Gerber

Gerber Ayako Review

I’m a sucker for cool-looking knives. Not impractical fantasy knives, but practical knives that have a cool look to them. That’s why knives like the Gerber Flatiron and now the Ayako. I’m a sucker for budget-friendly knives that have a unique style and grace to them. The Ayako, as the name implies, has a Japanese styling to it. Not to sound like a weeb, but the katana like inspiration makes this an eye-catching knife.

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The swept-back blade with a forward-positioned belly makes this look like some form of mini katana. Call it the influence of Ghosts of Tsushima, but I really dig the vibe of the Ayako, and that’s what caught my eye at my local Academy Sports and Outdoors. I’ve been carrying the 30ish dollar knife for about two weeks now, and while it won’t be my main go-to for an EDC knife, I appreciate a budget-friendly option.

It’s easy to get lost in the snobbery when you carry a Hoback or a Micro-Tech. Budget-friendly blades have a rightful place and are the most bought blades, so they deserve some love when they can deliver performance above their price tag.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Ayako has a 3.5-inch long blade with a 3.625-inch cutting edge. That rounded edge near the tip of the blade gives you a little more cutting edge than the blade’s length offers. The handle is 4.625 inches long, and the blade has an overall length of 8.1 inches. The Ayako weighs 3.8 ounces, so it’s relatively light and comfortable for daily carry.

The blade seems to be half tanto half sheep’s foot tip. It’s not exceptionally pointy like a tanto, but it’s not as tip reduced as a sheep‘s foot. The belly like area near the tip of the blade gives good traction if you want to go deep on your initial cut. For a sword, that’s probably a great trait when you have to fight a Khan invader. On a knife, it allows me to cut through tomatoes quite quickly and dig into thick materials efficiently.

The slightly swept-back blade is only slightly curved and seems to follow the tip into deep cuts rather well. The blade is made from the pain in the butt to type 7Cr17MoV stainless steel. 7Cr is a Chinese made stainless steel that is relatively cheap.

The corrosion resistance is high, which is excellent, and as stainless steel, this is one of the more defining features of 7Cr. 7Cr is also an easy to sharpen steel, and that’s important because you’ll be sharpening it a fair bit as the edge dulls quickly. In my two weeks or so of use, it hasn’t be pressed into hard service by any means. I’ve cut up a lot of cardboard as I disposed of a ton of Amazon boxes during the Christmas rush and put it towards most of my daily knife tasks.

Gerber barely seems to sharpen it before it heads out the door, and it seems to dull rather quickly. It’s low-end steel, but I’ve had low-end steels hold a better edge than this. The edge itself can get decently sharp with a whetstone. Sharp enough to slice and dice cardboard, zip ties, chicken, tomatoes, and even an onion or two with relative ease. It hangs up a bit with cardboard but will still make it through when pressed.

I wish it had more to the tip, especially when cutting the zip ties that held the portions of a bike in a box. It worked, eventually, but more of a point would help with basic tasks.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Carry

One side of the handle is an aluminum scale, and the other is a stainless steel scale. Both are checkered and marked, but it’s not overt checkering. It’s subdued and likely wouldn’t cling tight to your hand under stress. The knife has never slipped in my grip, but the checkering is nowhere near what something like G10 offers. You can grip it tight and still pull it out of your hand with little resistance.

The handle is plenty comfortable, and it does allow you to cling to it without much discomfort. The grip is nice and long and seems to fit my big hands well. It’s thin but functional and comfortable. The shape is well done and allows for intuitive blade manipulation.

The grip is thin, and my main complaint about it would be the pocket clip location. It’s a big clip on a svelte design. I almost wish the knife didn’t have a pocket clip; it feels like it ruins the smooth lines of the grip.

You can remove the pocket clip, but you can’t move its location. You are stuck with the blade in a tip-down carry position with the clip on the right-hand side of the knife. It clings tightly to your pocket though and doesn’t budge when you move.

Deployment and Lockup

The Ayako has two means to deploy the blade. The first is via a flipper that extends past the body of the blade and is part of the blade. The second is a thumb hole in the blade. Neither is a means to quickly deploy the blade. The flipper allows for one-handed manipulations, but it’s not going to fly out in a hurry and takes a deliberate motion to deploy the blade.

The thumb hole is nearly useless and very small when the blade is closed. It’s such a small little slot that my monkey fingers have a hard time reaching into it and using it. If my nails are trimmed, it’s useless.

Once deployed, the stainless steel liner lock seems to do a good job of pinning the blade open. The liner lock is part of the rear grip scale, so your own grip keeps the blade pinned open. Once the liner lock is engaged, the Ayako’s blade is locked in place and seemingly won’t move or budge even a bit. A cut in the front grip scale makes it easy to depress the liner lock and close the blade with ease.

Gerber Ayako Review – Final Thoughts

The Ayako is a little bit more than a pretty face. It’s a decent little EDC knife. The solid lockup and decent blade design make it well suited for EDC tasks. If the knife was more expensive, I’d be more critical of the 7Cr steel and how fast it dulls. Knives like the Flatiron are about the same price but featured a much worse grind than the Ayako.

