Gerber MP600- one for every need?

[ChrisEDC247]

Half MP600?

Got to disagree with you there. The only things the Center Drive has in common with the MP600 is the serrated blade and file.  Two components are the same, everything else is new and purpose built for the Center Drive.

Seems pretty different to me.

Def

Your right it's almost all new exclusive tools. I misspoke. What I meant to say isn't so much that the "Center Drive is half-MP600" and more that "Gerber likes to reuse components and engineering when possible".

It's an efficient way to do business. Kind of like how automakers share body platforms. One handle of the new Center Drive looks pretty much like a CAD copy/paste of the MP600 with added parts. Now they don't have to stamp out 20 different serrated blades. They've got one in two colors that fit into 20 or so models. Would your average collector consider those variations desirable like how SAK-collectors will buy a tool just for the scale colors? Likely not to that extent but it's a windfall for the average consumer who gets what they want without having to buy something else.

I would actually love to see the Center Drive awl and prybar come to the MP600 side or visa versa, scissors being the first big one. I doubt that will happen anytime soon because the CD is such a money maker. If I could stand losing a long tool on the CD, thanks to the MP600 platform: I could buy another tool, sacrifice my warranty and possibly do that swap myself.

I guess I am so used to hearing people bash Gerber that I assumed that was what you were doing.  Sorry about that. 

I am surprised there isn't a BO version of the Center-Drive, especially considering that it is half BO already.

Def

No worries! I never understood why people bash Gerber... the company has its issues... but the MP600 has been around for 20 years for good reason. It's not as finessed as some other MTs, its a beater tool. But beater tools are the tools you actually use.

Speaking of 20 years  , next year we should see an obligatory 20th anniversary edition MP600. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

What I find amusing about Gerber is that they are actual military issue.  And not because they are cheap, but because they are what the military wants and needs, so well that many military contracts specified Gerbers.  Or rather, they called for "sliding head plier tools" since they couldn't specify a certain brand, but as that was protected by Gerber's patent for years, that's basically as close as they could get.  Kind of like saying "we can do it any day of the week that you like, as long as it begins with a T and I'm out of town on Thursday."

Other manufacturers (not mentioning names) claim to have military tools, but have never actually been issued, and likely never will be due to price and other issues. 

When the military contract called for a butterfly opening tool, Gerber actually beat out the PST to fill the military order with the MPT.  Fast forward a number of years and Leatherman produces the OHT, their own version of the sliding head multitool to try and steal military contracts now that Gerber's patent has expired, and as far as I know, no military organization has purchased the OHT with intent to issue it to troops, but the MP600 is still going strong.

So to recap, Gerber and Leatherman went head to head twice, first on Leatherman's turf and then on Gerber's, and Gerber won both times.

Wit facts like that, I have no idea why people bash Gerber.

Def

[ChrisEDC247]

What I find amusing about Gerber is that they are actual military issue.  And not because they are cheap, but because they are what the military wants and needs, so well that many military contracts specified Gerbers.  Or rather, they called for "sliding head plier tools" since they couldn't specify a certain brand, but as that was protected by Gerber's patent for years, that's basically as close as they could get.  Kind of like saying "we can do it any day of the week that you like, as long as it begins with a T and I'm out of town on Thursday."

Other manufacturers (not mentioning names) claim to have military tools, but have never actually been issued, and likely never will be due to price and other issues. 

When the military contract called for a butterfly opening tool, Gerber actually beat out the PST to fill the military order with the MPT.  Fast forward a number of years and Leatherman produces the OHT, their own version of the sliding head multitool to try and steal military contracts now that Gerber's patent has expired, and as far as I know, no military organization has purchased the OHT with intent to issue it to troops, but the MP600 is still going strong.

So to recap, Gerber and Leatherman went head to head twice, first on Leatherman's turf and then on Gerber's, and Gerber won both times.

Wit facts like that, I have no idea why people bash Gerber.

