What do y'all think? Gerber or Leatherman? I'm sporting a Leatherman Wave right now, but I'm thinking of switching to a Gerber due to a few minor complaints. Specific models or other brand recommendations also welcome...

i've got the wave as well. love it. hate when i fly on short trips, because i can't take it with. it's like i'm naked without it.

GERBER?!?! WHY?!?! the only advantage i've ever noted with the gerbers are the fact that some models have a stiletto-like pliers on them, so you and your friends can have quick-draw competitions. screw the gerber other than that.

what's the problem with your wave? design/functionality? cause y'know leatherman tools have a full lifetime warranty and all, if something's worn out or bent or whatnot...

All the tools don't lock, and I've had screwdrivers slip on me. The scissors feel a little chinsy, as do the wire cutters. I'm looking for the top of the line, and I don't feel like the Wave is quite there yet.

only tool better than a wave, imho, is this right here.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?Vi ... 3815314978

Leatherman, Leatherman, Leatherman. Really, I'd rather have the tiny keychain model leartherman than the fanciest Gerber and here's why:
Ignoring the fact that the fancier-than-it-needs-to-be "switchblade" plier jaw mechanism will sieze up after 6 months of use, the plier handles being parallell rather than the conventional 'V' configuration means that you Will slip off that nut you're cranking down on and pinch the ever loving shit out of your palm flesh - which, unti you have a throbbing blood blister the length of your hand, you pretty much take for granted. (Try jerking off with your left hand for 2 weeks and see how much you love your fancy Gerber.)
Plus it just dosen't allow as much leverage as the elegnatly splayed legs of the little Leather-Man.

And it's not just Gerber bad = Leatherman good. As much as I hate the Gerber, and I do - the only things I depise as much are sm57s, modeling amps, and maybe Flash websites - I also have an undying affinity for the Leatherman. I've broken several Leathermen (mans?) doing the stupidest warranty-voiding activities you can think of - ie. standing on the handles to cut a bolt with the wire cutters - and had them replaced on sight, no "what the fuck were you thinking??" questions asked.
The humble PST II is the one for me, I don't know if they got too fancy with the Wave or not. I've also used one of the "Juice" models a bit and liked it.

tim

one of the best features about the wave, i think, is that both of the knife blades, the file, and the saw are all *on the outside*. so you don't have to open it up to get to the knife. to me, that alone makes it worth it, to be able to pull it out of my pocket, and with one thumb, flip the knife open within about one second. not because i get into a lot of knife fights, but because it's utterly practical. for example, i just did this about a half hour ago. i helped a coworker pick up some furniture, and one of the pieces was too big to fit in the back, so i had to tie it on the roof. i was able to rope it all down, then to cut the twine to the right length for tying the knot at the end, hold the twine taught with one hand while retreiving my wave from my pocket with the other, and open the blade to cut the twine. i suppose that same argument could be lodged for the switchblade pliers on a gerber, though i can't recall the last time i needed to whip out pliers with one hand. and besides, if you get your wave loose enough, you can flip the pliers open like a butterfly knife. which is cool as fuck!