The Ayako is a solid little knife for the money. It won’t win any awards, and it’s not exceptional in any way. The most redeeming qualities are its price and attractive appearance. Behind the pretty face is a knife that cuts and claws as it should, but it doesn’t do much else. I don’t regret my purchase, but I’m betting the Ayako is a knife I put in my knife box for a long stay or eventually give away. Speaking of, with Christmas around the corner, its a great budget based gift, especially for a young man or woman in need of a knife they can abuse, break or lose.

Gerber Gear Ayako Pocket Knife, Fine Edge EDC Folding Knife with 3.5 inch Blade, Silver [31-003729]

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Gerber Ayako at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Gerber Tri-Tip Review

by Travis Pike 1 Comment

I like weird stuff in general, and that extends to my knife collection. The good news is knives can get really weird. I now have three cleavers that have been produced by companies who don’t specialize in kitchen utensils. My ESEE cleaver, my Gerber Flat Iron, and now a second Gerber, the Gerber Tri-Tip mini cleaver knife, make up my collection.

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Gerber is a broad brand when it comes to knives. They can range from quite lovely and rather expensive, to remarkably affordable. The Tri-Tip leans more to the affordable side. It includes a molded polymer sheath and admittedly has a very fresh look. The Tri-Tip is a pretty blade, and I can’t lie when I say its looks drew me to it more than any specific need for a mini cleaver. I’m a real sucker for a pretty blade, and the Tri-Tip is a rather attractive and stout little knife.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Gerber Tri-Tip has a 2.875-inch cleaver blade is divided into a chisel edge and a cutting edge. The chisel edge is about an inch long, not very sharp, and it is finger safe. The bottom cutting edge is the near 3-inch blade. The handle is 2.75 inches long, and the whole thing weighs a mere 3 ounces. It is a full tang knife with a set of grips attached.

The blade is made from 7Cr17MoV. This cheap stainless steel that’s very popular for budget based knives. It’s quite common in affordable hunting and camping knives and even kitchen knives. The Tri-Tip fits that description nearly perfectly. It’s a budget based blade optimized for camping kitchen chores. This steel does offer excellent corrosion resistance, is easy to sharpen, and for low-end steel tends to hold an edge okay.

Edge retention is somewhat questionable, and it’s not one that lasts long. The good news is that as a cleaver, the blade isn’t always tasked with tradition cutting tasks, so the edge lasts longer than I thought. This steel isn’t known for being tough, but I’m not batoning wood or striking a fire rod for cleaver tasks.

Its edge is good enough to cut through meat and veggies easily, and even thin bones with a little strike to the rear of the blade. It’s not as sharp as any ZT or Emerson, but it’ll do its job as a 30 dollar cleaver. The small blade length offers a solid cutting edge due to the knife’s aggressive belly. You can cut through thick meat and chop vegetables rather well.

Admittedly the use of such a small cleaver is somewhat niche. I can see it as a functional camping cooking utensil that takes up very little room and weighs very little. With sustenance camping becoming more popular, I see the Tri-Tip being a handy tool for cleaning up squirrel, rabbits, and deer. The small blade won’t chop through the thicker bones of medium-sized game, but it quickly eats through chicken bones.

The chisel edge acts as a useful bench scraper to collect ingredients with ease after slicing and dicing them. The edge could also serve as a pry tool or even a stripping tool to remove bark from branches.

Handle and Ergonomics

The little 2.75-inch handle doesn’t necessarily fill the hand and won’t give you the real cleaver’s wacking ability. The grip angle has a slight incline that allows for a rocking motion to cleave through meat. The handles are made from aluminum and textured.

The downside is that there are some immediate hotspots in the area where the handles meet the palm. Using the cleaver to strip meat from bones creates hot spots throughout the hand. Using the Tri-Tip in traditional kitchen tasks was comfortable enough. Giving the black a wack, rocking it back and forth, and using the chisel edge was all plenty comfortable.

The handle is textured comfortably, and you can get a sure grip, which was surprising due to how small the grip is. I like the rounded aluminum grips and the texture they add, but they were far from perfect.

Once you turn to more outdoorsy tasks, you’ll want a larger, more prominent handle. The lightweight design is appreciated, and at only 3 ounces, it won’t pull on you when belt-mounted.

The rear of the blade is wide enough to cover with a towel and give a wack to break through thick veggies and small animal bones. You can split a chicken breast, but anything more significant might prove to be a challenge.

Sheath

The included molded polymer sheath is a high point in the Tri-Tip design. It’s mostly a simple, rectangular shape that fits 1.5-inch belts. The sheath is quite sturdy and well designed. The Tri-Tip sheath is outfitted with an active retention device. To defeat the device, you merely press down a small spring-loaded toggle and pull the blade out.

