On the opposite side, the gray handle has the scissors and screwdriver blades.Ī note about our testing: We use real-world scenarios to compare the relative performance between multi tools. The slipjoint is nice and tight, so even though there is not a locking mechanism we are not worried about the knife blade closing on our fingers. Sheepsfoot blades are a good choice for keychain tools, the design provides a good usable edge that is easy to control. Our Gerber Dime Red has the knife blade and package opener on the red handle. Keychain tools are notorious nail breakers, but the deep thumbnail grooves make the Gerber Dime implements easy to open. Handles on the Dime are slightly longer and the bottle opener extends even more. Both tools are 0.5 in thick by 0.8 in wide. At least until we brought out the calipers and measured. Gerber multitools overall are bulkier than their peers so maybe we are biased, but the Dime seems larger than the Leatherman Squirt. It brings the functions we use everyday in a convenient form factor that is easy to carry. ![]() Gerber Dime: We bought our first Gerber Dime soon after it launched in 2012 and liked it immediately. Customer ratings are full of comments from buyers who were surprised by their small size when they arrived. These are full-sized multitools shrunk down to keychain size and are not much larger than a 9V battery when closed. The Dime and Squirt PS4 look like full-sized multitools in their marketing photos and they have features of full-size multitools, but don’t be fooled. Scissors Blade Length: Length of sharpened edge measured with jaws at 90° First Impressions Jaw Width: Measured at widest point with jaws fully closed Jaw Length: Measured from wire cutters to pliers tip Jaw Opening: Measured at pliers tip at max extension Pliers Reach: Measured from the pliers tip to the shoulders of the handle Knife Length: Measured as length of sharpened edge (manufacturer specs frequently include the ricasso) (Base – Tip) 0.14 – 0.09 in 0.14 – 0.08 in Pliers Reach 1.45 in 1.6 in Jaw Opening 0.95 in 0.95 in Jaw Length 0.75 in 0.7 in Jaw Width 0.5 in 0.46 in Wire Cutters Bypass style Bypass style Phillips Driver #1 #1 Flat Drivers Medium Small & Medium File Coarse & Fine Coarse & Fine Bottle Opener On handle On flat screwdriver Scissors Blade Length 0.57 in 0.62 in Other Tools Package Opener L x W x H 2.4 x 0.8 x 0.5 in 2.25 x 0.8 x 0.5 in Weight 2.2 oz 2.0 oz Knife Length 1.4 in 1.5 in Blade Style Sheepsfoot Pen Blade Blade Steel 3Cr13 420HC Pliers Thickness Specifications: Gerber Dime and Leatherman Squirt PS4 Feature Gerber You can use it on your nails, but it is a real tool made for work. ![]() The file is 1.4 in long with a single-hatch fine side, double-hatched coarse side and a grooved edge for cutting. It starts out sharper than the Dime and does double the cutting before it needs sharpening. The pen knife blade on the Squirt performs like a pocket knife blade. The two areas where the Squirt PS4 shows its value are the knife blade and file. But the Leatherman Squirt normally sells for around $30 which makes it expensive for a keychain tool. Leatherman produced a solid multi tool with the Squirt series, and you won’t be disappointed if you get one. Finally, you can find the Gerber Dime for ~$15! ( compare prices on Amazon), that is less than half the cost of a Squirt and you still get Gerber’s lifetime warranty and solid build quality. Even when we opened the knife blade first, we always found ourselves closing it and using the package opener instead. When we carried the Dime, the package opener was nearly tied with the bottle opener for our favorite tool. ![]() When you really need a cold drink after working in the yard, the Dime is the tool you want in your pocket. No other keychain tool has the bottle opener always available on the handle, nor one that works as well. Where the Dime really distinguishes itself is with its bottle opener, package opener, and value. The Gerber Dime and Leatherman Squirt PS4 are both high quality tools with solid performance, but they each excel in different areas. The Squirt PS4 has a better knife and a superior file. The Dime is also half the cost of the PS4, making it the obvious choice. The Dime has package opener and tweezers tools that are not on the Squirt, and a better bottle opener. The Gerber Dime and Leatherman Squirt PS4 perform nearly identically for the pliers and screwdrivers. Today we are testing two of the best keychain tools head to head, the Gerber Dime and Leatherman PS4. The best multitool is the one you have with you, and these multi tools virtually disappear on your keychain. Keychain multitools are small, so they won’t keep pace with the overall utility of larger multitools, but they bring a lot of functionality that is easy to carry. This post contains affiliate links, we may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our site.
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