Kirks long term Fit-ness test

[kirk13]

To begin with,let's set the terms of reference for the test...

For the next 30 days(  ) I will use the Gerber Fit as my main EDC tool. Although this is inspired by Jothras 30day torture tests,and by JAfromMN's OHT test,this will not be a test to destruction,as much as because of where I work as any desire to coddle the Fit!

The aim of this test is to see how the Fit will cope as my EDC tool. To do so,it will replace my normal EDC tools; a 3+layer SAK, a medium sized MT, my  TattooSteve custom box basher,and my single AAA torch.

Because I do,on occasion need pliers,and work on a clean knife/dirty knife theory,the Fit will be joined by a LM Mini,and either a Laguiole or a Wenger PocketPal as my clean knife. My Olight iO3 will be stood down for the duration of the test.

As I said earlier,this is not a test to destruction. I work as a Salesman in a major West End retailer,whose name WILL NOT be mentioned( for explanation see Tofty's pry bar pass around). The tasks set to the Fit will be those I encounter everyday. These can range from rebuilding Tamiya RC cars to gift wrapping. Its unlikely I'll be able to take 'in the field' photos,but I will as much as I can,try to recreate the more interesting tasks that confront the Fit.

Also being stood down is my Skinth,as the Fit is too broad to be carried in it. The Fit will be pocket carried for the duration of the test. My other odds and ends will be in the miniSkinth

Sit back,relax and

[sawman]

Gerber Fit, yuck. You're doomed for failure. Can't you do a contest with a proper tool like a Vic or Wenger SAK?

[kirk13]

Gerber Fit, yuck. You're doomed for failure. Can't you do a contest with a proper tool like a Vic or Wenger SAK?

No mate,that wouldn't be a challenge

[AimlessWanderer]

I'll be interested to see how this goes John. I have had the Fit for a while and it's been a very handy item to keep in the car ... but because of that it's never seen proper daily pocket carry

[Gareth]

Gerber Fit, yuck. You're doomed for failure. Can't you do a contest with a proper tool like a Vic or Wenger SAK?

Have you actually had a chance to try one mate?

Looking forward to hearing how it does Kirky.

[sawman]

I haven't tried one but only because I'm not willing to front the money for it. If someone wants to send me one I'll be happy to toss in my 2 cents.

[Gareth]

I haven't tried one but only because I'm not willing to front the money for it. If someone wants to send me one I'll be happy to toss in my 2 cents.

Sorry mate.  I edited my original post as I realised that it sounded rather confrontational.  I just find it rather frustrating when people dismiss MTs that they've never used, that's all.

[sawman]

I haven't tried one but only because I'm not willing to front the money for it. If someone wants to send me one I'll be happy to toss in my 2 cents.

Sorry mate.  I edited my original post as I realised that it sounded rather confrontational.  I just find it rather frustrating when people dismiss MTs that they've never used, that's all.

It's a bad habit of mine. Now, if he said he was testing an MP600 or MP400 I'd have every confidence in seeing good results but I'm concerned based on Gerber's track record with their other tools.

[kirk13]

I haven't tried one but only because I'm not willing to front the money for it. If someone wants to send me one I'll be happy to toss in my 2 cents.

Sorry mate.  I edited my original post as I realised that it sounded rather confrontational.  I just find it rather frustrating when people dismiss MTs that they've never used, that's all.

It's a bad habit of mine. Now, if he said he was testing an MP600 or MP400 I'd have every confidence in seeing good results but I'm concerned based on Gerber's track record with their other tools.

Sawman,I've used both 400 and 600 series Gerbers as EDC,albeit modded to bladeless spec. I prefer my MP425,despite a major wire cutting failure when one of our overhead lights had a major  FUBAR incident

[Cupboard]

I will look forward to this!
I'm seeing it basically as Gerber's take on the SAK, would that be about right?

I'm very reluctant to change my daily work carry because I've got so comfortable with my modded Wave, I know what it can do and I know its limitations. I've made it in to as close to an ideal tool for me as I can imagine. By which I mean good on you for trying something a little different

Edit: you're going to be carrying a locking knife blade round London  rather you than me

[CanadianLMfan]

Gerber Fit, yuck. You're doomed for failure. Can't you do a contest with a proper tool like a Vic or Wenger SAK?

For a while, I thought he just said a bad word.
Never mind.

[kirk13]

I will look forward to this!
I'm seeing it basically as Gerber's take on the SAK, would that be about right?

I'm very reluctant to change my daily work carry because I've got so comfortable with my modded Wave, I know what it can do and I know its limitations. I've made it in to as close to an ideal tool for me as I can imagine. By which I mean good on you for trying something a little different

Edit: you're going to be carrying a locking knife blade round London  rather you than me

Yeh Tom that's always a concern ,but this far I've not had a problem,and if I get that windy,it'll get dumped either in my locker,or in my backpack.

[3rdpig]

I've carried a Fit regularly for a couple of months and it's never failed me. I typically pair it with a LM Rebar, Wave or Vic Spirit for work when I know I'll be needing the bit drivers. With the Nebo pocket clip it's a really quick and handy light/knife/screwdriver/scissors combo.

But to be honest, without the light it would take second fiddle to my Cybertool 34.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[kirk13]

Here's the report at the end of day one:

OMG,what the smurf was I thinking?



