Vintage Gerber LSTs

W

wbnash

Joined
Jan 23, 2014
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I have had some fun recently by adding some vintage Gerber LSTs to my collection. I have been particularly interested in those with colored handles and the early Micarta scale versions.

I have been watching Ebay, but was wondering if any of you know of any other good sources for these models. Thanks in advance for the help.

Walter in Tucson AZ
 
What a fun idea. LSTs are great knife that most people don't even think about. Do you have one with an orange handle?
 
No orange handle. I had one years ago, but it got away from me somehow.

Have some with ivory and maroon micarta scales, some blue, black, camo and red Zytel scales...various of them in the three sizes; a couple of the partially serrated blades; some satin, polished and black blades.

I wish I could find an article or link that describes all the ones they made.
 
As far as the vintage micarta ones, they usually came in westinghouse ivory (that turned a nice yellow with age) and the burgundy.
There may have been a black in there too.
They had the kind with the lanyard hole that had a more rounded end, and early ones without the hole that were more squared out.
There was a yellow one with some reloading brands on it too.

They were the FIRST production folders with micarta ONLY scales and NO LINER. Or so it's been said.

I have an ivory and burgundy one now, and I just leave them alone.
I've had around 6 total at various times.
WARNING, as nice and handy and light as the vintage ones are, BE CAREFUL with these.
They were not the best made, and if you mess with them enough, open and closing them, the tension rod for the lockback will pop out of place.
It's NOT as easy to just pop it back in by loosening/widening the scales and sliding it back in,
then clamping it shut in a vice.
UNLESS, you're use to fixing/making/repairing knives.
You run the risk of ruining the scales or "whitening" them at the pinned areas.

I no longer mess with mine, I had 3 pop out and I just sold them for parts.
I've moved on to better made micarta slabbed lockbacks WITH LINERS, like old Al Mars and the last Kershaw 1993 offerings.
Larger and heavier, but much stronger, and I can open/close them all I want and never noticed the tension rod loosening.

The Gerbers are just collectible and too delicate to use, I think.
Plus the others mentioned above had much better steel / heat treat / and blade dimensions/grinds (IMO).

Welcome aboard!
 
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