January 2008

Leatherman Saves Christmas in Africa

Dear Mr. Tim,
I would just like to thank you for your commitment to life and quality for chasing a dream and seeing it through. THANK YOU!!!

About four years ago I gave each of my two brothers a Leatherman Squirt, one red and one blue, for their birthdays - I believe you should give decent presents! (I was then still in full time ministry and could not afford anything bigger at that stage.) Well, on Christmas day 2007, my father in-law, brother and my two year old daughter and her niece and I got stuck. We wanted to make a quick trip out to the farm to go check on cattle and put out some fresh salt etc. It rained heavily for three days and we eventually had to use a detour to reach the farm. While still driving and sliding in the rain, I heard a knock and saw parts flying in the rear view mirror. Immediately I took the Land Cruiser out of gear and brought it to a standstill next to the road. We haven’t even reached the farm and still need to get back for Christmas lunch. Engine troubles are never nice, especially if you planned a quick in and out trip to the farm!! After closer inspection we discovered the cover plate at the right wheel and some other bits and pieces got messed up quiet badly - how and why it happened is still a mystery. I was just glad there were no major mechanical problems. After removing the wheel we realized we need some special equipment, which of course we didn’t have. My brother suggested he try with his Squirt (the red one) and see what can be salvaged. Well, to cut a long story short, between the advice from my father in-law, old Africa blou draad (wire) and of course the red Squirt we managed to replace the wheel, reach the farm, feed and care for the cattle and we were still back in time for Christmas late supper!! But let me tell you if it wasn’t for Leatherman it could have turned out very nasty, especially with the kids and all the bad weather involved.

I am very proud to be a part of the LEATHERMAN family!!! Over the years I bought my two brothers each a Squirt as mentioned earlier on. Then I got myself a Wave a couple of years ago and eventually gave that to my handyman Samual. He lives in a tin shack of two by three meters with a LOT of holes in it - he uses it daily to keep his home standing. Then I had to get myself another one as being a photographer and Africa is a tough country I always HAVE to carry one so I treated myself and got the Charge XTi, the one in the tin box!! (Man, I feel like Tarzan with that out in the Africa bush; I wonder what Tarzan would have done with one.) Though it gets a bit heavy sometimes, especially after a twenty hour day, still I can’t afford to leave it at the studio. My father had an older version of the Surge, I believed, which my mother inherited.

So Mr. Tim, you see why I see myself as part of your family and I promise you it won’t be long before I invest in some of your Skeletools as the more I look at it the longer the list of uses for it grows in my environment. I live in the rural parts of South Africa, but whenever I am in a big city or place where they sell your equipment, my wife and kids always give me an hour or two to fiddle around - its so relaxing! Till the day I die, I will spend on and at LEATHERMAN, that I can promise you.


Ian v.

Langenhovenpark, Bloemfontein, Free State