Gerber Balance, 2012 Edition!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Since the Balance wasn't released last year I wasn't sure if I should start a new thread about it or just update the old.  Bob suggested a Balance 2.0 thread, so I started a new one, then took the 2.0 out of the title because I didn't want anyone mistaking it for part of the name of the tool.



































Def

[Gareth]

Has the plier head changed shape slightly?  Anyway, I like the look of the two tone paint scheme.

[Zed]

   i like that and the drivers look spot on 

[jerseydevil]

Oh, man. this is going to be a costly year for me.....

[Mercury]

Oh, man. this is going to be a costly year for me.....

Ditto.

[symphonyincminor]

That matte lime green color is awful - they seem to put it on a handful of their cheaper tools now.

Those aluminum scales on the prototype that has been floating around here look a lot more attractive (more $$$ too when put into production).

[Gareth]

Matter of taste I'd say.  They look all right IMO.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I believe it will be offered in both green & black as seen above and all black as seen in the previous photos.

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Since I have some time to kill at the airport and since I have the Gerber Press Kit out already I figured I might as well upload some more photos.  These are the official Press Kit Photos for the Balance.







And of course the official sell sheets:





Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Given the price, I may do one of each!

Def

[symphonyincminor]

Thanx for the clarification and pics.... the gray one looks a lot sleeker!

What the approx. price point on these?

[Grant Lamontagne]

I can't remember, but I think the MSRP is about $60, so look for them in the $35-40 range.

Def

[stressmaster5000]

Glad to see they have a thumb pad on the scissors since sometimes you cut harder stuff and it will dig into your thumb or finger with prolonged use.

I have some of those old Gerber Keystyles and they do not have that bent over thumb pad.

[J-sews]

This was my first first-hand look at the Balance, and I was impressed. Gerber has certainly made an effort in recent years to improve the quality of their imported knive and tools, and it is beginning to pay dividends. This new balance is a good case in point. The entire "feel" of the pliers, the sliding mechanism, and the folding blades is substantially better than their tools from just a couple years ago. Now admittedly we were not able to do any extensive testing during the short time we were allowed to handle the Balance, but it certainly made a good impression on us. You know how you can tell a lot about a car simply by slamming the door? Tinny cheap car doors sound like an aluminum screen door banging in the wind, while a solidly built car has doors that sound like a bank vault closing when they shut. That's sorta how the Balance is, with a good strong feel all around.

From a carryability / usability standpoint, I've got mixed feelings about the Balance. The good part is it has the familiar Gerber sliding pliers, which are great for one-handed deployment. And with a single slider switch on the side of the tool (instead of dual switches on each edge of the tool like an MP600) it allows those edges to be occupied by full-length folding blades and tools. Everything on the Balance is outside opening, which answers an often-heard complaint about blade access on MP600 and MP400 multitools. Also, as regards carryability, the Balance's bar-of-soap profile allows it to slip inside a pocket as if it had red scales and a white cross on its side. Very nice.

The tradeoff for this roundiness is a tool that feels wider than most others in its class, and has pliers that are a bit smaller. I'm no engineer, but I imagine this is because in an effort to keep the thickness of the tool to a minimum, the folding blades were placed outboard of the plier-head channel (instead of stacked up alongside the plier head like is often done). This of course results in a wider tool, so the pliers were probably narrowed to keep the excess width to a minimum*

*all just pure speculation on my part of course

All in all I think the Balance will be a winner for Gerber, especially among casual users who prefer a simple to operate, straightforward, comfortable to carry multitool.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Bob has hit the nail on the head there.  I am really looking forward to the Balance. 

While I agree it does seem a bit wide, I think that is going to be offset by it's extreme comfort during carry.  After all, most tools spend more time in a pocket or sheath than they do working, so it's important to make sure you have something that is going to disappear in your pocket.

Def