Gerber knives and ATS 34, opinions?

[Matt Shade]

I just saw some pictures of Gerber's new line of liner locks, or at least one of them was new and the rest I had never seen before. Anyhow, are they any better than gerbers other knives? I never thought that gerbers were all that bad, but their blades never really seem to take an edge with the steel they were using. And there were lots of complaints on the lockup of the EZ-out line. Their multi tools are great though, aside from the blades.
Anyhow, are thier liner locks any good, in terms of fit and lockup? I don't care if you can put the knife in a vise and jump up and down on the handle, but I want a solid lockup.
And, did they take care of the lockup problems in the EZ-out line of knives when they started making them in ATS34? They look like the pivot on the locking bar is so far back that it gives the tang to much leverage over the backspring, which I've heard is weak to begin with.
And finally, is the heat treat good enough for the ATS 34 that they will take a good edge and hold it for a reasonable amount of time? I'm interested in users, so finish isn't of a lot of importance.
Thanks.

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It'll feel better when it stops hurting.

 

Have a "Gator" in ATS-34, color of steel is a bit "blue" for my gusto. Was very easy to
sharpen (You know that Gerberblades are often asymetrically ground...), seemed "soft" but was acceptable edge retaining.
New "Gatormate" in ATS-34, less blue, harder to sharpen, is now VERY sharp and "good" holding edge, better than "Gator" above.
EZ-out was VERY hard, steel was more yellowish, good edge keeping.
Happy sharpening

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D.T. UTZINGER

 

[Matt Shade]

Thanks.
I think I'm going to see about getting an EZ-out in ATS34. I've always liked the way they look, and there has been times I would have liked to be carying something a little bigger than my delica. Its between the EZ-out and the spyderco endura right now. I really like how the ATS 55 performs in the delica, but the gerber is cheaper, and ATS34 is good stuff to if its done right.

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It'll feel better when it stops hurting.

 

[Frag]

Matt, I don't have an EZ Out, but I do have an Endura, and here are my thoughts:
You're right that the EZ Out is considerbly cheaper (by almost half) than the Endura, so if money is the deciding factor for you, then go with the EZ Out. I love my Endura and I can tell you that it's a great knife for the money. What you might want to do is go to the local knife store (if there is one in your area) and handle both knives so you can get an idea of which one feels better in your hand, rides better in your pocket, etc. The Endura has a reversible pocket clip if that's important to you and I can tell you that every Spyderco I've got comes REAL sharp right from the box. They all take and hold an edge really well and are easy to sharpen because the bevels are ground relatively thin. Spyderco offers a great warranty and free sharpening service. I honestly don't know what warranty Gerber offers. The Endura will be very similar to your Delica in almost every respect, only bigger!

I'm sure you can't go wrong with either knife, and both will probably serve you well for a long time. I would rather pay a bit more for a knife that might be slightly better quality-wise. But I don't have the Gerber EZ Out so I'm biased. Take a look at both knives before you buy (if you can) and pick the one you like the best for the money you want to spend. Remember that you're the one that will be carrying it, cutting with it, and has to pay for it!

Good luck, enjoy whichever one you get, and let us know what you decide! If you get the EZ Out, I'd love to hear what you think of it!

[This message has been edited by Frag (edited 07-04-2000).]

 

[Matt Shade]

I've only bought one spyderco ( my combo edge delica in ATS55) and I was very impressed with the quality of it for its price range. And it has done everything I wanted it to very well. the trouble is there are no knife stores around here that I know of, other than the usual meijers and wal mart stuff. Lowes actually started carrying a big selelction of Gerber, Case, and Leatherman stuff, but I don't think they have an EZout in ATS34. So I'm going to go to the store sometime and see how I like the feel of one of the EZ outs in the lower qualtiy steel and then decide if I want the endura or if I'm going to try an EZ out.
Thanks again.

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It'll feel better when it stops hurting.

 

[Summerland]

Matt,
I own both Spyderco Delica and Endura as well as the Gerber EZ-Out. Here's my thoughts:

The EZOut is light, thin, and inexpensive. It is possible to open it very quickly with a wrist flick as well. The non-ATS variety steel does not hold an edge as well as my Spydercos, and--in case such things matter to you, I know the forum is still divided on this issue--if fails the spine whack test every time.

Have no complaints about the Spydies. I love em!

You might also want to check out the new Gerber AR and SLG models.