Your Honest Opinions on Gerber Multitools

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Dec 29, 2007
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I have only been carrying Gerber tools for a little while, a year maybe, and I have got to say that I like them and have had no problems yet. I mostly carry a compact sport off and on throughout the weeks. A great tool though not as tough as a Leatherman. The blade stays nice and sharp and I think what attracts me most is the one hand opening sliding mechanism. Easier to open one handed than the gliding SOGs. I'd like to hear some of your experiences amd opinions on the Gerber line of multitools.
 
I have a Gerber MP400 compact Sport and a Leatherman Charge Ti. Whilst I like the Gerber's one handed opening pliers, I much prefer Leatherman's build quality and use of better materials.

The thing that put me off the Gerber was how easily it corroded. I was on a hiking trip and the tool got wet. I was home a couple of hours later and went to dry the tool, but a large number of rust spots had already developed. I managed to clean up the tool and it has been relegated to my office work bag ever since.
 
Overall; poor to good.

The Chinese made Gerbers can be spotty in construction and fit/finish but are generally a fair representation of their price point. Most tools in this series are do not stand up to hard use and have been known to fail doing common multi tasks.

The US made Gerbers are good tools. They use comparable materials and have a level of quality on par with other US manufacturers. Tools are easy to access, pliers are strong and the overall fit/finish is good. I would not hesistate to recommend these tools to anyone.

I managed to clean up the tool and it has been relegated to my office work bag ever since.

Did you actually use the tool before second-stringing it? I get a chuckle out of the idea that surface rust is indicative of lower quality. In the multi world, it's the finish, not the material.
 
Overall; poor to good.
Did you actually use the tool before second-stringing it? I get a chuckle out of the idea that surface rust is indicative of lower quality. In the multi world, it's the finish, not the material.

The tool has seen extensive use. I was dissappointed that rust appeared after a couple of hours. It doesn't happen with any of my Leathermans.
 
Gerber Multiplier -- 2 copies. One I bought, it has a blue handle, so it got adopted by the shiny things person. She was doing some craft project or other, and cut some wires, and the pliers don't like opening and closing anymore. Gonna have to send that back to Gerber when I remember to.

Other was issued to me, is all black, taken overseas many times, and has gotten used hard. Still going strong, but I have little to no cause to carry it anymore. It is my desk toolkit now, so that I will actually have some decent tools when at work.

I don't think I've ever used the knife blade on either of them.
 
I have quite a few Gerber multi's and have carried them on & off with Leathermans. Just for the heck of it, I replaced my SuperTool 200 EDC with the Gerber Suspension several months ago. I was hoping to write a piece here about how the Suspension couldn't quite meet the match, but so far, it's done everything I needed.;)
 
Granted, I'v never owned one, but I have used and sharpened a few of them. Having said that, I think that they are a little flimsy. That is to say, they don't feel as stout as a Leatherman.
 
I have one of the original models that they made and it is the best multitool that I own. My father bought a newer version of the same thing and it made me sick to compare the two. The old one had a much nicer blade which came with crisp serrations and a near mirror edge. The new one had dull, sloppy serrations and was pitted. I looked as though it had been finished on a course file. The fit and finish is terrible and my old muti still is smother and has better lockup after many years of abuse.
 
I used to use the one-handed opening slide mechanism type Gerber multitool. The reason I disliked it was that it pinched my palms when cutting wire, etc. This was a model I bought in the late 1990s and was all-metal and Made in the USA. Some people who needed to use their multitool for serious work that I know nicknamed this model the "palm-pincher."
 
I currently own (2) Gerber compact multi-tools: 400 Sport Compact, and a Suspension. I would recommend these tools for low-torque/light applications. The 400 Sport was great to use in telecommunications work (e.g., opening jacks, and stripping CAT5e voice cable) when my tool bag was too far to access. As others have alluded to, the 400 will pinch your palm if you are not careful, but this is not a big drawback IMHO. The knives are different on both tools, with the Suspension's blade being more like a 'Wharncliffe-type', with no serrations. The scissors on the Suspension are token affairs, and are almost worthless. For some reason, Gerber never opted for 'Fiskars' scissors on either tool, but the ones on the 400 are more functional (larger). The Phillips-head screwdriver on the Suspension is almost 'non-functional', and it's opposite number on the 400 looks like it was cast from cheap 'pot metal'. Gerber needs to seriously upgrade they're accessory fold-outs. Both of these tools, would/did work for me in tandem with my SAK. Disclaimer: These tools are not made for serious applications, or strenuous useage. If you use them with this in mind, then they have limited utility. Bear in mind, you get what you pay for. If your looking for a quality, stronger medium-duty item, go SwissTool, or SOG. All of these tools are meant to be convenient half-measures, when real dedicated tools are not needed, or temporarily unavailable. If you feel a Gerber tool will fulfill your mission, by all means, buy it.
 
My fishing buddy gave me a Suspension a few years ago for Christmas. The only negative I could find was that the tools on one side were extremely stiff upon opening and closing. But after spending a couple evenings lubing and repeatedly opening and closing the tools, it got much better. To date, I've only used it for light applications around the house but am extremely satisfied with it. The greatest feature in my book is that the pliers have a spring to return them to the open position - great for one-handed operations.
 
I also have a Gerber compact sport currently assigned to tasks around home, I have no big complaints about it but I prefer to carry a more robust tool at work and in the field (Leatherman wave).