Tri-Tip slides in and out of the sheath with ease and allows you to dismount and mount the knife quickly. It’s a neat design that seems like it would be more at home on a more expensive knife. The included sheath can be worn on the right or left side, or even in a scout position. Scout being the fancy name for wearing it upside down on a plate carrier or pack strap.

While I haven’t tried to modify the sheath, it seems possible to attach a variety of clip options and change how it’s mounted. With different belt clip options, it looks like a great candidate for horizontal carry should you wish for such a thing.

Gerber Tri-Tip Review – Final Thoughts

The Tri-Tip is a neat mini cleaver. It looks and feels cool. The aluminum grips are fantastic, as is the included sheath is quite nice. I like the Tri-Tip, and I say that because I can’t find a use for it. If you wanted to kill a squirrel and clean it in the woods, then here you go. The Tri-Tip is perfect for that role. I could do the same with a dozen other essential fixed blade knives and have a more useful tool overall.

With that said, I think the knife has a powerful cool factor that makes me a fan. For the low price, I don’t mind buying it for the giggle factor.

Gerber TRI-Tip, Mini Cleaver Fixed Blade Knife with Sheath, Green Handle [30-001694]

At home on the trail, in the backyard kitchen, or at a tailgate, The standout design of the tri-tip rewrites what a utility blade can do.
The Cleaver blade is not only eye-catching with it's black oxide coating, but has two distinct functions: scraping and cutting.
The machined aluminum handle scales provides an excellent grip, and a balanced contrast of color to the knife
The multi-mount sheath can to be carried in two positions: tip down or horizontal SCOUT carry.
A lanyard hole is integrated into the handle as an additional place to the secure the knife.

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Gerber Tri Tip at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Gerber Fastball Review

by Dan Jackson 4 Comments

I haven’t reviewed much Gerber stuff on here. That’s because these days Gerber’s best known products are plastic handled collaborations with Bear Grylles, or is just super low end, or something like the Downrange Tomahawk – cool, but not something I can review well. I enjoy the occasional fixed blade, but confess that I’m mostly a folding knife guy these days. Thankfully I’ve had some great contributing writers to fill in some of my deficiencies as a reviewer. We actually have a handful of Gerber knife reviews.

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The Gerber Fastball is interesting because it’s a folding knife made for a normal person who likes higher end tools. It’s a USA made knife, features premium materials, retails for around $100, and it lacks a celebrity endorsement. Instead, it’s a bearing equipped flipper. It isn’t some novelty knife you can buy at the Wal-Mart sporting goods counter.

And enthusiasts appear to have taken notice. The Fastball has appeared on both EveryDayCommentary and KnifeInformer. That sort of begs the question of whether I needed to review it, but the folks at Gerber contacted me about reviewing the Fastball. Given that Tony and Matt both liked it I agreed to check it out.

So this knife was provided to me from Gerber free of charge to review and keep for long term testing. As usual, all thoughts are my own.

Speaking of which, is it possible to change my thoughts on a brand with a single product? We shall see.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Fastball has an overall length of 7″, a 3″ blade, weighs 2.79, and is made in Portland Oregon. I know, because it says so right on the blade.

The Fastball is targeted firmly at the enthusiast EDC crowd, so it’s no surprise that the proportions of this knife are ideal for daily carry. It’s a great size and weight for my kind of carry, and the Fastball kept gravitating towards my pocket. Here it is next to my Spyderco Delica:

Although I’m not the biggest fan of the Delica, I like the size of it. And I like the size of the Fastball too. It’s small enough to forget you are carrying it, but large enough to get all sorts of work done.

The Fastball comes equipped with a distinct reverse-tanto blade. In a way it seems polygonal. Or maybe it is a study of triangles. I didn’t do particular well in Geometry. Looking back, that was the beginning of the end for me. My parents always wanted be to be a doctor, but I always struggled with math. Calculus evades me to this day. Now I’m a divorce lawyer who only needs to know how to divide by 2. Regardless, I get a futuristic vibe from this model due to all the aggressive angles. Was the Fastball actually sent from the future to protect us from being enslaved by a race of cybernetic beings? Quite possibly. It doesn’t take many cues from the traditional drop point hunter.

Despite it’s non-traditional styling, the blade of the Fastball is fully functional. Reverse tantos can be among the best EDC knives. Just look at the Benchmade 940. Here we have a little less belly, but a low and fine tip. The blade comes with a shallow partial hollow grind, and has been left with a lustrous stonewashed finish. Details include a small swedge, and a long even edge.

Gerber selected S30V blade steel. In some circles S30V may be getting a little long in the tooth, but it is still highly serviceable blade steel and remains a totally appropriate choice at this price point. In some cases I have found S30V be a little tough to sharpen, but no one can argue with its good edge retention and high resistance to corrosion.

