Sometimes, I come across a tool that may not be great in terms of practicality, but it’s refreshing bravery in trying new ideas make it desirable (e.g. SOG Paratool). Unfortunately, the Gerber Radius falls into the “what on earth were they thinking” category. I think I know what the idea was, but the eventual execution leaves a bit to be desired (by me anyway).
The first thing you notice when looking at the Radius, is that it’s huge. The adjacent picture shows the Radius dwarfing the Leatherman Surge, a recognised big tool.
Now, that in itself isn’t a crime, but to justify carrying a tool that size, I would want extra strength and extra utility, but the Radius fails to deliver this. Added to the fact that the Radius is incredibly light for it’s size and is apparently made from some plastic / composite, and I start to wonder if the Radius isn’t just some form of experiment.
The Radius is presumably named according to the way the tools extend from the handles. Unlike the traditional PST format, where the tools pivot from “the sides”, on the Radius they pivot at 90 degrees, from “the front”. I can’t actually see any benefit to this, as this necessitates the handles being about twice the depth of the Surge and making the tool impossible to grip. The nice blade and scissors are therefore pretty much wasted, unless you have hands like King Kong.
