Gerber Evolution

[supratentorial]

Are these any good?

Some photos from the 2002 Shot Show that were posted at http://www.equipped.com/shot_show_2002.htm...

[Dunc]

Although I never owned one of these I did own some of their other models . I like the idea of the changable plier heads although it would be a bit baulky to carry any spare heads around with you .Gerber make good quality tools with lifetime backup .If you decide to get one perhaps you could do a review of it for us .


Dunc

[damota]

Be aware the Evolution 650 is out of production so if all the heads you want are available at the place were you are getting it from you should get it cheap but do not buy one that does not have all the heads you want and expect to pick the other head from another site, the may not be available anywhere.
All the Evolution heads are now available as individual stand alone MP600 designs. The pouches the 650 kits came in always looked rather bulky to me.

Dave

[zackhugh]

The sheath when it holds the tool and the spare heads is enormous.  It's a neat bit of kit, though sometimes it's a little tricky in seating the different plier heads.  I also notice the handles pick up surface corrosion more quickly than my earlier Gerber multitools do.

[zackhugh]

From a collectors standpoint , there was a Gerber evolution 650 military version that had a 5th different head for EOD applications .

I don't seem to recall the military version or the fifth head.  Do you have any pics handy?

[J-sews]

You can see a couple of pictures of it here on the main MTOrg site:

Link: http://multitool.org/component/option,com_zoom/Itemid,75/page,view/catid,1/PageNo,4/key,35/hit,1/

The military EOD plier head has the cap crimper jaws.

[damota]

Bob

All the Evolution heads are now available as individual stand alone MP600 designs.

Dave

I had a recheck on Gerber and they appear to have stopped the Fisherman so your dad has a collectors piece now, I think it has only been produced as a stand alone tool for a couple of years.
AFAIR It was the Technicians head on the 650.

Dave,

[supratentorial]

Thanks!  I was actually looking at the Gerber Fisherman when I came across the Evolution.  I haven't decided if I'll buy either.  I'll need to find them in my price range first (see photo). 

[J-sews]

Maybe everyone already knows this, but,
One major shortcoming with the 650 Evolution is that the plier head DOESN'T slide down into the handles like normal Gerber tools. It is fixed solidly in place.

So while it seems like a marvelous concept to have interchangable plier head options, this advantage is somewhat offset by the entire tool being larger and bulkier to carry.

[665ae]

I was at a local hunting/fishing store today and saw that they sell the different plier heads for these.  They had the cutter and the blunt nose for $17.99 each.  I didn't see the tool anywhere though.

[zackhugh]

You can see a couple of pictures of it here on the main MTOrg site:

Link: http://multitool.org/component/option,com_zoom/Itemid,75/page,view/catid,1/PageNo,4/key,35/hit,1/

The military EOD plier head has the cap crimper jaws.

Thanks, I managed to dig up a picture from somewhere with Google too.  You're right about the size and weight of the Evolution.  It's a neat package but it's huge and heavy.  I can't fathom carrying that around.

[J-sews]

The 650 Evolution is too big for me also.      Still, you have to admire Gerber's efforts and innovation. They took existing components (handles, plier-heads, etc) and only modified them slightly in order to come up with an entirely new and unique design. I suppose in certain professions, the 650 would be an ideal package.

[supratentorial]

Cool photo!

[supratentorial]

...rattle...rattle...rattle...rattle...I finally bought one of those ...rattle...rattle...rattle...rattle... Gerber ...rattle...rattle...rattle...rattle... Evolution ...rattle...rattle...rattle...rattle... multi-pliers ...rattle...rattle...rattle...rattle....  It's pretty neat ...rattle...rattle...rattle...rattle... but I did notice ...rattle...rattle...rattle...rattle... that it ...rattle...rattle...rattle...rattle... rattles a bit.   





Curiously, the can opener has no nail nick and it is somewhat of a challenge to remove.



The exchangable pliers is a neat concept but the design isn't very practical.

The pliers don't retract.



The spring action of the pliers is crude and doesn't work at all with the cutter.





