Like most large competing brands there are supports on each side of the aisle.  Why one person favors one brand over another is not always so black and white.  Not only is there functionality of a product, but there is also a good deal of emotional points that support a person’s preference and opinion on a brand. With that said I would like to explore the similarities and differences of the top 2 multi-tool companies.  As you now likely have guessed I am talking about Gerber and Leatherman.  Both companies make a large array of different products but I am going to focus on the brands basic and flagship models. The one-handed open Gerber and the butterfly scissor open Leatherman.  Now before I get to far into this I think in all fairness I should state that I am bias to one of the multi-tools for 2 reasons which I will cover later.  So in an attempt to balance out any bias I have headed out to social media to gather some intel.  I asked 4 very basic questions.

  • 1st- Have you heard of Gerber?
  • 2nd-Have you heard of Leatherman?
  • 3rd-Do you own or have owned one/none/both?
  • 4th-Which is your favorite?

I think the line of questions details both experience and preferences of more than just myself.  I thought of asking why but to be honest why doesn’t really matter.  I know in my own experience that my top 2 reason I prefer the brand I do is based both on logical functionality that I find important in a multi-tool and an emotional attachment because of experience I had while carrying the tool.

So let’s get started with the basic components of each multi-tool:

Gerber Multi-Plier 600 is a one-handed (patented) open, stainless steel, 14 tool multi-tool.  The tools are set inside the handle and hidden away from the inside of the hand grip.  Once a tool is retracted the Saf.T.Plus is a slide mechanism that must be engaged to put the tool back into its resting position. The Gerber 600 tools include a fine edge knife, serrated knife, 3 flathead screw drivers (small, medium, and large), cross tip screwdriver, can opener, bottle opener, file, ruler, lanyard ring, and of course the needle nose pliers with wire crimper. The Gerber 600 is best carried in a sheath on a belt and weighs in at 9 oz with an open and closed dimensions of just around 6 1/2 inches and  5 inches respectfully.

Leatherman Kick is an unfolding butterfly scissor like open, stainless steel, 9 tool multi-tool.  The handle has a Zytel contoured grip with the tools accessible from the outside edges of the handle. The Leatherman Kick includes a fine edge knife, 2 flat screw drivers(small and large), cross tip screwdriver, can opener, bottle opener, ruler, lanyard ring, and also of course the needle nose pliers with wire crimper. The Kick also has a clip making it very easy to carry either on your belt or in your pocket without the need of a sheath and weighs in at 8 oz with a closed length of 4”. The open length for use of the ruler is 8” and an open length for use of pliers is at 6 1/8”.