Gerbers are C-R-A-P !!!!!!! (A warning for Flik fans)

[Dunc]

I agree with you 100% Def! 

Where was that butt kissing smilie again? 

What this one

[Benner]

I agree with you 100% Def! 

Where was that butt kissing smilie again? 

What this one (Image removed from quote.)

That be the one. 

[EM745]

Just heard back from a Ms. Deb Sreiberg (Product Manager Outdoor Recreation, Fiskars Brands Canada Inc.)... on a Sunday evening, no less.

According to her, an early batch of Fliks bound for the Canadian market (specifically Canadian Tire) "did not meet [Gerber's] quality control standards" (her words). This was apparently an "isolated incident" (again, her words).

She offered to send me another Flik free of charge, plus some "additional products due to [my] unpleasant experience."

I'm not usually the type to "milk" a situation to my advantage, so I told her that a replacement would suffice. I'm only looking for some kind of fair settlement. I'm still not sure at this point whether I'll have to send my broken one back to them.

So... that's it. I honestly don't know what to make of her "isolated incident" explanation. It may very well be true, though I find it odd that only Fliks from Canadian Tire would be affected. (BTW Def, didn't you buy yours from CT also?)

At any rate, if and when I receive this "new" Flik, I'll very likely leave it unopened and put it up for auction. I'm plenty happy with my TTi. Besides, I could use the extra cash.

[J-sews]

Well kudos to Gerber for getting back with you promptly. Got to hand it to them for that.

At any rate, if and when I receive this "new" Flik, I'll very likely leave it unopened and put it up for auction.......

So you're not going to try the same squeeze thing on the second tool?

[EM745]

Well kudos to Gerber for getting back with you promptly. Got to hand it to them for that.

At any rate, if and when I receive this "new" Flik, I'll very likely leave it unopened and put it up for auction.......

So you're not going to try the same squeeze thing on the second tool?

Once bitten, twice shy, baby! 

[EM745]

Well, I must admit, so far "crappy" Gerber seems to be on the ball when it comes to honoring their warranty.

Just got another response from Ms. Sreiberg about 15 minutes ago.

According to their head office in Portland, this was a known problem affecting Fliks destined for Canadian Tire upon their "initial launch" (i.e. very early models--although given how short a time this tool has been on the market, "very early" is a pretty relative term here). Only a small number of these tools were affected... and apparently, I was one of the unlucky ones who purchased one of the duds.

She insists that the Flik they intend to send me is of recent manufacture and "should be fine" (I'm sure its future owner will appreciate that  ). She also insists on sending me a few additional compensatory items. Heh, who am I to argue  ... Hey! Maybe they'll send me a BO Diesel, or a Legend! (Yeah, right.  ) Finally, she says I don't have to send my broken one in, so that's cool (might've been a different story had I not provided photographic proof of the malfunction).

Anyhoo, that's it for now.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Sounds like a pretty happy ending mate , and at least Gerber manned up to there mistake and are willing to compensate you

[EM745]

Tally-ho! Me again.

I think I may have come up with a theory or two about what went wrong with my Flik. It may not be the pliers' casting's fault (at least, not entirely).

When I learned tonight that I didn't have to send back my "lemon," I thought I'd take it appart to see if I could spot what really went wrong. Turns out there ain't that much to it: remove the four black screws from the two plastic sliders, pull them out, and the pliers slide out of the handles (they must be in the fully closed position first).

After checking everything out and getting a fair gist of how the whole thing works, I stand by my original "assessment" that this is a really crappy design--in both execution and theory.

IMO, how reliable the whole thing works depends almost entirely on the proper functioning of four little springs. There are two per side: one torsion (which keeps the pawl in tension) and one compression (which pushes against the button to keep it raised). If ANYTHING gets in the way of any of the springs' movement and/or tension, problems are bound to occur. I believe that's what happened with mine. On my Flik's "good" side, the button's compression spring slid off freely when I removed it. BUT, on the damaged side, the spring was still "sticking" onto the button's peg (whose machining seemed a bit uneven), and it seemed to bind a little when I was compressing it up and down.

Now, was this "sticking" the initial cause of the malfunction? Maybe... Maybe not. At any rate, those two notches caused by the pawl slipping after that mortal squeeze is what finally killed it. I replaced the tight spring with a slightly larger one I had on hand, and the thing still slips.