The spring doesn't open the jaws very wide so its usefulness is limited.  Since the pliers spring open and the pliers don't retract, use of the blades is awkward. 



I suppose its extinction is further proof of natural selection.   

[J-sews]

Nice little photo essay supratentorial! (I enjoyed the play on words!) Interchangeable plier heads seem like a good idea, but its not worth it if the head doesn't retract down to a more compact size, IMO.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I hope that isn't a picture of you sitting naked at the computer!   

Def

[supratentorial]

I hope that isn't a picture of you sitting naked at the computer!   

Def

Heavens no!  That's me on the far left.   :grin:

[J-sews]

The spring action of the pliers is crude and doesn't work at all with the cutter.

Whattaya suppose Gerber had in mind with those handle springs anyhow? Do they help in any way at all?

[supratentorial]

The spring action of the pliers is crude and doesn't work at all with the cutter.

Whattaya suppose Gerber had in mind with those handle springs anyhow? Do they help in any way at all?

The spring doesn't open the jaws very wide so its usefulness is limited.  Since the pliers spring open and the pliers don't retract, use of the blades is awkward. 

[J-sews]

Strange.

[supratentorial]

Strange.

The Dodo of multi-tools.  :grin:

[damota]

They seem to be standard handle, if those spring were not there the jaws could have been reversed and returned into position for storage. Again the space left could have been used for a set of decent length handle tools even a ratchet driver could have been placed in there. I can not see any reason why they put that tool as it was on the market. Same applies to the Recoil but it seems to be selling. Apart from small one handled pliers like those on SAKs I think any form of spring opening jaws are just a restriction to a plier. But they do sell but they certainly now turn me off any tool that has them. As I have said previously if anything I want them to lightly hold something so if they had a light coil spring that could be engaged when needed to pull the jaws together I could find them usefull at times.
The Dodo would have been a good name for that to use Evolution as its name was always debatable. Since they have made the heads available as dedicated tools it has worked out OK in the end. Rattle and all. 

Dave

[J-sews]

They seem to be standard handle, if those spring were not there the jaws could have been reversed and returned into position for storage. Again the space left could have been used for a set of decent length handle tools even a ratchet driver could have been placed in there. I can not see any reason why they put that tool as it was on the market. Same applies to the Recoil but it seems to be selling. Apart from small one handled pliers like those on SAKs I think any form of spring opening jaws are just a restriction to a plier. But they do sell but they certainly now turn me off any tool that has them. As I have said previously if anything I want them to lightly hold something so if they had a light coil spring that could be engaged when needed to pull the jaws together I could find them usefull at times.
Dave

Good points all Dave.

Since they have made the heads available as dedicated tools it has worked out OK in the end.

So Supratentorial, will you be getting any of the other plier heads to go with your Dodo?....I mean Evolution?

[Grant Lamontagne]

Welcome back to the land of the living Doug!

Def

[supratentorial]

So Supratentorial, will you be getting any of the other plier heads to go with your Dodo?....I mean Evolution?

I didn't want to spend alot of $$$ so I didn't buy the entire set but I'm happy with my options.  It's not really a usable tool so it'll just be a shelf queen ®*.

* shelf queen is a registered trademark of J-sews, all rights reserved 

Reviewing this column made me go and check my collection to verify something . The evolution in its short life span had an evolution from its first model coming without the spring in the handle to coming with the somewhat limited spring action . If you look at the first pictures here there is an example of one without the spring .

I didn't know about the divergence of the species.  So the Dodo was with/without wings.  I'll have to go bird watching and see if I can spot the wingless Dodo.

[J-sews]

Hehe, great post man!

[J-sews]

They seem to be standard handle, if those spring were not there the jaws could have been reversed and returned into position for storage......

This seemed like such a good idea, I wondered if it would work? Nope, the little lock tabs used to lock the plier head in place get in the way. They prevent the jaws from being loaded in backwards.

Oh well, a Dodo she is. 

[damota]

Not only would the head attachment have to be slightly different the rear of the jaws would need a protrusion of some sort for pulling them back out from the storage position also. The tool if designed to do what I said would have needed it to be in the original design concept.

Dave