I am still waiting for some of the other Gerber models to come in before I add them to the pictorial guide. In the mean time, a few have come in. So this one will be a mixed bag of photos and thoughts.
The Gerber Vise came in yesterday. I ordered the black version. There were no surprises on this one as I already had a pink Splice. Gerber likes to make these small keychain models in pairs, that being a plier and scissors version. The names give the main tool away on these ones.
These two keychain MTs have a nice style, fit, and finish to them. The surface is textured where it counts, and the stylish casing has raised sections. It all helps in lending this small MT a nice grip.
I like the Vice and Splice very much. It is a bit smaller than the older Clutch and Shortcut, Gerber’s older keychain duo. It packs enough functionality to make it a good addition to any keychain.
It isn’t a thick tool either, which is perfect for something in this class of multi-tools.
These tools have an interesting little bottle opener that works great. It spans the width of the tool, and has a small flat head driver on one end. Likewise, the blade selection is very good. The other tools are small, but then, that is to be expected on a tool this size. This is not a negative for this class.
Next up is the Gerber Tread.
Now, I couldn’t be more surprised at this one then I actually was. I was expecting something that would look and feel like the Gerber Suspension. I was dead wrong in my expectations.
The Tread is lighter then the Suspension. This is due to the handles being made from aluminum. I know because I tested it with a magnet and found it to be nonmagnetic. At first, I assumed it was some sort of hard plastic with thin metal plates for decoration. However, the thermal properties lend themselves to metal. It did take me a few minutes of trying to figure out what they used for handle materials. Anyways, the handles are lighter and slightly larger than those found on the Suspension.
The Tread differs from the Suspension in several other ways. The mechanics of the tool is the same, however, the tool selection is very different in some regards, and similar in others.
We have the knife blade, Gerber’s flat Phillips driver, a flat head driver, and scissors.
The other handle has a fairly weak LED light. You can see from this photo that it takes a pair of pill batteries.
The neat thing about the flashlight position. It is angled somewhat to maximize ergonomics during its use. This took some getting used to as I wanted to point the MT directly at what I wanted to illuminate. Now, the light is rather weak, and is only good for opening doors in the dark, etc. A flood light, this is not.
Now call me dumb, but it took me far longer to figure out how to open the flashlight then I am willing to admit publically. I received the Tread NIB minus any documentation. I quickly saw a hook on the back of the flashlight, and figured it had something to do with the opening. It was very tight however, and there seemed to be so many seems that the flashlight could use to open. Anyways, I finally figured it out, and my original thought was correct. I just didn’t apply enough force to open it. The battery door slides open inside the handle.
You can see how the Tread is based upon the Suspension. However, I find the Suspension heavier, and the Tread has the much better grip. The Suspension also has more tools. The flashlight on the Tread is anemic and I feel, doesn’t make up for the loss of functionality to have it there.
Interestingly enough, I was a bit surprised at the slight difference in scissor handle shape.
Next up in this grab bag of Gerber models, is the Urban Legend MP 700.
The MP 700 Urban Legend is another butterfly opening Gerber.
It is a fairly solid and weighty multi-tool.
I don’t know why, but I just assumed it would be larger than it was. It is a fairly medium sized MT. I wonder if the 800 is larger?
Tool selection is good. I did not know that the MP 700 has a weird feature, that of having built in tweezers. Not the best design, but I can now understand why it might be called “Urban Legend”.
The plier heads have removable cutters, a nice plus. The tool feels very solid and comfortable in the hand. The rubber inserts lend it a lot of grip.
Last but not least, I received a Gerber Recon X flashlight with the Tread.
It is all camoed up, and contains a red/green/white light feature. The outer ring rotates over the fixed light source. Simple and effective.
As far as light output goes, it does throw a bit of light. In red and green mode, that light is cut by quite a bit. Still, not a bad little flashlight to get as a freebie.
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