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The Leatherman Bond is a Knife Law-Friendly Modern Throwback

May 12, 2021

Leatherman’s latest multitool release is the Bond. This new addition looks backward for inspiration, doing things a little differently than most other models in Leatherman’s current lineup.

Company founder Tim Leatherman invented the pliers-based multitool product category in 1983, with the release of the Pocket Survival Tool, the Leatherman from which all others would follow. The core idea has remained the same for more than 30 years across dozens of different models, but recent Leatherman products riff on it in all sorts of ways: different materials, different proportions, different profiles, different applications.

The Bond, on the other hand, is a conscious throwback, channeling the PST’s spare, simple look. Its most direct comparison in Leatherman’s active lineup is the Rebar, which took a similar old school approach; the Bond’s 14 implements will be familiar to anybody who has used that multitool before. It’s a tool selection with obvious, broad utility. The pliers are the star of the show, combining needlenose and standard-width regions, but you also get multiple screwdrivers, a wood file, and bottle, can, and package openers. The most notable difference between the Bond relative to its peers is that its main blade (made from 420HC) is non-locking. Locking blades are de rigueur on most Leatherman releases these days, which imposes certain limits on where they can be legally carried. The Bond still isn’t 100% world legal, of course, but its non-locking nature will allow it to be purchased and used in places that are off limits for many of its stablemates.

The Bond comes ready for a clip accessory if you want to carry it like a folder

From an enthusiast’s point of view, there’s another reason the Bond is of interest: it is the easiest way to experience something akin to the original PST without tracking down an original secondhand or shelling out for the expensive limited edition rerelease that came out in 2018. Unlike either of those models, by the way, the Bond comes with a Nylon sheath as opposed to a leather one. The Bond has an additional carry option as well: it is tapped for the P-Series pocket clip accessory for anybody who wants to carry it like a folder.

Featured Image: Leatherman Bond

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