My sons were like that to and gates, words, warnings, nothing helped. My oldest got up way before I did one morning when he was about 20 months old, climbed up on the kitchen counters and proceeded to empty the cabinets by throwing everything to watch it crash on the floor. Needless to to say cleaning tabasco sauce and broken glass is not how to start a good morning.
My youngest was the cutter. Got into a drawer (which I didn't realize he knew I kept the sissors there) and proceeded to cut up the drapes, his hair, my rug hooking project and whatever paper was around. He was almost 3. he was in pre school and the next day I got a note home from the teacher telling me what great fine motor skills he had with sissors, I wanted to tell her she had no idea, but just laughted till the tears came. Cant wait till his almost 2yr old daughter does this. Gotta love 'em!!