Def

Public perception is a fickle thing. I guess there's just something about human nature that wants to pick teams. As for Gerber they have such a large catalog of products across many different price points, it seems people remember them for the lowest end stuff. Nobody talks about the MP1 is because everybody is talking about how cheesy the Bear Gryls survival tool is. Add in contagious YouTube channel fanboyism and some good old fashioned "never touched one" and "bashing" is the response you get.

Leatherman caters to a more enthusiast market, so the tool that grabs everybody's attention is typically a $150 Charge TTL. Then Leatherman has a bunch of options for the customer down market. It's the halo-car model... my brother wanted a Dodge Viper, looked at a Dodge Challenger and bought a Dodge Charger. It's not a bad thing, it works for them.

I own MTs from all different brands and I'm lucky to not have a die-hard favorite or bash anybody because then I get to enjoy them all. Love my Juice S2, it's a classy tool, but on most weekends I carry an MP400 for a multitude of reasons, even though they have nearly identical tool sets.

I'm really glad the Center Drive is doing well for Gerber, the marketing was a little over the top, (Badassadors?? Oh lord ) but they had to cut through all the noise.

[Grant Lamontagne]

You are absolutely correct, but there is one more factor to add- the Talladega Nights Factor. 

Whoever comes in second is king of the losers.   Positions three and four (etc) are kitsch or underdogs so people love them, but second place is just plain distasteful. If you're not first, you're last.

Even Jerry Seinfeld commented on it, at least in regards to the Olympics. 

https://youtu.be/xK9rbwM3omA

Congratulations, you almost won..... 

Def

[ThePeacent]

What I find amusing about Gerber is that they are actual military issue.  And not because they are cheap, but because they are what the military wants and needs, so well that many military contracts specified Gerbers.  Or rather, they called for "sliding head plier tools" since they couldn't specify a certain brand, but as that was protected by Gerber's patent for years, that's basically as close as they could get.  Kind of like saying "we can do it any day of the week that you like, as long as it begins with a T and I'm out of town on Thursday."

Other manufacturers (not mentioning names) claim to have military tools, but have never actually been issued, and likely never will be due to price and other issues. 

When the military contract called for a butterfly opening tool, Gerber actually beat out the PST to fill the military order with the MPT.  Fast forward a number of years and Leatherman produces the OHT, their own version of the sliding head multitool to try and steal military contracts now that Gerber's patent has expired, and as far as I know, no military organization has purchased the OHT with intent to issue it to troops, but the MP600 is still going strong.

So to recap, Gerber and Leatherman went head to head twice, first on Leatherman's turf and then on Gerber's, and Gerber won both times.

Wit facts like that, I have no idea why people bash Gerber.

Def

Public perception is a fickle thing. I guess there's just something about human nature that wants to pick teams. As for Gerber they have such a large catalog of products across many different price points, it seems people remember them for the lowest end stuff. Nobody talks about the MP1 is because everybody is talking about how cheesy the Bear Gryls survival tool is. Add in contagious YouTube channel fanboyism and some good old fashioned "never touched one" and "bashing" is the response you get.

Leatherman caters to a more enthusiast market, so the tool that grabs everybody's attention is typically a $150 Charge TTL. Then Leatherman has a bunch of options for the customer down market. It's the halo-car model... my brother wanted a Dodge Viper, looked at a Dodge Challenger and bought a Dodge Charger. It's not a bad thing, it works for them.

I own MTs from all different brands and I'm lucky to not have a die-hard favorite or bash anybody because then I get to enjoy them all. Love my Juice S2, it's a classy tool, but on most weekends I carry an MP400 for a multitude of reasons, even though they have nearly identical tool sets.

I'm really glad the Center Drive is doing well for Gerber, the marketing was a little over the top, (Badassadors?? Oh lord ) but they had to cut through all the noise.

