One of my new favorites!

J

Jason Burns

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Jan 20, 2001
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One of my new favorite knife deals is the Gerber Air Ranger II

The Gerber Air Ranger is a solid choice for a knife under $50! It is available in small (3.25" blade) or large (3.75" blade). The small can be had for about $40 and the large for about $50!

Either is made with anodized aluminum scales and a liner lock. The scales are very grippy but not abrasive. The pocket clip rides fairly deep and is very sturdy. The blades on both are perfectly centered and the grinds are nearly perfect on both models and the aus-8 blades came "scary sharp"! overall I am very impressed with the value on both of these but the inclusion of LAWKS on the large model makes it an exceptional knife. There is absolutely NO play in either knife!

Great knife for the money IMHO!!!:D :D :D
 

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They do look good at that price range. I do not have any experience with this particular knife, but have not really liked Gerber knives that I have tried in the past. They have always seemed a bit low in build quality. I would have to get my hands on one of these to know if would like it better.
 
KWM,
I agree that Gerber has had some "bad years"! I liked Gerber International from more than a decade ago . . . then it seemed that quality took a nosedive!:(
Some of their recent releases, however, have been great knives! I have given away several AR 3.00 knives and a couple of Air Rangers. The newer version with the textured thumb stud, pivot, and nicer scales is awesome! I ordered three of these with a friend from Kristi @ BLFKW . . . my friend said I could pick the best one . . . they were all absolutely flawless.:D :eek: :D
 
One problem with some gerbers is that sometimes the blade bumps up against the spacers, and thereby dulling the point of contact, when the knife is closed. see if that's an issue with this one.

if not, then i may pick one up, too!
 
I got one about 6 months ago, and the small Air Ranger was the first knife I ever bought that was not either attached to a Multitool or a total piece of crap. I can honestly say that it is what "turned me on" to knives.

To be honest, I think that it was responsible for establishing a lot of my current cutlery preferances. For example, I still only buy liner/frame locks with metal handles and an approx. 3 inch blade. It is still one of my favorites, and was my standard user knife until it was recently replaced by a Camillus EDC, and has held up very well.

The only problem that i've noticed with it is a very strong tendancy to work that "adjustable pivot" loose extremely quick, invariably when its least convenient.

It has now been relegated to workshop/automotive use, which for me at least is the folder equivalent of being sent to the Russian front, few have ever returned in one piece.
 
Jason, I just noticed the white circle above the pocket clip of the Large in that picture you posted. I know that my Small doesn't ahev anything similar to this. Is this an actual part of the knife, ot jsut a mark on the picture?
 
Fishbulb, that's the LAWKS "switch." (Like on the Columbia River Knife and Tool version of the Kasper Fighting Folder.)
 
Jason,How do these Gerbers compare to CRKT Crawford/Kaspers? Also what country of origin?thanks,tom.
 
The "circle" is indeed the LAWKS lever. It is not on the small model and works incredibly well at providing the extra security needed on a large folder.
These are both made in Taiwan and IMHO I prefer these over the CRKTs! The grinds are flawless and the anodized aluminum scales are great! In response to the "loosening pivot" that seems to have been "solved" with the generation II model. If you notice, these are not quite the same as the first generation Air Ranger. These have a new pivot arrangement and grippier scales and thumb stud. (I will try to post a shot of the other side soon.)
 
I have an Air Rranger II on the way from Dennis Bible. Should have it this week. I've always liked Harsey designs. Gerber has been making a strong come back ever since the Airframe. I find their folders to better than earlier CRKT. I haven't owned a CRKT since an Apache so I don't think I'm qualified to comment on recent knives like their Kasper and Kasper Pro which would be in the same general category as the Air Ranger. I'll add more comments to this when I get my Air Ranger II.

One complaint I do have with Gerber is their poor advertising. You can't even find the Air Ranger II on their site.
 
Are you sure the handles are aluminum? Knifecenter states they are G-10. Are there two different types?
 
Nice lookers. Quality of steel is more important to me than fancy locks, though, so in that price range I'd still choose a Spydie Delica or Endura instead.

Still if someone wants to send me one to tote for a few months - purely for evaluation purposes, mind you - I'd be glad to have it! :p
 
I have seen several sites post that the Air Ranger has G10, and I have only ever seen them in aluminum. I think this is just a case of mistaken identification, as the scales are dull and dark enough to look very un-aluminum in a picture. I can see where this knife would be in direct competition with the Endura/Delica models, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to anybody who is considering them but looking for a more conventional design. I think that the Small version especially would be a great first knife to get somebody into cutlery. I know it was for me.
 
Thanks for the pictures Jason.., I hadn't seen one of those Gerbers close up...appreciated!


"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what the [NEED]"
 
It is strange to read that Gerber had quality problems. The first high quality folder I bought was a Gerber Sportsman III. It was very much like a Buck folding hunter only thinner. It cost $45 back in 1976 (that was a lot of money then for me). This knife was made of solid brass with a 440C blade and some sort of tropical wood inlay. It was so heavy you had to use the provided green leather belt pouch. I used to polish the handle with Brasso and it would shine! It was stolen from my truck 10 years ago. It was not a practical carry knife but I still miss it.
 
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