REVIEW – I recently posted a review of the Leatherman Micra multi-tool which got a lot of views and comments, so I have decided to do more EDC tool reviews and my next one is the Gerber Dime. The Dime is another mini multi-tool that can fit in your pocket like the Micra and my favorite Leatherman Squirt multi-tool. Let’s take a closer look.
What is it?
The Gerber Dime is a folding multi-tool that offers 12 different tools in a compact form factor.
Design and features
The Gerber Dime is available in Black, Green, Purple and the Red version which you see here. This folding multi-tool has a two-color handle with the Gerber name and model name printed on one side.
On the opposite side of the tool, you’ll find the Gerber logo. As you can see, the Dime has a flashier look than the more utilitarian looking Leatherman Squirt which is part of my EDC.
Probably the first thing you’ll notice about this 2.75 inch (when closed) multi-tool, is the weird hook thing on one end. This hook is a bottle opener that can double as an attachment point. There’s also a small split ring on the same end that you can use to clip the Dime to your keychain.
The Tools
The Gerber Dime offers 10 tools. The first tool we’ll check out is the removable tweezers.
The tweezers are very similar to the tweezers that you would find in a Swiss Army knife. They work pretty well for being so small.
Unlike the Leatherman Micra, most of the tools can be accessed without unfolding the handles.
There’s a fine edge knife blade and package opener on the left, spring-loaded scissors, medium flat driver, crosshead driver and file on the right.
Check out that package opener blade. I like that there’s a dedicated blade for slicing through plastic packaging and tape. That way you don’t get your regular knife blade all sticky with tape residue.
I like that you don’t have to unfold the handles in order to access the knife blade. The Gerber Dime knife has a larger blade than the Leatherman Squirt and Micra. I also feels more substantial than those other multi-tool blades. Note that the blade does not lock in place when in use.
Unfolding the Dime handles turns the Dime into a pair of spring-loaded pliers with a built-in wire cutter.
The rounded edges of the handle keep the pliers comfortable in your hand.
What I like
- Most of the tools are accessible without having to unfold the handles
- Large knife blade
- Dedicated package opening blade
- Affordable
What needs to be improved
- Tools don’t lock
Final thoughts
The Gerber Dime has a lot going for it. Notably the ability to access the tools without unfolding the handles. The dedicated packaging opener blade also sets this pocket-sized multi-tool apart from other tools, but the price makes it a good choice for budget-minded EDC shoppers. I’m sticking with my Leatherman Squirt because I prefer the classic look and feel over the Dime’s more flashy style. That said, the Dime is a nice multi-tool with a solid set of tools.
Price: $25.00
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was purchased with my own funds.
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Nice review. I’ve been carrying one of these for a couple of years and use the package knife almost daily. It actually fits in my jeans’ watch pocket so it’s accessible (although not easily) while sitting.
I like that feature too! It’s a scary little hook knife 🙂
I think some of the other color schemes aren’t quite as flashy as the red… 😉
I carry one of these as part of my EDC. I use it as a second knife – I carry a full-sized Leatherman as my primary, but this stays in my pocket. Reasons I like it:
* The tweezers. Very few full-sized multitools have tweezers, and they’re useful. (And the ones that do, keep them attached which limits their usefulness.)
* The full-sized bottle opener. It’s actually *better* than the openers on larger knifes, as it’s wider. It’s as good as the dedicated openers, usually.
* The blade – the rounded-belly sheepsfoot blade is unusual, but makes a nice little alternative to the normal drop-point blades. It’s very good for shallow slices – like to cut the plastic wrap off of a chapstick or similar.
At the time I was first looking at it, the Leatherman alternative was the Style series, which are nice but weren’t quite as good a compliment to my main knife.
I’ve had a couple of dimes. Bought the second one after the first one disappeared. They have a tendency to walk off if loaned to others. 😉
Distinctive Pros:
+ The package opener blade is probably one of the most useful tools around. I wish more multitools or folding knives had this.
+ The pliers are flat at the tip and both halves make a flush contact. This means you can exert a tight grip on something very small… which makes them far more useful than the tweezers. I use the pliers very frequently on embedded splinters as it can dig in better than the tweezers.
Distinctive cons
– It’s noticeably heavier than most microtools of similar size. Which may make a keychain too bulky or too heavy with car keys.
– The paint finish wears off around the edges from contact with keys, giving it a used/abused look rather quickly. Some folks like patina, some don’t.
– The file is completely useless. The depth is too shallow and the groove tops have little bite. The philips head is borderline and the flathead does better as a prybar (paintcans)
– The scissors have a unique spring that won’t misalign or stretch, but has been known to snap off under load. Due to its size, it’s not capable of much force.
This has become part of my EDC. My only real complaint is the pliers (and wirecutter) seem to have no strength. By this I mean the two halves will ‘separate’ when force is applied, so the pliers will twist sideways from each other, and the wire cutter has never successfully cut a single wire. In fact, I’ve had much better luck cutting wires with the scissors. Everything else is pretty top notch, though, and I find the tweezers and package blade my most often used features (after the bottle opener, of course).
This link in article takes you to a carrier not the tool!!!!!!
Where to buy: Amazon
Also available at eBay for $13.59.
John, thanks for letting me know about the link. It’s fixed: https://amzn.to/3ARWFJL