We share opinion here. Unfortunately for them, Gerber's rebranding and the cheap BG Stuff and Chinese lines of products came when the Internet, Amazon, Youtube and forums were really starting to grow. Some opinions and angry, deceived people quickly spread their words and bad, uninformed or biased reviews popped up every day
I like most of my Gerbers over most of my Leathermans and really love their old products, and while I don't care for 99% of their newer stuff I can't stand all the bashing they get from those that have never even tried or handled them,  they were big once and deserve all respect from true fans that held them in such high regard for years!

[Grant Lamontagne]

Also agreed.

Def

[G-Dizzle]

If you promise not to tell anyone.....

Store.Multitool.org

But you didn't hear it from me.....

Def

 
Whaaaaaaatttt!!  So exciting! looks great! hope its super successful! Now to explore 

[ThePeacent]

this beauty just arrived!
It sure feels like an upgraded MP600 at first sight,



time will tell. Only  for me as of now it's the plastic sliding tabs/inserts

[Grant Lamontagne]

If you promise not to tell anyone.....

Store.Multitool.org

But you didn't hear it from me.....

Def

 
Whaaaaaaatttt!!  So exciting! looks great! hope its super successful! Now to explore 

It's a soft launch at the moment.... trying to sort out some issues.  It is live though, in case you see anything you want to pull the trigger on. 

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

this beauty just arrived!
It sure feels like an upgraded MP600 at first sight,

(Image removed from quote.)

time will tell. Only  for me as of now it's the plastic sliding tabs/inserts

That looks sweet in BO!

Def

[G-Dizzle]

If you promise not to tell anyone.....

Store.Multitool.org

But you didn't hear it from me.....

Def

 
Whaaaaaaatttt!!  So exciting! looks great! hope its super successful! Now to explore 

It's a soft launch at the moment.... trying to sort out some issues.  It is live though, in case you see anything you want to pull the trigger on. 

Def

I think I found your phone number! Unless you have a staff, that is. You can expect a wakeup call at approximately 3am every morning!

[Grant Lamontagne]

My number has never been a secret...

And joke is on you, as an insomniac I could probably use a phone call at 3am to break up the monotony. 

Def

[ChrisEDC247]

If you promise not to tell anyone.....

Store.Multitool.org

But you didn't hear it from me.....

Def

 
Whaaaaaaatttt!!  So exciting! looks great! hope its super successful! Now to explore 

It's a soft launch at the moment.... trying to sort out some issues.  It is live though, in case you see anything you want to pull the trigger on. 

Def

Congrats on the new Webstore! Those patent tees look awesome! Is it tough to ship to the States?

[powernoodle]

Whats the difference? 

One grabs boogers better.  I can't remember which one.

[ChrisEDC247]

Whats the difference? 

One grabs boogers better.  I can't remember which one.

 

The needle nose.

Learned that the hard way.

 


 

[Grant Lamontagne]

If you promise not to tell anyone.....

Store.Multitool.org

But you didn't hear it from me.....

Def

 
Whaaaaaaatttt!!  So exciting! looks great! hope its super successful! Now to explore 

It's a soft launch at the moment.... trying to sort out some issues.  It is live though, in case you see anything you want to pull the trigger on. 

Def

Congrats on the new Webstore! Those patent tees look awesome! Is it tough to ship to the States?

Not in the least.  I do it many times each week.

Oh yeah... and I'm a factory authorised Gerber dealer with access to the entire Gerber catalogue, including knives, multitools, flashlights, axes and all the Bear Grylls branded stuff you can handle. 

You know, in case anyone around here is interested in multitools, knives, flashlights, axes and/or Bear Grylls branded stuff.....

Def

[ChrisEDC247]

If you promise not to tell anyone.....

Store.Multitool.org

But you didn't hear it from me.....

Def

 
Whaaaaaaatttt!!  So exciting! looks great! hope its super successful! Now to explore 

It's a soft launch at the moment.... trying to sort out some issues.  It is live though, in case you see anything you want to pull the trigger on. 

