Gerber Artifact

Anyone have one of these? Opinions?

Gerber Artifact

I have a Gerber EAB but haven't carried it much since they recalled it and gave me their redesigned model.

Thanks

Multitools are worth their own history at this point. First we had the Swiss Champ and one day the big brother from leatherman was created. Or was it? I seem to recall James Garner packing his own homemade version in THE GREAT ESCAPE?

So now we have this throwback to small and minimalist. I think with another redesign another tool might reappear. I think it was called THE SWISS ARMY KNIFE.

That tool reminds me of the Atwood pry tools; the shape of the pry/bottle opener part is very similar.

With that said, Chris Kavanaugh has a good point there. A basic SAK could probably do everything that tool could do, and more, without much of a size or weight penalty. The Tinker model comes to mind; less than $20 and the same length as that tool with more funtions.

On the other hand, for the price (~$10), I would pick it up just to try it out.

I love my Tinker, an excellent knife. Thin enough to fit in my pocket, but with all the essential tools. Very neat, very compact. Large blade for every day use, small blade kept scalpel sharp for emergencies. I even like the awl, at the very least it gives me a point and edge I don't mind abusing. Wouldn't change a thing.

I've never seen one before. But I do like it and I have a weakness for new gadgets...

Not being a SAK guy, I am getting confused. In another thread recently someone warned about useing a SAK blade as a prybar, resulting in a snapped off blade. Now the SAK is a replacement for a solid prybar???

Guess it depends on how thick the SAK is......

-Bill Liptak

Actually I just google imaged it (no pics showed for me on the above link, but then again I'm using my phone), OBG it looks more like a small prybar, similar to an Atwood with a cut out on the "bottom" for bottle opening. On the "top" rearward section is an arm that swings up and out with an x-acto blade (replaceable) at the tip. Seems to me Gerber has been doing their homework and designed a tool that is becomming very popular, the mini-pry bar.

-Bill Liptak
Edited because I am an idiot who can't spell.

A good pair of pliers is the foundation on which all new multitools are built. This is something that a SAK doesn't have, and it's why I'm not interested in buying one.

My old MG came with a roll of basic tools and this big, copper faced hammer. I sort of looked at the hammer in shock, wondering what desperate banging of SU carbs was implied. Well, it was there for the wire wheel knockoffs. I did beat a few parts with it eventually. I have a collectable set of pliers. They were actually made in the US of A. I'm going to duct tape one of my Moras handle to handle. There you go, the perfect cheapo multi tool- and with a usefull supply of tape too!

I was reading about this tool on another site. It said there that the blade is a removeable #11 blade.

Possible to bring it on a plane if you remove the blade?

I have one, and it is a decent tool if all you are looking for is a exacto knife that folds up. I doubt it would be that great of a pry-bar, seems too light for me. I keep mine with a few extra blades in my repair kit where a full-sized (not folding) exacto wouldn't fit.

The large screwdriver on a SAK works fine for light prying; the blade, not so much. Even if you do break the large screwdriver, you've still got the blade, small screwdriver/can opener, and other tools at your disposal.

In all honestly though, how much prying can you really do with a ~3" tool, be it this or a SAK? For less than the cost of either tool you can get a 14" crow bar from a hardware store that will pry a hell of a lot better than either. You can even get one of those little pocket wonder bars for $3.00 that, I'm willing to bet, also works better than either.

You had me confused there for a minute or three. I saw MG, and thought Machine Gun. Got to wondering what in the heck you were gonna use a copper faced hammer for on that...

Hang fire.

Could have bought a pretty nice MG Midget for $500.00 once upon a time, still kicking myself for not doing it...

Not to mention the 66 Mustang for the whopping price of $1600...

John E.

It looks sort of like a plastic version of an Atwood prybaby.
Not sure how it would handle prying but it may remove a staple nicely though.

goat