Gear Review: Gerber Center-Drive Multi-Tool
A Multi-Tool That Doesn’t Sacrifice Much
The problem with most multi-tools is that they’re multi-tools. Meaning, they don’t really do anything well, they just awkwardly do stuff in a pinch. For a good while, this is what kept me from carrying one! If I needed to torque a bolt, I went and found a screwdriver. If I needed to cut something, I took a quick break to fetch a knife. Sitting there awkwardly sawing with a small multi-tool wasn’t the vibe I was going for.
But here’s the thing; the Gerber Center-Drive doesn’t really make so many compromises, and I mean this in a very good way. Also, now that it’s been out a few years, you can find it for about a hundred bucks on a lot of online sites. It used to cost about $200, which at least for me puts it out of reach. Either way, let me break down a bit why this tool is a good thing to have around.
As stated above, multi-tools really aren’t my thing.
I carry a knife on me during the week to do everything from opening boxes to cutting the odd wire. But on weekends unless I’m camping or something, I usually don’t have tools on my person. This is where the Gerber comes in; it’s easy to just chuck it in a backpack or small bag, keep it in the trunk or glove box of a car, whatever.
Unlike most tools, the screwdriver part of this bad boy is big, and twists a bit when you open it so it’s axis is pushed more towards the middle of the tool. Hence all the ‘center-drive’ talk. Even better, it accepts standard bits. In practice, the beefed-up stalk of the unit really really helps here. It really feels as good as most screwdrivers! The pliers and wire-cutters seem to work fine, and of course it has a bottle opener and a few other small attachments.
The other big selling point with this thing is the blade; it seems to be double the size of the one that was on my Leatherman about a decade ago. Meaning, this one can actually be used. I’ve had to sharpen it a couple times, but every blade gets dull. The pliers live on a slide-out mechanism that helps keep the tool small in size, but it’s easy to release them for use single-handedly after only a couple tries. Yet another win here.
The overall quality of the Gerber seems pretty high, and even at a hundred bucks it seems worth it for what it does / how it gets the job done. Recommended.
