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Wednesday, 09 November 2016 16:50

Gerber Center-Drive is here!

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The gerber enter-Drive arived today and I thought I would share some of my initial impressions on it.  There will be a full review as soon as it has seen some use, but so far I am feeling quite positive about it.

Here are some comparison photos with the Surge and an MP600:

20161109 111134 resized by AVG Image ShrinkerComparison- Surge, Center Drive, MP600 

And a couple with just the Center Drive an Surge:

Comparison- Center Drive, SurgeObviously no comparison in driver size. I also prefer the standard bits to the flattened bits, which I have always hated.

Comparison- Surge, Center DriveComparison- Surge, Center DriveIt's interesting that the Center Drive plier head is smaller than the Surge's, but manages to open slightly wider.

Comparison- Surge, Center DriveAnd the blade is every bit as big as the Surge's blade.Gerber Center Drive Prybar/bottle openerGerber Center Drive prybar/bottle opener

The prybar/bottle opener thing really fascinated me. I was amazed to see how thick it was until I flipped it over and realised it was cut out. It still feels plenty strong enough to do anything you may want it to do.

The serrated blade and file are typical MP600 versions, and that is about all the typical Gerber components in the Center Drive.Gerber Center Drive Serrated Blade and File

The awl isn't anything special, but is also solid enough to poke a hole in pretty much anything.Gerber Center Drive Awl

It doesn't have a sharpened edge on it like some awls do, but I really wouldn't worry about damaging it when carving a tunnel out of a gulag.

I really like the on board bit carrier. Gerber Center Drive On Board Bit CarrierGerber Center Drive On Board Bit Carrier

It functions as a handle stop when the Center Drive is closed and opens up to reveal a spare bit, in addition to the one that lives in the big driver on the outside. Oh yeah, and speaking of bits....Gerber Center Drive Bit Carrier

The Center Drive comes pretty well ready for anything, if you get the version with the bit set. Additionally, there is space in the sheath for the bits as well. And here are some general pics just for the fun of it.Gerber Center DriveGerber Center Drive

Gerber Center DriveInitial impressions of the Center Drive are good. The sheath isn't as good as the (good) MOLLE sheaths from Leatherman or SOG, but it is a far cry better than the cheapo MOLLE sheaths from Leatherman. It's not a MOLLE sheath, but it does allow for horizontal or vertical carry, and seems like it would hold the tool and bit set quite securely.

Grant Lamontagne

As the founder of Multitool.org Grant has been a collector of Swiss Army Knives and multitools for over 25 years, and a user for over 40 years. 

With a day job working in the field, either out in the woods or on industrial sites, Grant uses tools every day for all manner of different purposes.