Gerber Ultralight LST Alternatives?

D

darks

Joined
Jan 27, 2015
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129
Hey all, my Dad's birthday is coming up and I was looking to get him a knife to replace his Gerber Ultralight LST. He loves the size and weight of the knife, so I was looking for something along those lines with a better steel than the 420HC. I was looking at the Spyderco Ladybug in ZDP-189 or the new one with the laminated HAP40, but I don't know if the thumb ramp will be to his liking.

Does anybody have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.
 
If you want something more traditional then maybe the Moki Fishowl or Al Mar Hawk. For a more modern style the Spyderco Chapparal or Spyderco Air.
 
It's not really a steel upgrade, but Case makes some very similar knives. I think Fällkniven has some that might fit the bill.
 
fsatsil said:
For a more modern style the Spyderco Chapparal or Spyderco Air.
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+1 Just picked up a Spyderco Air myself a week ago. Can't believe I waited to buy this for so long...it's a fantastic small folder; a modern fly weight gent's folder w/some of the sliciest' M4 steel I've ever seen! Then compared it to a 30yr. old Gerber Ultralight LST I had in a kitchen drawer, and I think most would agree that the Air is a (20% larger in every dimen.) great high-end substitute as an LST replacement...especially as a gift for your dad! Pros: No clip like the LST + the thumb ramp is much less obtrusive than other Spydes'. Con: M4 will patina.
 
Check out the AG Russell Featherlite. I love these. Affordable, choice of steels, choice of blade shape, choice of carry method; slim and lightweight; easy to use one-hand opening... all-around, just a great pocketknife for the price.

Another similar knife is the line of Dozier knives from Ka-Bar. I wouldn't prefer a Dozier over the AG Russell, but a lot of forum users have said how much they like them. They do come in a nice variety of sizes, colors, and blade shapes.

Buck is another option. I'm not too familiar with their current lineup but I'm confident they'll have something similar to the Gerber LST.
 
Awesome! Thanks for all of the helpful tips. My wheelhouse has always been "tactical" folders in the 3"-4" range so I really didn't know where to start looking beyond some of the more common brands.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
It's not really a steel upgrade, but Case makes some very similar knives. I think Fällkniven has some that might fit the bill.
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+1 on the Fällkniven. The U2 or U4 would be perfect they are very similar in style to the Gerber LST but with huge steel upgrade.
 
I love the Case Mini Blackhorn, but they use 420HC. It'd be wonderful if they did a run in CV.

There are a couple knives that I've been pretty impressed with. One is the Sanrenmu 681 or 6040. These knives are identical to each other, don't know why they use two different model numbers. 8cr13mov blade with high hollow grind and a nice clip point. While similar in size to the Gerber, they are quite refined, a lockback with liners, frn handles, a removable pocket clip, and thumb studs. It squeezes a lot of blade in a small closed package and even has a stop pin that prevents blade slap when closed. It really is a fantastic knife worth several times its price.

An outside possibility , constructed very similarly to the Gerber, is the Klein Tools 44002 lockback. Linerless molded frn handle with rubbery inserts, with spear point AUS-8 blade and reversable/removable thumb stud, no pocket clips. Made in Japan. Don't know who makes it, though it does have a great resemblance to a Moki model that didn't seem to have much availability in the US. This knife is a little larger than the Gerber.
 
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Does your Dad not like his old LST? I have 3 ranging from 30 down to 5 years old. Great knife and Gerber steel holds a nice edge. I carry mine quiff often. For the size and weight they are hard to beat. Have you asked your dad what he wants?
 
The fallkniven U4 looks perfect. Same style, size, and weight as the lst, just better.
 
I just ordered a spyderco roadie to replace a little buck similar to the LST. Both the Air and Hawk were just too spendy for me for what they are. The $40 roadie is small, light, thin, unique and fulfills most of what I need in a suit - appropriate platform.
 
NMpops said:
Does your Dad not like his old LST? I have 3 ranging from 30 down to 5 years old. Great knife and Gerber steel holds a nice edge. I carry mine quiff often. For the size and weight they are hard to beat. Have you asked your dad what he wants?
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He likes it very much, that's why I'm trying to find a knife that closely resembles it but offers a bit more quality.
 
The big problem is the weight of the Gerber or lack thereof. Not a ton of equivalents out there the air, Featherlite and kabar dozier lockback are all in that less than 2 ounce range. I like traditionals myself. A case mini trapper wharncliffe, mini copperlock, half whittler, gec 66/68 are all really nice alternatives.
 
U2_4ab9d45b01d99.jpg

u4.jpg
 
darks said:
I think that's what I'm going to go with, but the smaller U4 as it more closely matches the ultralight lst.
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They have a great feeling in the hand, too. I like that they do make it in zytel despite the blade being pretty ritzy. A lot of folks look down on fiber reinforced nylons as pedestrian but the fact that they're economical doesn't change the fact that they're also light, incredibly strong, impervious to the elements, and pretty darn scratch-resistant. It's good stuff that just also happens to to be less expensive than other materials. :thumbup:
 
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