In Praise of: The Leatherman Pocket Multi-Tool
By Rachel Sedgwick
Photo by Hayden ScottRachel, the estate manager at Glen Dye, says that we should all hail the small but mighty Leatherman, so we asked her to tell us why…
In case you’re unlucky enough to have never been acquainted with the Leatherman, let me introduce you. The American brand sells a range of incredible pocket multi-tools that carry a 25-year guarantee and, in my humble opinion, every woman should own one.
For years I coveted my father’s Leatherman. It’s no secret to him, because he quite often had to prise it from my clutches. Despite that, he never did buy me one of my own and I have a horrible suspicion that it was because I was a girl – a notion very much of his generation on the whole – but I’m not bitter.
“So, on my 40th birthday (when I became a responsible adult), my request was for my very own Leatherman.”
My lovely husband obliged, and a shiny pink-purple Leatherman Juice was mine. We affectionately call it the Leatherbird (no sexism in my household) and it’s under no threat of being ‘borrowed’ by the men in my house precisely because it is pink-purple. Yes, I’m rolling my eyes. Twelve years on, it’s still one of my favourite possessions, mainly because it makes me feel mildly dangerous and edgy. Although, I do often forget to take it out of my handbag when I go shopping – that would be very edgy… and illegal.
There’s something lovely in the weight of a multi-tool, and even lovelier is the feeling that nothing is going to spoil your adventures – you are kitted out and ready. From removing piercings and fixing hen houses, to filing keys into shape, cutting holes in plasterboard and latterly opening a million boxes that have been delivered, its uses are endless. It’s got multiple knives, a little saw, a set of straight screwdrivers, a Phillips screwdriver, a can & bottle opener, a corkscrew, a file, scissors, an awl and pliers.
“It’s an awesome piece of engineering, and confidence, in the palm of your hand.”
I’m very independent, probably infuriatingly so on occasion; I’m a feminist in the best sense of the word and have always felt a bit unfeminine because of it – and I think that is very much of my generation. I will change a car tyre, use a saw, wield a sledgehammer, and split logs because I detest feeling helpless. I might not always do these things well, but I will always have a go – and I hope that my daughters will follow suit. My Leatherman is a nicely weighted little reminder in my pocket that I am capable.
People have laughed at me and my multi-tool, but I have loaned it out enough times to know that I too have now created a covetous following. And to my girls: if you are reading this – Christmas is coming.
