Some Gerber prototypes from late 1990's/early 2000's

[Poncho65]

Agreed!   Yeah I tell you what, some of these tools that Gerber experimented with and DIDN'T produce are way better than some of the crap that they DID produce. (I'm thinking Radius, Steady, Freehand, etc, etc, etc)

Makes you think "What are they thinking sometimes "

 

[Poncho65]

New page banana man dance

     

[Gareth]

Agreed!   Yeah I tell you what, some of these tools that Gerber experimented with and DIDN'T produce are way better than some of the crap that they DID produce. (I'm thinking Radius, Steady, Freehand, etc, etc, etc)

Makes you think "What are they thinking sometimes "

 

I suppose this highlights the other factors in bringing a tool to market; ease of production, cost of production, is there a place for it in the marketplace? etc. etc.

[gregozedobe]

Necro thread revival (but definitely related to the OP).

I think I have managed to get the rest of the prototypes from the same source as the original mother-lode.  It did take some years of pestering and reminding, but persistance paid off.

Off course Bob had cherry picked the choicest MTs (and so he should have, but I'm still jealous), but I'm happy with what I got:

MP600 hard coated with a metallic gold(ish) colour on the handles and pliers (definitely a different finish to the others that seem to be painted).

MP600 with Lime green handles (looks to be very similar to Bob's example)

MP600 with light copper coloured handles

MP600 with one orange handle and one dark blue handle

MP800 (legend) with navy blue handles and BO pliers (this also seems to be a very hard coating - possibly ceracoat or similar ?)


AFAIK that was the last of the prototypes this seller had, but who knows ?

[Yadda]

Necro thread revival (but definitely related to the OP).

I think I have managed to get the rest of the prototypes from the same source as the original mother-lode.  It did take some years of pestering and reminding, but persistance paid off.

Off course Bob had cherry picked the choicest MTs (and so he should have, but I'm still jealous), but I'm happy with what I got:

MP600 hard coated with a metallic gold(ish) colour on the handles and pliers (definitely a different finish to the others that seem to be painted).

MP600 with Lime green handles (looks to be very similar to Bob's example)

MP600 with light copper coloured handles

MP600 with one orange handle and one dark blue handle

MP800 (legend) with navy blue handles and BO pliers (this also seems to be a very hard coating - possibly ceracoat or similar ?)


AFAIK that was the last of the prototypes this seller had, but who knows?

Kudos Greg!

Great additions to your collection! You and Bob are the best scroungers ever!

[Aloha]

Just reading thru this thread again. 

Greg  I am so happy you managed to get those tools.  Congrats even if its late.   

[gregozedobe]

Just reading thru this thread again. 

Greg  I am so happy you managed to get those tools.  Congrats even if its late.   

Thanks, it was a bit of work to get them, but well worth it 

[gerleatherberman]

These J-SEWS' threads are my favorites to go through. Too bad he doesn't come around the site anymore.

Congrats on the awesome acquisitions, gregozedobe!

[gregozedobe]

These J-SEWS' threads are my favorites to go through. Too bad he doesn't come around the site anymore.

Congrats on the awesome acquisitions, gregozedobe!

Thanks 

Bob is still collecting weird old MTs (the older and weirder the better  ), but he doesn't logon to MTo very often these days.  I'm hoping to encourage him to share his comprehensive knowledge on older MTs more frequently, but he's had a few setbacks this year.

[gerleatherberman]

 

That is quite understandable about Bob. I have been a member or owner of a couple forums in the past(not tool related) and had things pull me away that weren't related to the actual website subjects. 

[gerleatherberman]

Oop, how did I miss that one? Yeah, it has an iridescent blue finish over the entire tool, including the pliers. I have no idea what it is. Some guys at work are speculating that it is blue anodize. But I didn't know you could anodize stainless...?


(Image removed from quote.)

Seems Gerber made those entire-anodized 600s in more than blue?

Just bought this.
(not my photo. will take more pics when it arrives)

[gregozedobe]

Seems Gerber made those entire-anodized 600s in more than blue?

They also made a gold coloured one as well  . 

I'm not sure what the finish is, maybe cerakote or similar, on mine it is definitely tougher than the easily-chipped paint they put on most of their coloured MP600s

[Aloha]

Nice grab gerleatherberman 

[gerleatherberman]

They also made a gold coloured one as well  . 

