Gerber Crucial

David Bowen · **on:** June 17, 2009, 08:11:49 PM

Ok guys this review is HOT off the press, please review my review

and see if there are any changes that need to be made before posting to the main site. I have had the Crucial for almost three weeks (thanks to the folks at Gerber) and these are my findings.

Gerber Legendary Blades has been making knives and tools now for 70 years; hard to believe they have been in the market since before Leatherman was founded. Since Gerber released their first multitool (1991) they have been churning them out in an effort to keep them selves ahead of the pack. Gerber continues to innovate and gives us tools that we both thought were cool looking and some that made us wonder what they were thinking. Gerber went back to the drawing board and decided to create a tool from scratch that was very different than the usual Gerber product line. There seems to be a trend involving a lightweight tool that features a minimal amount of basic functions. Gerber has come through and brought a design which I feel will do the Gerber product line some justice.

Dubbed the Crucial the new tool features several basic features that you would use on a daily basis and cuts out the tools you probably wouldn’t need. At 5 oz the Crucial is quite a light tool, perfect for EDC (Everyday Carry) and right at home in your pocket. Featuring sleek curved handles which are both ergonomic and have a sense of flair, they house a number of simple tools to get most jobs done.

When the tool is closed you can access all of the implements, thus only needing to unfold the tool when using the pliers is necessary. The one hand opening blade features a ramp styled thumb stud which helps make opening the blade very easy. Opening and closing of the blade is almost second nature and if it was not for the sheer bulk of the tool (compared to a knife) you would not notice much of a difference. When using the knife the handle is very comfortable, placement for your thumb and index finger is very thought out. The blade style is reminiscent of a sheep’s foot blade and does not feature a pronounced point at the end. The blade is designed for utility style work and looks like something you would see on a rescue/EMT type of tool. The knife blade is also partly serrated; the serrations are not carved out very deep and offer enough to cut through tough materials without binding on them. Made out of 440A steel it holds a decent edge and needs the occasional touch ups, most folks don’t need anything beyond steel like this.

On the underside of the tool you have a bottle opener/carabiner that works well on bottle caps as well as hanging from your belt or backpack waiting to be used. I personally would rather have a pair of scissors in replace of the carabiner but beggars cannot be choosers.

The other side of the tool features a regular slotted driver and a flat Phillips driver which seems to be the typical Gerber design lately. Both drivers can be opened from the outside and lock into position with a liner locking system normally found on pocket knives. Both drivers’ works well on a variety of screws you will encounter; functionality can be added by combining the Crucial with a Gerber Bit Kit.

Opening the tool in a butterfly fashion to access the pliers is something Gerber does not use on much of their tool designs. Gerber is famous for their one hand opening plier design and it’s nice to see times when they use the traditional method. The plier head is thinner than we typically see on Gerber tools as it’s not intended for heavy duty use. In order to keep the tool light and compact the head was thinned down so it has a smaller profile when the handles are closed. The slimmed head does not reduce the function of the pliers and works very well for their size. I have to be aware when I am using them not to abuse them too much. I am use to carrying a larger tool and the Crucial’s plier head is more designed for light and medium duty. The wire cutters are actually pretty good; they are precise enough that you can cut paper with them like you can with Leatherman tools. I think the cutters work well for their size and have been good at cutting things as thick as bailing wire. The only complaint I have about the pliers is that the very end of the needle nose have no teeth to them. I am not sure if this was done on purpose or if it was something that was overlooked when designing the tool.

The last thing to mention about the Crucial is the addition of the pocket clip. Lately we are seeing an increasing trend in pocket clips being used on multitools. As the tool community demands tools that are compact with a smaller variety of tool, pocket clips are being made standard and it allows the tools to truly be there when we need them. The clip on the Crucial is attached at one end via torx head screws and curves with the flow of the handles. The clip is thin enough so it does not dominate the outside of your pocket and yet has a considerable amount of tension to keep the tool where it belongs.

In a nutshell the Gerber Crucial is a great tool to add to any collection that can defiantly see use as a tool you can use everyday. Gerber did their homework in this tool design and I am glad this tool is finally hitting the market. If you’re looking for a compact tool with a minimal selection of tools, you might want to check out the Crucial.

