentation I’m not sold that it will make it to very many boardrooms. But in most other scenarios I could see this being worn. Physical jobs, casual offices, hunters, hikers, bikers; there are so many areas where this could be worn and be a functional tool.
What makes this watch relevant is the upcoming watch that can be purchased with the Tread. Coming in Fall 2015, the Tread will be available with a Swiss made quartz watch. It has finishes to match the bracelet (stainless steel and black DLC), is water resistant to 200M, is shock resistant and has a sapphire crystal. It has a uni-directional rotating bezel and the dial was designed from a P51 Mustang airplane gage. The watch looks like a tool watch, even without the bracelet attached. Combined with the Tread it really takes the term tool watch to a new level.
The Tread is coming this spring/summer with prices from $150 – $200. The watch with the Tread, as mentioned, will be available this fall (no pricing available yet). You can find more details and learn more about the Tread on the Tread product page.