Again, the overall design SEEMS like a good one in theory. But even if they (Gerber) were to ditch the plastic sliders in favor of metal ones... and even if they were to use super-duper, heavy-duty forged Cr-Mo steel for the pliers, it's just way too easy for small bits of sand, dirt, metal filings or even sawdust or plastic to get in there and compromise the works and potentially cause a malfunction similar to mine.

That being said, those of you who already own a Flik... if one day you "feel" something's not right when squeezing the pliers (i.e. an audible, "sickening" click that can also be felt), take the pliers out and check see if there's any foreign matter that might be interfering with the movement of the springs and/or buttons and/or pawls. Also check if the pawls' torsion springs are seated and functioning properly.

[Benner]

It's good to see Gerber have come through for you. 

Hopefully, like they said, this was just an isolated incident and we won't be hearing too many more of these stories.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Sound advice mate, thanks

[Roadie]

Glad to here Gerber's CS are up to scratch

[J-sews]

Tally-ho! Me again.

I think I may have come up with a theory or two about what went wrong with my Flik. It may not be the pliers' casting's fault (at least, not entirely).

When I learned tonight that I didn't have to send back my "lemon," I thought I'd take it appart to see if I could spot what really went wrong. Turns out there ain't that much to it: remove the four black screws from the two plastic sliders, pull them out, and the pliers slide out of the handles (they must be in the fully closed position first).

After checking everything out and getting a fair gist of how the whole thing works, I stand by my original "assessment" that this is a really crappy design--in both execution and theory.

IMO, how reliable the whole thing works depends almost entirely on the proper functioning of four little springs. There are two per side: one torsion (which keeps the pawl in tension) and one compression (which pushes against the button to keep it raised). If ANYTHING gets in the way of any of the springs' movement and/or tension, problems are bound to occur. I believe that's what happened with mine. On my Flik's "good" side, the button's compression spring slid off freely when I removed it. BUT, on the damaged side, the spring was still "sticking" onto the button's peg (whose machining seemed a bit uneven), and it seemed to bind a little when I was compressing it up and down.

Now, was this "sticking" the initial cause of the malfunction? Maybe... Maybe not. At any rate, those two notches caused by the pawl slipping after that mortal squeeze is what finally killed it. I replaced the tight spring with a slightly larger one I had on hand, and the thing still slips.

Again, the overall design SEEMS like a good one in theory. But even if they (Gerber) were to ditch the plastic sliders in favor of metal ones... and even if they were to use super-duper, heavy-duty forged Cr-Mo steel for the pliers, it's just way too easy for small bits of sand, dirt, metal filings or even sawdust or plastic to get in there and compromise the works and potentially cause a malfunction similar to mine.

That being said, those of you who already own a Flik... if one day you "feel" something's not right when squeezing the pliers (i.e. an audible, "sickening" click that can also be felt), take the pliers out and check see if there's any foreign matter that might be interfering with the movement of the springs and/or buttons and/or pawls. Also check if the pawls' torsion springs are seated and functioning properly.

Good analysis and advice EM. Here's a picture to go along with your text:

[Dunc]

They do look a little over complicated .

Dunc

[EM745]

Thx for the pic. I've retouched it slightly to illustrate another point:



Note in the zoomed inset--that edge where one end of the torsion springs rests against...That piece is also where one of the black screws screws into. And when the screws are out, it's more or less a free-moving part. That means it's quite easy for that end of the torsion spring to shift and get caught in between the frame and that edge.

Make sure both springs are resting against those edges prior to reassembling the unit, as seen in the green outline below:

They do look a little over complicated .

Yes, like ringzero said, that complexity "provides more failure modes." It's an inevitable drawback, no matter how "reliable" they try to make the mechanism.

[scrappy]

I am glad they came through. my flick has a very duul blade, with burs all over it. I don't care for the tool but their service is good.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Well I am glad to hear that Gerber is making good for you.  I did get mine from Canadian Tire, and if you remember, I did put it through a pretty hefty workout at the bar one night when I tried to fix a sticking lock (not the same locks I repaired last week with the SwissTool) and it held up quite well.

After reading this initially I figured I'd rather break it in the comfort of my own living room then when I am at the side of the road or in another situation where I'd need to rely on it, so I opened it us and squeezed as hard as I could.  I may not have the same kind of grip as a pro wrestler, but I can hold onto things well enough... No crack, no creak, no bending, no nothing.  I still have pretty good faith in it, and so I tend to think that I may have gotten one of the "good" ones.  I imagine mine couldn't have been too far from the run that yours came from, because while I did get mine a few months later than you (I think it was March?) it was also the last one on the shelf, meaning it was probably a leftover from Christmas.