Def

Congrats on the new Webstore! Those patent tees look awesome! Is it tough to ship to the States?

Not in the least.  I do it many times each week.

Oh yeah... and I'm a factory authorised Gerber dealer with access to the entire Gerber catalogue, including knives, multitools, flashlights, axes and all the Bear Grylls branded stuff you can handle. 

You know, in case anyone around here is interested in multitools, knives, flashlights, axes and/or Bear Grylls branded stuff.....

Def

BG goods you say?

Yeah I'll take TWENTY Bear Grylls Survival Ponchos and a BG Compact Survival Compass.

COME AT ME NATURE! 


Can't help but poke a little fun at BG. But seriously, I just paged through Gerber's 2017 catalogue and it is a headache to read. There's USA products next to Chinese products, S30V next to 7CR15MOV and nothing is clearly arranged by purpose. For a company that has a lot of branding they don't delineate their lines very well. There's a table of contents but no section headers (only footers). Gerber desperately needs to revamp their catalog and stop putting things in just alphabetical order. Not bashing, just saying.

[Dtrain]

I think back in the Nineties Mac Tools also contracted out with Gerber for a Multi Tool

[Grant Lamontagne]

I think back in the Nineties Mac Tools also contracted out with Gerber for a Multi Tool

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZt-pOc3moc

Def

[Alan K.]

I've wanted a new Gerber for a long time but there's just way too much information.

Just tell me please, if you have a spare moment, which models come with scissors so I can upgrade from my 25 year old Mr. Pinchy.  I am aware of the Diesel and the MP400.  Are there any other MP models with scissors? 

[zoidberg]

I've wanted a new Gerber for a long time but there's just way too much information.

Just tell me please, if you have a spare moment, which models come with scissors so I can upgrade from my 25 year old Mr. Pinchy.  I am aware of the Diesel and the MP400.  Are there any other MP models with scissors? 

Yeah 600 bladeless and 600 pro scout.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Given the choice, I'd go with the Pro Scout as it also has the saw blade exchanger. 

I really like the Pro Scout- in fact, I liked it so much, I put my name on it. 





Def

[Alan K.]

I like the pro scout. Thanks for suggesting it but how about any models with scissors and a blunt nose pliers?  Or is that asking too much?

[zoidberg]

I like the pro scout. Thanks for suggesting it but how about any models with scissors and a blunt nose pliers?  Or is that asking too much?

Yup, you're asking too much. Kind of my point back a page. Good news is swapping pliers over is a very easy two minute job.

[ChrisEDC247]

I like the pro scout. Thanks for suggesting it but how about any models with scissors and a blunt nose pliers?  Or is that asking too much?

Yup, you're asking too much. Kind of my point back a page. Good news is swapping pliers over is a very easy two minute job.

That's basically how my Gerber evolved. Started with a Pro-Scout, it's got a great selection of tools. Then I wanted carbide cutters, the bigger flathead and a fully serrated knife... so I got a Basic MP600 w/ Cutters and combined them together and dumped the combo edge blade and can opener. Then recently I swapped out the Needlenose for the Bluntnose. That was a breeze! Now I have a Plano box of spare parts if anything breaks (which hasn't happened). Plus I can maintain my MT better because if it gets very muddy, I can open it up and give it a thorough cleaning.

Gerber hacking is fun and easy! 

[ChrisEDC247]

I've really got to stop mentioning Gerber hacking on an unrelated thread. 

But it just goes to show, the MP600 platform works. If you're a regular Joe, there's enough variation to keep 99% of folks happy. If your a super user, Gerber keeps the window open for hacking. It's not quite "buy individual parts like SOG does" but I think the system works.

[Poncho65]

Hacking made easy has sure made my Gerber carrying a lot more pleasurable than it could have been

I  just wish the diamond file and that long reach Phillips were available on more models though

[zoidberg]

If they couldn't be hacked I probably wouldn't carry a MP. I think the ones I would consider carrying fall into the discontinued category.