Comments on: Dig Up This Artifact http://toolmonger.com/2008/09/15/dig-up-this-artifact/ All tools. All the time. Your source for news, information, and reviews of hand tools, power tools, and tools of all kinds. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 18:20:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 By: Gerber Knives http://toolmonger.com/2008/09/15/dig-up-this-artifact/#comment-1041844 Gerber Knives Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:39:57 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=12673#comment-1041844 For $10 you can't beat it. http://www.rockynational.com/6070_22-01770_Gerber_Artifact.html For $10 you can’t beat it.

http://www.rockynational.com/6070_22-01770_Gerber_Artifact.html

]]> By: David Bryan http://toolmonger.com/2008/09/15/dig-up-this-artifact/#comment-552002 David Bryan Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:11:56 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=12673#comment-552002 I bought one of these on ebay, carried it for a while, and gave it away. I may get another one. The knife is handy, and the thing will open a bottle. The pry bar isn't any great shakes. The phillips screwdriver is ok, the slotted ones are a little unhandy. And calling it a wirestripper is a bit optimistic. It should work on small wire like the strippers on electrician's scissors do, which is just fine. You see a lot of tools advertised as having wirestrippers or crimpers when sparky knows better. That little notch on the swiss army bottle opener is a wire bender, not a stripper. I never could figure why they tell you that inadequate little notch will work when there's a perfectly good knife blade next to it. I've seen that little bump on the new Shark utility knife/wirestripper called a crimper but I don't know what you would crimp with it. I gave that one away too. And even Klein is guilty of it. I've got one or two of their "Tripsavers", their version of the Multimaster multitool. Those notches on the edge of the file that they call a wirestripper will make a nasty looking mess of a wire. I had better luck using my front teeth when I still had 'em. I bought one of these on ebay, carried it for a while, and gave it away. I may get another one. The knife is handy, and the thing will open a bottle. The pry bar isn’t any great shakes. The phillips screwdriver is ok, the slotted ones are a little unhandy. And calling it a wirestripper is a bit optimistic. It should work on small wire like the strippers on electrician’s scissors do, which is just fine. You see a lot of tools advertised as having wirestrippers or crimpers when sparky knows better. That little notch on the swiss army bottle opener is a wire bender, not a stripper. I never could figure why they tell you that inadequate little notch will work when there’s a perfectly good knife blade next to it. I’ve seen that little bump on the new Shark utility knife/wirestripper called a crimper but I don’t know what you would crimp with it. I gave that one away too.
And even Klein is guilty of it. I’ve got one or two of their “Tripsavers”, their version of the Multimaster multitool. Those notches on the edge of the file that they call a wirestripper will make a nasty looking mess of a wire. I had better luck using my front teeth when I still had ‘em.

]]> By: Josh http://toolmonger.com/2008/09/15/dig-up-this-artifact/#comment-551169 Josh Tue, 16 Sep 2008 16:37:45 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=12673#comment-551169 You;re putting this in the wrong register. I have several artifacts, and while they serve the same purposes as an Atwood tool, it's really like comparing a production knife to a custom. Yes, the addition of the blade makes the artifact more useful in some applications or for someone who only wants to EDC one tool rather than someone who wants several for different kinds of contexts. Is it exactly like a Prybaby? No, and fit and finish shows that, as well as the different options Peter has built into different Prybaby iterations (GasBaby, G3 Prybaby, XL Baby, BubbleBaby, etc.) for different kinds of applications. If you wouldn't slam a production company for producing something similar to what a custom maker has done, then you shouldn't be up in arms about this one. Now as to the issue of licensing the design from Peter--as would normally be done in the knife world by just about every legitimate production company--that's where you have some traction. Imagine what could have been if Gerber had gone to Peter for help--imagine the market share for Peter as more people went looking for a custom version, allowing him to make money doing what he loves. That's what bothers me in this situation. Gerber could have done the right thing. You;re putting this in the wrong register. I have several artifacts, and while they serve the same purposes as an Atwood tool, it’s really like comparing a production knife to a custom. Yes, the addition of the blade makes the artifact more useful in some applications or for someone who only wants to EDC one tool rather than someone who wants several for different kinds of contexts. Is it exactly like a Prybaby? No, and fit and finish shows that, as well as the different options Peter has built into different Prybaby iterations (GasBaby, G3 Prybaby, XL Baby, BubbleBaby, etc.) for different kinds of applications. If you wouldn’t slam a production company for producing something similar to what a custom maker has done, then you shouldn’t be up in arms about this one. Now as to the issue of licensing the design from Peter–as would normally be done in the knife world by just about every legitimate production company–that’s where you have some traction. Imagine what could have been if Gerber had gone to Peter for help–imagine the market share for Peter as more people went looking for a custom version, allowing him to make money doing what he loves. That’s what bothers me in this situation. Gerber could have done the right thing.

