Gerber Armbar Owners Club

[Max Stone]

Hey Charles, your observation and fix is great.  I do the same on my full-size kitchen Scissors. I bend the blades into a slight curve so they bite a little better and and a quick run on a belt sander, even worn scissors cut tissue paper all the way along the edge. 

[ChopperCharles]

So, after rigorous testing, the Ruike scissors no longer cut in one snip. They still cut better than before by far, but once they loosened up enough so the backspring had pressure to open the scissors reliably, they no longer cut paracord reliably. Still better than before.

The Gerber style still cut paracord. I just cut a 2 foot section into 1/4" long bits, over and over and over again, and except for a sore thumb they worked great. I'm going to try this on some actual Gerber scissors next.

Also, I found the perfect Gerber pocket knife, which is not made by Gerber. I'm waiting on its sister to arrive, and then I'll post more information.

Charles.

[ElevenBlade]

So, after rigorous testing, the Ruike scissors no longer cut in one snip. They still cut better than before by far, but once they loosened up enough so the backspring had pressure to open the scissors reliably, they no longer cut paracord reliably. Still better than before.

The Gerber style still cut paracord. I just cut a 2 foot section into 1/4" long bits, over and over and over again, and except for a sore thumb they worked great. I'm going to try this on some actual Gerber scissors next.

Also, I found the perfect Gerber pocket knife, which is not made by Gerber. I'm waiting on its sister to arrive, and then I'll post more information.

Charles.

 

 

[ChopperCharles]

Okay, okay. There are two different versions of these little tools. One is labeled Bibury, the other PowerDelux. Amazon links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082HNVJTB/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z4DBFXN



These use Gerber tools. Any tool from a Suspension, NXT, MP400, MP600, etc fits.

The tool is a little shorter than a Wenger SAK, measuring at 75mm. It's about the same thickness as a 4 layer Wenger The scissors are slightly better than any of the scissors in my suspensions or MP400s. Yes. Better. The blade is shorter than the blade in an NXT, though an NXT blade will fit if you remove the lanyard ring and replace it with a bushing. (It contacts the ring). The blade is tanto, but does not have the forward edge profiled or sharpened. So it's not useful for stabbing. It is however quite sharp, goes through receipt paper easily.  The quality of all the implements is damn good. Not quite Gerber quality on the machining of tips and edges, but still very high. For instance, the can opener blade isn't as sharp or as large, and the screwdriver tip isn't as well defined as on the NXT. But the NXT part will swap right in if you have a broken or a spare. The phillips driver actually slots deeply into more screws than the Suspension's driver does, and fits securely in more screws around my house. The Suspension's 2.5D driver is thicker and more robust, but it doesn't fit half the screws in my house. 

Basically, any tool you'd want to mod into this is mostly feasible. Any of the suspension or NXT inner tools fit (basically anything except the blade or saw). Any of the short MP600 tools fit. Longer MP600 tools, such as the file, will have to be cut shorter to fit.
The tool uses medium thickness washers. Going to the thin washers looks like it will fit a whole additional tool in there. It's a modder's dream, to be honest. I've always loved the MP600 locking tools, and had the thought of cutting and modifiying a handle to be a little pocket knife. This tool does that, with style and class. I talk about modding it, which is my thing, but the tools that come in it are perfectly adequate as they are. The blade is sharp, the scissors cut better than my MP600 or NXT, (even before my tweaking) the file files, the screwdriver screws. The only bad point is the line cutter on mine was so dull it couldn't cut anything. But 10 minutes with a diamond file fixed that.

I am waiting on the version above with the saw. The line cutter isn't really a useful tool for me, but even a short saw is useful. Especially since I tend to use it on plastic more than anything else.

I really need to reiterate, if you like the tools in the Suspension, you'll love this. It takes all those tools and puts it in a very compact, tiny, USEFUL tool that fits in your coin pocket. The back is even perfectly flat, and perfectly sized for a Nite Ize clip to stick on.

Charles.

