Gerber Flik VS Leatherman Wave (2004 + model) Pic Heavy

[Cutlerynovice1]

I'm always browsing the web for new MT's to add to my collection and when I saw the Flik it instantly caught my eye,it has the one hand opening pliers and blades and all the tools are accessed from the exterior.



Sheath: The sheath on the Flik is superior to any Gerber sheath I've had experience with (600,Suspension and 400) ,it compares favorably against the Wave's sheath and allows us to carry extra bits and carry the Flik in the open position much like the Leatherman's,it only offers vertical carry where as the Wave offers both vertical and horizontal carry,keep in mind that if you choose the black oxide version of the Flik you gain molle capability,the velcro patch isn't as long as the one on the Wave's sheath but it's more than adequate,the sheath overall is a tie in my opinion if you buy the black version.



Compactness:There's no doubt that the Wave is a more compact tool than the Flik,winner is the Leatherman Wave



Pliers: The pliers on the Flik are interesting due to the fact that it has a V wire cutter as opposed to the cross over design on the Leatherman and in my experience they cut better than the Wave's,however that's where the advantages on the pliers end,they are overall shorter and don't open as wide as the Leatherman's ,the pliers on the Flik aren't bad but the Wave wins





Plain Edge Blade: The PE blade on the Flik is definitely and improvement over other Gerber tools do to it being 3 inches long and OHO ,the steel is unadvertised but I believe it to be 420HC comparable to the Wave's,the Flik has a wharncliffe blade which has no belly so for food prep it's not a great shape but for opening packages it works great,I do feel the Leatherman's blade is superior but the Flik isn't far behind.



Serrated Blade: The SE blade on the Flik is superior to the one on the Wave in my opinion,the alligator style serrations cut better than the triple point serrations on the Wave,it's also OHO and locks very solid,the Wave still has a great blade but this point goes to the Gerber.



Saw: The saw on the Gerber Flik is thicker than the one on the Leatherman Wave but it's still not as thick as the one on the Suspension,it cuts decently but the Wave's does work better.




Scissors: There's no competition between the scissors on these tools the Flik wins hands down,they're long,sharper and of superior design ,we would expect no less from Fiskars , additionally they're more comfortable to use than the Wave and are easier to access (accessed from the exterior) ,the Flik wins this one.



Smaller Tools: The smaller tools on the Flik consist of a phillipshead driver,medium flathead driver/cap lifter,small flathead driver and a tiny can opener ,the smaller tools on the Wave consist of a bit driver (phillipshead and medium flathead bit included) ,micro bit driver (both phillips and flat head bit included) ,large flathead driver and a can opener/wire stripper ,over all the smaller tools on the Wave are superior to the Flik due to reach and superior capability.




Overall they're both great tools and it's impossible to say which is the best,it all depends on tool set you need,the price on the Flik is around $45.00 for the bead blasted version and $50.00 for the black oxide version,the Wave runs $60.00 for the satin version and $70.00 for the black version.

[AimlessWanderer]

Thanks Cutleynovice - Interesting comparison  I shared my thoughts on the Flik too recently, and we seem to have drawn some similarities but also picked up on some different aspects too. My thoughts are HERE if you're interested.

I agree that the sheath for the Flik as far better than the usual Gerber fare (I never mentioned the sheath before), and find it interesting you preferred the serrated blade on the Flik to the Wave. I didn't have great success with the wire cutters either, and the Wave performed much better for me.

Always nice to see another guys take on the same thing 

[Sean]

Nice, thanks for the comparison.  I've been wanting to pick up a flick but nobody
wants to put them up on sale in this neck of the woods.

[Cutlerynovice1]

Thanks Cutleynovice - Interesting comparison  I shared my thoughts on the Flik too recently, and we seem to have drawn some similarities but also picked up on some different aspects too. My thoughts are HERE if you're interested.

I agree that the sheath for the Flik as far better than the usual Gerber fare (I never mentioned the sheath before), and find it interesting you preferred the serrated blade on the Flik to the Wave. I didn't have great success with the wire cutters either, and the Wave performed much better for me.