In practice my Fastball has proven highly capable. That low thin tip easily gets underneath envelopes and in between the folds of boxes. The edge is wide and shallow so it’s easy to keep sharp. The Fastball also excels at fine tasks like preparing strawberries. Here in Florida we are just getting into strawberry season, and they happen to be my girlfriend’s favorite fruit. So the Fastball has been deployed to process cartons of strawberries. Neatly trimming the leafy tops, and excising any bruised flesh with surgical precision. Usually that’s a task I reserve for my nimble Dragonfly 2, but the Fastball has been a great stand in.

Speaking of the Dragonfly 2, here the Fastball next to it and a Mini Griptilian:

All said I find little fault with the blade of the Fastball. Perhaps an upgrade to S35VN would have been nice, but that’s nit picking.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Blade Details

The Fastball comes with aluminum handle scales. The show side is solid aluminum, while the flip side is aluminum over a stainless steel liner. The handle is screw-together construction with a geared black FRN backspacer. The fit of this handle is good. All the parts line up and come together solidly. There are some nice details including a custom pivot, countersunk holes for the body screws, and a slotted lanyard hole that looks like more than an after-thought.

Where the Fastball impresses a little less is in the the finish of the stainless steel pieces. You can see machining marks on the edges of both the steel liner and the pocket clip. Also, the aluminum handles have some attempts at chamferring around the edges, but no true 3-D contouring like you see on a lot of titanium handled pieces. I also don’t like how the body screws thread directly into the aluminum handle. If you take the knife apart often they could eventually strip out. Steel standoffs or bushings would have been more robust.

Are these deal breakers? Absolutely not. Given the price, the materials, and the fact that this is a USA made product, something probably had to give. These are areas where compromise is evident. It gives the knife a less premium feel, and more of tool vibe.

The ergonomics are also strictly business, but in a good way. The Fastball feels at home in the hand. The handle itself is generous, and easily accommodates a full 4 finger grip. While the handle isn’t heavily contoured, the chamferring Gerber did works. As a result, the Fastball is comfortable. The only area that pokes out a little is the release tab for the liner lock, but that’s so you can easily unlock the blade. It also provides a little texture underneath your index finger, not a bad idea given the knife is not otherwise heavily textured. The Fastball provides the ergonomic assurance of a dedicated work knife.

The pocket clip is simple stamped steel. Like I mentioned, it’s a little rough around the edges. Literally. But it’s fully functional and a solid design. It’s set at a slight angle on the handle for some reason. I don’t know if there is a practical purpose for that, possibly to keep the clip from too close to the edge of the handle. It might drive the OCD slightly more insane. Present company included.

In pocket the Fastball performs great. The clip is strong and secure. It buries the knife deeply in your pocket, but still provides a little sumpin’ to grab onto. And the knife is thin, light, and basically disappears into the pocket. The smooth aluminum handles are easy on your pockets, making the knife a joy to draw out and use. I think the carry-ability factor of this knife is another high point.

Here is your in the pocket shot:

Deployment and Lockup

The Fastball is a liner lock flipper. Some might view that as a poor man’s framelock flipper, but the Fastball stands on its own. The Flipper action is very firm. Firing the Fastball sounds a little like the crack of an air rifle firing. It has a very mechanical feel. I’d put the action at a solid 8.5 or 9 out of 10. It’s crisp, and the sharp jimping on the flipper tab further accentuates that. If you are a fan of stiff action flippers you will like the Fastball.

Inside there is a caged bearing system. I haven’t taken the knife apart, but you can see it at the right angle, and a bearing symbol is also printed on the blade. The bearings are smooth and work well at propelling the blade out.

The liner lock works well. It engages fully, and holds the blade securely in place. I noticed my pivot kept loosening up, so a little lock tite is a good idea. With the pivot tightened everything works, but there is a small amount of side to side blade play in my knife. Nothing dangerous, but noticeable. The lock bar disengages easily and there is no lock stick.

Blade centering is good on my knife but not perfect. It falls towards the show side as the pivot loosens.

Gerber Fastball Review – Final Thoughts

The Fastball is a solid effort from Gerber. If you are looking for a no-nonsense higher end work knife I think it’s worth considering. While the design doesn’t reach the iconic status of the Para 2 or Griptilian, I found it to be a great size for an EDC knife. For example, it falls in between the Mini Griptilian and the full size Griptilian, giving it Goldilocks “just right” appeal.

The knife is also practical in other regards. Regular readers know I’m a sucker for a good work knife, and the Fastball strikes me as a small but refined work knife with a lot of versatility. It could work well in an office setting, but it also would work underneath the hood of a car or on a hike. The combination of capable blade, comfortable handle, and excellent carry make it a surprisingly sweet EDC piece. The snappy action, smooth bearings, and lightweight construction all serve to subtly elevate the knife. It’s not perfect, but it gets a lot right.

Where the Fastball falls short is that it doesn’t quite deliver that premium knife experience. The machine marks on the edges of the pocket clip and liner, the use of aluminum rather than titanium, the lack of true 3-D contouring on the handle, the slight bit of blade play. Knife users may be willing to overlook these quibbles for a practical work knife, while knife collectors may turn their noses up. But then again, this is a $100 made in USA folding knife. Not a $150-$200 Chinese folder.