[SirVicaLot]

Interesting. Are all tools on it locking? In that case it would be better than the Armbar 

[ChopperCharles]

Yes, all the tools lock, just like the Suspension, NXT, and MP600. It's my new favorite EDC. It's so tiny, but so useful. I'm going to buy a slew of them for stocking stuffers for my friends and family and work team. And of course, I'm going to buy a couple to keep stock and a couple to mod

Charles.

[charlie fox]

Ooh, can I join now?

[ChopperCharles]

I just picked up a Gerber Fit. I really like this thing! It's a rather large pocket knife with an LED flashlight (which runs on a triple-a battery thankfully), and it has a locking bit driver, a blade, and scissors. Plus two micro drivers and tweezers. Dunno why it didn't catch on, other than perhaps the bulk, but I like it. I think a nite ize clip will make it rather perfect.

Charles.

[tommywp]

Okay, okay. There are two different versions of these little tools. One is labeled Bibury, the other PowerDelux. Amazon links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B082HNVJTB/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Z4DBFXN

(Image removed from quote.)

Nice find Charles! .7 inches deep is a bit much for my pocket. Can you offer an opinion on how easy it would be to drop a layer or two to slim it down? And maybe a picture of the backspacing.

 

[ChopperCharles]

To make it thinner, you'd have to cut the plastic back and shorten the pivots. That doesn't really seem doable without a milling machine. This tool is a hair thicker than a 3-layer Wenger SAK, if you don't count the pivot screw heads. It's not as wide or as long as a Wenger SAK though. It's really a lot smaller than you think. I've attached some comparison photos with a Wenger and Victorinox SAK.

Charles.

[tommywp]

Thanks Charles. Appreciate it.

[ElevenBlade]

Why is the price of the Armbar going up?   

it's gone from $31 to $41 on Amazon, and almost as much on the Gerber site,   

[Chako]

I found one locally.

IMG_8937A by Chako, on Flickr

IMG_8940A by Chako, on Flickr

[Chako]

Not a big fan of this tool to be honest. No locking other than the knife (liner lock works great here). The scissors has this little nub that should have been expanded for ease and comfort of use. My thumb started feeling the pressure of that minuscule curved piece of metal that interfaces with you. My copy appears to cut ok...but the puny little spring is more than useless as my copy appears to be somewhat tight and does't do a good job of springing the two scissor blades apart. I do like the driver however, and the awl is cute and I suppose effective. The bottle opener on the end appears to have the best tactility of the whole tool set. I still cannot phantom why the other tools do not lock, or even snap into place. It is like working with a wet spaghetti noddle.I tried using the driver and it functions good...but wants to always rotate on you simply because there is no snap or locking mechanism. At least you can angle the handle whichever degree you want to get some effective torque I guess.

[SirVicaLot]

Thanks for your observations, they basically mirror my thoughts. I guess the no-snap on those tools is really intended. I guess I will never understand the thought process behind this decision 

[ElevenBlade]

Thanks for your observations, they basically mirror my thoughts. I guess the no-snap on those tools is really intended. I guess I will never understand the thought process behind this decision 

Yep, not having bought the tool (yet) but looking at pictures and videos I'd say without a doubt that the no-snap was intentional.... Like the Bassett Trim Trio that I have finally identified after all these years. 

Now, why they made that decision, I couldn't say.  They've clearly stated that they intend the Armbar to be a backup to a folder.  With the Centerdrive being so popular, my guess is they are trying hard not to cannibalize the rest of their product line. 

[ChopperCharles]

But the Center Drive is a HUGE tool. The Armbar is a small pocket knife.

With locking tools and a pocket clip, I would have been interested in the Armbar Drive, and likely would have carried it more than my Center Drive. But alas, it wasn't meant to be.

Charles.

[powernoodle]

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

I will prolly buy an Armbar someday just because I can't say no to a new toy, and its not expensive (now $29.58 on Amazon Prime), but a 4-layer SAK gives you 3x the tool selection in about the same footprint.   So I can't get too tingly about the Armbar.

[SirVicaLot]

That is certainly true, but I think the bit holder for full size bits takes up a lot of space. There is still room for improvement, and with a little more R&D they could have streamlined it some more.
Honestly, I would consider the Armbar the perfect companion for my bladeless MP600, but in its current state there is no way to carry and enjoy using it 

[Chako]

I bought a 2nd one by accident. Thinking of adding a pocket clip somehow and possibly EDCing it.

