7Cr17MoV

Gerber Jukebox Review

If you hadn’t heard: the war between form and function continues to rage. Sure, in a perfect world we’d end up with tools that look fantastic and work great. That said, the reality of the knife world is that most of us end up with pug-ugly blades we don’t mind hammering on, and a lot of drawer queens that we feel wrong about putting to hard use.

Buy the Gerber Jukebox at BladeHQ
Buy on Amazon

The Gerber Jukebox has oddly fallen right into the middle of that continuum for me. Like most of the knife’s buyers, I originally saw the retro-cool looks and unique operation and found I couldn’t say no. However, after getting the piece in hand, I encountered a few clear drawbacks that prevented me from absolutely falling in love with the design.

Now here’s the ironic part of it all: the fact that I didn’t initially love it caused me to beat on the thing and push it a little harder than I would have ordinarily. As a result, it’s one of the few knives I own that’s both a neat showpiece and gets a frequent nod when there’s a job to be done.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Gerber Jukebox mates a 2.75” blade into a 3 7/8” long handle. Much of the retro appeal comes from a 7/8” broad sheepsfoot blade with a very steep descent between spine and tip. So much so it really resembles a straight razor more than a sheepsfoot. I find this blade shape to be well-suited to most blue collar cutting tasks.

Compared to the usual suspects of the Spyderco PM2 and the Ontario Rat II, the Jukebox is small, but squat. Closed, the knife is a hair under a half-inch thick (not counting the clip) and sits about an inch and a quarter at its widest point. Overall, the knife is weighty without feeling cumbersome at 3.8 ounces on my digital scale.

Now for the negative: the Gerber Jukebox uses a 7Cr17MoV steel. This was a new one on me, and required some Googling: apparently it’s even more budget than the Chinese standard bearer of 8Cr13MoV. Roughly equivalent to 440a, expect it to have slightly less edge retention than 8Cr but be even easier to sharpen. Considering that just about every knife these days from a quality manufacturer has landed on 8Cr as the bare minimum in steel quality, and given the $35 to $40 price point of the Jukebox, this seems an odd choice from Gerber.

What I can forgive less than the steel was the absolutely atrocious factory grind, which was not only dull but completely asymmetrical. One side looks like a flat grind, the other a hollow grind, and there’s a visible difference in terms of where the grinds start from the spine of the blade. At one point I might have accepted this as what one could expect from a “budget” knife, but competition is stiff these days. The sloppiness becomes even less excusable for a company trying to woo the enthusiast market segment.

You’ll notice my knife doesn’t have a perfectly straight edge and has a slightly rounded tip. That’s on me, not Gerber. In putting an edge on the knife, I turned to the Work Sharp company’s WSKTS-W model. Yeah: the electric-powered one. Maybe I was a little too aggressive in my first outing with the device and was a little heavy-handed with the coarse grit belt. Maybe my lack of finesse was an especially bad fit with the softer 7Cr steel. Live and learn. In my defense, it gave the Jukebox a razor-sharp edge for the first time in its life, and as the kids say, you only YOLO once.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

Undoubtedly the biggest draw of the Gerber Jukebox past the straight-razor aesthetic is the tortoiseshell treatment on the acrylic handles. These are just awesome, and I hope this catches on. A lot of us gravitate to a single cool feature of a knife as reason enough to buy it for a collection, and this was the golden ticket that allowed the Jukebox entry to my shopping cart.

The ergos aren’t too bad when it comes to the Jukebox. It’s very nicely rounded and dehorned, making it virtually hotspot free. The stainless hardware is nicely polished, and the acrylic panels are nicely fitted to the frame. The knife has a satisfying weight in the hand, and the handle is right-sized to permit a four-finger grip without feeling bulky.

One issue made itself known in a way I’m glad didn’t amount to much. I realized that while the Jukebox feels good in the hand, its symmetric nature makes it harder to tell the orientation of the knife if you pick it up in the dark. I was breaking down some boxes at about 10pm when I realized I’d picked the knife up ass-backwards. One would think the flipper tab and pocket clip would’ve served as significant tactile clues as to which way the sharp end is pointing, but somehow I found a way to misorient the knife, so be careful.

The Jukebox’s pocket clip is deep carry in a non-ambidextrous, tip down orientation. Neither should be a dealbreaker: the knife is easily opened and deployed with the left hand, and I don’t think this is built to be opened at speed (more on this in the next section) or designed around a self-defense role. That said, we’d be remiss not to talk about the flipper. Some of the benefits of deep carry are slightly negated by a half-inch metallic protuberance. I didn’t get prodded by the flipper as some other online reviewers have mentioned, but it does make the knife a little conspicuous in the pocket.

Deployment and Lockup

I’m going to upgrade my original assessment of the Jukebox’s deployment from “awkward” to a new verdict of “unexpectedly gratifying.”

First, you might see the upward extension on the blade in the closed position and assume that this is a fidget-friendly front flipper. It is not. The blade is under stiff enough tension that you can’t easily flick this into deployment. Even if you did try to build up momentum with a wrist snap, the way you’d be gripping the knife would mean that you’d probably just end up pinning your index finger between the handle and the extension before the liner had a chance to engage.

If you make peace with the fact that your deployment won’t be instantaneous, you can still have some fun here. The Jukebox does indeed open one-handed quite easily. The thumb can roll the blade out to a ninety degree position, at which point the index finger can hook over the back of the tab and click the blade into lockup. It might not be as fast as most EDC deployment methods, but after a small learning curve the process becomes very smooth. While the action is a little heavy for my liking, it’s free of grit or any hitches.

