Comparing The MP700 & The MP800(pic heavy)

[MultiMat]

Just for Paul/Zed 


My MP700 came lightly used but at some stage had been stored badly or had come into contact with something corrosive , purely cosmetic damage & as a user no problems + the price was right  .

The tool sets ;

The 700 has no saw or file  but the 700 does have locking tweezers  .
Both share sliding tool/blade locks & the locks do look very similar too the ones found on Gerber's Suspension. I find the locks on Gerber's MP400 & MP600 easier & more comfortable to use.


Both 700 & 800 have sprung pliers + replaceable wire cutters & the cutters are rotatable X3 times(when blunt remove & rotate)  , Gerber pioneered these features in the MT market.


Like the pliers the 700's scissors are very similar too the 800 just smaller  ,the 700's scissors were not very sharp but a bit of time on the Sharpmaker & they are great  .The 700's blade has also taken a terrifically sharp edge


800 is a HANDFUL 


700 less of a handful  , the 700 does not have a very big blade but is quite usable , I am not sure why Gerber did not take the grind a little further up the blade though  in a short blade I would of thought maximising as much edge as possible would of been the go


Why not take the grind a little further 
 

Leatherman Supertool 300 in the middle , I do prefer the 700's PE to the 800's CE


ST 300 in the middle 800 at top 700 bottom


Puzzling that Gerber went the stubby route with the screwdrivers, necessary in their sliding plier MTs but not butterfly opening MTs like the 700 & 800 


Both are thick buggers, note short drivers & thick handle slabs.The plier stops could of been modified to allow for longer drivers 


Comparison with Victorinox Spirit(at top), the 700's handle slabs take up a lot of the tool's total width & sacrifice potential tool space . The 700 is just under 20mm wide the Spirit is just over 14mm , the LM Wave is 18mm wide. Both the Spirit & Wave pack a lot more into their available space 
 

The 700 is the shortest of the 3 at 95mm,Wave 101mm & the Spirit is 106mm.But as mentioned earlier the 700 is a fatty 


Battle of the whoppers from L) too R) LM MUT's 20.5mm wide(discounting it's clip), MP800's 22mm wide & the  LM ST300's 19mm wide.

800's pros;
-OHO blade & scissors
-Removable/replaceable saw
-Sprung pliers + replaceable rotatable wire cutters
-Outside opening tools
Cons;
-Bloody huge
-Short drivers for such a big MT

700's pros;
-More compact & usable than the 800
-Sprung pliers + replaceable rotatable wire cutters
-OHO blade
-Outside opening tools
con's;
-Although more compact than the 800, lacks the tool load of it's competition
-Stubby drivers.

The 700 has & will be used the 800, I am not sure  , someone with big hands could well love the 800 
I think Paul would like the 700  & anyone who wants a MT with sprung pliers but does not like the Wingman or Sidekick should give the 700 & 800 a look 

[enki_ck]

Great comparison, Mat! and very good pictures. That should push Paul over the 10k mark

[Gareth]

Gahhh, I keep remembering that I want a MP700 exactly when I don't have any spare money.

Nice walk though Mat.

[MultiMat]

Gahhh, I keep remembering that I want a MP700 exactly when I don't have any spare money.

Nice walk though Mat.

Gareth one of the few Gerber MTs with a PE blade too  .

Thanks guys 

[Gareth]

Gahhh, I keep remembering that I want a MP700 exactly when I don't have any spare money.

Nice walk though Mat.

Gareth one of the few Gerber MTs with a PE blade too  .

Thanks guys 

You are NOT helping.   But I suspect you knew that didn't you?

[MultiMat]

Gahhh, I keep remembering that I want a MP700 exactly when I don't have any spare money.

Nice walk though Mat.

Gareth one of the few Gerber MTs with a PE blade too  .

Thanks guys 

You are NOT helping.   But I suspect you knew that didn't you?

 

[AimlessWanderer]

Gahhh, I keep remembering that I want a MP700 exactly when I don't have any spare money.

Nice walk though Mat.

Gareth one of the few Gerber MTs with a PE blade too  .

Thanks guys 

You are NOT helping.   But I suspect you knew that didn't you?

