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Those who know me will also know that I do like my gadgets, however so often I will buy
something but once the novelty wears off, the first time the batteries go flat or what
ever it will get put on the shelf fully intending to go and use it again but somehow you never
quite get round to it. However, now and again I will get something that will survive the
test of time and this is perhaps or is my longest living gadget I have got. It is my
Gerber multi-tool. Gerber is not a particularly well known name, for those who are in to this
sort of thing Leatherman is far better known even although Gerber has been around a lot
longer than Leatherman. I think it could actually be in the name, Leatherman is a far more sexy
name, it rolls off the tongue far more easily than Gerber, however both do produce excellent
items in their catalogs. This has two king or remarkable things about it. The first one
being that, for those who know me will be quite surprised at this, to find that my most
longest lasting gadget actually is a battery-free device. The other remarkable thing about it
I will come to later. This in some respects is a fairly standard multi-tool, you've got
your pliers here and other devices living inside the handle however the pliers themselves
when it's in its compact mode just slide down into the handle so it's a lot smaller in your
pocket, and just quite quickly come out and extend for plier use. This is where cost this
was not cheap when I got it, around £70 mark. However that is also reflected in the quality
of manufacture in that even although on these handles there are sort of lumpy bits, this
bit to do with the pliers sliding in and out, this bit to do with locking the other tools
in position. Everything is really nicely well made so there is no sharp edges around these
bits so that when you are gripping it firmly and using it as a pair of pliers nothing sort
of cuts into your hand or anything, it is really nice to use. The other tools that live
inside here are all quite conventional multi-tool err accessory types, we've got here a cross-head
screwdriver, they all lock out into position held quite firmly but are in turn released
by by sliding the clip bringing them back in. Cross-head screwdriver, a nice sharp knife,
and on this side also a saw. Across on this side we've got a collection of small to large
flat-head screwdrivers, a file which I've used on plastic, aluminum, and light grade
steel, and in turn quite a nifty pair of scissors. Something that is really useful with this
particular model, the Multi-Plier 600 Pro Scout one, is that on the cross-head screwdriver
this shaft bit is square shaped and there is a little accessory pack that comes with
it with an adapter which just sits on to the square shaft and in turn comes with a selection
of other screwdriver bits, however these bits when I pull one out all have this industry
standard size what's this hexagonal end to them which just slots in there, this does
mean that not only can you use this little accessory pack with it, there's a huge range
of other tools all of which come with this end on them, whether it's other larger screwdriver
bits, long-shafted screwdrivers, drill bits, err, bits for using small socket sets. Obviously
you're far better off using the proper tool they're designed to work with but just having
this added flexibility of being able to carry around just this and the little tools themselves
really does make life so much nicer. And this is where the other remarkable thing about
this comes in. This particular device I've got here in front of me, it's something around
15 to 20 years old. I can not remember when I bought it, it did cost about £70 but if
we divide that across the years of use that really does come down to not a lot each year
yet this is in prime condition still but has been used and abused and misused and used
as a hammer and then as a wedge for levering things and all sorts of other non-designed
use, yet has totally survived the test of time. So, if I was to lose this or it get
pinched off me I would happily replace this like with like, and despite its age it is
still in the catalog which I think is a good reflection of its quality. So certainly if
anyone is looking for gifts for other people, or even themselves, for Christmas or birthdays
or things I will happily recommend Gerber tools. I will also happily recommend Leatherman
tools. similar sort of price, all good quality stuff. I am aware that the err Swiss army
knife manufacturers also do a range of things like this, I believe they are also of good
quality though I've had no personal experience of that particular make. Anyway, a definite
thumbs-up for my Gerber Multi-Plier 600 device here. Right, goodbye.