Gerber Applegate-Fairbairn Mini Covert.. Thumbs up or down??

T

Tetsusaiga

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Aug 21, 2006
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Anyone has used this before?? I'm kinda confused about the steel that is used.. some sites have it as 154CM, others do not even specify what steel it is and just gives a generic "High Carbon Stainless Steel" description.. Who's right??

I know Gerber doesn't have too many fans here.. not since Friskas bought them over anyway.. just wondering if this is a good folder for EDC, just using it to cut paper and boxes and stuff like that in the office.. toughness will not be really called into play.. no prying or tough tasks to be done..

Need to know specifically the steel that is used and if the bigger one is more worth getting or are they both just pure crap...?? I understand that the Black blade bigger version is 154CM.. but not sure about the rest though...

Any info at all about the Gerber Applegate-Fairbairn Mini Covert or it's bigger brother will be most appreciated.. the "search" function only turned up 2 threads with very limited info..
 
I had this knife but gave it away after the blade started showing rust dots and the pocket clip was just plain rusting.

The knife was exposed to salt water projection during a boat trip and I did not have a chance to clean it until the next day, at which point the rust had already settled in.

Not sure about the blade steel, but I would guess against 154CM, I was forced to use the blade for light prying and the way the edge rolled on me didn't feel like high quality steel, just a feeling though.

Edit: Just looked up gerber's website, it says: Materials = 425HC steel
 
I have one as an EDC. I carry it as my main user, and have the BM710 as a back-up. Mine says ATS-34 for steel. I've been very happy with mine.

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I've had zero rust problems, but make sure I clean it after exposure to salt water.
 
I had one I bought on sale, and I ended up giving it away too.

To me, it's in the trashy throwaway category. Lockup seemed questionable, liners were paper thin, questionable steel, ill-fitting injection moulded plastic scales... what's to like?
 
I have a Mini-Covert - black combo blade. There are no markings on the blade itself regarding the type of steel. Flicks open real easy. I got it really cheap and to use as an occasional EDCer. It is really small! I would consider this a decent little folder for the office drawer or maybe for a wife/girlfriend's purse. It's fairly slim, so it's almost unnoticeable in the pocket and came really sharp. Impulse purchase, for sure. Seems fairly stout. I'd rather have another Byrd, though :D
 
Wow.. so far 5 responses.. it's not faring too well with only two positive responses and 3 rather bad ones so far.. seems like there is a variety of steel being used for the same knife.... anyone knows why this is so??

A lot of rust problems.. might be a bummer for me.. my place has humidity in the 80-90 odd% region whole year round.. might be a problem..

Anyone else wants to come to the defense of this folder??
 
I called gerber some time back and they told me that if the steel type is not labeled, then it is 420HC. About 10 years ago, my dealer told me that there was a mix-up with the gerber EZ outs. The ones marked ATS-34 were actually 440A. It seems to me that Fiskars has severely changed the Gerber that we knew from the old days. Now I avoid Gerber like the plague.
 
Mine has U.S.A. stamped on the other side of the blade. Are the "crappy" ones not made in USA, perhaps?
 
I've only held a mini once, but I really liked it. If walmart still sold them I would definately get one.
 
I just realized you were asking about the Mini Covert. Mine is a Covert, not a Mini. Sorry. :foot:

Maybe the steel on the bigger Covert is better than on the Mini.
 
seems like "inferior" steel on all so far.. but I understand that Buck's 420HC ain't too bad at all. Any chance that Gerber's might be similar..

anyway.. just when exactly did Friskars take over Gerber.. so I know to only look out for Gerber knives prior to that fateful year..
 
The non-mini versions are slightly better. The tend to fail the spine whack test for some reason, so Gerber added the safety lock to them.

The mini-coverts, on the other hand, are throwaways as far as I'm concerned. The regular size ones do get better steel. I got mine with a flashlight for $20 on sale, and I felt ripped off.
 
Don't get me wrong, the Mini Covert is not a horrible knife, it's just that the Valloton, Fast Draw, Harsey Air Ranger, and Parrish Bird knife would be better choices for a Gerber - strictly my opinion, though.
 
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