The Gerber Suspension was my first multi-tool, or at least my first “real” one. Even after I bought my first Leatherman multi-tool, and then my second, I kept the Gerber at my lab, and I used it often. It’s a great first EDC multi-tool, or budget-priced backup.
Now, I still keep it around, in a tool box at home, and it still comes in handy every so often, thanks to its spring-action pliers.
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It’s not perfect. But, it is useful.
In addition to the spring-action pliers and cutters, the Gerber Suspension features 11 tools:
- Straight blade
- Serrated blade
- Phillips screwdriver
- Medium and large slotted screwdrivers
- Wire cutter/stripper
- Scissors
- Bottle opener
- Can opener
- Saw
- Awl
- Lanyard ring
Right now, the Gerber Suspension multi-tool is on sale as part of an Amazon Deal of the Day. 13 years ago, I paid $25. It’s currently on sale for $20, which is a great price.
If you have ever wanted a pliers-based multi-tool, but didn’t want to invest a lot of money on something you might end up not using much, this is the one to get, at least in my opinion. That’s exactly what I did, and it worked out well for me. No regrets.
Sale Price: $20
Buy Now(via Amazon)
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This post was originally published 11/18/19 and republished on 12/8/2019 when the deal returned as a deal of the day.
Deal ends 3am ET 12/9/19 unless supplies sell out sooner.
Hilton
Thanks, this will make a great Christmas present.
Stuart
That’s also what I was thinking. It’s miles better than the ones I see online and at a lot of stores – the $10 to $20 multi-tools that you only ever see during holiday seasons, such as in department stores next to a pyramid of watches.
Redcastle
The comment it cost USD 25 twelve years ago and USD 20 now is a reminder that tool prices do not increase inexorably but can carry an early premium when seen as innovative which declines closer to the production cost with the passage of time a more cynical analysis is that initial high prices attract copycats with a (superficially?) similar product which then drives the price down across the board a sort of ebbing tide beaches all boats scenario.
One of the better known trade magazines over here has produced a 40th anniversary issue in which among other things they state that average annual wages in construction when they first published were GBP 5,000 and they are now around GBP 26,000 which given a 1000% increase in the price of cigarettes and more importantly average house prices increasing from GBP 13.000 to GBP 226,000 or from approximately 2.6 times earnings to 8.9 times.
Primary causes attributed to what is effectively a stagnation in earnings is importation of workers who will accept low wages (exacerbated by a tax system which supplements low pay) and a general deskilling of the workforce partly through technology and partly through “simpler” processes e.g. plastic plumbing fittings for the former and plaster board (gyproc) for the latter.
Stuart
I don’t know why, but you triggered the spam filter with this comment.
Multi-tool prices can be difficult to analyze. I spoke to Leatherman a few years ago, and their costs were rising, and this has been evident in the pricing of their products. Gerber has also introduced new higher-priced offerings, but it hasn’t been lost on me that this basic but recommendable model can still be aggressively priced. But, the Leatherman is built in the USA, even though some of their tools’ components might not be. Some of Gerber’s tools and knives are made here as well, but I believe this one is made in overseas.
jayne
Just scored one . Thanks TG. I’ll keep it on my bike pouch for emergencies when going for a ride. Your the best.
Grnch
If a deal seems too good to be true, it probably is.
This is not the same Gerber Suspension you nostalgically remember.
It’s a cheaply made trinket that only carries the Gerber Suspension name, but is made god knows where by the absolute lowest bidder from rock bottom materials
It will bend or break on you the third time you try to use it.
You don’t have to take my word for it, check the most recent Amazon reviews from Nov and Dec 2019. The vast majority of the positive reviews are from years past, before the bean counters at Gerber decided to squeeze the brand for all its worth, until they eventually run it into the ground.
You’re not getting quality here. If you want to get a gift for your kid to play with and discard after couple weeks when he or she gets bored, there are cheaper no name ones you can get with the exact same (lack of) quality.
If you’re looking for a multi-tool that you actually intend to bring with you and use semi-frequently, look elsewhere.
I wouldn’t reward companies pulling this crap with their long respected brands, not for $20 and not for $2.