GerberGear Knife

The Gerber Gator Drop Point has to be one of the best values in a US-made folding knife. Kershaw has some outstanding affordable US knives, like the Skyline, & there’s great traditional makers like Buck, Case & Utica, but typically you have to spend significantly more for an American-made knife. (Knives & tools made overseas are often great, but given the chance, I like to support US labor, & companies whose workforce has some rights & protections. )As a longtime outdoorsman & tradesman, I have a few really nice knives, from Benchmade, GEC, Kershaw, even a Busse & a Garcia Skookum Bush Tool.I got the Gator as a lightweight knife for hiking, not expecting much. It’s a well made knife; mine has no gaps, flashing or flaws. The factory edge was nice and shallow & sharp. I was surprised how much I love it.•The main reason is the handle. Slim, flat knives are great in your pocket, but never comfortable to use for extended time. Like a Stanley 99, a hunting, Bushcraft knife or a decent kitchen knife, the Gator has an ovoid shaped handle that is fairly thick. Small hands may find it uncomfortable, but most will find it perfect.Some people will complain about the lack of a pocket clip; any clip would ruin the ergonomics of the handle. The knife is a bit wide for carrying in most jeans anyway. (If you love the knife but need a clip, you could easily install one. I use some EZ-lock threaded inserts.)The handle is covered with Santoprene, (like a fine PB Swiss Grip screwdriver.) normally I don’t care for rubberized handles, but this works well. If you don’t use the sheath, it keeps it in place in a pocket or pack, provides decent purchase if your hands are wet & great purchase if they’re cold.Santoprene is also pretty durable, if my PB screwdrivers are any indication.I thought the finger cutout might be annoying, but it’s not. The handle has a fairly neutral grip, suitable for a variety of grips, replicating a good hunting knife as was intended.•The 154cm drop point blade is great. The shape is so versatile, it is equally at home for hunting, cooking, camp tasks or use on a job site. It doesn’t have the ideal grind or steel for Bushcraft, but with the comfortable handle, it’s a pretty good choice, especially for $50.154cm steel at this price is a bargain. I’m sure some steel nerds believe it’s obsolete, but they’re wrong. For a hunting knife, it was a great choice. For the tasks it’s likely to be used for, it’ll perform very well. A more expensive steel wouldn’t improve this knife. (The knife industry is a bit detached from reality; the trend in steels is completely opposite all the data on blade performance. “Super steels” are essentially micro-serrations in brittle metal.)The heat treatment seems good; perhaps a touch softer than a Benchmade 154cm, but I’m not really sure. It certainly sharpens & polishes as well as any 154cm I’ve used, and the edge retention is very good.Making the edge retention seem even better is the geometry; this thing is a slicing machine.The blade isn’t too thick, and the width and full flat grind leads to a fairly thin edge, (excellent for a $50 factory knife.) The factory grind was shallow, and mildly polished, which is perfect for hunters & most users. If you’re picky, for general use, you may want more polish.The bead blasted finish helps keep the cost down, & isn’t the best for preventing corrosion or reducing friction, but it’s fine at this price. A few minutes with Flitz or a buffer & it’ll be a nice semi-polished blade.•The lockup is very good, not exactly a Triad Lock, but certainly good enough for most tasks. I feel comfortable using it for anything a folder is suited for.Despite the lack of thumb studs or hole, I can easily open it one handed, as the blade is wide & the spring isn’t overwhelming. You can also “shake” it open quite easily.• Size & weight are great: the 3 3/4” blade is long enough to be used a general belt knife without being too big when folded. 5.4 oz isn’t featherweight for UL hikers, but considering the versatility, ergonomics & sturdiness of the Gator, I think it’s quick good. You’re not getting a comfortable handle & blade this size in a lighter weight, at any price.•Maintenance is easy; all the materials are corrosion resistant, so just keep it clean, don’t put it away wet, sharpen & lubricate when needed.When I consider the price & design intent of the Gator, I have 0 complaints about it.I bought it as a kid on a budget, without great. expectations. All these years later, it’s become a trusted companion.

I was issued one of these in the military well before Bear Gryllis made it popular. Matter of fact, when I saw him pull out that knife for the first time I thought "That's my knife!!!". Now, in my opinion Bear is a pansy compared to other survivalists, but that says nothing about the knife.You must train with it, the grip opens and though it's a folder, unfolded it sort of handles like a fixed tang blade. Lightweight, comfortable, reliable, easy to open with a flick of the wrist and keeps a decent edge, although sharpening it to a 19 degree edge takes some regular maintenance.I lost my original blade to a lake because I violated a cardinal rule in fishing. I had my knife on my lap while my line was in... "Sploosh." In it went. I went for years without one and only bought another pocket knife because I felt naked. I ended up not using the new knife because it didn't feel as sturdy, didn't feel comfortable and just felt subpar though it was a good quality blade. That's when I realized I was spoiled thanks to my handy Gerber folder. So, I just bought this one and have noticed nothing but improvements! The case is easily accessible and fits on a decently wide belt, the grip seems more durable and a little bit more comfortable surprisingly. Otherwise it's just as handy and trusty as my last one...Gerber blades are well crafted and I was glad to see my blade was made in the USA as I'd heard a rumor a few years back that they were moving knife production out of country... Thankfully that rumor is apparently wrong. Well worth the buy if you need a sharp everything knife, do yourself the favor of getting the half serrated edge, the serrations are razor sharp, and actually the best I've had for a factory serrated edge.

Super solid pocket knife from Gerber at a great price. Super sharp out of the box (easily shaves leg/arm hair) good solid purchase for medium sized hands. My favorite knife I have right now.

look very good, quality, size ,functionality ,price!

This is a very nice folding knife to have in your car if need be. Came extremely sharp and it’s very easy to open and close without too much effort. Came in a nice durable cloth protective pouch, and was easy to not only flip open but to cut whatever that you needed to get at. Just an all-around great utility knife. And most of the time it’s when I’m in the car opening up a package or something to that nature (those really hard to open beef jerky, wrappers!) the sink cuts right through with no problem.This is a great knife, and though many will either say that this is a great knife or not, and there are other brands I’m sure that you can mention that cost more and so forth, this one definitely the bill. As long as he can open, those tough wrappers especially when you have that craving in the car, this knife cuts right through the package like butter.Very satisfied with this knife.