I also observed how easily rust spots appear on the Gerber while in humid or saline enviroments, nothing major and a good cleaning and oiling is usually enough to return it to good conditions.

One more thing, I was never able to get a good edge on its blade no matter how hard I tried (I use the same technique on my wave, SAKs and Spydercos with different results), but otherwise it is a good tool.

Regards.


Jaime Orozco.
 
Hi,

I just bought a 400 Compact Sport last Sunday. I bought it to replace the cheap $10 China-made units I've been using, (use it, lose it, break it, buy another).

I was attracted to one handed opening of the pliers and the smaller, lighter weight for use in my alter-ego/secret life doing Fire/EMS/Rescue. And for everyday use too, of course. My first impressions aren't really that good. I'm mostly interested in the pliers and screw driver tools. The loosey-goosey feel of the plier head doesn't build a lot of confidence. But it does open with a simple flick of the wrist, at least most of the time. My real life, full time occupation of being a machinist, tells me that it could be built to tighter tolerances and still be perfectly functional. and not add any cost to the manufacture. I miss the spring opening of the pliers that even the cheap $10 China multi-tools have. A good feature to have when standing on your head in a wreaked car and trying to dis-arm the airbags.

I've only used the philips tools at work and none of the straight blades. It seems to be a good tool. It fit the screw head well and I felt no "give" in the tool as I removed and replaced the screws. We will see how the straight blades hold up when I'm trying to pry the hinge pins out of an interior door to get at an unresponsive patient.

My scissors was billed as a Fiskers on the package. It does cut surprisingly well. But it ain't gonna replace my issue "EMT" pair. Those will cut most anything, even light sheet steel. And only cost about $2.00 a pair. I want to know who the idiot was who thought that a 1/2 serrated, 1/2 straight, 2" blade was a good idea. I don't really care for serrated blades to start with. But on a blade that small, let's do one or the other, not both! Still, it came razor sharp. It would shave hair. But it's not going to replace the No.8 Opinel in my pocket for everyday cutting tasks.

The fit and finish is decent. As I would expect, (mine is marked Gerber, USA). And I don't think mine will be a palm-pincher for me. But I have big hands.

Over all, I'm kind of regretting the purchase. It's not as good as I had hoped for. But it's better than what I've been using. It does exceed my expectations on being light and easy on my belt. The slide open pliers still feels like a good feature, though I think they did a sloppy job of building it. The tool has done everything I've used it for without complaint so far. Perhaps we just need to do more tasks together to "bond" and build confidence. I will continue to carry and use it. At least until I decide there is something I like better.

dalee
 
I have only been carrying Gerber tools for a little while, a year maybe, and I have got to say that I like them and have had no problems yet. I mostly carry a compact sport off and on throughout the weeks. A great tool though not as tough as a Leatherman. The blade stays nice and sharp and I think what attracts me most is the one hand opening sliding mechanism. Easier to open one handed than the gliding SOGs. I'd like to hear some of your experiences amd opinions on the Gerber line of multitools.

While in the Guard most folks carried a Gerber since that's what was at the BX. If they got off post they bought a Leatherman at wallyworld, if they made extra money somehow the bought Vic's, or SOG's.
I don't use 1 but I think the Gerbers are fragile.
 
Hi,

I just bought a 400 Compact Sport last Sunday. I bought it to replace the cheap $10 China-made units I've been using, (use it, lose it, break it, buy another)...

Over all, I'm kind of regretting the purchase. It's not as good as I had hoped for. But it's better than what I've been using. It does exceed my expectations on being light and easy on my belt. The slide open pliers still feels like a good feature, though I think they did a sloppy job of building it. The tool has done everything I've used it for without complaint so far. Perhaps we just need to do more tasks together to "bond" and build confidence. I will continue to carry and use it. At least until I decide there is something I like better.

dalee

Try the Leatherman Kick or the Leatherman Fuse.
 
The once proud Gerber name has degenerated to crap . Not a fan of any of their recent multis .

Chris
 
I wanted a keychain sized tool and bought the Leatherman Squirt P4 because it was smaller than the Gerber Clutch and had better fit and finish. Just seemed better quality. After using the P4 a bit I was disappointed with it and returned it. The tools were too small to be useful (2 of the screwdrivers were sized for eyeglasses hinges rather than full sized screws). Plus, there was a sharp corner edge where a rounded one should have been (spine of blade) and a rounded one where a sharp one should have been (cutting edge and tip of awl- what's up with that?). I bought the much less expensive Gerber and have been happier with it. The screw drivers are large enough to be useful to me. While the build is not quite as tight, the value is much better. It's a decent tool at a very good price. I do not have experience with other Gerber multi tools, but based on this one, I think they are fine for what they are.

My full sized multi is a SwissTool X and I have an LM Juice and some generics.
 
I haven't had a problem sharpening my blade (I don't like the half serrations either. That's one of the things that turned me off of the SOG Powerlock. That and the SOG gears digging into my palms when I turn screws and I haven't used a SOG since). The Gerber tools do seem fragile, but they turned out to be a lot tougher than I thought especially since the opening and closing (not referring to the slide feature) seemed loose at first. That was hard to get used to. They are more comfortable than Leatherman, but not as tough. I always go back to using Leathermans as my main tool like I have for the last 12 years. Thanks everyone for the comments. Keep 'em coming.
 
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