History: Micra

The Leatherman Micra was there first attempt at a keychain tool and they hit a homerun with this one. It was introduced in 1996 and 20 years later it is still in production. Even with the Leatherman Mini-Tool (a great compact set of pliers and great multitool in it's own right) it still didn't fill the keychain tool gap. So Leatherman decided to produce small multitool based on scissors instead of pliers. Using the look and feel of their previous tools the Micra has a quality feel that is still evident today. Even with the introduction of both the Squirt series of tools and the Style series, sales stayed steady enough that the Micra has remained in production to this day.

Blue and Green Plastic Handled Micras

Red Plastic Handled Micra

Black Anodized Handled Micra

Grey Anodized Handled Micra

Jaws

• Scissors instead of pliers.

Handles/Frame

• Stainless steel. Some variations are painted, covered in plastic and anodized. A special edition come out in 2009 with the American flag color scheme.

Blades and Tools

Blade Characteristics

• All tools have a highly polished finish and do not clump.

Locking Mechanism

• None.

Sheath

• The Micra comes with a either a black or brown leather sleeve type sheath.

Dimensions

• Length open = 4.25 inches/12.5 cm
• Length closed = 2.5 in | 6.5 cm
• Width closed = 0.75 inches/1.9 cm
• Thickness = 0.38 inches/0.97 cm
• Weight = 1.8 oz | 51 g

Versions

• Older versions have Leatherman USA stamped on them whereas newer ones have Leatherman Tool stamped on them.

Variations

• The Micra comes in several colors besides plain stainless steel. There is red, blue, green, grey, pink, black, purple and a red, white and blue USA flag version and even a camo version from early on. All of these colors can be found on at least one of these Micra types- painted, plastic handled and anodized. There have also been different special edition versions over the years as well.

Background

• Introduced in 1996. Made in the USA. Still in production after 20 years. In 2018 the Micra also surpassed the PST as the longest continuously produced tool by Leatherman.

Related Tools

• This tool is related in it's design to the PST, PST II, Mini-Tool, Flair and even the Super Tool. It is the forerunner for all keychain Leatherman tools like the Squirt P4, Squirt S4, Squirt E4, Squirt PS4, Squirt ES4, Style PS, Style CS and even the Style. Any Leatherman with scissors could technically be related to this tool as well.

More Info

• The Micra Owner's Club - in the Multitool.org forums
• Who's got the oldest Micra? - in the Multitool.org forums
• Colored Micras - in the Multitool.org forums
• The pocket sized Leathermans - in the Multitool.org forums
• The Micra Review at Multitool.org
• The Micra at Leatherman website
• Micra ad December 1999