I'm not sure what the finish is, maybe cerakote or similar, on mine it is definitely tougher than the easily-chipped paint they put on most of their coloured MP600s

Gold? Bet that looks good. 

It is a relief to know the finish is more durable. I am always a bit worried when opening the yellow painted 600. Much appreciated information.

Nice grab gerleatherberman 

Thank you, Aloha!

[Yadda]

Seems Gerber made those entire-anodized 600s in more than blue?

Just bought this.
(not my photo. will take more pics when it arrives)

I saw this one.... Nice grab!

[gerleatherberman]

Thank you, Yadda!

[CarbideCruzer]

Unfortunately none of the images on the first page and the vast majority on the two, third and fourth page are available to be viewed.  Not blaming any of the members, rather this is quite common with Photo Bucket.  This is why I encourage everyone to save images via screenshots, archiving sites or any other legal means so these images can be preserved for future use. 

This would be a novel concept if Gerber were to make a USA made multi tool with diagonal pliers. 

[Max Stone]

Yes, it is sad that we've been dropped by Photobucket. The only reference to the Multi-Plier launch document (https://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=17190.0) is now lost, and the poster (J-sews), has not been active for over a year.

There's a lot of great info on MT.o, and I try to upload pics directly to MT.o using the 4-pic limit per post. But sometimes you need to embed pics for longer articles, product reviews, etc. like this image:



I suppose you can try to reference the original link in the post, so for this picture that I've created and posted in my Google album, I could reference the original patent link. But web pages change and links break, so I agree its best if it's possible to archive important images and docs.

Maybe someone still has contact with J-sews/Bob and he has a copy of the Gerber19921.jpg image archived somewhere? 

[hiraboo]

I have copies of his photo, but may not original quality.
I believe he will be back. As a temporary measure until then, I will duplicate his post as much as possible.

Original posted by J-sews;
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,49588.msg828953.html#msg828953





Recently I was extremely fortunate enough to acquire an assortment of prototype Gerber tools. I know almost none of the background info on these items, other than that they were owned by a senior engineer or manager that left Gerber about ten or twelve years ago. Many of the tools themselves appear to be from the late 1990's/early 2000's, which was about the time Gerber was bringing out a number of other innovations such as the MP600 and MP400 lines, the Multi-Lite, the Build Your Own program, the MP700 and MP800 tools, etc.

MP600's with red handles or with yellow handles were available back then as part of a combo kit that included a crappy flashlight. Furthermore, handles in blue, green, orange, or white were also available through Gerber's custom Build Your Own program. Judging by these prototypes, Gerber was also experimenting with plenty of other colors too:

lime green w/black oxide



copper w/black oxide



maroon w/stainless



dark purple w/black oxide



carbon fiber w/stainless




MP700's were sold with a matte aluminum finish. A special "Terminator" version had a polished chrome finish. But none were sold with a colored finish to my knowledge. Here is an experimental blue one:





Standard MP600's to this day are sold with a matte "bead-blast" stainless steel finish. Here is one that was given a full mirror polish job, including all of the folding blades except the Phillips and the file:





But the prototyping is not just limited to fancy paint jobs and finishes. Here is an MP600 (happens to be orange) that sports soft rubber grip panels, presumably for comfort. We've seen a couple of these tools previously, in black oxide finish.









Or how about an electrician's plier head? Bear Jaws makes a tool that has one, as does the little Leatherman Squirt EL. But this is a full sized MP600. Wonder if they ran into a patent conflict or something and that's why they never made any more?







Here's a real doozy of a tool. It has a fancy removable plier head.








Just push in the spring-loaded buttons on either side of the pliers and it pops right off:






The handles are made to come apart too. I wonder if they planned to offer different style pliers? And maybe different handles too, perhaps with a variety of different blades and such?





EDIT:
Hey, I just realized the entire head is reversible!

[hiraboo]

Original posted by J-sews;
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,49588.msg828960.html#msg828960


More fun stuff.


