My humble apology

[Mercury]

I would like to apologize to both the designers at Gerber and to the Gerber fans here, for my comments on Gerber in the past.  I have said some things about Gerber products that I'm finding are simply not true.  I must confess that other than the original Gerber MP's that pinched my palms as a youngster, I based quite a bit of my thoughts on gerber on the Suspension, which has got to be the worst thing I have ever handled.  That aside, I recently acquired a BO MP600 in a trade here, and I am shocked.  I can't stop carrying it and it has handled so much more than I ever gave them credit for.  It actually pushed my LM off my belt.  I still love Leatherman products and use mine all the time, but after a week of carrying my MP600
I can safely say that I won't be putting it in a drawer any time soon.  It is my current favorite, and even when the Rebar comes out I will just carry both. 


So please accept my sincere apologies for speaking before actually thinking.  I was waaaay wrong and I am thrilled that a whole new world of Multi's has opened up for me. 

[jerseydevil]

Apology accepted  . I felt the same way about Gerbers before I got my hands on a decent one. I'd handled the Suspension a couple of times and thought to myself, "No way am I EVER going to get one of these POS things. Their other stuff must be crap too if this is their most visible design". I took a chance on trading a Leatherman with you, Sean, and getting an MP450. I now have three Gerbers, and that MP450 has to be my absolute favorite tool by any manufacturer next to my Vic Tinker. Glad that the MP600 is working well for you, I just got mine packed up to ship to Gerber for some TLC. I'm  also looking at getting a Diesel in the near future, and when my Dremel arrives the Octane will get a little mod, then into the pocket it goes! The rep that some of Gerber's cheaper tools has may be well deserved (though I love the Octane), but their top-of-the-line tools are ones that I'd put up against another maker any day.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I don't count the Octane as part of their cheaper designs- in fact I put it in with the other sliding head designs as one of the better ones.  I like sliding head Gerbers, although very few of their butterfly openers have done much for me, although I do like the Strata, MPT, MP800 and MP700.

I'll be the first to admit that while I love the Flik, it's not on the same level as the MP400 and MP600 models, but I think that's got more to do with the complexity of the design rather than the point of origin.

It bugs the crap out of me when people say Gerbers are garbage.  They simply are not, and as I've said before, the MP600 is the most successful multitool on the market (most variants, been in service the longest) and I'll put it against any tool from any manufacturer any day.  Ditto for the MP400.  While it may not win in every category, it will certainly place respectably. 

Gerber had some crappy models in the past, but then so has everyone- the Flair, Mini, Sportsratchet and Autotool are proof that even the top guys can fail.  The only difference is that Gerber's crappy tools were successful, so that haters can sit on that and twirl! 

Glad to see that you were open minded enough to take the chance, and man enough to admit you were wrong! 

Def

[Ombudsman]

My first MT was the original Gerber Multiplier, that said. I have always considered this brand better than the alternatives or at least equal.. Until i discovered MT.O and found a lot of people saying the opposite.. I accept that i am probably biased towards Gerber products but for me it is one of the best and most innovative MT companies. 

[Threeme2189]

ummm...

 

[jerseydevil]

I don't count the Octane as part of their cheaper designs- in fact I put it in with the other sliding head designs as one of the better ones.

Good point. I don't think it is either, actually.  I'm just bad at expressing my views in English, which is pretty pathetic when you consider that I have a degree in it...  I think that the Octane is great, and when I finally get around to cutting locking notches in it (my new Dremel will be here on Wednesday  ), it could very well become my EDC pocket tool.

[82brutus]

So tell us more about what you've liked about them?

[Chako]

Well, if you think the Suspension is pure junk, you haven't handled a Gerber Radius have you.

I like Gerber. Their designs can be hit and miss, but then that goes for everyone out there.
.

[Mercury]

Glad to see that you were open minded enough to take the chance, and man enough to admit you were wrong! 

Def

I'm not so pigheaded anymore, I used to be though.  I hate seeing people needlessly bash companies like  Leatherman and Victorinox just because of one bad experience, so when I figured out I had been putting my foot in my mouth regarding Gerber, I had to admit it, otherwise I'd be a hypocrite.  While I don't care for all of Gerber's designs, namely the Suspension, I just love the MP series now.

 

So tell us more about what you've liked about them?

What attracted me the most at first was the OHO pliers.  I love the sliding plier mechanism and being able to open them one handed made my job easier.  A lot of times I am receiving parts that are in large boxes or box assemblies(hoods, fenders, etc) and I just can't stand leaving packing staples in them because they tend to slice me open if I leave them there.  I used to put the box down, grab my LM, open it, and pick the box back up to remove the staples.  With my gerber, I just hold the box with my left hand and grab my gerber with my right, snap the pliers open and proceed to remove staples. 

The same principle attracted me for the rest of my job too.  Sometimes I have to remove parts or pieces of parts from cars in order to match them to what i ordered or to get part numbers off of them so that I can order them.  Having the Gerber open so quick is much easier on me.  And I can one hand close all the tools so putting it away is easier. 

I also like how close the plier handles are when gripping something.  Less hand fatigue and much easier to grip. 
The tools are useful, they are just as good as Leatherman IMHO.  I was using my gerbers can opener to pry yesterday and it was perfect for the job. 

This may seem odd, but I like the shape of the large flat screwdriver.  If you look at it, it's diamond shaped so it has a bit of grip when prying up small things.  I used it to pry a nameplate off a door so I could save it(our techs tend to destroy them during removal), and it held on to the edge so the plate didn't slap back down and break.



I know all companies have it, but I was really happy with the BO finish on my gerber.  It is perfect coverage and it doesn't rub off on my hands.  I think I want all my new tools to be BO from now on.

The tools are easy to get out without breaking your nail, and there is NO clumping.  The locks are simple to use and very effective.  I also like how comfortable the pliers are to use, much more comfortable even than my Blast. 

I also have to add that I really like the lanyard ring feature.  That's one thing about the newer LM lanyard ring I hate, it's too thin and seems like it's a "fluff" feature and I'd honestly rather they didn't even include it.  The one on my MP400 is thick and easy to get out, and I would have a ton of confidence in it if I were to use my tool atop a large ladder or over water. 

I guess that sums it up, I love my Gerber!

[Grant Lamontagne]

When talking about how crappy Gerbers are, remember that Terminators used Gerbers, so there's proof they are good! 

Def

[Mercury]

They did?

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yah, dat ees affirmative.

Lots of info here:
http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,32639.msg536055.html#msg536055

There were three (I think) T3 models issued- an MP600, MP400 and an MP700.

Def

[Mercury]

Nice!  I like the Mp600 version.

[Gareth]

Good of you to say so Mercury.   Gerber do indeed come in for some very undeserved flak IMO, and I'll admit to having been very snobby about them myself in the past.  Sadly my first experience with their MT's was a Suspension as well and it totally put me off, right up until I got a good look at a Diesel and though "these sliding pliers are a bit of all-right".  Got myself a MP600 in short order and then lucked upon a good second-hand MP400 for an excellent price and love them both. 

Like you I do love the comfort of the handles being far closer together than many of the LM designs, they're every bit of comfortable as my Spirit IMO. 

Gerber Octane is next up on my wish list.

[Chako]

You will like the Octane.