Spoonrobot · **Reply #1 on:** June 17, 2009, 08:31:32 PM

So, how does it compare to the Skeletool?

Because it looks like a bigger, less well-made version.

Does it have the same funky handle ergonomics when using the pliers? Could I see a thickness comparison picture? I really need to handle this one some more before deciding whether I like it or not, any idea when it should hit the dealers?

Really wish they would have put in something other than a carabiner.

Gareth · **Reply #2 on:** June 17, 2009, 09:00:21 PM

Good review mate. Can you include the overall dimensions, thickness, width etc? Thanks.

cliosguy · **Reply #3 on:** June 17, 2009, 09:12:49 PM

I think the lack of serrations at the end of the plier is to enable them to pick up very small and thin things that can slip throu the serrations

great review BTW

and yes dimensions and comparision pics would be nice

Chako · **Reply #4 on:** June 17, 2009, 10:03:45 PM

Great review.

I have ordered a Freestyle and Freestyle CX. I will post a review when I get them, as it seems these tools have a lot in similarity.

David Bowen · **Reply #5 on:** June 17, 2009, 10:30:57 PM

ok its:

Overall Length: 5.50"
Closed Length: 3.60"
Weight: 5.00 oz.
(thickness I don't know yet..will measure)

I actually think the Skeletool is strong in comparison to size, I like the fact that on the Skeletool the driver system and the carabiner are fixed rather than on a pivot. I don't have time to do a comparison pic right now, maybe tomorrow, glad you guys like the review. I will answer any questions you folks have. This tool should be out to retailers this month if everything goes right at Gerber (late this month I would guess). Yes the tool has the funky ergo issues that the Skeletool has, works better one way than it does the other. I tried to make this review about the Crucial and not a comparison between the two tools.

David Bowen · **Reply #6 on:** June 17, 2009, 10:43:22 PM

Ok real quick, took these with my phone because uploading good images takes a while on my dialup right now.

Spoonrobot · **Reply #7 on:** June 18, 2009, 01:31:30 AM

Thanks for the pics and reply!

Gareth · **Reply #8 on:** June 18, 2009, 01:36:20 AM

Nice to see them side by side.

J-sews · **Reply #9 on:** June 18, 2009, 02:38:27 AM

Yah, thank's for the write up and sise-by-side pic David! That really helps!

cliosguy · **Reply #10 on:** June 18, 2009, 03:00:57 AM

Thanks for the pics

Poncho65 · **Reply #11 on:** June 20, 2009, 03:13:47 AM

Good review Dave

I think that Gerber did a nice job on this except like others have said I wish they had put something other than the carabiner

I am surprised that it is a bit smaller lengthwise than the Skeley

which in a compact tool is a good thing

They made it the size of the Freestyle with the bang of the Skeley

MultiMat · **Reply #12 on:** June 20, 2009, 04:36:12 AM

If I can snag a cheap on on ebay, once they have been on the market awhile, I might give it a go.I would like to give the Curve a go as well , but when shipping costs more than the tool I find it hard to make the jump

.
Thanks Dave

gafftapegreenia · **Reply #13 on:** June 20, 2009, 05:24:08 AM

Are the wire cutters anvil or bypass type?

David Bowen · **Reply #14 on:** June 20, 2009, 02:34:15 PM

It has an anvil style like on the rest of the gerber line (well most of it), they work pretty good and cut paper. I thought only my leatherman's were this good in regards to cutters but I was wrong $:-\$

Leatherman123 · **Reply #15 on:** June 20, 2009, 03:43:21 PM

I don't understand why Gerber didn't put serrations on tips of the pliers...

That's like buying tires without treads!!!

cgk · **Reply #16 on:** June 20, 2009, 03:55:33 PM

Safe to assume the pocket clip is not movable?

David Bowen · **Reply #17 on:** June 20, 2009, 05:23:07 PM

you could remove it, it's not optioned for tip up or tip down transfer. It's only tip down and it is attached with three T6 screws.

