Tool colors

[665ae]

Speaking of colored full size multi's... I was in a local hunting/fishing store the other day and they had a full sized Gerber multitool in Hunter Orange.  I didn't catch the model because it was locked in a glass display case.  The price on it was $60.

[J-sews]

Speaking of colored full size multi's... I was in a local hunting/fishing store the other day and they had a full sized Gerber multitool in Hunter Orange.  I didn't catch the model because it was locked in a glass display case.  The price on it was $60.

That the same place that has the Kershaw? It sounds like quite the multitool retail outlet.

The colored Gerbers were part of the Build Your Own Gerber program they did back in 2001. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but only lasted about a year.

The colored tools were spray painted. The gloss color finish looked good, a lot better than the Bear Jaws finish.

[lonediver]

I see while I was typing this ,Bob came up with it . My post has some more information so I am going to go ahead and post it .


Well what it comes down to folks is that virtually all the majors have in fact dabbled with colors to some extent . Something not brought out to this point is SOG has offered full sized multis in quite a number of models where the consumer had the choice of buying the same tool in three finishes . While not a color per se , they were very different looking . Powerlocks and most of thier line were available in stainless , black oxide and TINI finish . While these had properties that were touted being beyond mere cosmetic effect , side by side do produce nice contrasts .

The answer that I was trying to drawout/reveal was GERBER ! ! ! Which 665ae has now pointed out is available currently in orange . Gerber at intermitent times has offered in an enameled type finish a very wide array of colors . The most prominent episode was when Gerber had a program ( that was probably a marketing nightmare ) called :

Build a Gerber


Something like that . The gist of it was as I recall was Gerber offered a very wide array of colors . Gray , red , yellow , black , orange , those for sure and I believe two to three more colors . In addition to the buyer having a choice of colors , Gerber offered the customer a selection of blade packages to choose from that would work in the handles . The site that Gerber had on the web at the time claimed that were some 10,000 to 12,000 possible variations as I recall for the customer to choose from . ( Bob , have you got them all yet ? ) As I said earlier ,this probably turned into a marketing nightmare . The program did not last much more than a year as I remember . So to date Gerber could/can claim to have the most variations of multis in the world I believe .

So truth is virtually all manufacturers have done colors one way or another .

Have I earned the Stanley yet ?    

[Grant Lamontagne]

As I mentioned earlier, I really didn't think it was fair to take that wager as I have recently uploaded over 240 pictures of tool variants to the Tool Gallery on the main site, and well there are quite a few colored models!  It wasn't too hard for me to figure out which ones you were talking about, only deciding which manufacturer you were referring to!

I hate cheating... although when I do it, it isn't cheating, it's "Creative Problem Solving."

Def

[Grant Lamontagne]

Oh, and if anyone is interested, here's the first Gerber page...

http://multitool.org/component/option,com_zoom/Itemid,75/catid,1/PageNo,6/

Def

[lonediver]

As I mentioned earlier, I really didn't think it was fair to take that wager as I have recently uploaded over 240 pictures of tool variants to the Tool Gallery on the main site, and well there are quite a few colored models!  It wasn't too hard for me to figure out which ones you were talking about, only deciding which manufacturer you were referring to!

I hate cheating... although when I do it, it isn't cheating, it's "Creative Problem Solving."

Def

Well my contention was that I disputed the original statement that started this thread which was :

" Leatherman may have created a monster with the Juice series, but full sized tools have so far managed to avoid getting the color treatment.  Of course, the few that do get fancy looks seem to be somewhat prized- the camo Charge and the tiger striped SOG for example. "

As evidenced by all the entries here we see that full sized multis have had a lot of color treatment . Up to yesterday quite a number had not been brought up yet . Whether I brought it out , or in this case Bob beat me to posting the Gerber build a tool by a half hour even as I was typing . Gerber was the one that I had in mind yesterday . Bob's finding that equipped to survive site verified that it was more than four colors . It seems to be six colors that were involved in that program and I know that Gerber has done other colors than those making Gerber the most diversified in color options I think .
Also not mentioned so far is that Gerber also has produced camo patterns . The list can go on and on and on .....................

[damota]

Talking of tools being painted pretty colors, I tell what I wish = each of the minerals used in making steal gave a different cast of color to the finished metal.
So you could see with just your eyes how much carbon, chrome, manganese ect: was in the blade you were looking at. Sort of a color coded Rockwell Hardness. Now I recon that would be usefull.

Dave

[665ae]

That the same place that has the Kershaw? It sounds like quite the multitool retail outlet.

Yeah, it's the same place.  They have a ton of knives and multi's just piled up in 6ft tall display cabinets.  They are notoriously expensive, so most of the stuff is a bit old.  There are a lot of older knives and multi's.  One of these days I'm going to go back and have them open the cases up so I can see some of the stuff that's piled up at the bottom.

That Orange Gerber though looked pretty cool.  Even with the $60 tag, I almost picked it up.

[J-sews]

.....That Orange Gerber though looked pretty cool.  Even with the $60 tag, I almost picked it up.

Do you remember if it had stainless jaws and blades, or black oxide jaws and blades?

[665ae]

It had the stainless jaw and blades.