At first glance the Fastball struck me as a humble offering, but it quickly grew on me. Mostly after I started to carry and use it. I wasn’t immediately impressed when I pulled the Fastball from it’s box, and as a collectible I’d probably pass. But as a user piece I can easily recommend it. When you consider that a Delica costs ~$85 these days, I’d pay the extra $15 for a Fastball. I think it’s well worth it.

Check it out if you want a well made and practical flipper for around $100. The fact that it’s a made in the USA is a big plus in my book.

While the Fastball hasn’t completely changed my view of Gerber, it’s definitely a step in the right direction. Good job, Gerber.

Gerber Fastball Folding Knife with Lock Release - Flat Sage

Features an S30V Wharncliffe blade with precision detent that provides "lightswitching" operation
Easy-off Liner Lock release with ball bearings for consistent, smooth deployment
This pocket knife features a 3-position pocket clip; switch it up as needed or remove it entirely
Balls of Stainless Steel technology leverages a ball-bearing system, providing smooth deployment
Proudly made in USA at Gerber's Portland, Oregon factory

Editor: I recommend buying the Gerber Fastball at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Gerber Key Note Review

by Travis Pike 5 Comments

Guns may be the main draw the SHOT Show, but there is a healthy amount of knives at the Show. One I saw at 2019’s SHOT Show that caught my eye was the Gerber Key Note. I loved the unique look, small size, and how lightweight it was. I saw it at SHOT, and after that never saw another hair of it until it popped up in my recommended items on Amazon. It was only 20 bucks and some change, so I promptly ordered it.

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Even if it were a total piece of crap, I’d only be out 20 bucks. Luckily it’s not a complete piece of crap. The Key Note is a teeny tiny knife that lives up to its name. It’s almost the same size as my car’s key fob. As far as EDC knives go, this is about as small as it gets. The Key Note currently comes in both black and FDE, and as you can see, I have the FDE variant.

The Key Note is designed to be versatile and easily carried. The Key Note comes equipped with a key chain ring that’s hefty and well made. There is also a pocket clip that’s long enough to fit over a belt as well. The Key Note is a neat little knife, and it’s one that’s small enough that there is never an excuse to leave it at home.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Key Note sports a sloping blade that is 1 inch long at it’s very longest and a little over half an inch at the shortest portion. The blade is a stout 1.125 inches wide and .15 inches thick. The knife weighs only 2.33 ounces and is 3 inches longer overall.

It’s a small, but stout little blade. The blade is made from 5Cr15MoV. On a 20 dollar knife with an edge this short I wasn’t expecting 154 CM or S30V.

5Cr15MoV is cheap stainless steel. It is effortless to sharpen and resistant to rust. It won’t hold an edge very long. It’s not like you’ll be batoning wood or cleaning game with this little guy anyway. With a blade as short and as thick as this, you are unlikely to break it with regular use.

I’m not sure what to call this type of blade or point. It’s an exaggerated tanto that looks almost like a chisel with a weird lower level edge. Gerber classifies the blade into two different edges. The longer edge is a scraping edge, and the short bottom edge is the cutting edge. Both edges are sharpened, and both cut through everyday materials.

The Key Note’s blade size is a big limiting factor in its ability to do serious work. However, for the most common EDC tasks, the Key Note is entirely sufficient. It can cut through plastic, tape, cardboard, 550 cord, and similar cordage. The ledge like design gives the Key Note a little bite, and it can punch above its weight. The Key Note is sufficient for most mundane cutting tasks, and that is just about it.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle is made from two aluminum panels connected by several different Hex head screws. The Gerber Key Note is a little knife, with a petite handle. The handle is textured with small serrated indentions on each side. The handle has an integrated finger groove that allows for easy access to the blade and to accommodate your pointer finger while gripping the knife.

The rest of the grip is pretty simple and is relatively unadorned. It’s short, won’t fill the hand, and is only 2 inches long. It’s 1.25 inches wide and .45 inches thick. The Key Note’s handle is comfortable enough. It doesn’t poke or jab, but don’t expect Emerson level ergonomics and comfort.

The pocket clip and keychain loop give you multiple ways to carry the knife. The keychain loop is removable to reduce the overall length and even weight of the knife. I’m tempted to remove the keychain loop. I don’t like the way it feels in my hand when using the knife, but I like being to connect it to my key fob. The big keyring is just awkward and more than a little annoying when using the knife to cut.

The pocket clip cannot be reversed, but it’s not a big deal. The knife isn’t designed to be quickly drawn and deployed, so it doesn’t matter which direction it faces in the pocket. The clip is 1.5 inches long and will fit over most standard belts.

This opens up the ability to wear the knife on your belt, but will only efficiently work for right-handed owners. It’s a stiff and strong pocket clip and its made from stainless steel. At the bottom, the steel rolls upwards allow it to hook onto the belt and prevent it from sliding off.