A special belt sheath that holds the tool in place with powerful magnets:







A PRE PRODUCTION PROTOTYPE of old Mr. Pinchy





The tool loadout definitely has a "pre-production" look about it:





Looks like the engineers were playing around with the ability to fold the tools completely around to the backside. That might be handy from time to time:





Not a prototype, but some type of a sales milestone award. The entire tool is gold plated, including all of the blades. It doesn't appear to have seen much heavy usage.

[Max Stone]

Thanks hiraboo for recovering these lost pictures. They are extremely interesting 

The one I’m trying to recover is the only reference to the Multi-Plier launch https://forum.multitool.org/index.php?topic=17190.0 which Is also lost. Unless you have some magic to recover this too? 

[Top-Gear-24]

Can't help with restoring the pics, but thank you guys for doing such a great job  .

Oh, and that Copper/BO MP600 ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b4SXpOFQ9T8

[Juan el Boricua]

Thank you, hiraboo, for not only your recovery efforts, but for your contributions on other sub forums; the information, pictures and references are useful and valuable additions to this great hobby. Kudos to you Sir, on your inniciative, work and commitment! 

[hiraboo]

That's all the photos I keep.

Original posted by J-sews;
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,49588.msg828970.html#msg828970


Oop, how did I miss that one? Yeah, it has an iridescent blue finish over the entire tool, including the pliers. I have no idea what it is. Some guys at work are speculating that it is blue anodize. But I didn't know you could anodize stainless...?




Original posted by J-sews;
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,49588.msg829093.html#msg829093


Sure thing! You mean from the end, like this?




Original posted by J-sews;
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,49588.msg829731.html#msg829731


Thanks again for the kind words folks. And rest assured that I've doubled the guards around the perimeter and updated the retinal scanners on the vault. Gotta keep these babies safe you know!


Purple Multi-Lite pictures coming right up! Unfortunately there was only the top piece, so I'll have to keep an eye out for a donor bottom piece and blades. It looks to be a standard top, just molded from purple plastic:





It came with a full compliment of tiny tools in the secret compartment:





Amber colored LED, of typically underwhelming brightness:




> Max Stone

Some years ago when I was not a registered member, I downloaded his photos in this thread and saved them in my Hard Disk. I happen to know your important suggestion, I remembered that.（;ﾟ０ﾟ）

But unfortunately, I didn’t do same thing in another thread.
So I can’t recover his another posts. (；ω；)
I will continue to cooperate with you. (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و

> Top-Gear-24

Thank you for your kind words. ( ˶˙ᵕ˙˶ )
I recommend that you save your favorite threads to your own computer. It might be useful sometime unexpectedly.

> Juan el Boricua

Thank you very much! (◜◡◝)
I'm also getting a lot of information from you.
I am very happy to be able to exchange information with friends who have the same hobby. ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و

[gregozedobe]

Oop, how did I miss that one? Yeah, it has an iridescent blue finish over the entire tool, including the pliers. I have no idea what it is. Some guys at work are speculating that it is blue anodize. But I didn't know you could anodize stainless...?

I have one that I think has a similar coating, only mine is gold coloured (including the pliers).  IMO it is more like a ceracote, it certainly seems durable and quite chip resistant, unlike the more common painted versions that chip and flake very easily (look around the slot for the sliding pliers and you will see areas where the paint is missing on most of them, even ones that show no other signs of wear).

[hiraboo]

It may be temporary, but you can download his photo for now.

> Greg

I always admire your vast knowledge and collection. w(゜o゜)w
I'm happy to restore J-saw's post to you.

Original posted by J-sews;
https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,49588.msg829749.html#msg829749
Hey, the ebay pictures of yours are still up Greg! I was able to save them and repost here:

Greg's safety lime yellow

[Rapidray]

A reversible headed plier - now that would have been neat! That would have been a winner! Great collection! 

[hiraboo]

> ALL

These posts are not mine originally, but J-sew’s posts.
Due to some issues around photobucket.com, you can hardly see many important photos posted by J-sew.
So I will back up his photos and restore some of his posts.
I apologize for the confusion.

Thanks to Max Stone. Without your suggestion, I have not realized the importance of backing up J-saw posts.

[gregozedobe]

Thanks hiraboo, you are a true asset to MTo 

[Max Stone]

Thank you hiraboo, these restored posts are most valuable for the forum.