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Have you guys seen the Suspension multi tool that Gerber is selling? I’ve noticed them for sale at a few of the big discount stores around town, like Wal-Mart and Target. The open-frame construction of the handles is the first thing that caught my eye. The lattice-work look really makes the tool stand out from the others hanging on the rack next to it.
Finally arrives today, so I'm posting the first impressions I have, haven’t used the tool yet.
First thing I noticed was that the TTI was a lot smaller and lighter than my surge that I previously owned. That is one of the reasons why I wanted to sell the surge and buy one of the smaller tools because I would find the surge uncomfortable when in plier mode since the handles were so wide, didn't make them difficult to grasp as such, but the smaller length and width of the TTI handles are more comfortable.
The Buck Model 350 "Mini-Buck."
*Although this model is currently discontinued by the manufacturer it still be readily found second-hand at auction sites and internet classified listings.
If you are a multitool collector, or one who appreciates the engineering that goes into these products, and a person who delights in the new and seemingly endless ways that these clever engineers can make a set of blades and drivers fold up into a pair of pliers, then you will like the new Gerber Radius Multi-Plier. If you are anyone else, then I suspect you will consider the Radius to be somewhat of a joke.
Updating Gerber's unique out-the-front sliding pliers to a button-activated spring-loaded mechanism, the Auto Recoil has no peers in the multi-tool world. Being that there are no others to directly compare it against it is so easy to label it as a "gimmick" and move on to other, more mainstream tools. What we are here to determine today is whether this tool has redeeming characteristics or if it is merely a "gadget" for the uninitiated to purchase on impulse, play with for a few days and ultimately spend it's life in the junk drawer or the bottom of a landfill.
Big teeth: The Bear Jaws
I recently acquired my first outside-opening tool (thanks to supratentorial) in the form of a Bear MGC (now known as Bear and Sons Cutlery) Bear Jaws. I have been resistant to outside opening tools for some time, mainly due to the exposed nature of the tool compartment and the seemingly easy access this would give dirt, dust and other miscellaneous crap. After carrying and using this tool for only a week or so I have realized that even if the tools are bare to the elements the easy access to said tools heavily outweighs the supposed detriment.
Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT for short) has been well known for their fair priced knives made from well known and respected members of the knife community. CRKT makes a knife for virtually every kind of task you can think of and the only thing they haven't ventured into is the multitool market, until now that is.
About six months ago CRKT announced on their website that a division of their company called I.D. Works (which is an acronym for Inspired Design) is producing two multitools that will be released in June. The multitool enthusiasts and the general market alone was not only welcoming them with open arms, but the market needs a fresh face to it. So many of the tools out there are being made by manufacturers that have been making them since time began, and it was time for someone new with a fresh perspective to add something to the picture.
Nowadays the multitool market is quite diverse. Ordinarily we focus on the higher end tools, but I recently received some more affordable tools that are available at many chain and hardware store. I was impressed with the overall quality for the price, especially with the Mountaineer.
Leatherman’s Blast model was a pleasant surprise when I received it. After having the Kick for a while, then moving up to the Fuse I appreciated the locking mechanism but I was so disappointed by the new scissor design that I think it jaded me. It took the Blast to really get my attention again in this series.
While the PowerLock seems to be the first tool that comes to mind when one thinks of SOG tools, the Pocket Power Plier is perhaps my personal favorite. The more compact size of the Pocket Power Plier seems to be the more “carry-able” version of the big powerhouse.
This is another one of those things that I looked at for years and could never really see the point of. In fact, I couldn’t even figure out how the darned thing worked from most of the pictures I saw, so I never really paid it that close attention. Until now.
It seems lately that most manufacturers are trying to make the biggest tool because that equates to the heaviest duty and the best bang for the buck. Well, the Core is the replacement to Leatherman’s Super Tool and Super Tool 200 , and the predecessor to Leathermans other big boy, the Surge .
Leatherman’s Crunch is a unique model that really has no peers in the multitool industry. Certainly there are a few locking plier tools out there such as the Schrade ST6 and the discontinued Kershaw locking plier tool, but each of those tools is clunky due to the permanently fixed head. The Crunch’s greatest strength is the folding head that allows it to fold into the size of a regular full sized multitool like the PST series , Wave or SwissTool Spirit .
What kind of people would write collect and review multitools? Quite simple really- we are designers and do-ers, outdoors types and indoor types, mechanics, doctors, problem solvers and problem makers. As such, we have, as a world spanning community, put every type, size and version of multitool, multifunction knife, pocket knife and all related products to every test we could manage in as many places and environments as there are.