Gerber fastball blade bounces out of the handle when I close it

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y53p

Joined
May 11, 2022
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301
Just bought a fastball, came in not too sharp, the grind is absolutely terrible and the blade is off center. But putting that aside I've also noticed that when closing the knife the blade just bounces out of the handle and I have to awkwardly push it down to close it all the way. This doesn't happen every single time but it does happen sometimes, the opening system is good but the whole closing deal is just awkward and clunky, with having to push the blade off the ball bearing and then it either goes down too fast or too slow, it feels like a guillotine. Anyone else having this problem or is this just how the knife is/is my knife defective?
 
Sorry, friend, modern Gerber...
This is why I want to rec everyone my "dirty under 30" list, of my top 30 knives from old backlocks that haven't changed for a hundred years to modern OHO knives, that can be had in a real steel at a good price in a free country.
 
Yep, return it and get your money back. Years ago, I would recommend two Gerber products. The Strongarm when it was $50 (+/-) or the Gator when it was 154CM and $40 (+/-). Both were *good* deals imo. I wouldn't recommend Gerber to folks now.
 
gazz98 said:
Yep, return it and get your money back. Years ago, I would recommend two Gerber products. The Strongarm when it was $50 (+/-) or the Gator when it was 154CM and $40 (+/-). Both were *good* deals imo. I wouldn't recommend Gerber to folks now.
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Yeah I'm likely going to return it, the opening mechanism is also quite serrated and digs into my finger. What folding knives do you suggest at around $100 (130 max) that have a high end steel like s30v or something similar? (I was thinking about a benchmade but they are so expensive and I'd end up be scared to even use it like I would any other knife)
 
y53p said:
Yeah I'm likely going to return it, the opening mechanism is also quite serrated and digs into my finger. What folding knives do you suggest at around $100 (130 max) that have a high end steel like s30v or something similar? (I was thinking about a benchmade but they are so expensive and I'd end up be scared to even use it like I would any other knife)
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There are too many good choices. It could be worth using the advanced search functions at one of the supporting dealers here, such as BladeHQ or Knife Center. Then you can narrow things down based on criteria that matter to you, such as opening method or blade shape.

A word on steel, heat treatment matters. Super steels like S30V, S35VN, or M390 without the best heat treatment are still usually decent. They just might not live up to the hype. (This is especially true for a lot of the budget D2.) Meanwhile, a modest steel like 9Cr18Mov or 14C28N with a good heat treatment can perform pretty well in an EDC role. For instance, WE has perfected their heat treatment for 9Cr18Mov. As a result, their Civivi, Sencut, and Ferrum Forge knives in 9Cr18Mov can achieve edge retention somewhere between that of your average VG-10 and S30V.

To get started or maybe just do some fun window shopping, here is a link to all the Civivi knives in decent stainless. They are on the opposite end of the quality spectrum from Gerber. They probably offer the best bang for the buck overall.

CIVIVI Knives - Quality Pocket Knives | Blade HQ

CIVIVI specializes in budget EDC knives that don't skimp on quality. They offer a wide range of knives that will stand up to your toughest jobs.
www.bladehq.com www.bladehq.com
 
y53p said:
What folding knives do you suggest at around $100 (130 max) that have a high end steel like s30v or something similar? (I was thinking about a benchmade but they are so expensive and I'd end up be scared to even use it like I would any other knife)
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We'll be happy to suggest other choices. A few questions first to narrow stuff down.

1. The Fastball is a 3" blade. Do you need to keep the blade length to 3" or under for it to be legal to carry where you are? I'll keep the blade length at 3" or under for now.

2. Do you have a habit of losing things? Keys, wallet, etc. Sometimes people who lose things on a regular basis on reluctant to carry knives that might be lost. If that is the case with you, no problem, we will just find some less expensive options for you. Better to lose a $50 knife then $100. You won't get S30V at that price but you can still get a decent steel.

3. Does the blade have to lock? If slip joints are ok, you get more options.

https://www.knifecenter.com/item/BM...rop-point-plain-blade-black-noryl-gtx-handles

KnifeJoy has a 20CV Delica. I own one the spear point, also a wharncliffe version.

https://www.bladehq.com/item--CIVIVI-Elementum-Liner-Lock-Knife--113481

https://www.collectorknives.net/sho...k-snakewood-handles-m390-steel-ck0213sw-cull/
 
gazz98 said:
We'll be happy to suggest other choices. A few questions first to narrow stuff down.

1. The Fastball is a 3" blade. Do you need to keep the blade length to 3" or under for it to be legal to carry where you are? I'll keep the blade length at 3" or under for now.

2. Do you have a habit of losing things? Keys, wallet, etc. Sometimes people who lose things on a regular basis on reluctant to carry knives that might be lost. If that is the case with you, no problem, we will just find some less expensive options for you. Better to lose a $50 knife then $100. You won't get S30V at that price but you can still get a decent steel.

3. Does the blade have to lock? If slip joints are ok, you get more options.

https://www.knifecenter.com/item/BM...rop-point-plain-blade-black-noryl-gtx-handles

KnifeJoy has a 20CV Delica. I own one the spear point, also a wharncliffe version.

https://www.bladehq.com/item--CIVIVI-Elementum-Liner-Lock-Knife--113481

https://www.collectorknives.net/sho...k-snakewood-handles-m390-steel-ck0213sw-cull/
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I’d like a knife with about the same blade length as the fastball give or take (I live in Italy and here blade length generally isn’t a problem simply because you have to have a right reason to be carrying a knife no matter how long it is. So you basically can’t walk around in the city with a one hand opening knife with a locking blade, but if you have the same exact knife in the mountains and you are in a context in which you have a clear reason to be carrying said knife. However some knives are illegal a priori no matter the context and are considered proper weapons, hence needing a permit to even own them (which I have no intention of getting). These knives are automatic knives, balisongs, assisted knives, gravity knives and double edged knives. You simply can’t lawfully own these without a permit, which is only granted to members of the law force, I had to refund a Boker Kalashnikov because of this).
So we’re only left with unassisted (hence the fastball was ok according to the law), one handed opening knives with a locking blade being acceptable depending on the context.

I usually don’t lose things, but I’d like to get a high end knife that I don’t have rebuy, hence with a high end steel/mid end with a good heat treatment, and preferably aluminum/sturdy scales. I was thinking about something like a 940 but it’s crazy expensive and I don’t want to commit to it that much, so I’d like something preferably around/below $130/140. Also I’d be glad if you could suggest knives from international/non niche or anyway knife companies that are not strictly limited to the us, unfortunately we don’t have websites like knife center and bladehq here, so the options are amazon and a couple local websites.
 
Try the Civivi Elememtum bladehw exclusive in S35VN. It's an under 3in BB flipper and should feel better yet simar to your fastball.
 
Ahh You are in Italy. Well, thankfully you have Lionsteel, Viper, Fox, and MKM in Italy. I admittedly don't know how US prices translate to be shipped to Italy.

Are the prices for Lionsteel in your local shops close to MSRP? What is the price of a Lionsteel Integral Thrill slip joint for example? It's listed as $120 and premium M390 steel on the US websites.
 
gazz98 said:
Ahh You are in Italy. Well, thankfully you have Lionsteel, Viper, Fox, and MKM in Italy. I admittedly don't know how US prices translate to be shipped to Italy.

Are the prices for Lionsteel in your local shops close to MSRP? What is the price of a Lionsteel Integral Thrill slip joint for example? It's listed as $120 and premium M390 steel on the US websites.
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yep, same price for that one here
 
When you are having a bad day, throw it out the window at someone driving too slow.
 
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