Gerber Balance, 2012 Edition!

[AimlessWanderer]

Is Max Archer the only person who got a Balance?  I've been looking at them on-line again but am looking for more feedback from folks who have been using theirs.

Not yet, but I have one on the way 

It's a UK legal, outside opening, pliers based multitool with a slipjoint blade ... it'd be rude not to try it 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I haven't gotten one yet either, although I would very much like one.  Guess I'll have to send Travis a message and see if he'll get me one! 


Of each color....

Def

[AimlessWanderer]

I haven't gotten one yet either, although I would very much like one.  Guess I'll have to send Travis a message and see if he'll get me one! 


Of each color....

Def

 

I've gone for the silver one. It's cost me a little more, but I'm not a huge fan of the green. If it works out for me I'll be getting shot of other tools which haven't been getting much action

[Gareth]

Looking forward to your further thoughts gents.

[Raukodur]

Is Max Archer the only person who got a Balance?  I've been looking at them on-line again but am looking for more feedback from folks who have been using theirs.

Not yet, but I have one on the way 

It's a UK legal, outside opening, pliers based multitool with a slipjoint blade ... it'd be rude not to try it 

Oh, didnt realise is was UK legal.

But having said that, I SOOOO wish it was a smaller size 

[AimlessWanderer]

Is Max Archer the only person who got a Balance?  I've been looking at them on-line again but am looking for more feedback from folks who have been using theirs.

Not yet, but I have one on the way 

It's a UK legal, outside opening, pliers based multitool with a slipjoint blade ... it'd be rude not to try it 

Oh, didnt realise is was UK legal.

But having said that, I SOOOO wish it was a smaller size 

Grant seems to think the ergonomics make up for the extra size ... if I've paraphrased him correctly enough  I frequently pocket carry either an MP400, Kick, Spirit, MP700 or whatever, so I don't think it'll cause me{/i] any problems. I'll know for sure whan I get my mitts on it though 

[Raukodur]

Am I right in thinking it is the size of the 4 inch LM tools, e.g. charge/wave?

[AimlessWanderer]

Pretty much .... 3.8" is what I've seen quoted ... but that's only about 5mm longer than a 91mm SAK   

[Grant Lamontagne]

Because of the shape of it (think of a bar of soap) it actually rides much nicer in your pocket than one of the smaller Juice models would.

Def

[Raukodur]

How are the plier heads?

I understand they look stunted because with the sliding plier head design the pivot is concealed by the handles, but they look 'ordinary' compared to the kind of plier heads we are seeing nowadays, e.g. on the rebar, or even Gerbers own offerings with replaceable hard wire cutters, and of course SOGs compound leverage which we even get on the power duo, and tiny offerings like the crosscut.

[AimlessWanderer]

I just got an email to say the guys I placed an order with are out of stock and mine will be another couple of weeks, so I can't comment on the jaws yet. That said, I do tend to do more gripping with the pliers than cutting, so not having inserts is not a problem for me.

[AimlessWanderer]

I just got an email to say the guys I placed an order with are out of stock and mine will be another couple of weeks, so I can't comment on the jaws yet. That said, I do tend to do more gripping with the pliers than cutting, so not having inserts is not a problem for me.

Just got another email last night to say it now won't be with me until November 

Good job I have one or two other carry options to keep me going 

[AimlessWanderer]

 

Balance finally landed today ... more thoughts later ... 

[dks]

Balance finally landed today ... more thoughts later ... 

When is it going in your "For Sale" thread then ??

 

[Gareth]

Balance finally landed today ... more thoughts later ... 

good news.

[AimlessWanderer]

Balance finally landed today ... more thoughts later ... 

When is it going in your "For Sale" thread then ??

 

 

Not till I've done a review on it 

[parnass]

I saw a Sears multitool which resembled a Gerber Balance in their hardware department the other day.  It was packaged with another tool and on display in their new Christmas tool section.  The Sears multitool had red and black handles.

[Grant Lamontagne]

That's pretty cool.  I'll have to check Sears out and see if we have them here.

Def

[Sazabi]

It's pricey, though.  I made a post about it in the Hijacking Thoughts Thread a couple days back.  IIRC, it's $30 USD. :/

[Max Archer]

Some size comparisons with a Wave for those who were interested.


P1020231.jpg by MaxArcherEDC, on Flickr


P1020234.jpg by MaxArcherEDC, on Flickr

It's been my EDC nonstop since I bought it and I like it quite a bit. It carries really easily. The scissors are quite good, I've never used a knife blade so little on an MT before.

A few issues, though. I think my plier head doesn't retract all the way. I can see some tabs that should be engaged when the tool is collapsed but I have to push the piler head in pretty hard before they start to do anything.

Gerber also used some garbage-quality screws. Mine's full of pocket lint, so I decided to take the scales off to clean the tool. Most of the torx screws came out fine, but three of them instantly completely stripped. I was using a decent torx driver, too. It's not a killer issue but I might consider contacting Gerber over it, especially considering the problem with the plier head.

If only this had been made by Leatherman and not Gerber, it'd be my favorite MT ever.