This is a big and beefy pocket clip. It’s thicker than most pocket knives, and it feels quite sturdy.

Deployment and Lock-Up

Opening the Key Note requires the use of a small nail nick built into the blade, but there is a built-in starter tab to push the blade out just a little. This little tab is a lifesaver when the knife is brand new or if you’re the type who has naturally short nails. It’s easy to deploy, but it’s not quick. I doubt you’d ever need to deploy this knife quickly enough to worry about it. You’ll need a few seconds and both hands to deploy the Key Note’s blade.

The blade is locked in place by a simple liner lock. It locks it nice and tight, and there is no noticeable play as you move the blade. It’s tight, but you can push it in with little effort overall and close the knife. The liner lock isn’t jimped for texture, but it seems to close just fine without it.

Gerber Key Note Review – Final Thoughts

The Key Note is a cool knife. It’s not a very versatile or handy knife, but for 20 dollars, you’re buying a unique design. An unconventional design that makes carrying a knife easy. It’s one you can toss on your keychain and never leave behind. Ultimately it’s somewhat of a novelty in its design. I’m sure a Gerber Airlift would serve you just as well for the price, but the Key Note has a sense of style and design that pushes it past boring.

Speaking of design, I spotted something about the look of the Key Note. If you take a quick look at Gerber’s symbol you’ll see a Sword and Shield make up the G in Gerber. If you close the blade, the Key Note most certainly looks like the Shield portion of that logo, and I thought this was a nice touch. If I feel Ho-Hum about a knife, I give it away and have gained an office reputation for it. The Key Note’s neat design keeps me from feeling Ho-Hum about this cheap little folder.

The Key Note is 20 bucks worth of cool, and I’m planning on holding onto mine and passing a few out for Christmas. It’s not a great knife, the design isn’t innovative, but it’s not a bad knife in any way. If you look at it and like the design from a nerd’s perspective, then buy it. You’ll be satisfied. If the looks and design don’t grab you, I’d pass on it.

Gerber Gear Gerber Key Note, Compact Fine Edge Scraping & Cutting Knife, Coyote Brown [30-001692], 1 in

Throw it in your pocket or on your keys and forget it; with it's compact design, the key note was intended for this very purpose: to be on hand when you need it for daily tasks.
The dual-purpose blade caters to two separate needs, with cutting and scraping edges.
When in the open state, the blade is secured with an easy-to-operate liner lock.
Aluminum scales stand up to daily abuse
A removable keychain is included for added versatility depending on the carrying preference.

Editor: I recommend buying the Gerber Key Note at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thank you for reading.

Gerber Flatiron Review

by Travis Pike 3 Comments

What’s with the rise in popularity with cleaver knives? It just seemed like one day they were everywhere. We had options from Spyderco, Boker, Kershaw, CRKT, and of course the Gerber FlatIron. The FlatIron made a big showing at SHOT, and it makes sense why. Gerber is a massive company, the FlatIron looked cool as hell, and Gerber promised a low price tag. Once the FlatIron hit the streets, they were tough to find, and in December I got my hands on one. For 31 bucks I didn’t have massive expectations, but I have plenty of budget knives that perform beyond their price tag.

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The Gerber FlatIron comes in two different grip styles, a hunter green aluminum grips and FDE colored G10 grips. The knife is a folder and pushes full size to its limits. Gerber makes lots of knives at lots of different price points, some hit, some miss, but how does the FlatIron come out?

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Gerber FlatIron gains its unique name from the flat, cleaver blade it has. The blade is 3.8 inches, with an overall length of 8.5 inches. It’s a big knife and weighs 5.6 ounces. That’s a bit heavy for a folding knife. As a cleaver the blade is quite broad, it sits at 1.125 inches wide and is .15 inches thick. It’s a big knife, and a cleaver has to be.

Cleaver knives have become quite popular these days due to their robust blade design and just how thick they are. The cleaver blade is designed for cutting, slicing and chopping and the Gerber FlatIron has a very sturdy blade. The lack of a point is a downside to some and limits the knife’s versatility. The benefit is the knife less aggressive looking and lower profile in case that is a concern. In some situations, you may not want a point. I know a few first responders who carry Sheepshead blades to cut and slice near people while reducing the chance of stabbing someone if the knife slips.

The blade is made from the always fun to type 7Cr17MoV steel. This is cheap steel, and the FlatIron is an affordable, Chinese produced, knife. It dulls relatively fast but sharpens easily. This is good because Gerber has dull blades when purchased. I’ve put it through my Smith’s Pocket Pal a time or two, and it edges right up. From what I’ve read this steel is pretty tough and resists corrosion well.

Once sharpened it cuts well. My use for a cleaver has always been the kitchen, and the FlatIron separated meat from bone pretty easily. It cuts smooth and deep through meat and might make an excellent field kitchen knife. Additionally, as a cutting blade, it does excel when sharpened for cutting through tougher materials like thick cardboard, and plastic straps. The FlatIron was my go-to for opening Christmas present boxes for the kids this year.

