In Praise of Gerber

J

jvan

Joined
Apr 19, 2006
Messages
863
I realize that this flies in the face of accepted opinions but I happen to like a partiicular Gerber knife. About two years ago I was looking for some inexpensive knives to be given out as gifts and ended up purchasing several Gerber LST Fine Edge knives from Ira Woods, I believe that they were about $15 each.

They have a 440 series stainless steel blade and are lock-back in configuration.

I kept two of these around and have been using one for a period of time now. Some of the features that I appreciate are the ability to open using one hand after a little practice, it holds a fairly decent edge for a period of time and only needs some touch-up on the Sharpmaker occasionaly, it weighs .6 ounces and almost disappears in your pocket and most surprising of all is that it locks up rock solid with no balde play whatsoever.

In my mind it is one of the better knife bargains that I have run across. Anyone else use them?

John
 
I EDC'd an LST for a couple of years about 20 years ago. It was OK for the price and the time. Quality and lock up were good. Sharpening was easy. Edge retention was so-so. Don't know about the current versions. If you say the quality is OK I will believe you.

If you say Gerber still makes a good LST, I'm glad to hear it.
 
I bought a couple of LSTs a few years back. The good points about the knives (no pun intended) is that they are light ,cheap and easy to sharpen. The downside is that they dull fairly easy and can't take much hard use without breaking.

I always keep one in my fishing box for cleaning fish on the lake, and last year lost one in the middle of the lake. Because of the price I didn't loose any sleep over this.

In the realm of cheaper knives I personally have found that the Spyderco byrd knives offer much better quality at about 5 bucks more than the cheap Gerbers.
 
bcornelis said:
I bought a couple of LSTs a few years back. The good points about the knives (no pun intended) is that they are light ,cheap and easy to sharpen. The downside is that they dull fairly easy and can't take much hard use without breaking.

I always keep one in my fishing box for cleaning fish on the lake, and last year lost one in the middle of the lake. Because of the price I didn't loose any sleep over this.

In the realm of cheaper knives I personally have found that the Spyderco byrd knives offer much better quality at about 5 bucks more than the cheap Gerbers.
Click to expand...

100% agreed - Gerber and Puma are both living on reputations earned in the 60's, 70's, and early 80's when they made some of the best folders in the world. Most of the stuff they're putting out now is a disgrace compared to the high quality knives they produced their heyday.

I'd heard good things about the Byrds and finally ordered a Robin. The knife has very nice G-10 scales and the fit and finish is on a par with knives costing three to four times as much. If there is a better buy in the knife world than the G-10 Byrd's I have not seen it.
 
I used to carry one of these Gerbers too. I liked it and always considered it a good knife. Like a couple of you, I carried it for years, getting it in the mid-80s.

I've graduated to Spydercos, Sebenzas, and a small custom fixed blade (5"OAL).

I still have the Gerber and it still locks-up just fine.

:)
 
same here ...had a lst for years....very good blade,,tip broke off,,,my fault,,seen some for sale at my local sports authority for like $ 11....probably pick a couple up...
 
I still got 2 that I got from RCBS/outers/CCI O-mark industries when they were a conglomerate. they had ivory micarta handles (now Yellowed) and the mentioned companies branded on one side. used them for skinning and deboning game (my pre,pre custom days), they were good for a coupla deer so long as you did'nt carve into the bones too hard lol. They touched up real nice though. I don't know about the current ones but these older ones came fully polished, mirrored like a custom knife....oh well like they say, they don't make 'em like they used too :)
 
I have had four - can't find the first. Black in tumbled with pocket clip, red with polished blade, and a mini.

They were my first non traditional knives, along with some MarksI/II's, and started me down the long road of addiction . . .
 
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