[ElevenBlade]

I bought a 2nd one by accident. Thinking of adding a pocket clip somehow and possibly EDCing it.

Not sure where... but I saw an aftermarket pocket clip attached to the "front" or "back" instead of the side.  Someone was thinking outside the box - hopefully that helps you come up with an idea.   

[Chako]

That does help.

[SirVicaLot]

You could also fabricate one yourself and attach it to the “cage” where the knife sits in. Might be able to use screws, or if not possible, you can use heavy duty double sided tape. Works like a charm on my MP400.

[Chako]

I found a pair of Nite Ize HipClips with 3M tape backing on Amazon.

[SirVicaLot]

They should work just fine 

[Blacksheep]

I've just bought one of these but need to modify it for UK friendly use. Anyone know how to disassmble this> I have tried heating it but one side has a crossnut and the other has the badge but neither side wants to budge?

[SirVicaLot]

I haven‘t disassembled one yet, but I assume they are similar to the MP‘s. Meaning the screw is secured with thread locker. Carefully heat up the screw to break the lock. (I used either a hot water bath or a lighter for it).

If it is like the MP‘s, then only one side of the screw/bolt will turn. Normally the side that sits in the frame and won‘t turn, is the one where the slits are aligned with the frame. The other side, is normally misaligned with the frame. That‘s the side you want to turn.

 Here is a picture of my MP600 to illustrate what i mean:

The left bolt is aligned with the frame, the right one is not. Therefore, the left side is the bolt that sits in the frame, the right one is the screw that can be turned.

Hope this helps! 

[NetsNJ]

Just joined the club!

Honestly, I like the armbar!

The blade is really really nice.  I like the hollow grind, the shape, the size relative to the frame, the lockup.  It's a really nice knife that really makes SAKs and LM T series blades look puny despite being in a similarly sized overall package.

The bit exchanger is nice.  My armbar has zero spring retention.  I'll be honest though, testing it out a bit, it hasn't folded on me.  Of course it *could*, but I think everything being center aligned makes it so that if you are careful it just won't fold.  If you do anything at an angle you are in the danger zone.  It's a shame - a good backspring or lock would make this tool amazing. 

The awl is sharp, but here the lack of spring retention is more worrying. 

Scissors are only okay.  Not sure what the problem is, they seem to line up fine and are sharp.  Good for paper, string, a struggle on cardboard.  They do it, but it takes force.  I wonder if they are just too thin.

Overall a good tool.  I like it.  Lack of pocket clip means it will never displace my LM T4 or an SAK with swissqlip in my rotation though.  Inexcusable. 

[Poncho65]

Well after some back and forth about getting one or not... I broke down and got one

I really the Armbar and have wanted to get one since the beginning  the bad feedback has been what has kept me from getting one until now

I am hoping that since I did wait that I won't have any of the early bugs that the first run has shown

So far so good 



I do agree what most have said about the scissors though why couldn't they have used a better design still they cut, so there is that  the awl is a bit small but seems sharp enough to drill or poke holes in things 

I really the bit driver and the option to use regular 1/4 inch bits  of course none of these lock and that is a bit of a drawback not a complete deal breaker but a push tab lock could have been incorporated and this tool would have been much harder to beat

Next up is the knife blade





My one seems to lock up well and just about as tight as can be I really love the shape of this blade and wished that Gerber and other MT companies used this shape blade in more tools 

I wished it came with a clip but with the way it is designed wpuld be harder to implement one side the clip would be in the way of the bit driver and the other side would be in the way of the knife

I almost forgot about the hammer end this is a really great feature that takes no space up and if I don't end up carrying this knife, I may take it apart and try to incorporate this into my Charge knife



My Charge knife is very similar to this knife and actually predates it it does have everything the Armbar has except for an awl and the hammer but adds a diamond file and also has a removable clip 



Also a Link to my Charge knife Thread

[ElevenBlade]

Glad to see a review that isn't all bad news.  I'm still planning on getting the armbar cork. All I would want on this, given the specialized use would be a passable flat screwdriver.  Hopefully the prybar will get the job done.