The blade has a worn, stonewashed finish that’s plenty attractive from a purely aesthetic standpoint. The whole knife looks cool, and that’s likely one of its most significant selling points. It’s like a straight razor that locks.

The knife has a hollow grind, which isn’t a problem itself. However, the grind is very uneven. Looking down the tip of the blade shows a highly irregular and crude grind.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The FlatIron sports an odd, but comfortable handle. One side features a grip panel, either aluminum or G10, and the other side is stonewashed aluminum that incorporates the frame lock and pocket clip. It’s a big handle that fills the hand which I do enjoy. The G10 grips provide more of a gripping surface, and the aluminum grips are smoother and better looking.

The blade has a large choil that allows you to choke up on the knife for increased control and leverage for tougher cuts. It’s certainly deep enough to keep your finger from slipping out. The handle is also completely open. This makes it easy oil and clean. It is a small, but a nice feature I appreciate it living around sand and salt water. The rear of the blade has zero jimping which is odd.

The pocket clip has a lot of good to it, but a bit of bad to go with it. First off, I like the short, but thick design. It’s low profile and also subtle. Best of all it doesn’t get in the way of your grip on the knife. It looks good too. It’s pretty tight though, and it’s difficult to get onto my jeans. Also, its right side, tip up only. You can’t reverse it in any way due to handle’s design. A bit of a downside in my book.

Lock and Deployment

The frame lock is simple, and in my experience, these locks are robust and handy. When you squeeze the grip, the lock is reinforced which means its a safe knife for hard work. Once opened the blade is locked in solid. There is no play left to right or back and forth. The frame lock is robust and does its job well with the big blade. The lock has a full inch of texturing where the thumb naturally falls, and this makes it easy to defeat the tight lock and fold the blade.

The blade opens via a thumb hole. This design isn’t bad, but the blade is a bit tight when new. A little blade oil helped as did some use and now I can flick it open with ease. The blade will open smoothly, even when stiff. There is no grit or stop and go feeling as the knife opens. The thick blade makes the thumb hole easy to use. It’s a deep hole, so your thumb isn’t likely to slip out.

The Gerber FlatIron Review – Final Thoughts

The Gerber FlatIron’s greatest strength is its looks. It’s not particularly special outside of looking nice. You can’t demand much from a 30 dollar knife, but I’d expect at least an even hollow grind. I do see one solid purpose for this knife, and that would be for a younger, new knife owner.

Follow my logic here:

The blade lacks a point which reduces the risk for young and new knife users.
The 7Cr17MoV steel is sturdy and corrosion resistant, so it can take the abuse, and since it dulls fast they’ll be learning to sharpen it, and it sharpens easily enough.
The frame lock is very safe for heavy or clumsy work.
While the knife can be flicked open it’s still slower than a Kershaw with speed assist or anything crazy. It’ll never be accidentally opened.
The FlatIron is tough and robust so it will resist abuse.
It’s easy to clean.
It’s affordable in case it is lost or broken.

For people who are used to nice, high-end knives, the FlatIron might be a disappointment. I like the knife personally, but that’s because of my inner mall ninja. It doesn’t do one any one task well, but it is affordable, safe and tough.

Gerber Gear Gerber Flatiron - Folding Cleaver Pocket Knife - Desert Tan G-10 Handle [30-001495], 3.5 in

Arguably the most prominent feature, the cleaver blade is bold and trend forward
The sleek thumb-hole opening allows for smooth one-hand engagement while operating
A large finger coil ensures solid hand placement for secure control when choking up
The pocket clip is specifically designed for low profile carry that doesn't draw attention
Textured G-10 handle provides a confident grip in any situation

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Gerber Flatiron at Gerber Flatiron or BladeHQ. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Gerber StrongArm Review

by Travis Pike 4 Comments

One thing I have always had is a healthy respect for is a good fixed blade knife. As a young infantryman I fell victim to some clever marketing from Gerber and purchased the Gerber LMF II Infantry. It had infantry in the name so I couldn’t go wrong right? While I may have been a victim of marketing, I didn’t feel victimized. The LMF II served me well, but everything can be improved. The Gerber StrongArm is in many ways the successor to the Infantry, and is better suited to the infantry role.

Buy the Gerber StrongArm at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

The LMF II Infantry has a fascinating story and was built for a very specific purpose you should check out here. That specific purpose resulted in the knife’s lack of a full tang. The Gerber StrongArm resolves this issue. The StrongArm is a little lighter, a little shorter, and is more refined than the Infantry LMF II. The StrongArm is a versatile capable, and affordable knife made in Portland, Oregon.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Gerber StrongArm has 4.8 inch fixed blade made from 420 HC steel, is 9.8 inches overall, weighs 7.2 ounces and is proudly made in the United States. This is a classic fixed blade knife that isn’t trying to revolutionize the standard military style survival knife. In terms of fixed blades it’s actually somewhat small. It’s a half inch shorter than the LMF II Infantry, but has an almost identical blade length.

