Thoughts on the Bear Grylls Multi-Tools

supratentorial

supratentorial

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Dec 19, 2006
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Some stores are getting stock of the Gerber Bear Grylls multi-tools. What are your thoughts on them?

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Ultimate Multi-Tool

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Compact Multi-Tool
 
Anything with a celebrity endorsement sorta turns me off, but Gerber makes good stuff and I would give it a shot. I'd certainly rather have one of these tools than a pocket full of nothing.

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The "Ultimate Multi-Tool" appears to be a Gerber Suspension with a 2X price tag, and the "Compact Multi-Tool" is a Gerber Clutch with a tiny serrated blade instead of a nail file.

Why bother with the "Ultimate Multi-tool"? Get the Gerber version for half price. Or, you can spend a couple more bucks and get something ...better regarded. Or spend a couple bucks less and get a Leatherman Blast.

As for the "Compact Multi-Tool", meh. The Clutch is discontinuted, and the price is at least comparable. I don't know how it compares to other tiny tools in the price range.
 
Sales must be pretty good since the've produced a lot of multi-tools that are very similar to the Suspension and Leatherman introduced the WingMan and SideKick, which appear to be intended to compete with the Suspension... or at least the new Leathermans have spring loaded pliers and are being marketed to those who haven't previously used a multi-tool.

Btw, it made me chuckle... About 40 seconds into the Ultimate Multi-Tool video, the blades open accidentally when Bear's using the pliers -- I'm surprised Gerber didn't notice and reshoot. Hopefully it was just a prototype. :p
 
Now I'm not a guy who automatically bashes Gerber tools, I've got a MP600 and really quite like it, but the Suspension and all it's derivatives are awful IMO.

Now I have little to no regard for either the Suspension or Bear Grylls TV show, so the question is: who is doing more damage to their reputation with this collaboration, Grylls or Gerber?:rolleyes:
 
I had bought a suspension out of necessity while working (left my juice 1500 miles away) and well...that was the last time I used it. I don't suspect Grylls made it any better. The clutch is a great keychain tool though...but both have been replaced with a SOG B66. Silly Bear Grylls....but hey can't say I have a hit tv show...or a cool accent.
 
@ :40 on the fist vid the knife or file fall out when the pliers are used.

no thanks. cheap product
 
I tried the fixed blade version, and hated it. Poor quality up the ying yang. I went back to the store and got a Buck Kalinga. :P I really hate Gerber at the moment. Their pocket knives use to be really nice, and now they don't hold an edge and have a lot of blade play. I say, buy a Leatherman and you get more bang for your buck.
 
I don't own a Gerber Suspension, so I can't speak of its quality. However, I can tell you that I'm not paying 2X the price for the same product with celebrity endorsement.
 
I gotta agree with the doubling the price thing. The Suspension is $25, vs. the Grylls at $49, give or take.
 
I"ve got a Gerber "Suspension" which I picked it up really cheap at a big box store and have used it a lot. Sorry folks, I like it.... tools deploy without opening pilers - compact size and has held up well over four Boy Scout camping outings - I also have a Leatherman "Fuse" which I also like a lot and has held up equally well. Given size etc I'd probably give the edge to Leatherman here. I've also been carrying a Gerber mini-paraframe just as a beater - and it is holding up beyond expectations.. so well that when I lost the first one - I went out a bought another one. I'm really satisfied with both - To be honest - I was not nuts about the EVO model so it got traded quickly but then I'm not that crazy about the Micra's scissor which cuts paper like mad but hangs up on a thread. So - end result could be a crap shoot!
Peace
Revvie
 
Who knows maybe they are good, but for the money you can get more from both Gerber and other companies
 
I have a Suspension and several of the variants and they aren't bad but I prefer my Leathermans, Victorionoxes, and SOGs. The Tread (a Suspension with a flashlight) started rusting within a month... my other Suspension variants haven't rusted yet so maybe it isn't representative though. My Octane is also rusting... but that's not a Suspension clone... it's a Gerber though.

Remember the Terminator 3 Gerbers? I can't recall how much I paid for mine. Was it more than the cost of the normal Gerbers? :o ...Now, if they were to make a Batman version of the Suspension then I would drop some serious cash! ;)

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The 600 series are Classics. The Suspension evolved from the 700 series. The Urban Legend 700 wasn't cheap though. Gerber wisely produces and markets the Suspension at a lower price... at least in my opinion. I was impressed by the Suspensions value a few years ago and it's still a pretty good value. I do wish the Suspension had the full size Phillips driver that was on the 700 (see photo below). I also prefer the larger lock releases on the 700. I would have liked to have seen those improvements (or reversions) make their way into the Ultimate Multi-Tool.

Gerber-Phillips.jpg


But aside from spots of rust on the blade of my Tread, I haven't had any problems with any of the Suspension variants (I've been less impressed with the Octane and Grappler). And if there are any problems, I know Gerber will take care of them - their warranty service has been excellent. I should mention that the outside accessible tools on the Suspension don't fall out accidentally like they did when Bear was demoing the Ultimate Multi-Tool -- hopefully that was just a prototype! If the Ultimate Multi-Tool is anything like the Suspension (and it looks a lot like the Suspension) than that shouldn't be a problem.

Will the Ultimate Multi-Tool be on the shelf at Wally World right next to the Suspension that's roughly half the price? My guess is that the Bear Grylls line is intended to promote Gerber products in general and that Gerber is probably less concerned about selling the special editions with Bear's name on them.
 
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Thanks Mr. Supra for relaying your real-world experience with Gerber products.
 
I found a suspension on a trail last summer. As "supratentorial" stated the outside accessible tools are a "bear" to get out, no pun intended.

Powernoodle, love them avatars.
 
Can you guys please keep a secret?

I bought one of these suckers. :eek:

Then I came to my senses, and tried to cancel the Amazon order.

But it was too late. Already shipped. I got it today.

I could have returned it, but I kept it. Bear seems like a swell guy, and I know he could use the extra $25 he's probably getting from the jacked up price of this thing.

Please, lets keep this secret. I can't have this getting out.

As for the tool, the initial thoughts are that it is of low to medium quality, and too wide in the hips. Its a wide sucker when closed. The lock releases feel cheap, but they work. While it certainly does not have the fit and finish, or quality feel of any of the top makers - Leatherman, Victorinox, SOG, etc., I suspect it would hold up just fine for consumer use. The spring assisted pliers are nice. Every tool should have that.

Edit: the more I play this thing, the more I would say the initial feel, and fit/finish, is in the decent/good category than I initially thought. The blades are a little too short for the overall size of the tool, and it is still a wide beast, opened or closed. I'm starting to warm up to it. But a Suspension at half the price would be the way to go on this one.
 
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