Gerber Crucial Multi-Tool, Black, Medium

Product Information

We think Gerber beats out Leatherman in this category. Folding knives are the companies bread and butter, they’re just more experienced that Leatherman and produced an overall better product. The Gerber Obsidian product picture A lot of people will say that Leatherman pays closer attention to detail, but Gerber still produces excellent tools. Many of their top products are still made right in Oregon by American manufacturing, something a lot of EDC enthusiasts prefer.

The Gerber Crucial uses a more classic design but does some weird things with its shape. There aren’t any straight lines to be found on the Crucial, something that makes getting a firm grip difficult. Gerber chose to put standard phillips and flathead screwdrivers on the Crucial, another mark against it. It’s half an inch shorter overall than the Skeletool but we honestly think Gerber really compromised its overall usefulness to achieve this. At this price point, however, there are some compromises. The lone blade features a hybrid straight and serrated edge made of mid-grade steel, which will require regular sharpening depending on your use. The straight portion is easily reconditioned, but sharpening serrations requires special techniques. Further, that blade is significantly shorter than it needs to be. There is almost a half inch of extra space in the handle that Leatherman conspicuously does not utilize. Overall, you get far more than you pay for with the Leatherman Wingman, including some truly unique features not seen in even high-end models. If you're willing to spend a little more, the Leatherman Skeletool CX offers better ergonomics but fewer functions. If you use a multi-tool for basic tasks but are prone to losing it, the Wingman won't hurt quite as much to replace. The Leatherman Wave+ brings heaps of value to the Leatherman line-up. Leatherman takes 90% of what makes the Charge so impressive and sells it for 60% of the cost. What you get is the Wave+ and an excellent value. The Leatherman Wingman is even less expensive, by a significant margin, but has fewer features and is made with lesser quality materials (though most users may not notice the weight savings of steel vs. titanium casing). For a full-featured tool, the Wave+ is the bargain shopper's choice.The wire cutters were another disappointing feature. Gerber describes them as “V-cut” wire cutters but they definitely weren’t as good as those on other multitools. They were designed to meet together rather than overlap but we found that they often had trouble getting through even mid gauge copper wire. Hard wire was just about impossible to cut through, especially given the uncomfortable handles. Knife Blade

On receiving the Wave Plus, the first thing that caught my eye was its compact design. It’s only a tad heavier than the Curl but significantly lighter than the Surge, making it the perfect companion for my belt as I trail through rugged terrains. The 8-ounce mark indeed hits the sweet spot between utility and carry-ability, echoing my sentiment for a tool that’s there when I need it without being a burden. Leatherman and Gerber are well-known manufacturers of multi-tools. Multi-tools are compact, versatile tools that combine various functions into a single device, making them useful for camping, hiking, and survival activities. The Gerber Center Drive Plus displaces its non-Plus predecessor for this specialized award. The Plus takes all we liked about the original Center Drive and adds scissors and a larger blade, which we deem significant and worthy upgrades. The screwdriver configuration has a long extension and a handle ready for more torque. This award-winning Gerber centers the bit along the handle's long axis, vastly improving ergonomics and making it feel like a true, single-purpose screwdriver. The 12 bits that come with this model fit inside the included leather sheath along with the tool.The Gerber Center Drive took the slide out plier system in use on most of Gerber’s full sized multi tools and added a purpose built center axis bit driver. The goal was to create something capable of fully replacing pliers and screwdrivers in the handyman’s toolbox. Overall they did a pretty good job with it. The pliers work as well as any of their multi tools and the driver is actually a pretty nice innovation. The diamond-coated file was a handy tool to sharpen my blades on the go, a useful trait when out in the wild. The ruler markings along the edge of the outer handles were a modest but handy feature, aiding in small measurement tasks. Founded in 1939, Gerber is one of the oldest companies involved in the manufacture of everyday household products. The company has now come up with a new tool to make life easier, or should we say ‘a lot’ easier. Keeping in view the difficulty in handling and carrying individual tools, Gerber has come up with Crucial. As the name suggests, it is a combination of several tools that can be used for a variety of purposes.