Gerber multitool
Encyclopedia
Gerber Legendary Blades
Gerber Legendary Blades is a maker of consumer knives and multitools headquartered in Tigard, Oregon, United States, within the Portland metropolitan area. Currently Gerber is a sub-division of Fiskars Brands Inc, owned by the Fiskars company of Finland...
, part of the Fiskars Corporation
Fiskars
The Fiskars Corporation is a metal and consumer brands company founded in 1649 at Fiskars Bruk , a locality now in the town of Raseborg, Finland, about 100 km west of Helsinki on the old main road from Turku to Vyborg...
.
There are similarities and differences between the Gerber multitool and tools made by Leatherman
Leatherman
Leatherman is the trade name for a line of multi-tools, knives and LED flashlights manufactured and marketed by Leatherman Tool Group of Portland, Oregon, USA.-Company history:Timothy S...
. Some of the Gerber tools are accessed by opening the handles, but unique to Gerber is a system in which the pliers slide straight out from the end. This allows the Gerber to be flicked open easily with one hand, a useful advantage if the other hand is occupied. The sliding Safe-T-Lock system (similar to the Blackie Collins "Bolt Action" lock) locks each tool securely in place.
Different sizes of Gerber tool are available, with various combinations of components from the mundane (screwdriver
Screwdriver
A screwdriver is a tool for driving screws and often rotating other machine elements with the mating drive system. The screwdriver is made up of a head or tip, which engages with a screw, a mechanism to apply torque by rotating the tip, and some way to position and support the screwdriver...
s) to the esoteric (demolition detonator crimps), and from the keychain sized, like the "Shortcut" to hefty, 8 ounces (227 g) models like the "Diesel".
The company is based in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, USA. It was acquired by Fiskars in 1986. Portland remains the headquarters of the Finnish company's outdoor recreation group.