I headed off to work this morning,feeling very naked,not having a SAK on me,and slightly concerned that my only MT back up was a LM Mini.

In terms of knife/tool action,today was a quiet day. By lunch time all I'd needed to do was replace a 43 scale car in its case,and yes,the Fit coped well with that. The big no2 Philips fitted the tiny screws well. As I was trying to escape on lunch,I got roped into a Tamiya RC car repair. Embarisinly,it was pliers that were needed,and the Mini performed well!

By mid afternoon,I ended up needing to slice some cardboard,so out came the Fit! Talk about missing my Alox Boxer The Fit cut...poorly! Not really what I expected from a legendary blade

At tea,the a Fit barely coped with slicing an apple


At the end of day one,its points to Leatherman,and  to Gerber!

I need to get the Fit onto the Lansky soon as I've two pallets of stock waiting for me in the morning

[Cupboard]

 

You didn't check as to whether the blade was sharp?

Is your "Alox Boxer" a mod and do you have a thread about it?

[AimlessWanderer]

Hmmm .... me thinks that hollow grind blade is going to struggle at box busting, no matter how much time it spends with Mr Lansky. The CE blade should fly through any shrinkwrap and plastic strapping on the pallets though 

You said the big phillips fit the tiny screws .... didn't you try the tiny phillips on the tiny screws? 

[jerseydevil]

You said the big phillips fit the tiny screws .... didn't you try the tiny phillips on the tiny screws? 

Where's the challenge in that?

[AimlessWanderer]

 

[3rdpig]

Trust me, no amount of sharpening will make that knife blade any better than "barely adequate".

I've never understood why a company with the tag line "Legendary Blades" would put such miserably poor knife blades on their multitools.   

[Rs217]

[kirk13]

@Cuboard: Fair point Tom. I had a wee play with the blade,and didn't feel there was a problem

@50ft-trad: oh fill me with joy why don't you As to the Phillips, I just wanted to see how it would cope! I'm hoping to get my hands on a Scalextric car to give the thin Philips a try

@3rdpig: Oh joy oh joy!

[colt 1911]

It's just such a weird size, For me it's a glove box MT.

[sawman]

If I went to use a MT and the blade were dull right out of the package, it'd be tossed straight into the trash can 

[Jothra]

If I went to use a MT and the blade were dull right out of the package, it'd be tossed straight into the trash can 

That would've ended the Campers Tool challenge in an awful hurry.

[kirk13]

Day 2- 23 October

To do the executive summary of today's use of the fit would be to say AAAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!

Having waded through two pallets of small scale cars,trucks and fire engines today,the Fit had a proper workout. Between us,the Fit and I consigned a roll cage of cardboard to that great recycler in the sky...or at Wandsworth Dock at least!

Initially,when I received the Fit,I thought that the tool combo,and size might offer a good option to the retail worker...hence my starting the test. Two days in, and I wonder if Gerber is a subsidury of my employer. They manage to take a good idea,and utterly miscarry it.

So what did the Fit actually do wrong today? Well,nothing. The blade coped with the cutting and slashing all right. Not good,but better than those smurfy plastic cutters that they're like us to use( the ones made of flexy plastic,with a hidden blade,that Ben when you cut,and snap in the face of resistance). I found myself wishing that Gerber had chosen a SE,or a PE blade,because the combo sucked. It's fairly short,fairly broad,and as Al pointed out,hollow ground. The serrations failed to make a long cut,just balling cardboard in its passage. The plain part just done ok,except that if you needed to make a long cut,such as dissecting a box to make it fit a cage,you just ran into the serrations

The ergonomics of the Fit really took a toll on me. It just doesn't sit well in the hand. It's off balance for cutting,and lacks any real tactile quality,or any natural feel for which side is top or bottom. With SAKs,or a PST or my Fuse,I don't really have to stop and look for where things are,but the Fit is,well like holding a dry bar of soap.

Complaints aside, the fine Phillips got used today after one of the girls found her teenie tiny Phillips wouldn't bite on the screws holding a OO Land Rover.

In fine irony,the big winner again was the LM Mini. I'd lent it to one of the guys in the slot car department. The look on his face as unfolded the little LM was priceless,utterly incredulous. When he returned it,it was like,Yeh...that thing Rocks!

My Dash4it DofE SAK arrived today,and I gave it welcome home fondel,as you do,and I realised how much I've missed my SAKs! The feel of a SAK in the hand is an underrated experience

[Gareth]

So not going brilliantly for the Fit eh?

[enki_ck]

OK, I hadn't expected for the knife blade to fail as much.

Hope it performed a lot better today.

[ducttapetech]

If I went to use a MT and the blade were dull right out of the package, it'd be tossed straight into the trash can 

If I where to do that, I would have tossed A vic ct34. Vic classic and a wave.



sent from my mobile

[ducttapetech]

So not going brilliantly for the Fit eh?

Does not sound like it.

sent from my mobile

[Gareth]

If I went to use a MT and the blade were dull right out of the package, it'd be tossed straight into the trash can 

If I where to do that, I would have tossed A vic ct34. Vic classic and a wave.



sent from my mobile

Yeah, I've had a few MT's and knives that I wouldn't call sharp out of the box, from a variety of makers.