Lockup is decent if unexceptional. My Jukebox has a little lateral wiggle if I apply a bit of force, but it’s nothing that bugs me. The liner is a little thin, but it consistently finds the middle of the blade even with light pressure. I wouldn’t hammer on it, but this would be fine for light to moderate use.

Gerber Jukebox Review – Final Thoughts

As you might have gathered, the blade steel, action, and ergonomics all add up to a knife that I like, but don’t love. In considering what Gerber’s trying to do these days, the Fastball (and Gerber’s custom knife program) is more representative of the company’s potential, and something that moves my personal needle a little more than the Jukebox.

But indulge me in a baseball analogy. If I look at my knives the same way a manager does with pitchers, my Benchmade Bugout is one of my starting “aces.” It will give me a lot of output, look good doing it, and is a good choice for most situations. Oppositely, something like the ESEE Junglas works as a “closer.” It won’t be an everyday sight—much to the contrary, it’s a specialized tool that gets brought in when a specific problem needs to be solved decisively.

The Gerber Jukebox, then, is that relief pitcher who’s brought into the middle of the game when your team has a commanding lead. Granted, it might not be as flashy or as effective as another option, but often the job that needs to be done won’t be meaningfully impacted by the limitations of the tool. Additionally, by relying on that tool, you save aces and closers alike from unnecessary wear and tear.

My point is that there’s a place in every bullpen for a pitcher of this sort, and there’s a place in a lot of knife drawers for the Gerber Jukebox. It’s not a perfect knife, but it is striking, and it can certainly put in work.

Gerber Gear GERBER Jukebox, EDC Pocket Knife with Straight Edge Blade Flipper, Tortoise Shell [31-003761]

DURABLE EDC GEAR: The Gerber Jukebox folding pocket knife features a 2.7" satin finish fine edge blade, finger flipper, liner lock, acrylic tortoise shell scale, and pocket clip for easy carry
INNOVATIVE DESIGN: An extended tang finger flipper is designed for easy deployment and Liner Lock provides on-handed closing; A fine edge, modern sheep foot blade offers practical utility for everyday tasks, making it an ideal everyday carry pocket knife.
OUTDOOR ESSENTIALS: The Jukebox pocket knife is perfect for everyday carry, as well as outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, and job site tasks.
COMPACT AND CONVENIENT: 2.7" blade length makes the Jukebox folding pocket knife an essential addition to your EDC gear and outdoor tool collection
GERBER GUARANTEE: Backed by a limited lifetime warranty, ensuring quality and reliability in all Gerber essential EDC gear

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

Gerber Ayako Review

by Travis Pike 3 Comments

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.

Buy the Gerber Tri Tip at BladeHQ
Buy on Amazon

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.

Sale

Gerber Gear 31-003729 Ayako Folding Knife, Pocket knife with Clip, EDC Knife, Silver, Stainless Steel

The Ayako pocket knife is modern take on a classic Japanese designed friction folder EDC
The EDC knife features dual deployment options: a nail nick hole, as well as an extended tang front flip
Featuring a fully fine edge 3.5 Inch, Japanese style tanto blade of 7Cr17MoV
Frame Lock for easy one-hand closing for EDC
Handle scales of coined aluminum, and stainless steel with Frame Lock for easy one-hand closing

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.

Buy the Gerber Tri Tip at BladeHQ
Buy on Amazon

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.

Sale

Gerber Gear TRI-Tip Mini Cleaver Fixed Blade Camping Knife with Molle Sheath for Survival and Bushcrafting, Green

DURABLE CAMPING GEAR: At home on the trail or in camp, the Gerber TRI-Tip mini cleaver camping knife's standout design rewrites what an outdoor cooking knife can do, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts
INNOVATIVE DESIGN: The cleaver blade is not only eye-catching with its black oxide coating but serves as both a scraper tool and a cutting tool, making it a versatile camping cooking utensil
QUALITY CRAFTED: The machined aluminum handle scales provide an excellent grip and a balanced contrast of color to the knife
COMPACT AND CONVENIENT: The multi-mount knife sheath can be carried in two positions: tip down or horizontal SCOUT carry and a lanyard hole is integrated into the handle as an additional place to secure the knife
VERSATILE APPLICATIONS: This fixed blade knife is ideal for various camping, hunting and outdoor activities, offering the functionality of multiple utility knives in one tool

Editor: I recommend purchasing the Gerber Tri Tip 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.

Buy the Gerber FlatIron at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

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.

Sale

Gerber Gear 30-001495N Flatiron Folding Pocket Knife Cleaver, 3.6 Inch Blade, Desert Tan

DURABLE EDC GEAR: The Gerber Flatiron folding pocket knife features a plain edge cleaver style blade, thumb hole for one-hand opening, finger choil, frame lock, aluminum handle scales, and pocket clip with clip for secure EDC
INNOVATIVE DESIGN: Features an upgraded D2 steel blade, which provides impressive toughness and edge retention, designed for hard-use applications and survival gear needs
OUTDOOR ESSENTIALS: The Flatiron pocket cleaver knife is great for any hunter, tradesman, and everyday carry; perfect addition to camping essentials, toolbox, work wear, and hiking and fishing gear
COMPACT AND CONVENIENT: 3.6" blade length, 8.5" overall length and 3.9 oz weight make the Flatiron folding pocket knife an essential addition to your EDC gear and outdoor tool collection
GERBER GUARANTEE: Backed by a limited lifetime warranty, ensuring quality and reliability in all Gerber essential hunting gear

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.