Cutting Edge of Outdoor Life

Every good boy scout knows about having a decent penknife in his pocket.

Today, multi-tools available to outdoor types have come a long way since Robert Baden Powell first persuaded young lads to experience life under canvas 100 years ago.

Leatherman and Wenger are experts in the design and manufacture of what is still also known as the Swiss Army Knife, with a comprehensive range of multi-purpose blades, pliers, files, saws and screwdrivers in a compact, all-in-one piece of kit that weighs far less than an old-fashioned penknife so beloved by schoolboys years ago.

Trusted By Adventurers All Over the World
Leatherman’s best-selling Wave and Skeletool CX are amongst those trusted by adventurers and explorers all over the world, weighing next to nothing and taking up minimal room in your rucksack…yet with enough attachments to see you through the toughest tasks on the hill and mountain.

Wenger’s EvoWood and EvoGrip are equally well-known; fitting for a company that was original supplier to the Swiss national army that gave this extraordinary piece of kit its name in the late 1800s.

Every Swiss soldier was equipped with a regulation single-blade folding knife, until 1889 when a new rifle was introduced. To disassemble the rifle, a screwdriver was needed, and a decision was made to create a multi-purpose tool incorporating a knife, screwdriver, reamer and can-opener - and the Swiss Army Knife was born.



Cutting Edge of Design and Development
Leatherman have been in the multi-tool market for a much shorter period of time….but in nearly 30 years they have been at the cutting edge of design and development since bringing out their original Pocket Survival Tool in the early 1980s.

Their 1986 Mini-Tool was the most compact multi-tool in the world, with a unique folding system which allowed the handle to fold down so small it was hardly noticeable in your pocket, and its miniature successor, the aptly-named Squirt series, measured just two-and-a-quarter inches long…yet still managed to pack in a range of knives, screwdrivers, pliers and wire strippers.

Today, both these iconic brands are revered by camping types and outdoor enthusiasts across the globe - who delight in the combinations of gadgets on offer, which today can include anything from toothpicks to tweezers, corkscrews to can openers, spring-loaded scissors to sheep's foot serrated knives.

• Gerber, also long known for its expertise in the outdoor world, has teamed up with survival expert Bear Grylls to produce a range of vital survival equipment for climbers, cavers and camping aficionados, including the Gerber Bear Grylls Compact Multi-tool, Basic Survival Kit and Firestarter.

The popular TV adventurer and former SAS sabre soldier knows what it takes to be a survivor in extreme situations, and has not just given his name to the collection - each item in the series has been meticulously researched and designed by the man himself in association with Gerber.


Copy writer Nicki Williams works for Gear-Zone, leading on-line, outdoor specialists stocking all the major camping, climbing and clothing brands including Leatherman, Wenger, The North Face, Rab and Berghaus
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