Gerber Mr. Pinchy Multi Plier Club

[gerleatherberman]

So a search didn't show up a club for the original Gerber Multi Plier. Also known as the legendary Mr. Pinchy!

So here it is. The Gerber Original Multi Plier Club!

Please folks, we need some pinchy pics! Sorry my pics are kinda crappy, but I am lazy after work. 

I'll start with my MPs.
Left is V. 2 w/awl, middle (I used over 10 years) is V. 3, and right is a later version with needle nose pliers w/rivets. You can tell Gerber tried to reduce the pinch on the NN version, because the handles don't close as closely as the older ones. Nice try, but they still bite.
I have a V. 1 w/scissors on the way as well.

[Kev D]

I'm in the club. I've got 2 of them but only have pics of one. I'll get pics of the other.

20170930_131944 by Kevin Davey, on Flickr

[gerleatherberman]

Beautiful multi plier Kevin! That version is the same one I used survived over 10 years of daily use and was only retired, because I started collecting MTs!
I would go weeks sometimes with nice blisters on my palm. Especially with lighting repair and those thin polished 3/8th IPS nuts they use on lamp pipe.

[Kev D]

Beautiful multi plier Kevin! That version is the same one I used survived over 10 years of daily use and was only retired, because I started collecting MTs!
I would go weeks sometimes with nice blisters on my palm. Especially with lighting repair and those thin polished 3/8th IPS nuts they use on lamp pipe.

Thank you 

I only got it a few weeks ago off a member on here. My other one is an earlier one I think as where the screws are on this one to hold the plier head in, my other one is riveted. I'll get side by side pics tonight.

[gerleatherberman]

 
I really like the button screws holding the pliers in on the early MPs! The first versions had button screw heads on both sides of the handles for the tools and looked very nice. The first version has a high polish as well, which is really nice. The later riveted versions seem a bit cheaper made. But, they function just as well it seems.

[Alan K.]

Here's mine. Almost 30 years old.

[gerleatherberman]

Nice pinchy Alan! Thanks for sharing!
The Multi Plier is true old school multi tool!

[vadsoom]

Whoa! I carried one of these for a while two days before doing some serious damage to my hand after slipping while applying some decent torque. Went back to Leatherman and haven’t looked back since. Ouch! It hurts just thinking about it!

[gerleatherberman]

The pinchy served me well for over a decade, so I cannot cut it down. But, I don't believe I could use one everyday at work again. The mp600 blunt nose is fantastic as an upgrade though! Right now I carry a LM wave and a blunt nose 600. Very happy with each of them! I do miss the days when I was perfectly in tune with using the pinchy though. Before I started collecting MTs.
The one in the middle was involved with hundreds of thousands of dollars of repairs through my employers (I didn't get a lot of that money, but my bosses were happy).

[gerleatherberman]

Messing around with Pinchy.

[gerleatherberman]

Version 1 has arrived. A beautifully polished MT. All tool are butter smooth to open. The quality exceeds that of my v.2, v. 3, and v.4. A very pleasant surprise! The scissors are pretty lame though. It really has a 'hand crafted' excellence about it.

[ThePeacent]

Version 1 has arrived. A beautifully polished MT. All tool are butter smooth to open. The quality exceeds that of my v.2, v. 3, and v.4. A very pleasant surprise! The scissors are pretty lame though. It really has a 'hand crafted' excellence about it.

it's one of those "the first ones, the good oldies, were the best"   

[gregozedobe]

Version 1 has arrived. A beautifully polished MT. All tool are butter smooth to open. The quality exceeds that of my v.2, v. 3, and v.4. A very pleasant surprise! The scissors are pretty lame though. It really has a 'hand crafted' excellence about it.

Nice one 

Unless my eyes are deceiving me it looks has even had one of the the running improvements they made to the V1s as they went - a nail nick on a blade that actually lines up with the cutout in the handle (the very early V1s didn't)   

But nobody can convince me that that that enormously thick lanyard ring isn't also serving duty as a spacer.  I reckon they could have added at least 3 more (admittedly very short) tools in that width.

[gerleatherberman]

Version 1 has arrived. A beautifully polished MT. All tool are butter smooth to open. The quality exceeds that of my v.2, v. 3, and v.4. A very pleasant surprise! The scissors are pretty lame though. It really has a 'hand crafted' excellence about it.

Nice one 

Unless my eyes are deceiving me it looks has even had one of the the running improvements they made to the V1s as they went - a nail nick on a blade that actually lines up with the cutout in the handle (the very early V1s didn't)   

But nobody can convince me that that that enormously thick lanyard ring isn't also serving duty as a spacer.  I reckon they could have added at least 3 more (admittedly very short) tools in that width.

