~Chaz
The Gerber Octane Multi Tool (www.gerbergear.com) is a great lightweight, very minimal but very functional, everyday carry tool.
Gerber Octane in Red
The Octane is a one-handed opening multi tool which is a great feature since most of the time one hand is being used to hold the piece that the octane is needed to work on. The Octane is made of stainless steel with a satin finish. Very good looking tool and very functional. The length of the tool when closed is just a tad over 4 in. (10 cm.) in length. The width is about 1.5 in. (3 cm.) which fits nicely in the hand when closed. When fully deployed the tool is about 5.5 in. (14 cm.) long to the tip of the pliers.
All components exposed
The Octane is equipped with 9 working components. All of them can be seen here in the picture. First and foremost with most multi tools is the pliers. These are needle nose type pliers with an area in the middle for tighting and loosening bolts or nuts and an area at the base for cutting wire. Then there is the knife blade. Some tools have to be opened completely to deploy the knife. On the Octane, the knife can be deployed with the tool in the closed position. The blade is 2.75 in. (7 cm.) long which makes it legal to carry around in most states. The blade can be opened with one hand by simply placing the thumb on the assisted area of the blade and rotating outward. The blade does lock into place. The blade is a straight blade style with a small area that is serrated at the lower end of the blade.
Other components are a flat head screw driver, a phillips head screw driver, another very small bladed flat head screw driver that could also be used as a hole punch if needed. A component that I am very pleased to have on the Octane is the retail package opener. It is a small crooked blade that appears to be able to hook or slice open those hard to open, plastic clam shell type packages. This will come in very handy. All components in the handle, lock in the open position and can be released by sliding a release lock on the back of the handle.
The first thing that struck me was the functionality of the pliers. From the web site I couldn’t tell how in the world it deployed. Even after I received the Octane, at first, I still couldn’t figure it out.
Deploying the pliers
Then I realized there was a slide mechanism and a button on top of the mechanism on each side of the handle. When the two buttons are depressed, the pliers basically slide out of the handle by themselves when held upright. And I also realized that nothing will open until the pliers are deployed except for the knife, it can be used at anytime.
So after a little bit of practice I was able to deploy the pliers and the knife with one hand. I can hold the Octane in my hand, press the two buttons and slide the pliers out. Or, I can hold the Octane with my thumb and forefinger while depressing the buttons and holding it upright, and gravity pretty much pulls it down and deploys the pliers.
I am looking forward to many uses for the Octane and I will be carrying it around with me everyday to put it to use. Stayed tuned for more on the Gerber Octane Muti Tool.
UPDATE: July 15, 2010
I can’t believe how much I have used the Octane in the past month or so. Up until now I have never carried a multi tool in my pocket on an every day basis. I have always carried one when I camped, backpacked, hiked or fished but never on an every day basis…..and man have I missed out.
I think I have used every component on the Octane at least a dozen times. I couldn’t even begin to tell you the ones I use most. I carry the Octane in my front pocket with the clip keeping it at the top of my pocket. Some days, depending on what pants I am wearing, I’ll carry it in my back pocket, again with the clip keeping it up towards the top of the pocket. The great thing about it is, that I don’t even realize it’s there and that is the beauty of it. I don’t carry anything in my pocket that I know I won’t use. I just don’t like my pockets being weighted down. But the Octane is light and it rides high in the pocket so it doesn’t feel like it’s dangling in my pocket.
At first the pliers concerned me because they have a little bit of play in the joint and I was concerned that they wouldn’t perform or grip an object very tightly. I was wrong. I have been able to loosen bolts that normally take a socket wrench to loosen. So I would say that the looseness does not have a factor in its ability to perform. All of the tools have come in handy and it has been so nice to have these tools at hand when needed. There have been so many times before this that I have had to go and find the tool I needed or I didn’t have access to the tool I needed. It’s been a pleasure knowing I had the tool needed, right in my pocket.
The knife has worked great and I have cut many, many things with it and it’s still as sharp as the day I got it. I actually used the smallest flat head screw driver on a pair of my wifes sun glasses to tighten them up. Try and find that small of a screwdriver just laying around somewhere. The Octane’s was there when I needed it.
The best part is letting someone use it and watch them try and open it. I usually have to show them but once they see it and use it, they love it. I will continue to carry the Octane on a daily basis and hopefully report on it’s durability in another month or so. Stay tuned….
FINAL UPDATE: September 23, 2010
The Gerber Octane has been an invaluable multi-tool these past few months. I have carried it everyday except for a few days when I thought I had lost it. When I noticed one evening as I was reaching to take it out of my pocket for the night, it wasn’t in my pocket. Somehow it had slipped out. I started frantically looking for it and I couldn’t find it. For several days I went with out it and I really could tell that I was missing it. Several times I reached for it but it wasn’t there. It was a habit now to carry it and it was devastating when I knew it wasn’t there.
Then one morning as I was taking my kids to school my son says “Hey Dad, isn’t that your knife under the seat?” I looked and sure enough, there it was. It must have fallen between the seat and finally worked its way down to the floor board. I was so excited that I had found it, well, my son found it.
The Octane has been a great multi-tool. It has performed well over what I had expected. I have carried it so long now that it is part of my everyday carrying, just like my wallet. I don’t use it everyday but knowing I have it is a great feeling. I have no complaints at all about the Octane and would suggest it to anybody that is looking for a durable, lightweight multi-tool.
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