Gerber Armbar Owners Club

[SirVicaLot]

New Tool, New Club 

I figured we can consolidate all information, testing and photos in here. Let's start with the unboxing:

[SirVicaLot]

This is the "Urban Blue" color version of the Armbar Driver

[SirVicaLot]

Comparison with a Fieldmaster (Red) and Pioneer X (Blue):







As you can tell, it is about the same size as a Fieldmaster/Huntsman

[SirVicaLot]

Awl Comparison with the Pioneer X:

[Hevy (CT-782)]

Perfect size.
 
Thanks for he photos

[SirVicaLot]

The bit driver seems to be a sturdy built. Will see how it will handle different scenarios during testing. There is not really a snap when opening or closing any of the tools, besides the blade. When I deploy the scissors or the awl, the other tools come slightly out of their resting position, so there is some tool clumping.

[SirVicaLot]

The bit holder has a small magnet at its base, making sure the bit won't fall out:

[SirVicaLot]

The "Hammer". Not sure yet what to make of that yet. I sits flush against the frame when closed, so it should be usable. I think I would use it to hammer a picture hanger into drywall, but certainly not large framing nails into 2x4s. But I also don't think that's its intended usage scenario.

[SirVicaLot]

Cutting test on regular printer paper:





The Armbar blade does a decent job, I would still give the advantage to the PX. Even more so considering that the Armbar is fresh out of the factory, while I have used the PX a few times.

[SirVicaLot]

Pry bar test on a paint can:





It works, but it slid out from under the rim a few times. That hardly ever happens with the Vic large screwdriver/bottle opener that I normally use for this task. Could also be that there is a learning curve, as I am used to the Vic method.

[SirVicaLot]

Because that question will come up: Can you open a beer with the Armbar? I think so:



I did not open it, because it is before noon and there is no event going on in town that justifies a "Fruehschoppen" 

[SirVicaLot]

Paracord (550) cutting test:

Armbar with the second snip:



PX with the first snip:

[SirVicaLot]

Repeated cutting shows a different picture:


The Armbar scissors are clearly not as sharp as their PX counterpart. There seems to be a sweet spot, where they cut pretty well. Too far to the tip and they won't cut it, too far in the back and they won't cut it.

PX as expected:




The scissors of the PX also open wider:



Due to the design of the sping, the scissors will get scratched during use. You can see that already in this picture. I open and closed the scissors maybe 20-30 times:

[SirVicaLot]

These are all the photos and all the testing I have done so far. If you would like to see something else, a comparison with a different tool or another test, just let me know 

[Ivo]

Very nice Sir, I never saw this one 

[Rapidray]

Oh great post and photos! I especially like the magnet photo with the bit...that’s usually a hard photo to get. Looking forward to future posts on this one 
 

[SirVicaLot]

Scissors cutting a zip-loc bag: No issues, almost a push cut.


Weight Comparison:

Fieldmaster: 99 gr. (3.49 ounces)
Pioneer X: 95 gr. (3.35 ounces)
Armbar: 90 gr. (3.17 ounces)

[enki_ck]

Because that question will come up: Can you open a beer with the Armbar? I think so:

(Image removed from quote.)

I did not open it, because it is before noon and there is no event going on in town that justifies a "Fruehschoppen" 

Sooo... No decent beer available, ha?

I'd like to see how a regular bit fits in the driver and how good the driver is at screwing some mid sized screws. Is it prone to folding, how is its centering, does it feel like a propper screwdriver or do you feel that your grip is off center as with similar tools?

[Mechanickal]

Looks like a good size/functionality ratio.

What's it retailing for?

[Max Stone]

Ha ha! Found you Sir Vic. 

Thank you for the great post and pics. I’m sure they’ll be many more joining the club. 

[SirVicaLot]

Sooo... No decent beer available, ha?

I'd like to see how a regular bit fits in the driver and how good the driver is at screwing some mid sized screws. Is it prone to folding, how is its centering, does it feel like a propper screwdriver or do you feel that your grip is off center as with similar tools?

Will do a test run later. Maybe some wood screws in a 2x4 

[SirVicaLot]

Looks like a good size/functionality ratio.

What's it retailing for?

$39 from the Gerber website

[SirVicaLot]

Ha ha! Found you Sir Vic. 

Thank you for the great post and pics. I’m sure they’ll be many more joining the club. 

 

I think this might be a good platform for mods. Will see once our modders get their hands on one 

[magentus]

Great review - thanks. Looks like a really interesting and well designed mt. A modern spin on the SAK. 

[Rapidray]

It will be interesting to see what the mods do with this one! 

[SirVicaLot]

Great review - thanks. Looks like a really interesting and well designed mt. A modern spin on the SAK. 

I thought so too, which is why I was so excited about it. After testing it for a few hours I have mixed feelings though 

[SirVicaLot]

Testing the awl:

Making a pilot hole in a 2x4 is no problem.


Comparison with PX awl. PX hole on top, Armbar on bottom:


Making holes in leather. Thicker leather on the left, thin leather on the right. Armbar holes top row, PX holes low row. Hard to see, but the holes made with the PX are cleaner. It also punched through the leather way easier. The Armbar had a harder time punching through both leather pieces. During that test the awl also collapsed and drew first blood.

[SirVicaLot]

Bit Holder with Standard T25 bit:




The bit sits deeper in the holder than I expected. You can see that in the second pic. The bit holder is also slightly larger than the bits (original and standard), resulting in some wiggle room. I don't think it is enough to cause issues during use. I assume it is done on purpose to remove the bit with ease. I used the original bit to drive a #6 screw into the aforementioned 2x4. It worked pretty straight forward, I never had the feeling the bit driver was about to collapse. One issue might be the pry bar. At its rest position, the thin edge presses into your hand when holding the tool real tight. It might be worth deploying the pry bar half way to avoid that.

[SirVicaLot]

My first day impressions in short:

- Decent blade, works as expected
- Bit driver works straight forward, no issues so far
- Awl is pointy, sharp and in desperate need of a means to prevent it from collapsing. Not necessarily a lock, a tight snap like on the PX would be enough.
- Scissors are average. Not enough leverage and they should open wider. They also cannot cut finger nails. At least not mine  I don't like the deployment, because you have to unfold the scissors moving one arm in the closing direction. This means they will collapse, unless you prevent that with your other hand.
- Pry bar is working. Nothing fancy
- Hammer function not yet tested

[SirVicaLot]

It will be interesting to see what the mods do with this one! 

I agree. There is certainly room for improvement