A new wearable popped up yesterday, called Tread, from Leatherman. A metal bracelet, modeled kind of like a watch band, with links that come apart and function as Allen wrenches, screwdrivers, wire strippers, and more of the features you expect from multitools. As makers, it tripped our triggers both because it’s a wearable (see our latest issue, Volume 43) and because it’s a tool. (Er, several, really.)
It’s stainless steel, Leatherman claims it has 25 distinct tools, and it’s expected to be between $150 and $200, though they don’t say whether that’s for the version with the watch or not. Not cheap, certainly. But it folds up elegantly, is actually rather classy looking, and is apparently TSA compliant.
Banter around the office is probably more because we’re tool nerds than anything else.
“Yeah, I need one of those.”
“Well, I’ve got two arms, so I need two.”
Unfortunately, we’re all going to have to wait — availability is scheduled for summer 2015. Check back later (possibly much later), we’re sure to do a full review.
38 thoughts on “We Can’t Wait to Try Leatherman’s New Wearable”
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I am happy to Beta Test! (hint hint)
Pre-announcing products feels like wasted marketing. I would pay for this right now. Instead I’m going to probably re-think the decision before this comes out.
True, but on the other hand Leatherman is a lovebrand and I would buy it anyways, even in 7 month from now.
What I miss though is some sort of a TSA-approved label, but that’s probably not up to LM.
Oddly enough, you can’t use one of these to disassemble itself. Guess there is a good reason for getting two of them.
Now to manufacture an adapter to put my Pebble Steel watchface on this band…
Fire up the MakerBot!
You can try the watch adapters for Leatherman Tread. See: http://besttechtool.com/
The adapters are designed for different watches based on the lug width of the watch.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/108c810082fa8743cf5d62103cbff672bb1b5fa01fcd560565cc7ed5c7ef2bc2.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/16efb8c7132e0826da8469dac41c79ed3cc7401f3f85fec8d82332b273487452.jpg https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/03480336a183dbf67674acb2f7fe966a8ebd485191f813bca397516e7417648d.jpg
I would happily hand them cash for this right now. I would love if you could choose your links and build your own on a website. A 2.5mm allan key on me at all times would be great!
Sure beats a Pandora bracelet lol!
So, can women use it for anything other than fixing their sink? Hopefully I can iron and cook with it too…. or maybe stab my eyes out?
Right? I think that poor woman is actually waiting for one of those beardy men to show up with one, but they are too busy treading around the mountains. It better come in smaller wrist sizes because I know plenty of bad ass women who would use one. And it better not come in pink.
Amen!
Totally agree… that was really sexist of Leatherman IMO… poorly done.
Really I don’t know what a leatherman could actually fix under there…. It’s just terrible.
On my own sink, I can think of 2 places a leatherman would work. The water lines have pretty small fittings that can easily be loosened/tightened with a leatherman. So she won’t be using them on the drain, but the drain isn’t the only thing under a sink. (1 hot + 1 cold = 2 fittings a leatherman would work on)
In the two years I’ve been here, the foam insert on the faucet side has gotten clogged with mineral deposits not once but twice and caused the faucet to run slow out of the cold side. A leatherman would be able to loosen the small (they are either 5/8ths or 9/16ths size fittings) fittings very handily.
So its actually not that terrible at all. Its not the tool a professional would use, but I would grab my leatherman first because I always know where it is.
I just grab the right size wrenches and channel locks to hold back the other side of the connection.
Has a cutting tool and you can wear it onto an airplane? Interesting. How long before the radical islamic terrorists buy them by the hundreds?
Has a cutting tool that can cut so deep that it can even open cardboard boxes. I don’t think it could cut all 3 millimeters of the average human skin.
I could have SO used one of these when my sons were young! My husband was always at work and finding tools when the guys undid things was almost impossible (since they regularly undid the tools, too!) I would still love one of these, but that price is a little pricey for me, unfortunately!
New sub-market, making adaptor to fit your current watch.
It will still get put on the banned list at airports….
must. have. this.
Very cool. If they make sure the watch is both water resistant and solar powered … a real tool I might wear!
According to Leatherman (in their comments section) looks like it’s good up to 200m…
Is it made in the USA? Cause that’d make it awesome, awesome, awesome.
500 to 600 bucks for the watch version !! LM is a little proud on this one — 150 to 200 is still a little steep for just the wearable unit if price heads downwards to 70 to 100 they will sell like gangbusters!!! good luck to them on this one it is cool
I have seen many many forum post about an adapter to put your own watch on this — dont think that would happen unless they stuck with one or 2 companies for the wearable there are just toooo many variables
again good luck LM ill stick with my skeletool
If they make them in smaller sizes for women, I would love to get one of these for work!
I love my leatherman and ALWAYS have it on me since our first two week canoeing/backpacking trip to Canada without, which proved every member of our family needed one, they are handy and an inovation in the multitool. So I ask you, as a progressive company, SERIOUSLY? Could you not fathom a woman using this anywhere but the proverbial, freaking, kitchen!? Give me a break. That is literally the LAST place I would be likely to use it. Why? Please, please explain why??
You would use one in the kitchen for the two fittings under your sink for the hot and cold supply line, if your sink is anything like mine. And as I posted earlier, I would grab my leatherman because I always know where it is.
Does that answer “Why?” It does for me.
Most people would be more likely to use it to repair a kitchen sink than when bass fishing, I’m sure. I would, anyway. How freaking sexist is it that men can’t be in the kitchen, and must always be out murdering fish or being rugged outdoors types? No matter who you are, and no matter how you look at any form of advertising, you’re going to find stereotypes to offend you. Like the stupid husband/clever wife thing that we see all of the bloody time these days. Just remember that they’re selling their product to the people that they think will buy it, and not making a political statement. And if they get that target audience wrong, that’s their problem. Personally, I’d buy the Tread to repair the sink.
You will all have to excuse Kirstina. She is overreacting a bit.
Useful and beautiful… I’ll take one in black with the watch, please.
i cant wait =)
I would rather enjoy this.
I wonder if I could use that as a watch band for any watch, or if I have to use the Leatherman brand watch. I’d love to get a really nice tactical or divers watch to attach to this.
Does it come in a bluetooth or wifi model?
Do you need a Leatherman tool to take the links apart for use:-) Not sure how you would easily take out a particular link for use.
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