mp600 Fisherman - were there 2 versions???

[tosh]

Hmm, really need to sort my storage system out.
Opened the wardrobe to grab a shirt and was hit on the head by a shoebox FULL of MT's!! - for a split second almost threw the f#@#ing lot through the window. Ouch it hurt!!

Anyway, MT's scattered all over the floor, scooped them up and began putting them back into said custom storage unit 

The last 2 (mp600 fisherman) were about to go in when I noticed one had slid out....
Turns out it hadn't

Oh dear, don't say I've bought a copy. Yet it doesn't feel like a copy.
The GERBER stamp is slightly different, seems wider and one seems to have been stamped harder. The USA stamp is the same on both. But the snout on the plier head is remarkably different. One is much shorter, plus it hits the handles when opened. The serrated blade is also slightly different.

I'll get comparison pics up later, far too nice outside at the moment 

So, did Gerber release 2 versions?? I am intrigued.

[gregozedobe]

I'd have to see photos of your two, but all the MP600 "Fishermans" I've seen had the extra long (and extra thin) "technician" jaws with the carbide cutters and 3 extra small grooves just in front of the main gripping area.  This is the same pliers as the MP650 had.

They are a lot longer than the regular Gerber needle nose pliers and stick out quite a bit even when fully retracted.  In fact the Fisherman model had a special (longer) sheath with a strengthening rivet just where the end of the pliers poke at the bottom of the sheath.

Here is Gerber's info on this tool:
http://www.gerber-tools.com/Gerber-multi-plier-600-fisherman-47572.htm

Does the one with shorter pliers have a diamond file ?

[tosh]

Yes, they both have the grooved diamond file. At first I assumed the previous owner had simply damaged the tip of the pliers and so chopped it off and sold it.

However, the flat area on the edges of the  plier head that almost touches the handles are different! One is 50% longer than the other.
Which makes me think this was an earlier version.

I've taken pictures, will upload later.

[tosh]

Apologies for the delay chaps...

[tosh]

Comparison of plier heads

[gregozedobe]

Hmmmm, I just checked both the MP600 Fishermans I currently have and noticed some differences on them as well.

The one with the "GERBER" in a slightly larger font also has thicker plier ends (wider) and has the longer flat area at the back of the pliers the same as yours. Both pliers are the same length.

The SE blades seem to be close to identical on both (the parallel version, not the slightly "tapered" one).  The backs of one plier head touches on both tools when fully open.

I have another one on its way, I'll have to check it out carefully when it arrives.  I think it may have a slightly "tapered" SE blade but it's difficult to be sure from the photos on ebay.

Looking at your photos I wonder whether a small portion of the tip of the shorter pliers has been ground off ?  On both mine (and all the MP650 technician jaws I have) there is a short portion (approx 2mm) at the very tip that is plain (no serrations), and I can't see that on yours.

I wonder which version was the early, and which was the later version ?

[Chako]

That was my thought exactly. It appears that someone shortened the pliers. Just speculation however.

[tosh]

Just noticed something else.
The bottom 2 pictures where I've put the heads inside each other.

If you look carefully at the longer version when closed, the inside jaws run parallel to the tip, whereas the shorter version are running tapered to the tip. I also noticed the fine serrations at the tip of the jaws are also different.
Which is odd, as the version with the longer plier head actually looks to have had more use than the other.
Weird.

Just out of curiosity, it wouldn't be the mp400 fisherman head would it??

[zoidberg]

Your first pic shows a difference where the handles are tapered too.

[gregozedobe]

Just out of curiosity, it wouldn't be the mp400 fisherman head would it??

I don't think so.  My MP400 fisherman has different jaws that don't have replacable cutters (although they do look similar, with the extra long needle nose).

[tosh]

Your first pic shows a difference where the handles are tapered too.

Well spotted zoidberg 
 I think that really confirms my initial thought - that there were indeed variations on this model.


EDIT

Just checked the handles are the same Doh!!
I'd photographed them showing alternate sides 

[David]

I dug out my MP600 Fisherman. Thought I had more than one but didn't. The one I have is NIB paid a tidy sum for it a couple years ago. Here are some pics.   

[David]

One other observation in relation to reply #3 pic #1 is that all MP600 on the plier end have one narrow handle and one wide handle. Look at both handles and you'll see it.

[tosh]

One other observation in relation to reply #3 pic #1 is that all MP600 on the plier end have one narrow handle and one wide handle. Look at both handles and you'll see it.

Hi David

Yeah, I realise now that I got them showing alternate sides 
Doh!!

[J-sews]

I only have one MP600 Fisherman, and it has the extra-long tips:







Tosh, could you post a picture of the two plier heads side-by-side, with both in the "closed" position? Thanks!

[tosh]

Here you go J-sews

I decided to measere both the plier heads at thier widest point.
Interestingly, the shorter head is 26mm across, whilst the longer head is a fraction under 24mm!!

Also worth noting that on the shorter head version, the handles don't close parallel like on the longer version.
 

[Chako]

That still looks to me, someone found the pliers too long to their liking, and they just ground the tips down.

[Syph007]

Ive bent the tips on very long needle nose pliers before, putting too much force on something small.  I wonder if someone did the same and decided just to grind them down and remove the damaged/bent par.

[tosh]

 I wonder the same.

But the fact still remains that both heads are physically different. The SE blade I'd different, the Engraving is different ( Check out the number 3 on the scale, one is flat at the top and one round). The gap in the p!ier head jaws when closed is different, the gap in handles when closed is different.
But yes, I do wonder about the plier tips, but.......

[J-sews]

Thanks for the additional photos Tosh. Another theory is that perhaps there were some of these plier heads that were ground down at the factory..?

Hmmm, are the ends of the plier tips shiny, or are do they have the matte bead-blast finish?

[tosh]

Thanks for the additional photos Tosh. Another theory is that perhaps there were some of these plier heads that were ground down at the factory..?

Hmmm, are the ends of the plier tips shiny, or are do they have the matte bead-blast finish?

Sorry Bob, I've been away for a few days.
Yes, both tips are matt finish.

I actually think these were factory made, maybe it just slipped through the QC dept!!

[tattoosteve99]

Could it be possible that one is a fisherman and one is a technician? Just a thought

[tosh]

Could it be possible that one is a fisherman and one is a technician? Just a thought

I'd never thought of that Steve 
I wasn't even aware a technician mp600 existed.

Note: Steve actually has another fisherman for me - BNiB and with its sheath!!!  (Cheers Steve  ) when it arrives I'll revive this thread with a comparison of all three fisherman models. I'm still not convinced it was an aftermarket mod.