Always nice to see another guys take on the same thing 

Nice review! I saw a 700 on eBay for about $30.00 shipped ,should I snag it? My biggest issue with the wire cutters on the Wave is sometimes the handles would lock up,I've always wanted a Victorinox MT maybe I'll snag a Spirit up sometime

[Cutlerynovice1]

Nice, thanks for the comparison.  I've been wanting to pick up a flick but nobody
wants to put them up on sale in this neck of the woods.

The Flik's a great tool if you get a chance definitely snag it up,maybe someone one Bladeforums will sell one or trade one.

[AimlessWanderer]

Thanks Cutleynovice - Interesting comparison  I shared my thoughts on the Flik too recently, and we seem to have drawn some similarities but also picked up on some different aspects too. My thoughts are HERE if you're interested.

I agree that the sheath for the Flik as far better than the usual Gerber fare (I never mentioned the sheath before), and find it interesting you preferred the serrated blade on the Flik to the Wave. I didn't have great success with the wire cutters either, and the Wave performed much better for me.

Always nice to see another guys take on the same thing 

Nice review! I saw a 700 on eBay for about $30.00 shipped ,should I snag it? My biggest issue with the wire cutters on the Wave is sometimes the handles would lock up,I've always wanted a Victorinox MT maybe I'll snag a Spirit up sometime

Absolutely! If you've not tried one I'd definitely recommend giving one a go. You can play a bit of a quality lotto with Gerber but I think you know that anyway. I like the 700 as it offers something a bit different, and the ones I have now are rather good (although as you've just read my first one did have play in the pliers). It's not a heavy duty tool though, and I'd say it might be unfair to compare it to a Wave. Think of it more of a heavy duty Juice rather than a lighter duty Wave - at least it's the Juice's role that the 700 has taken over for me

I've never had the handles lock up on my Wave, but then I've not done a great deal in the way of wire cutting. A Spirit is a MUST in my book - you'll LOVE it I'm sure 

[Cutlerynovice1]

Thanks Cutleynovice - Interesting comparison  I shared my thoughts on the Flik too recently, and we seem to have drawn some similarities but also picked up on some different aspects too. My thoughts are HERE if you're interested.

I agree that the sheath for the Flik as far better than the usual Gerber fare (I never mentioned the sheath before), and find it interesting you preferred the serrated blade on the Flik to the Wave. I didn't have great success with the wire cutters either, and the Wave performed much better for me.

Always nice to see another guys take on the same thing 

Nice review! I saw a 700 on eBay for about $30.00 shipped ,should I snag it? My biggest issue with the wire cutters on the Wave is sometimes the handles would lock up,I've always wanted a Victorinox MT maybe I'll snag a Spirit up sometime

Absolutely! If you've not tried one I'd definitely recommend giving one a go. You can play a bit of a quality lotto with Gerber but I think you know that anyway. I like the 700 as it offers something a bit different, and the ones I have now are rather good (although as you've just read my first one did have play in the pliers). It's not a heavy duty tool though, and I'd say it might be unfair to compare it to a Wave. Think of it more of a heavy duty Juice rather than a lighter duty Wave - at least it's the Juice's role that the 700 has taken over for me

I've never had the handles lock up on my Wave, but then I've not done a great deal in the way of wire cutting. A Spirit is a MUST in my book - you'll LOVE it I'm sure 

Thanks man I'll definitely pick it up,have you tried the BG Compact MT? I'm not a fan of Bear but it is a nice little tool

[Gareth]

Interesting comparison mate.   The Flick is definitely a Gerber I'm interested in trying.

[AimlessWanderer]

Thanks man I'll definitely pick it up,have you tried the BG Compact MT? I'm not a fan of Bear but it is a nice little tool

Nope, not tried any of the BG line to be honest. I did have a play with a mini-suspension recently in kirk13's passaround but I generally tend to need something with a little more grunt. For quite a while the only pliers I carried were on a Deluxe Tinker (before I really got into multitools), but that just convinced me I needed something more.

[Cutlerynovice1]

Interesting comparison mate.   The Flick is definitely a Gerber I'm interested in trying.

If your in the USA it's available for $42.00 shipped on Amazon

[Gareth]

I'm not, but UK Amazon has them for about the same price.