He's still right though 

Good comparison Mat. The 700 is indeed a little on the tubby side, but I think it still feels good in hand, and for me personally it still covers most of essentials for an urban setting. That dinky little blade is quite people friendly too  You've certainly reaffirmed my concers that the 800 would be way too big for me too. Nice tool, but not for me 

[Mr. Whippy]

Thanks Mat.


I really don't like that combo blade on the 800.  The 700's blade is better, but jeez, I'd like to see a longer blade.

Agree about the drivers too.  Sadly too short.

[J-sews]

Gahhh, I keep remembering that I want a MP700 exactly when I don't have any spare money.

Nice walk though Mat.

Gareth one of the few Gerber MTs with a PE blade too  .

Thanks guys 

You are NOT helping.   But I suspect you knew that didn't you?

And don't forget about those locking tweezers Gareth!!



Great presentation and write up Mat

[Zed]

  thanks for this mat  i didn't think it was going too be so much smaller and more compact ,i really like the 800 but can see the benefits of the smaller 700  so another one too my list  . just when i thought i was happy with the mt's i have   

[MultiMat]

thanks for this mat  i didn't think it was going too be so much smaller and more compact ,i really like the 800 but can see the benefits of the smaller 700  so another one too my list  . just when i thought i was happy with the mt's i have   

Glad too help mate  , as the president, governor & sole member of the MP800 fan club  , Paul your pocket will not know what hits it when you swap out the 800 for the 700  . I hope you find a mini 800/700 I think you will like it mate  .

Gahhh, I keep remembering that I want a MP700 exactly when I don't have any spare money.

Nice walk though Mat.

Gareth one of the few Gerber MTs with a PE blade too  .

Thanks guys 

You are NOT helping.   But I suspect you knew that didn't you?

And don't forget about those locking tweezers Gareth!!



Great presentation and write up Mat

Thanks Bob 

Locking tweezers , damn it I should of listed them as a Pro in the 700 summary  , right up there with the Buck X-Tract's liner locking can opener  .

Thanks Mat.


I really don't like that combo blade on the 800.  The 700's blade is better, but jeez, I'd like to see a longer blade.

Agree about the drivers too.  Sadly too short.

Yep Gerber sure does march too a different drum at times  , innovative with a touch of 'what the....' 

Gahhh, I keep remembering that I want a MP700 exactly when I don't have any spare money.

Nice walk though Mat.

Gareth one of the few Gerber MTs with a PE blade too  .

Thanks guys 

You are NOT helping.   But I suspect you knew that didn't you?

He's still right though 

Good comparison Mat. The 700 is indeed a little on the tubby side, but I think it still feels good in hand, and for me personally it still covers most of essentials for an urban setting. That dinky little blade is quite people friendly too  You've certainly reaffirmed my concers that the 800 would be way too big for me too. Nice tool, but not for me 

Yep the blade is adequate & being OHO the 700 does trump the Spirit on that front  , I do miss a file though,it would of been good if Gerber could of snuck one into the 700  , the file on a MT is mighty handy in my books 

Al I think Paul is going to be a little lonely at MP800 appreciation society's annual get together  . If he could some how get affiliation with the freakishly large handed club he could get some potential members   
 

Thanks too Dennis/WH867 for providing me with my 700 & 800 Gerbers  mate.

[Zed]

  well atleast you have Al in the 700 club Mat  im all alone in my freaky large hand world  but my wife also likes the 800 due to the eas of use as my old wave scared her  so im sure she would love the 700, possibly i might even lose it in her vortex of a handbag     

[J-sews]

Whoa, I'll bet any woman that lugs an MP800 around in her handbag will soon be justifying for a new handbag!

[Zed]

Whoa, I'll bet any woman that lugs an MP800 around in her handbag will soon be justifying for a new handbag!


(Image removed from quote.)

   she has enough handbags 

[Lynn LeFey]

  she has enough handbags 

In the same way that everyone here has enough ALOX SAKs. Just sayin'.

[Zed]

  she has enough handbags 

In the same way that everyone here has enough ALOX SAKs. Just sayin'.

I've only 1 lynn 


Just noticed that the scissors arnt oho on the 700.