My thoughts on my new Gerber MT's:
Last month, I decided I'd give Gerber another chance. Only ever had one, an MP600, but didn't like it, so I traded it away. Under several other reasons I didn't like it, was one: I didn't like the feel of it, the locks felt flimsy, I hated the plastic covers of them, and I just generally found it feel cheaper than it should.
Now, last week, my three new Gerbers landed on the doormat: A Dime, an Octane and a MP400. After initial unboxing, and now mainly just a bit of playing with it, I can compose a few first thoughts on it.
First up, the Dime:
I really like the tought of this little thing, it doesn't feel cheap or flimsy in any kind of way. I've let it replace the Micra on my keyring, and, though it's a bit heavier and larger, I still find it very well sized.
The package opener is great, and I do like the shape of the blade, though it could've come sharper.
The scissors seem to work okay, there's just one thing I don't like about it: the last part of the movement pushing down to use the scissors is annoying, because you have to push it down into the channel where the scissors are stored. (No, I don't really have a better way to explain that) That makes cutting a bit annoying. I think a -good- designfactor of the scissors are the fact that both blades are bent a bit, so they always meet at the cut. There is a slight bit of wiggle in the pivot, but that isn't too bad because of that bent blades.
I did not try the drivers yet, but they seem like they should work. The little file on the philips driver is a bit of a joke, though.
The pliers are okay, of course small, but they inspire enough confidence, and the plier tips meet with precision.
The Octane:
In theory, this is a tool I should like. I'm a big Skeletool fan, and this really seems to be a direct competitor to that. That's also why I'll compare it to the Skeletool for now.
First difference I noticed is, of course, the butterfly style of the Skele vs. The sliding pliers of the Octane. I prefer the sliding head for fiddling, but for actual use, I'd prefer the Skele. They're both not the most comfortable pliers in the world, but the fact that the Skeletools pliers are normal, straight, while the Octane's ones are sort of under an angle, which I don't really like. Besides that, the handles on the Octane close much further, at the 'pliers-closed' stance, which results in a less good feel, I find. The Octane's pliers -do- look stronger, though.
Then, the blades. Both blades are CE, the Skele's serrated sections is a bit longer, on a shorter knife. The ergonomics on the Skeletool are much better then on the Octane. I find the Skeletool almost feels like a normal folding knife, whereas the Octane has the sliding mechanism poking out, and is sort of bent in the wrong way. Both blades are locked by a liner lock, the Skeletool's lock being much stronger, while the Octane's lock doesn't inspire much confidence. The bladecover on the Octane feels flimsy, and isn't really attached very strong, with a good lot of wiggle-room on it. That makes the tool feel a lot cheaper than the Skele.
The bottle opener: I didn't try the bottle opener on the Octane yet, but I'm sure it works.
Same for the drivers, but though they -are- less easy to get to than the Skele's.
And, last but not least: the package opener: nice and sharp, rips through plastic, just like it should.
The locks on the inside opening tools are not too easy to unlock, due to the strong spring used, I think.
All-in all, I'd prefer the Skeletool over to Octane, easily, but the Octane isn't a bad tool, certainly considering it's ten 15 dollars cheaper.
MP400:
A favourite for member around here, I say I must agree with them. It's a nice tool, there's just a few things I don't like. First, the plastic lock-cover thingies, which just feel a bit cheap. Second, accessability of the tools inside, which isn't too good, as the handles don't open very far. As a last thing, I don't like the knife blade too much, but I carry a SAK or other more dedicated blade, anyway, so that's not much of a problem.
So, to conclude:
The Dime is a nice tool for the keychain, or just as a lightweight EDC option. The Octane is really a class lower than the Skeletool from Leatherman, but still not too bad. Probably won't get into -my- EDC though. The MP400 is just a good tool, and I -do- love the sliding pliers, very nice for fiddling.
Edit: don't know where the different font comes from, but it doesn't work without :S
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