anyone carrying gerbers?

D

danfisher

Joined
Jan 29, 2003
Messages
72
just wondering. i've been looking into gerber recently and thinking of picking up the line. they have some decent mid-level knives and some great muilti-tools. i was wondering if any of you guys use their more premium knives as EDC's or just have them in your collection. any impressions are welcome.

a few in particular:

harsey ranger
emerson auto
applegate covert

thanks.
 
I carry the SL 3.25,And i love it,It's slim and it sits very low in the pocket,The blade is scary sharp and is up to most everyday jobs.All in all for the money as an EDC you can't go wrong cheers BLINDREF:D :D
 
I carried a Gerber Harsey Air Ranger for about a year as an EDC. I loved it. It locked up solid, had no blade play, was easy to sharpen, and held a decent edge. Don't know much about any of there other knives though.
 
The Applegate/Fairbairn Covert is an awesome knife to carry and use. Good steel for the price, and an excelent design.
 
I own the TiNi Paraframe, Harsey Air Ranger II, and i've fondled a large Applegate/Fairbairn. These are all at the top of my list, i think they're great knives.

However, i don't particularly like (at all) any of the plastic handle models. Whatever the technical term for the handle composition is, it is still plastic-feeling and seems cheap. I would not carry an EZ-out or gator, they're definitely not my style.

I hear alot of people say Gerber does'nt make a good knife, i know otherwise. They also have some of the best customer service in the business, which is another reason i'll buy their stuff anytime.

One thing you may want to consider before picking up their line, is whether or not you can beat Wal-Mart's prices. I've not found better deals on the net, so that may mean you'll end up with unsold inventory. Just a thought.

Gerber is no Microtech, but when we're talkin' $20 or $40 for a nice well made folder, it does offer a tremendous bang for your buck!
 
had the covert, loved it except the handle screws popped out and the pivot loosened up a lot with hard use, tightening it helped only temporarily. ergos were great, steel was good, gave it away. I have a Harsey Air Ranger II (? the smaller one) now. Good ergos, looks nice, but the steel is really really soft, the serrations blunted/tips bent after very little work. Easy to sharpen but doesn't stay that way long. Had an EZ-out Jr., worst knife I ever owned, lock failed & cut me twice, threw it away because it was dangerous.
 
I picked up a mini-covert at Walmart about 2 months ago, and I have been carrying for my EDC lately. I really like the ergonomics, lowride carry in the pocket and fast flick opening. I haven't put it through any hard use, but it holds up fine to ordinary cutting chores.
 
I have personal expirience with the AR3.00, and it is a decent knife that is good for the price. I have looked at the Spectre, and it appears to be very well made, it also has the advantage of a 154CM blade, a step up from most of Gerber's folders. It is also a bit pricier at around $100
 
Originally posted by fishface5
Had an EZ-out Jr., worst knife I ever owned, lock failed & cut me twice, threw it away because it was dangerous.
Click to expand...

Fishface5, I had an EZ-out Jr probably 4 years ago, a knife my brother didn't care for. Very soft, cheap steel. Flimsy handles... I got rid of it.

Can you comment further on how the lock failed? I.e., what were you doing with the knife? Could you diagnose how the lock failed... i.e, did the handle flex and just kinda let the lock notch pop out of the tang notch? Or was it from excessive pressure on the blade? Just curious.

Why? I'm trying to select a cheapie to carry while traveling on business, a knife I can afford to lose or hit the trash or mailbox with if I'm in a hurry for airport. I just got a larger EZ-out in ATS-34, and yeah, the lock worries me... a bit... flexy handle, kinda think lock bar, not finished too well (gaps and such).
 
I looked up the word "Gerber" in my personal dictionary. It said, "Overpriced mystery steel. Crap. "My friend went home to take a Gerber. He was holding it all afternoon."
 
First Production Run EZ-Out. Didn't hold much of an edge and the handles would flex under hard use but it NEVER failed to lock up. I also never had it fold when it wasn't supposed to. I did things with that knife that I've heard people say they would never do with their (costlier/"better") knife. YMMV

Frank
 
Carried a Gator custom semi serrated for yeras, but don't carry belt knives anymore, so it's on shelf. Carried a Paraframe II for a week or two until a friend saw it and I sold it to him
 
rdangerer - the first time, I was trying to dig out a screw or something that had fallen into a crevice, I tried to flick the screw up and out and the very moderate pressure caused the lock to slip. I don't think the handle flexed, and the pressure on the blade was hardly excessive, it wouldn't have caused a good slip-joint to fold. But the lock-notch was so round and sloppily made that practically any pressure would cause it to slip. And the knife cost me like $40!!!!!! Just trash.

I forgot to add that I also have the full-size AF folding fighter, which is a wicked fighting knife but the liner-lock failed the most moderate spine-whack. A bit of work with a file seems to have fixed that however. That is a knife I'd never want to see in an oppoenent's hand!
 
I had an A/F Covert for a while and liked the knife, but when I finally got around to using it, it didn't hold an edge worth a damn. The steel was marked ATS-34, but didn't hold up as well as the G2 or ATS-34 Benchmades I was using at that time.

That was also back in the day before I really learned how to sharpen a knife well, and I didn't know a whole lot about them, but the factory edge was fresh on the Gerber, and after a little use I was quite unimpressed. It got sold or traded, can't remember which. I just know it was an expensive knife at the time, and I had cheaper ones with better feeling handles that held up better.

I've also had a Gerber multitool that I've used for years. It served me well till it got replaced with a Leatherman, but still rides in my car for emergencies.

Any other Gerber that has been used seems to have pretty soft steel(IMHO) that sharpens easily. Some people tend to like this, but I think it sucks... If I want a knife with soft steel that is easy to sharpen, I have a half dozen SAK's that work great, have better edge geometry, and are cheap.
 
I've got a Yari that I carry on weekends, usually in cross draw. It's a 4&7/8" fb in 154cm with micarta slabs and a concealex sheath. I have a couple jackets modified for armpit carry so when it cools off some I'll carry it more. Their overall line doesn't grab me, and their customer service is very, very, poor compared to companies that value your business. Even though I like the Yari, they probably won't see any of my future dollars unless they produce a knockout.
 
I have a Yari and a SLG 3.25. Both very nice knives. I'm not terribly impressed with the rest of the line, except the Spectre, which is a nice knife, and the Harsey Air Ranger, which is a good knife for the money.
 
Although I don't carry them regularly I have two Gerber multi-tools and an AR 3.5 which stays on my desk. I am very satisfied considering their low cost.:)
 
I carry several, a CF SL 3.25, A couple of Silver Knights,(Black Lip MOP, Bone, and Rosewood) Chive, Whirlwind, is that enough?(strike the chive and whirlwind, I know Kershaws)

These all make it into EDC rotation at some point.:)
 
Well, I'm going to jump in on the Yari bandwagon...I have a pair of 'em, and I find them to be EXCELLENT knives (154CM steel, canvas Micarta scales, full-tang, perfect grinds, etc...), BUT for the most part I have found their folders to be lacking in the high quality that I find in Spyderco (for example).
 
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