Looking at the Gerber Flik

[Sean]

I am looking at seeing if Canada Tire @ $89.00, will match the price of Mountain Equip Co-op up here in B.C on the Gerber Flik.  If so I am going to pick one up.  If not, then enjoy the drive into Vancouver and take a look at their store.

http://search.mec.ca/?Ntt=multi+tool&N=10

The hero of the day will be the person who is able to "mod" that can opener so it actually works.
Anyhow what a fine looking tool from a company that the only tool I own personally from them is the "Clutch".

sean

[Grant Lamontagne]

The Flik is actually not a bad tool at all.  In fact, it's quite nice.  Yes, the drivers and can and bottle openers are stubby, but the Flik is a very respectable tool in it's own right and doesn't deserve some of the bad press it's gotten.

I'd also consider buying it online if I were you as the prices tend to be around the $50 mark.  I bought mine at CT only because I absolutely needed to have one that day since I had just heard they were actually released!

Def

[Benner]

The Flik is actually not a bad tool at all.  In fact, it's quite nice.  Yes, the drivers and can and bottle openers are stubby, but the Flik is a very respectable tool in it's own right and doesn't deserve some of the bad press it's gotten.

I'd also consider buying it online if I were you as the prices tend to be around the $50 mark.  I bought mine at CT only because I absolutely needed to have one that day since I had just heard they were actually released!

Def

Stubby!?!  They're bloody non-existant! 

I see it as bit of a poor show personally.  Drivers should be a high priority on a MT the same as pliers and blades etc, not just bunged in as a bit of an after thought.

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I've got to agree with Ben, the drivers on the Flik are beyond hopeless

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yes, well Gerber is famous for stubby drivers.  It's part of their "thing" just like Victorinox has slippery drivers, Leathermans rust and SOGs are a pain in the butt to actually use!  

Let me know when there's a "perfect" tool available!  

Def

[Roadie]

Yes, well Gerber is famous for stubby drivers.  It's part of their "thing" just like Victorinox has slippery drivers, Leathermans rust and SOGs are a pain in the butt to actually use!  

Let me know when there's a "perfect" tool available!  

Def

What he said!!

[Benner]

Yes, well Gerber is famous for stubby drivers.  It's part of their "thing" just like Victorinox has slippery drivers, Leathermans rust and SOGs are a pain in the butt to actually use!  

Let me know when there's a "perfect" tool available!  

Def

But they are awful, not just something that is a pain but you can work with.  

I have a tool from Marks and Spencers that cost me £3.50 that has far better drivers than that.  

[Benner]

Yes, well Gerber is famous for stubby drivers.  It's part of their "thing" just like Victorinox has slippery drivers, Leathermans rust and SOGs are a pain in the butt to actually use!  

Let me know when there's a "perfect" tool available!  

Def

What he said!!

Oh now look who it is. 

All I'm saying is that a MT of that type has certain functions that you would expect.  Having it designed so that the drivers are like that really is poo.  That is not just a "catch" like the slippery Vic drivers or the LM rust, that is just a poor design IMO. 

[Roadie]

Oh now look who it is. 

All I'm saying is that a MT of that type has certain functions that you would expect.  Having it designed so that the drivers are like that really is poo.  That is not just a "catch" like the slippery Vic drivers or the LM rust, that is just a poor design IMO. 

Someone must have put up the Gerber flag LM (thinking Squirt here) have awl's that are as sharp as cotton wool you can't tell me that wasn't by design? I can't see how they wouldn't function well, yes they are short but if the screw is on the surface you shouldn't face any problems.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I'm not saying the drivers are great, but they are functional in a pinch- not completely useless as some would have you think.  The saw, blades and pliers are all good, and Gerber's scissors are some of the best in the industry, and that deserves a mention.

Def

[Benner]

Oh now look who it is. 

All I'm saying is that a MT of that type has certain functions that you would expect.  Having it designed so that the drivers are like that really is poo.  That is not just a "catch" like the slippery Vic drivers or the LM rust, that is just a poor design IMO. 

Someone must have put up the Gerber flag LM (thinking Squirt here) have awl's that are as sharp as cotton wool you can't tell me that wasn't by design? I can't see how they wouldn't function well, yes they are short but if the screw is on the surface you shouldn't face any problems.

Oh no tool is perfect don't get me wrong, but I never said any were.    Every tool has at least one niggle, but I know of no other tool where that niggle is every single driver / can opener / bottle opener on the tool.  It's not their length as such, but they are pathetically thin, too small and the phillips isn't much better than that on the LM Micra.  That phillips on a full sized MT?  A bit poo if you ask me.

