I must admit to being a gadget guy.  Whether it’s rigging my walleye boat or my kayak, setting up my Mathews bow or getting ready for a Boundary Waters trip, I love the tools that get the job done.  But I don’t like gadgets just for the sake of gadgets.  They have to serve a purpose and accomplish that purpose admirably.  Some of the gadgets that I have carried consistently through the years on adventures have included a well-worn Spyderco VG-10 Delica, a Leatherman Crunch multitool, and a Pelican flashlight.

When I got the chance through the Outdoor Blogger Network to review a multitool, I thought, “Great!  I’m just the guy for this.” Then I saw the Gerber FIT tool in question and I was admittedly a bit disappointed, because it didn’t meet my idea of a multitool with pliers, such as the aforementioned Leatherman.  Here was a lighter-duty tool with a large Swiss Army-style blade, scissors, and a flashlight.  My first impression of it when I received it was that it was a bit large for the keychain-type tool I had sort of stereotyped it as.  The flashlight was very bright, with easy battery replacement.  The rest of the tool appeared to have the usual Gerber quality, but I was still a bit unsure as to what I would use it for.

Then I threw it in my bass tackle bag and took it fishing.  The knife blade and scissors handled whatever line cutting needed to be done, and the flashlight came in handy when inspecting kayak storage wells for gathering up my gear in late evening.  At first I thought the size was a little bit big for the kind of tool it is, but the size turned out to be an advantage, along with the locking blade and screwdriver.

To run through the features, it has about a half-inch diameter LED flashlight powered by a triple-A battery.  The switch allows for temporary or constant lighting.  The knife blade is thin and sharp out of the box, although it is more substantial than the average Swiss Army style blade.  It is hollow-ground with about an inch of serration at the base.  My biggest complaint about the entire tool is that the nail nick on the blade is very close to the base (or the pivot point), which means it takes more effort to get the knife out.  It is also relatively buried in the tool, so if you have trimmed fingernails, it can require some wrangling to get the blade out.  It is definitely not a one-hand deploying blade.

The best feature of the tool is the screwdriver bit holder, which takes standard interchangeable hex bits and includes  a double-ended Philips/straight slot bit.  It also has a bottle opener at its base.  This tool locks with the same mechanism as the knife blade, making it quite useful and stout.  There are also two smaller screwdriver bits buried at the other end of the tool, with a less-than-ideal tab for helping them swing out. I’m assuming that all of these features loosen up as the tool wears in.

On the side opposite the knife blade, there is a scissors that folds across the length of the tool. It is very rudimentary, but sharp and useful compared to many of the Swiss Army style scissors I have encountered.

Finally, there is a tweezers on one end of the tool that slides in Swiss Army-style.  If I ever am in need of tweezers when I am in possession of this tool, I am sure I will be glad they are there.

Overall, the Gerber FIT Tool is typical Gerber quality, with a good flashlight, an excellent screwdriver feature, and a decent locking blade.  It does not have a pocket clip or case, so is best used as a tackle-box tool, purse accessory, or maybe a pocket tool if you have big pockets.  For a tool its size, I would rather have pliers than a scissors, but keep in mind the battery for the flashlight is a full triple-A and not one of those wimpy hearing aid batteries.  Having a good flashlight takes up space, and I’m guessing the designers chose the flashlight as one of their priority options along with the screwdriver.

Below you can see a comparison of the FIT tool with my Leatherman Crunch and CRKT Zilla Jr. Tool for size and feature comparisons.

Disclaimer: I received the Gerber FIT tool mentioned in this post free of charge for review. No other compensation was paid in exchange for the review.  The opinions expressed in this post are my honest, independent thoughts and experiences.

This from a country with very strict gun control laws:

Japan Knife Attacker Injures at Least 13 People

And it’s happened before, with more deadly results:

Seven Dead in Tokyo Knife Attack

It just goes to show that motivated, evil people will find a way to do harm to others.  It’s hard for me to figure out why anyone knowing that would NOT want an armed and alert populace.

Although I spend most of the time leading up to Christmas shopping for others, I will allow myself a selfish detour to examine my own wants and needs and present a list of same.  Last year, this process did prove useful, as I obtained at least one of the items on my list: a 4-12x scope for my lonely Kimber 25-06, which allowed it to become one of my favorite guns and one with which my daughter has shot half minute groups at 200 yards off the bench.  You will take note that it was not the old man behind the trigger when it achieved such excellence.  Glory is for the young.  But I digress.  On to the list!

#1: Benelli M2 Field.  A carryover from last year, so it has floated to the top.  As with last year, I’m not too picky on finish, but I will admit a preference for the Advantage MAX-4 version.  I’ve come close to the duck blaster of my dreams with a Browning Gold, a Remington 11-87, and a Beretta 391, but this is The One.

#2:  Ford F-150 Raptor SVT.  Who would not want a factory off-road-enhanced version of the F-150?  Bigger, wider, more powerful.  And since I didn’t get the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited I asked for last year, I’ll go bolder.  This truck is America on four wheels, baby.

#3: Bark River Sperati Point hunting knife.  I love my Bark Rivers, and this is very classy stuff with the leather washer handle.  I will point out to my wife if she is reading this that it could be an heirloom passed down from generation to generation.  And she can probably afford this one.  Last year I got a Kabar Warthog Impact.  This one is prettier by far.

#4: Aguila Mini Shells.  Whoever thought of this idea was a person of great genius.  I’ll take mine in 12 gauge, thank you.  

#5:  Finally, the Kimber SIS Pro.  My wife knows I want this but will probably make me wait several more years.  But it will be worth it when I open it on Christmas 2016.  The first time I saw one I felt that someone had been listening to all of my inner wants and needs of how to set up a 1911.  The trigger is my favorite style, the flat backstrap, the angled stippling on the grip, the sights–everything is perfect.  Except the weird SIS grooves on the slide, but, hey, I think I can live with them.

So I have laid bare my honest greed.  While others are blogging about the true spirit of Christmas, or about their charitable giving, or the moments spent with family, I am wanting stuff.  I guess I never grew up.  I will now go hug my kids and excellent wife, and tell them I don’t need any of these things but also remind them that I may be mildly disappointed if I don’t get any of them.

I submit the semi-custom 3R-enhanced Brusletto knife with axis buck antler and kingwood? handle finished by yours truly. The knife was a blade and parts from the venerable Ragnar at Ragweed Forge. Axis buck and kingwood? (I don’t remember exactly what it is) from my scrap pile. Sheath is relatively thin leather over a plastic liner, Scandinavian style.

This was supposed to be my brother’s Christmas present last year. I finished it late tonight, in preparation for traveling to his house tomorrow for the holidays. Last year he got to open nada. This year he gets last year’s present, plus this year’s present (an Allis-Chalmers sweatshirt). Some things are worth the wait. This is exclusive knife mojo–I only produce one of these a year!