History: Suspension

Rather striking at first glance, the skeletonized handles of the Gerber Suspension serve a number of purposes. They lighten the tool somewhat. They allow the user to tell at a glance which blade he is selecting. And perhaps most importantly, the fancy handles serve to catch a potential buyer's eye. This they do rather well. At the time of this writing the Suspension is reportedly the biggest seller in Gerber's line-up.

Jaws

Plier jaws on the Suspension are spring loaded. They come together and contact each other properly out at the tips. There are fine serrations near the nose, a gripping area below that, and a wire cutter area near the pivot.

Somewhat unusual is the fact that the wire cutters are anvil type, as opposed to the more common bypass type wire cutters on multitools.

Handles/Frame

The basket weave/skeletonized handles of the Suspension are its most obvious trait. Large open windows are left on each side panel, allowing the blades inside to be seen. The handles are cast from stainless steel, then given a protective coating of titanium nitride. Small "tool icons" - little pictures of each blade - are imprinted on the handle where that blade is located.

Due to a surprising number of spacers between individual knife blades, handles on the Suspension are quite thick, a trait some users find undesirable.

Blades and Tools

All blades are outside opening, all blades lock open.

• plain edge knife blade with thumb stud for one-hand access. Wharnecliffe profile, 2" long (51mm)
• medium flathead screwdriver
• flat phillips screwdriver
• saw blade, with a rather short 2" stroke

• serrated edge knife blade with thumb stud for one-hand access. Sheepsfoot profile, 2" long (51mm)
• combination can opener/cap lifter device
• small flathead screwdriver
• fold-out lanyard attachment
• spring loaded scissors

Locking Mechanism

All of the blades and tools lock open securely. Lock release is accomplished by knurled metal slider switches along the sides of both handles.

Other Features

Tabbed washers (a Gerber standard) are located between each blade, preventing blade "clumping."

Sheath

Molded/woven nylon construction, with velcro closure. Straps on the back allow for both vertical and horizontal carry.

Dimensions

Suspension, blades fanned

Suspension, closed, with sheath

Suspension-PST thickness comparison

• Length open= 6" (152mm)
• Length closed = 3-7/8" (100mm)
• Width closed = 1-7/8" (48mm)
• Thickness = 7/8" (22mm)
• Weight = 8.9 oz (252g)

Variations

None.

History

Introduced in 2005. Manufactured in China.

Related Tools

The Suspension appears to be somewhat related to the earlier Gerber 800 Legend and 700 Urban Legend, both of which were produced in the USA and came out some years prior.

In 2007 Gerber brought out four multitools which use most of the same blades, pliers, and framework components as the Suspension. The Crux, Method, Resolve, and Tread appear to be nothing more than Suspensions with a variety of different handle styles.

More Info

• Suspension review and discussion at Multitool.org