]]> By: Ron http://toolmonger.com/2008/09/15/dig-up-this-artifact/#comment-551068 Ron Tue, 16 Sep 2008 15:41:20 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=12673#comment-551068 Who buys this crap? What is it good for? Who buys this crap? What is it good for?

]]> By: Mike http://toolmonger.com/2008/09/15/dig-up-this-artifact/#comment-550061 Mike Tue, 16 Sep 2008 06:16:32 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=12673#comment-550061 The price looks good, but I'd wait till I've seen it in a store. The Amazon vendor wants $5 to ship something that's descibed as having the weight of 2 quarters. The other site wants over $9 for USPS shipping. The Google search wasn't much better. There must not be much profit on the product if everyone online is trying to triple their margin using inflated shipping costs. The price looks good, but I’d wait till I’ve seen it in a store. The Amazon vendor wants $5 to ship something that’s descibed as having the weight of 2 quarters. The other site wants over $9 for USPS shipping. The Google search wasn’t much better.

There must not be much profit on the product if everyone online is trying to triple their margin using inflated shipping costs.

]]> By: Prybar Fan http://toolmonger.com/2008/09/15/dig-up-this-artifact/#comment-550007 Prybar Fan Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:46:49 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=12673#comment-550007 Show me an Atwood which used a replaceable knife blade and I'll agree with the "ripoff" assessment. Peter Atwood makes some great tools, but he doesn't have a monopoly on small prybars with integral caplifters. Anyway, I doubt Gerber's eleven buck offering will make the slightest dent in the $$+ Atwood market. Show me an Atwood which used a replaceable knife blade and I’ll agree with the “ripoff” assessment.

Peter Atwood makes some great tools, but he doesn’t have a monopoly on small prybars with integral caplifters.

Anyway, I doubt Gerber’s eleven buck offering will make the slightest dent in the $$+ Atwood market.

]]> By: Gerber Artifact multitool has tiny, replaceable blades | MostReviews.com http://toolmonger.com/2008/09/15/dig-up-this-artifact/#comment-549416 Gerber Artifact multitool has tiny, replaceable blades | MostReviews.com Tue, 16 Sep 2008 00:10:50 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=12673#comment-549416 [...] Product Page [Gerber-Tools.com via Toolmonger] [...] [...] Product Page [Gerber-Tools.com via Toolmonger] [...]

]]> By: -craigt http://toolmonger.com/2008/09/15/dig-up-this-artifact/#comment-549021 -craigt Mon, 15 Sep 2008 20:35:54 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=12673#comment-549021 Could not agree more with Patrick. That's about as close a copy too the great stuff Atwood make as I have seen. Not counting the exact copy of his BikeTool that popped up on eBay. Isn't their some saying about copying and flattery or something. Could not agree more with Patrick. That’s about as close a copy too the great stuff Atwood make as I have seen. Not counting the exact copy of his BikeTool that popped up on eBay.

Isn’t their some saying about copying and flattery or something.

]]> By: Patrick Austin http://toolmonger.com/2008/09/15/dig-up-this-artifact/#comment-548859 Patrick Austin Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:57:07 +0000 http://toolmonger.com/?p=12673#comment-548859 This is about as much of a ripoff of an Atwood tool as I've seen, except for the knife bit. And the sub-$50 price. And the availability. http://www.atwoodknives.com/ This is about as much of a ripoff of an Atwood tool as I’ve seen, except for the knife bit. And the sub-$50 price. And the availability.

http://www.atwoodknives.com/

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