Thank you! 
Indeed the nick lines up! And the lanyard ring is absurd, but the quality of the MT overall probably took most of the budget. For the money they used on the lame scissors, they could have filled most of that jumbo lanyard loop with more implements for sure.

[gerleatherberman]

Version 3 hanging around.

[gerleatherberman]

Multi-Plier family.

[gerleatherberman]

Even Mr. Pinchy needs some holiday spirit!
MTs at Christmas by None, on Flickr

[ThePeacent]

Even Mr. Pinchy needs some holiday spirit!
MTs at Christmas by None, on Flickr

good one! 

[gerleatherberman]

Much appreciated! 

[gerleatherberman]

Infamously bad Version 1 Multi Plier Scissors. They work on copy paper...sometimes.

[ThePeacent]

Infamously bad Version 1 Multi Plier Scissors. They work on copy paper...sometimes.

inspired by Lynn's scissors thread?
I sure like the MP series' scissors, but never tried the ones in an old Mr.Pinchy!   

[gerleatherberman]

Infamously bad Version 1 Multi Plier Scissors. They work on copy paper...sometimes.

inspired by Lynn's scissors thread?
I sure like the MP series' scissors, but never tried the ones in an old Mr.Pinchy!   

Indeed.
The shame of it is that the scissors have a decent grind on the cutter portion, but the geometry of cutting causes them to open apart when in use. I tightened the screw on the scissors pivot, but the same issue is there. If the version 1 wasn't a shelf queen, I am certain the pivot screw could be removed and the scissor blades bent slightly to make them more usable.

[Sam Lim]

Recently got one that in very good condition.. Almost new. But but but.... How do you use these things...? It's like zero handle splay.. I am sure everyone that uses these gets pinch in the palm/fingers and it's no joke... It's built like a tank.... Btw, I notice there's these 2 holes on both sides of the pliers pivot. Are they adjustable? Mine  is kinda too tight to be usable.

[gerleatherberman]

Recently got one that in very good condition.. Almost new. But but but.... How do you use these things...? It's like zero handle splay.. I am sure everyone that uses these gets pinch in the palm/fingers and it's no joke... It's built like a tank.... Btw, I notice there's these 2 holes on both sides of the pliers pivot. Are they adjustable? Mine  is kinda too tight to be usable.

And that's why we call them the infamous Mr. Pinchy.
Post a pic and I may be able to help you with the issue at hand. I used one for over ten years! There are three different pivot types. Only one that is an issue is the pliers that slide on rivets instead of screws.  If it is a rivet type, then some good silicone oil and a few hours of open/closing may work. If the sliding mechanism has screws, then we're going to get that pinchy working like butter!
If it has the two little holes on each side of the plier pivot, then it is an earlier one with the best pivot and can be adjusted. The four screws that slide the pliers out can be removed for easy adjustment.

I found ways to avoid getting pinched a lot. Best thing it to look closely at what you will be using them on and think about where your palm is when squeezing.

[gregozedobe]

And avoid cutting anything hard with the wire cutters.  When it goes through, the handles close up very rapidly indeed, and hey presto, instant blood blister on your palm ! 

    

[gerleatherberman]

And avoid cutting anything hard with the wire cutters.  When it goes through, the handles close up very rapidly indeed, and hey presto, instant blood blister on your palm ! 

    

Indeed! Those are the best blisters. 
When possible cutting hard wire, place 1/2 pinchy handle on hard surface and push down other handle.  If no way to push with a hard surface, a piece of plastic sheet or cardboard can be used between your palm and the pinch zone.
I used mine for lamp repair half the time I carried it, so I had systems in place to avoid he pinch.

[gerleatherberman]

Got a second V. 3 Pinchy in today to replace the one that has a bunch of wear and damage. It'll be put away for sentiment, and this one will be carried once in a blue moon, when the palm feels strong.
Multi Plier with MT.o Patch. by None, on Flickr

[gerleatherberman]

Took the MP out yesterday for "old-time-sake" and had forgotten how to avoid the pinch after not using one for so long. Not a bad pinch, but a pinchy bite nonetheless. Slipped off a 3/8" lamp pipe nut. 

Badge please.

[zoidberg]

Not quite a blood blister but it is christmas so awarded.   

[gerleatherberman]

Not quite a blood blister but it is christmas so awarded.   

Thank you and Merry Christmas!

Fortunately it wasn't a bad pinchy bite. I've literally burst my skin open two inches long with a pinchy years ago. My palm is much tougher now......thankfully. But wow, the early days of my Mr. Pinchy were brutal. The man I worked for up North used to say "what the smurf" and walk away every time he saw me slip the jaws and get pinched.