FIrst Batch!


It's often difficult to know if a Leatherman tool was part of the first batch or not. The PST and MiniTool for instance didn't have date codes for the first 6-8 years. Most of the time, the tool doesn't change shortly after release so one tool just looks like another. Some things you might look for are TM or Patent pending but those really only tell you that it was early in the run. But one of Leatherman's tools had several changes after release that mark prerelease tools and I managed to finally grab both models.


and since i now have both, For anyone else looking here's a guide for what is interesting and what to look for.

In the picture above is the Charge TI and the Charge XTI, announced in April of 2004 along with the 2nd generation wave, these sold for about double the wave's $60 price and included a 154CM plain edge blade and Titanium scales. Unlike the wave they included the pocket clip and lanyard attachment, and a small kit of Leatherman's new flat bits.

In this picture you can see several differences that mark this as early run/first batch. The scales say TM, later they would say R (registered) or omit the mark altogether. The screws are pentalobe, not torx. The eyeglass screwdriver does not have a spring. And the bitkit is clear not black resin

The difference between the models were a cap crimper plier and a guthook on the serrated. The XTI also includes 2 large bit drivers and omits the scissor and prybar


Pentalobe HS screws were used on the original wave, the sideclip, and the beginning of the 2nd gen wave and charge. For the Charge and 2nd Generation wave this changed fairly soon after release to Torx. Some people think the screws are 5 lobe torx but pentalobe has pedals, like flower pedals, torx has points


The spine of the frame does include patent pending which is another indicator of being early in the run


These tools were announced at shot show 2004, here's a link to an article on the release [http://www.equipped.org/shot\_show\_2004\_knives.htm](http://www.equipped.org/shot_show_2004_knives.htm) in April and these tools both have an 04/04 stamp


a closer view of the bitkits


they started out crystal clear but time and sunlight ages them. Any tools that saw much outdoors would have had these turning orange and becoming extremely brittle. You can see damage on the bottom one that I think came when the tool, in its sheath, fell off of a counter and cracked the end loop. These are pretty impossible to find.

I got the TI at least a decade ago from a pawn shop for $50, The XTI i owe to u/T0M101087 for posting about them and reminding me to look. First batch tools like this normally sell around the $300+ range for just the tool. This one came with the sheath and hard to find bitkit and I managed to bargain the ebay seller down to $209 which is a really good price for such a complete tool.

Much of the same would be true for a wave first batch, dates prior to 04/04 eyeglass screwdriver lacking a spring and pentalobe hs screws. I have never seen one of these so if you have one make sure and post it.

And if anyone has the full bitkit in clear resin that would also be worth a post. Those simply do not exist in this timeline, i've searched but never even seen one talked about.