POSTED BY

Lisa Katayama

AT 12:21 PM
Wednesday August 12, 2009

Tools

Gerber • multitool

Gerber Crucial, a good-looking, functional multitool

Gerber Crucial_all_tools.jpg

For me to love a multitool, it has to be smart, strong, compact, and good-looking. The new Gerber Crucial is all of that &mdash it folds up into a neat little less-than-4-inch long rectangle, has a knife with a straight and serrated blade, screwdriver heads, a bottle opener, pliers, and a wire cutter. Portability is important, too &mdash I like that it has a carabiner for hooking and a belt clip for clipping onto things. The green and gray color combo is very classy.

Available for $45 at the Gerber Store in September, and at some online retailers now.


Product page
[Gerber Store]

19 Comments

Travis

#1 – 3:54 PM August 12, 2009

I'll stick with my Skeletool. You cant beat the interchangeable bits.

hungryjoe

#2 – 4:18 PM August 12, 2009

I hate to be a shill for eBay (since they're not shills for me), but you can almost always find knives cheaper there than anywhere else online. I found this there for $39 shipped, before the current 12% cashback.

This is the first multi-tool I've liked the looks of in a long time.

Adam

#3 – 4:26 PM August 12, 2009

This really got me thinking that I need a good multitool for my work- but a quick googling turns nothing up in the field of "Chef's multitool".

On a given day, in addition to my drawer full of knives and specialty gear, my pockets are absolutely loaded with little doodads. Always a good pocket knife (Normally a straight blade, but a second serrated would be lovely too), always a good pair of scissors (Sturdy, with short thin blades for maximum leverage with minimum tissue damage), always a really stout and sturdy pair of tweezers.

Does anyone know of a tool that could help me break down boxes, open cryovak bags, pull the pin bones out of fish, crack open lobster knuckles, and slice anything in an emergency?

Thanks a lot =)

cory

#4 – 4:28 PM August 12, 2009

Those baby food jars can be a pain in the ass to open, but this seems like overkill.

Abba Bryant

#5 – 5:00 PM August 12, 2009

SwissTool Spirit S

The *only* multitool you could ever want or need.
The SwissTool Spirit X is also nice, since it is simply a reconfiguration of the SwissTool Spirit S.

I don't remember which of the two ditched the scissors / toothpick meme but they manage to replace the useless tools with serious and much more useful alternatives.

You can find it for MUCH less than the swiss army website

InsertFingerHere

#6 – 5:14 PM August 12, 2009

I bought the Carbon Fiber Skeletool in April of last year, after reading about it on Boing Boing late 2007. I've had it over a year, it's OK, but I enjoy the bulk/strength of my old Bucktool. I mean, I love beautiful women, but if she can't dig an outhouse pit, what good is she to me?

bcsizemo

#7 – 7:33 PM August 12, 2009

The SwissTool Spirit reminds me ALOT of my Leatherman Supertool 200.

I can't live without that thing. It's a tad bigger and heavier, but it does just about everything I need it to.

Anonymous Anonymous

#8 – 7:42 PM August 12, 2009

Nice looking design for sure, but the lack of small scissors is a deal killer -- it's just too convenient to always have scissors (even small ones) when using a knife to do the job is just not workable or appropriate. I'd highly recommend the Leatherman Juice S2 -- http://www.leatherman.com/multi-tools/pocket-tools/juice-s2.aspx. Been carrying one for years on/with my keys.

No, it doesn't have a big or locking knife blade, but that's why one carries a nice folder that'll handle many big, small, and even Serious Social situations (see http://www.coldsteel.com/voyagerseries.html -- they're some of the best for the $$).

strider_mt2k

#9 – 7:48 PM August 12, 2009

I'm another Skeletool fan.

It was the only replacement for my Sideclip.

Jon Jon

#10 – 7:53 PM August 12, 2009


Sick tool!

Wait a sec, this thing claims to open babyfood jars? Get a grip Cory. ;)

churrs

jjasper

#11 – 8:09 PM August 12, 2009

No can opener? Not a multi tool I'd ever want to own. I concur on the heavy Swiss tools. I can hammer nails with the damn thing if needed. Try that with a lightweight flimsytool!

Aaron T.

#12 – 10:32 PM August 12, 2009

I just received my new Victorinox SwissTool Spirit this afternoon. It's fantastically well-made, and bests my previous favorite Leatherman Blast in several respects, particularly that the tools are accessible without unfolding the handles. I just wish Leatherman would make more tools with standard Phillips screwdrivers, since their fat, stubby interchangeable bits are useless for reaching recessed screws.

jett1972

#13 – 11:58 PM August 12, 2009

so cool tools it is a scissors or other .....
Links of London

hohum

#14 – 5:43 AM August 13, 2009

@8, I always try to avoid any multitool with scissors… I can't remember the last time I ran into a situation where I'd have rather used scissors than a knife… So, for instance, that's why I opted for the Leatherman Squirt P4 instead of the S4 (they didn't make the E4 when I bought mine)… Pliers much more useful than scissors… Have never understood the inclusion of scissors when you have one (often more) blades on your tool…

Rioja

#15 – 5:54 AM August 13, 2009

The one thing I most often find myself missing is a corkscrew. I love these multitools, but so few of them will help me get a bottle of wine open when I'm up on the ridge and the sun's setting. Essential.

toothpicktower

#16 – 9:07 AM August 13, 2009

It's gotta have a corkscrew or I won't bite. Not because I need to open wine bottles a lot. But because nothing beats a corkscrew at trying to extricate stuck, inaccessible objects from difficult to reach places.

ElsBells

#17 – 10:45 AM August 13, 2009

I have had Three Tti leathermans,(all stolen) and now have the Alx. All of them awesome. I have an old gerber as well, but the blades just aren't as good as the leathermans, also see interchangeable bits. They are just a bit too expensive mind, can't buy them for the us because of ebay sales rules... You pay a $100 i pay £120 pounds...

OlsonM

#18 – 6:56 AM August 18, 2009

I like the size of this tool. Most others are either too big or are just tiny little keychain tools. This one seems just right.

Now the real decision is to get the green one or the gray one though...

Leaning toward the gray one at the moment.

http://www.gerbertools.com/5952_30-000016_Gerber_Crucial_Grey.html

ed hardy

#19 – 7:39 PM August 19, 2009

It was a very nice idea! Just wanna say thank you for the information you have shared. Just continue writing this kind of post. I will be your loyal reader. Thanks

again.

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