Up for review today we have the Gerber Multi-Plier 600. It comes in a black oxide finish, with a tan sheath. The sheath uses tac ties as a belt loop. Included is a small torx wrench for changing or rotating the carbide cutters.
Compared to many other multi-tools on the market the Gerber is very simple. It has only the basic functions. Such as Phillips/flathead screwdrivers, can and bottle opener, and plain/serrated knife blades. It also has an awl and a lanyard eye.
My favorite feature of the Gerber is the lanyard eye. The only downfall of this feature is that when the lanyard eye is in use the multi-tool doesn't fit into the provided pouch. A small notch in the flap of the pouch would fix this. Another feature I like is the tac tie use as a belt loop. It is large enough to accommodate almost any belt width, and makes it easy to transfer the pouch to anything with PALS webbing.
My least favorite thing about the Gerber is the lack of a real saw blade. This is a feature that I frequently use. It has a serrated blade but this doesn't do the job of a real saw blade. I would like to see the serrated blade replaced with a real saw blade. Another thing that I have noticed is that pliers don't withstand a twisting motion very well. They exhibit a lot of flex when used in a twisting motion. Lastly are the carbide cutters, I have shattered these on other Gerber models. I prefer just a solid sharpened steel cutting edge. These hold up better and can be sharpened.
Overall I think the Gerber Multi-Plier 600 is a quality tool. In my opinion it would make a good back up multi-tool. The things that I said I don't like may be because I am hard on tools. If you are looking for a simple multi-tool the Gerber fits the bill.