Like Def said above, every tool has it's issue - Vic's slippery drivers, LM's rust and SOG's pain in the butt usage  , but the difference is that despite these, they still function to a decent extent.  The drivers on the Flik just don't.

... and rant over.  

[Benner]

I'm not saying the drivers are great, but they are functional in a pinch- not completely useless as some would have you think.  The saw, blades and pliers are all good, and Gerber's scissors are some of the best in the industry, and that deserves a mention.

Def

Now I agree on that!    I did really like the pliers, the scissors and the blades.  I also really liked it's size and how it was a bit "gadgety" in it's design.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I guess I must be a better screwer than you because I distinctly remember using them successfully, waaaaaayyyy back when I had a Flik!  

Def

[Benner]

I guess I must be a better screwer than you because I distinctly remember using them successfully, waaaaaayyyy back when I had a Flik!  

Def

On your girly screws perhaps, but we have man screws over here. 

[Sean]

Def,

Just thinking that at 59.00 Mountain Equip Co-op I don't know if after shipping I'm going to really be saving all that much by buying online?

sean


I haven't used the drivers of course on the flik (don't own one) but have on the Vic Spirit and granted I've just used it on a plug socket cover and a radio and they did the job without slipping.  Now in an emergency if I needed to really "torque down" on something and all I had with me was my Spirit then I might see the shortcomings of an inferior driver but hopefully if I ever have to get down dirty with a bolt or screw I won't be reaching for my multi-tool no matter what brand.  It will be time to dig out the proper tool from the box.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yeah, over here we aren't as open to "man screwing" I guess!  

Seriously, if the Gerber guys are reading this (and I know of a couple that are!) why not replace the small implements on one handle with a small, square block that fits into the bit adaptor?  Then these guys that don't like short screwdrivers could carry around longer shanked bits and have the best of both worlds?  

One other feature I like about the Flik that you really don't get with other multis is that the handles lock together and reinforce each other when turning screws, unlike other tools that flex on the pivots at the plier head.

Lots of great features on the Flik- don't let the puny drivers turn you off.  They are useful, just not as good as those found on other tools.

Def

[Benner]

... like those that cost £3.50 from M&S.

 

[NeitherExtreme]

If I were making this tool, () I'd drop that can opener thing, and just put one larger "3D" phillips in it's place... It would still be stubby, but would hopefully be functional.

[Grant Lamontagne]

That's not a bad idea either.

Def

[tanker]

After some time with me:

scissors
blade 
saw 
"odd looking" serrated blade 
philips driver 
bottle opener haven´t used it
flat drivers haven´t used on tight screws
can opener

[DaveK]

Some may consider the several hours I spent figuring out how to do this, obsessive, but meh.



'nuff said.

[Benner]

Great work Dave!! 

Superb video and a great test. 

[Leatherman123]

Yeah, excellent work!

[Gareth]

It's a great vid Dave but, NO VIC TOOL!     .

[Benner]

That may have been a good thing for Vic though. 

[Grant Lamontagne]

Great video, and a fantastic, very graphic bit of proof!

Of course I don't think anyone is saying that the drivers are good, just that they aren't completely useless.  As with any other multi, there are gives and takes, and with the Flik you give up better screwdrivers for the benefit of the sliding head plier and OH blades.

Still, of the three, I also find the Gerber is more comfortable in the hand, and since the handles aren't flexing at the plier pivots, I don't mind the little bit of effort I have to put into using it.  Mind you, if I encountered many screws in the course of a day, I'd carry something else (like perhaps a screwdriver set!) but for the odd job, here and there, they are good enough.

Def

[DaveK]

Great work Dave!! 

Superb video and a great test. 

It was fun actually, so you can expect a rash of these in the weeks to come

Quality is good isn't it? (The video quality I mean, not the production, artistic of performance quality).

Edit - no Vic tools as I have a meeting tomorrow and don't want to look like I've been in a fight when I get there 

Seriously, it (the Swisstool) was in the car, and SWMBO was out in the car when I "shot" it.

[Roadie]

Nice video Would be interesting to see you try some philips head screws rather than pozi drive ones to see if that makes any difference

[Benner]

Great work Dave!! 

Superb video and a great test. 

It was fun actually, so you can expect a rash of these in the weeks to come

Quality is good isn't it? (The video quality I mean, not the production, artistic of performance quality).

The quality is great!  

We'll have to think up some tests for you.

[tanker]

Classic case of "images are better than words" Dave