David Bowen · **Reply #18 on:** June 25, 2009, 06:45:58 PM

The Gerber Crucial review is now posted on the main site.

damota · **Reply #19 on:** July 30, 2009, 08:42:22 PM

David could you give me the blade length measured from end of handle to tip please.

DaveT

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #20 on:** July 30, 2009, 10:17:21 PM

Quote from: damota on July 30, 2009, 08:42:22 PM

David could you give me the blade length measured from end of handle to tip please.

DaveT

Welcome back mate

damota · **Reply #21 on:** July 30, 2009, 10:30:50 PM

Quote from: Mike, Lord of the Spammers! on July 30, 2009, 10:17:21 PM

Welcome back mate

Well when I had a question I thought I would come and ask experts

DaveT

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #22 on:** July 30, 2009, 10:31:54 PM

Quote from: damota on July 30, 2009, 10:30:50 PM

Quote from: Mike, Lord of the Spammers! on July 30, 2009, 10:17:21 PM
Welcome back mate

Well when I had a question I thought I would come and ask experts

DaveT

I think you need the forum down the corridor then

J-sews · **Reply #23 on:** July 31, 2009, 04:26:01 AM

Welcome back Dave!

Crucial blade length is exactly 60mm from handle to tip. (2-3/8" for us unmetricated folks)

Poncho65 · **Reply #24 on:** July 31, 2009, 04:59:33 AM

Quote from: Mike, Lord of the Spammers! on July 30, 2009, 10:31:54 PM

Quote from: damota on July 30, 2009, 10:30:50 PM
Quote from: Mike, Lord of the Spammers! on July 30, 2009, 10:17:21 PM
Welcome back mate

Well when I had a question I thought I would come and ask experts

DaveT
I think you need the forum down the corridor then

Way to chime in Mike

David Bowen · **Reply #25 on:** July 31, 2009, 12:00:43 PM

Sorry, somehow I missed the question about blade length. Thanks Bob for answering that for me!

damota · **Reply #26 on:** July 31, 2009, 01:30:15 PM

Quote from: J-sews on July 31, 2009, 04:26:01 AM

Welcome back Dave!

Crucial blade length is exactly 60mm from handle to tip. (2-3/8" for us unmetricated folks)

Hi Bob, so they made a decent shaped blade then made it even shorter than the LM Skeleton! As most places that have a blade limit seem to have settled on 3" they could hyave easily put another 10mm to 15mm on the blade and given it a useful and legal blade. Apart from the bottle opener/carabina it was the blade length on the Skeleton that stopped me ggoing for it. Oh and the daft dedicated screwdriver bits.
Ah well I guess I will stay with the old Recoil that is doing sterling service even after being dropped then ran over with a van! With the Paul Chen clip it is easier to carry than the other tools I have.
I bet the carabina is whipped off and replaced with a file or something useful by some MODer, I know that is what I intended doing.

Davet

J-sews · **Reply #27 on:** August 01, 2009, 04:43:20 AM

Ahh, very good idea sir!

And the carabiner on the Crucial is a bit thick too, so I'll bet a clever person could get two blades in it's place.

ringzero · **Reply #28 on:** August 01, 2009, 04:52:31 AM

Quote from: J-sews on August 01, 2009, 04:43:20 AM

Ahh, very good idea sir! And the carabiner on the Crucial is a bit thick too, so I'll bet a clever person could get two blades in it's place.

How about one pair of scissors in place of the carabiner?

.

J-sews · **Reply #29 on:** August 01, 2009, 04:55:40 AM

Quote from: ringzero on August 01, 2009, 04:52:31 AM

Quote from: J-sews on August 01, 2009, 04:43:20 AM
Ahh, very good idea sir! And the carabiner on the Crucial is a bit thick too, so I'll bet a clever person could get two blades in it's place.

How about one pair of scissors in place of the carabiner?

.

Hmmm, I don't see why not. There's plenty of space width-wise, just not a lot of length. But scissors from another Gerber tool should fit fine. (assuming the pivot pins are the same diameter)

Another nice thing about the Crucial is it's all assembled with torx screws, so it should be easy to take apart and find out.

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