Still, I'll be keeping this in mind when carrying the Flik in the future.

Def

[EM745]

Got my replacement Flik and those "compensatory gifts" this morning. The package was shipped FedEx so it got here pretty quick (3 days).

First off, the gifts... From the get-go I was expecting one or two small, low-value doodads, like a knife sharpener, survival whistle or maybe a Gerber branded cap--something along those lines. Imagine my surprise when I opened the (rather large and heavy) box to find a Gerber Gator Combo Axe (~$30) and a Brunton 8x22 monocular (~$20) in there. 

"Above and beyond," wouldn't you all say? Still, I really don't have any use for the axe, and I already have a pair of Pentax compact binos.

As for the "new" Flik... Well, let me just say that I'm not nearly as impressed with this suppsedly "updated" version as I am with the "gifts." The pliers work (for now), but on this one, the end on one of the pawl springs (the part I referenced in one of my earlier posts) is too short, so it doesn't press against anything, reducing the tension on the pawl. Overall the plier's action just seems clunkier than my original one (before the "disaster," of course).

Also, the nail notch on the philips drive is placed in an even worse place.  The scissors are stiffer--a LOT stiffer. The tool locks do seem firmer, though.

To think that for what it must've cost them to send me this stuff, it would've been cheaper to just send me a Diesel instead. And maybe (God help me) I would actually be KEEPING that one. 

I still plan to sell all of these if I can. Anything I can do to try and get part of my original $100 outlay back.

To conclude: I still think Gerbers are crap, although their customer service certainly isn't.

[E. Danny]

Hrmmm.... maybe I should send my Flik in. After all, for some reason, the locking impliments are kinda... screwy. And my Suspension.

[Benner]

Following on from this, has anyone been put off from buying a Gerber product or the Flik itself?

[nezza33]

No i bought a gerber MP400 yesterday.

[Benner]

No i bought a gerber MP400 yesterday.

That's good. 

I would definitely still buy Gerber and that includes the Flik.

[Roadie]

No i bought a gerber MP400 yesterday.

Good man I do like the 400

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Nah I'd still by a Gerber, I'd just confine myself to the MP series

Glad they came through for you on the CS front though

[Leatherman123]

I like the Pro Scout and the 800 Legend the best..

[Medic82]

Well, I'm not going to bye a Gerber. Actually, the only Gerber I have considered of buying is the Suspension, just because of the price and that it was from a respected company. Well, I spent 10 minutes in this forum and I lost complete interest in the tool and everything ells from Gerber, and the MT's from Gerber have never appealed to me

[crls1]

Well, I'm not going to bye a Gerber. Actually, the only Gerber I have considered of buying is the Suspension, just because of the price and that it was from a respected company. Well, I spent 10 minutes in this forum and I lost complete interest in the tool and everything ells from Gerber, and the MT's from Gerber have never appealed to me

Maybe you should consider a Diesel. After i read this review by MickyD i got one, and i'm very happy with her.

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,3179.0.html

Carlos

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Well, I'm not going to bye a Gerber. Actually, the only Gerber I have considered of buying is the Suspension, just because of the price and that it was from a respected company. Well, I spent 10 minutes in this forum and I lost complete interest in the tool and everything ells from Gerber, and the MT's from Gerber have never appealed to me

Maybe you should consider a Diesel. After i read this review by MickyD i got one, and i'm very happy with her.

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,3179.0.html

Carlos

Glad you like the Diesel mate

[crls1]

Well, I'm not going to bye a Gerber. Actually, the only Gerber I have considered of buying is the Suspension, just because of the price and that it was from a respected company. Well, I spent 10 minutes in this forum and I lost complete interest in the tool and everything ells from Gerber, and the MT's from Gerber have never appealed to me

Maybe you should consider a Diesel. After i read this review by MickyD i got one, and i'm very happy with her.

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,3179.0.html

Carlos

Glad you like the Diesel mate

I have to thank you for that!  To be honest, the Diesel is a grat multi, but is very understimated.

Carlos

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

Thanks

I was hoping that the Diesel would start a bit of a Gerber revival, and get more people into Gerber's

[WhichDawg]

I get a chuckle fit when I see this (the thread name and about Micky's diesel)

Micky reviewed the diesel, then got rid of it!