Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I want to like the Gerber Armbar Drive so badly. It's an amazing tool, it has some really great ideas, but there are a couple of problems with it that stop me from being all in and fully recommending it. For reference, I'm comparing it to the Leatherman T4 and the Super Tinker Swiss Army Knife. I think that's a fair comparison because they all have a knife, screwdrivers, and scissors. (I have included a picture of all three side-by-side here.) Before getting into the specifics, let's take a look at the overall design. The Armbar is the perfect size for a pocket tool/knife. This is what the Leatherman T4 should have been. Unlike the T4, it actually fits in the pocket nicely, and it isn't huge and blocky with sharp corners. Size-wise, the Armbar feels similar to the Super Tinker, and much smaller than the T4. Gerber got the form factor just right, and it feels great in your pocket and in your hand. The build quality likewise is very good. The overall fit and finish are great and there is almost zero play in the tools. The main shortcoming of the overall design is the lack of a pocket clip. (I'll get into tool shortcomings soon.) A low profile clip would really help sell this thing if you ask me. I generally don't like fishing in the bottom of my pocket for a tool like this. The knife blade is substantial and not an afterthought. If the T4 blade is too small for you, the Armbar blade might be just right. It has a nice shape with just a hint of curve towards the tip. It opens easily with one hand, and it locks in place securely with a liner lock (which also disengages easily with one hand). The blade comes sharp, and the shape makes me think it will be easy to resharpen as well, though I haven't needed to yet. The scissors are just okay. They work fine on paper and thread, but not much else. The spring doesn't open the scissors wide enough, and they have to be opened 180° in order to close them. I would say the T4 has a better style of scissors, and the Super Tinker beats them both. Next up is the odd little awl/reamer. It is very short and it doesn't have a hole in it, so usefulness is limited, but I'm guessing this is all they could fit in the tiny space left under the bit driver. Speaking of weird, there's also this really weird (and yet somehow wonderful) tool on the end of the Armbar. Officially, I believe it's a hammer/prybar/cap-lifter. When it's closed, it really is a decent hammer/beater. It's beefy and doesn't feel like it's going to break. It's a great design. When opened, it's a fantastic bottle opener, and it works well as a pry tool because of the built-in fulcrum. I don't recall seeing this anywhere else, and the Gerber folks should be proud of this innovation. And finally, on to the tool that prompted me to buy the Armbar: the bit driver. I cannot overstate how disappointed I was in the T4 that it didn't have the bit driver from the Wave, so when Gerber said they had a real bit driver in this form factor that fit regular bits? Yeah, it was an instant buy and I'm on board. However, once I got my hands on it, I was deflated. Don't get me wrong, it really is a nice bit holder. The magnet holds the bit firmly, and it takes any standard bit just fine. This should have been a homerun... except for for the inexplicable fact that the bit holder doesn't lock in place. This is baffling. You cannot put any pressure on it without risking your fingers. It doesn't even have a noticeable detent. It just flops open and closed willy-nilly. I can't believe they field tested this thing and thought it was a good design. It does work on screws that don't require any pressure, but I just don't trust it on screws that require any real torque. In the end, the reason you buy a pocket tool with a full bit driver on it is probably because of the bit driver, not the other tools. (It's a bulky thing to include if you don't need it.) So I have a hard time recommending the Armbar as it stands. Which is a shame, because it such a cool little tool. The size is perfect, the knife is good, and it has a full bit driver and scissors. Those could be the ingredients for an ideal pocket carry multitool. If they added a lock to the bit driver I would say buy this immediately. At $40 I don't think I'd buy this again as it is, but I found the orange version for $32, and I'm okay with my purchase. I'd gladly pay more if there was a second generation with a clip, better scissors, and a locking bit driver. 8 MONTH UPDATE: I originally rated this 3-stars, but after 8 months of use I'm bumping it up to 4-stars. I'm still disappointed in the non-locking bit driver, the scissors are still subpar, and the non-locking awl is still a weird choice that I never use. BUT, I have to admit this thing is winning me over for two reasons. First, the knife blade is a beast. It is thick and sturdy and I have put it through it's paces and it is still in great shape. Second, the Armbar is just the right form factor. They nailed the size and weight. The Leatherman T4 is just a better tool overall that has more functionality... and yet I still grab the Armbar more often than the T4 when I leave the house. The T4 is all bulky, sharp corners that have scraped my hand more times than I can count while the Armbar practically disappears in my pocket and stays out of the way until I need it. It isn't a perfect tool, or even close to it, but it's a good value if you find it for $30 or so, and it comes in handy because you probably won't leave it at home.