Gerber StrongArm

The knife is easy to carry, and perfect for those looking to trim as much weight as possible from their loadouts. That’s generally the goal of dismounted infantry. Ounces equal pounds, and pounds equal pain.

The StrongArm comes with options for both a serrated or plain edge. I prefer the plain edge. The blade is coated with a cerakote black matte finish. The finish is tough, but will wear with time and effort like any finish would. The 420 HC steel does mean that once the finish is worn away rust may develop. Keep the knife cleaned, and oiled as the finish migrates and you won’t have any issues.

The older FDE StrongArm you see here has been used and abused hard for a year. It’s been hunting, camping and fishing. The knife has been used to hammer, pry, and dig and its taken a few hits to the finish as you can see.

Gerber StrongArm Brown vs. Black

420 HC steel is a cheaper steel, and this is a knife on the affordable side. The downsides to 420 HC is that it won’t hold an edge for long. It’s one of those steels you sharpen before any really heavy duty cutting is needed. For a survival knife you don’t necessarily need a razor sharp edge for day to day work. It stays sharp enough for cutting paracord, stripping wires, and slicing through clothing for some time.

When it comes time to cut through thick materials you may need to run the blade over or through a sharpener a time or two before you go wild. 420 HC steel can actually get impressively sharp if you know your way around a sharpening stone. I’ve never failed to be impressed at how sharp my Dad makes his old Buck knife before skinning a deer and its made from the same 420 HC steel.

Gerber StrongArm Blade

The StrongArm has a squared off spine that’s perfect for stripping bark, batoning wood, striking a ferro rod, and truncating wood. All tasks the Gerber StrongArm can commit to with real force. The StrongArm’s small handguard doesn’t really allow for a thumb on the blade grip so the less comfortable square spine isn’t an issue.

Handle and Ergonomics

The handle on the StrongArm is an interesting design. I do find it slightly smaller than necessary, but to be fair I have XL sized hands. Even with my large hands I still find the grip comfortable. The smaller grip isn’t much of an issue due to its design.

The Gerber StrongArm is glass filled nylon that’s covered with a rubber overmold. This makes the grip ‘soft’ in the hand. Squeezing it tight doesn’t result in much fatigue or pain. The little bit of give the rubber overmold offers results in a lot of comfort. The little bit of give also allows the blade to mold to your hand just a bit.

The rubber overmolded material is coated with a raised diamond textured pattern. This glues the knife to your hand and is perfect for cold, wet, or gloved hands. The pattern is rough, but doesn’t rub the hand raw, or even really create hotspots that I’ve noticed.

Gerber StrongArm in Sheath

The bottom of the handle is a small pommel. It’s a lot smaller than the LMF II, but still capable enough to smash windows and skulls. It’s also got a lanyard loop if your StrongArm needs a leash.

Sheath

We’ll finish this up talking about the brilliant sheath system Gerber included with the StrongArm. It’s designed to be adaptable to the user. Popular knives typically have plenty of sheath options, but with Gerber you are getting all of them with the knife.

Gerber StrongArm Molle Compatible

This includes a MOLLE mount, a drop leg system, and a belt loop option for horizontal carry. The knife is too big for any kind of horizontal concealed carry, but it’s really great for a snag free carry while wearing armor. When you draw from a standard belt carry sheath while wearing armor you are likely to get snagged on your gear in one way of the other. Drawing horizontally from the belt prevents this.

I also like the horizontal belt mount for mounting the knife vertically on my pack straps. This means my knife never leaves the pack I go camping with.

The Sheath employs both passive and active retention depending on the mount being used. The active retention is a simple snap button thong. The passive retention comes from an indent in the center of the handle. The sheath locks into this indent and holds the knife well.

In all my adventuring near and far it hasn’t fallen out when I’m using only passive retention. The sheath is also outfitted with plenty of lashing holes for those who aren’t satisfied with the included sheath options.

Gerber StrongArm Review – Final Thoughts

The Gerber StrongArm is a great little knife, especially when you factor in a street price of around 50 bucks. Gerber’s reputation was hit hard by imports of poorly made foreign knives, but they seem to be working hard to fix that reputation. The StrongArm is proudly stamped made in Portland, Oregon. The StrongArm is one of many made in USA knives in their catalog and likely one that will be around for a long time It’s an excellent budget bushcraft knife.

The StrongArm may not be the LMF II Infantry, but it’s a great knife, and a worthy successor to the LMF II.

Sale

Gerber StrongArm Fixed Blade Knife with Fine Edge - Black

The StrongArm features a black handle and a fine edge, full tang 420HC steel blade
Ceramic blade coating and rubberized diamond texture grip
A striking pommel at the base of the handle breaks through hard surfaces
Four mounting pieces and sheath can be used for mounting on MOLLE, belt, or in drop-leg fashion
Proudly made in USA at Gerber's Portland, Oregon factory

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Gerber StrongArm at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.