Reader Reviews

Rating: 5 / 5

If I am going to be out where I will really need or want a real knife (not a little pen knife type or box cutter thingy) this is my choice. (About $35 at REI.)



It is somewhere between my Buck knife fixed blade and my little Schrade (rest its departed design now that the bottom line people took over Schrade) in weight, length and functionality.

Weight is 2.8 oz. Handle is a ultralight, ultrastrong annodized aluminum.

Blade is 3.43" of 440 Stainless Steel (whatever the 440 means) ... so stainless isn't the best for staying sharp ... but neither am I (still mourning the discovery my little 1 oz. Schrade with the serrations design is now history ... #@%*#!!! ... described in another review in this Misc. category.)

Blade action is great with a thumb button to pull the blade out and a no frills inside the handle little metal brace of high tensile strength metal which can be pulled back easily.

Has lots of holes in the handle to save weight and give the blade a chance to breathe and dry off after it takes a bath. :)

The blade length, quality, and the serrations are the key. I wouldn't carry a knife without the serrations anymore.

This Gerber is as good an equivalent UL replacement for my fixed blade Buck knife as I could find. So it gives me a lot of comfort when things go bump ... bump bump ... crash ... sniffle ... heavy breathing, etc. in the night ... and it cuts kindling pieces for my soon to arrive Ultra Bushbuddy, as well as the necessary fire starter sticks, twigs, etc. and is always there for cooking, cutting line or fabric, first aid, and repair work on gear.

It has a lanyard hole in the handle so I can loop it through my belt buckle or pack loop -- which I need to do since the annodized handles blend in with the ground and such, making it an item I will probly misplace soon ... in fact I just tried to find it and am going to have to search through all my junk since it is great at becoming invisible in the shadows. I need to make the lanyard light reflective and bright pink, lime green, or yellow.

Anyway you can read all about it or order it at the REI site at:

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48023242&parent_category_rn=4500581&vcat=REI_SEARCH

Rating: 5 / 5

This is a great knife if you are looking for something more substantial than a razor blade but lighter than a Bowie knife.

I know many people prefer a razor blade or ripping out a pair of sizzors from a Swiss knife (which I have also done) but, for longer, more remote and unfamiliar trips, I usually take the Gerber.

I have had no complaints with its performance. I bought an "X pattern" sharpener with a serrated sharpening attachent from Duluth Trading Co. that I use at home to keep it sharp between uses.

I know that it's not the lightest, very best quality 3.5 inch folding knife out there. I could have bought the Benchmade 550 series but the Gerber set me back $25 bucks (and came with a small multi-tool) from Target. The Benchmade would have cost me upwards of $80 dollars. However, the Benchmade weighs 1 oz less and is of famously high quality.

The price to weight ratio would translate to over $50 for the one ounce saved and the Gerber will most certainly outlast me. Therefore, I give it a 5 rating, not because it's the lightest knife out there, but because Gerber chose to offer a very good, lightweight knife for a very attractive price. Three cheers for Gerber!