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I used to carry around a little spyderco knife but it has a fatal flaw: it's too expensive and I can never get it back to factory sharpness. Sharpening knives is a total hassle--I've spent too much time doing it and it never comes out as good as I want. Anyway I used to carry around a spyderco but for simple things like opening packages or cutting anything that's not soft, I wouldn't want to use it for fear of dulling the blade. I got frustrated with the dilemma after a while and wished there was something like my utility knives that I use to cut anything and everything without worrying about it. Then I found this product. What a great idea! I now use this for an every-day carry knife.
Features of this product that I like:
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* Nice big interchangeable blade. I use it any time I want to cut something...anything. Doesn't have to be a high-quality target. I don't worry about dulling it because the blade and easily and cheaply be swapped.
* Good quality blade comes with it. It's quite sharp and it's very thick...much thicker than the blades you would pick up if you just went to a hardware store and grabbed the first set you found. I've read reviewers that said it doesn't work as well once you put in the "standard thickness" blades. I'm fine with getting the thick stuff because it's strong against lateral stresses--more like a regular pocket knife. You could use this knife to, for example, whittle. I'm not sure I'd use a regular knife for whittling because it would dull too fast. I wouldn't use a regular utility blade to whittle because it would bend too easily.
* Locking mechanism works great. It stays open and won't close until you push the locking mechanism aside. That won't happen by accident, it's easy to do, and unlocking it doesn't endanger the fingers thanks to the little finger guard they have there.
* Build quality is quite good. It's heavy, shiny, and smooth. The resistance to opening is appropriate. That is, it's easy to open when you want to but the blade doesn't just fall open in your pocket or elsewhere. There's a real light click when you open it and then smooth operation until you get it fully open. I don't open blades with a single hand, so I don't sympathize with people who want really easy-opening. That would be dangerous.
* This tool is about as small as it can reasonably get and accommodate the blades it uses. I have heard someone say the pointy end of the blade pokes out beyond the handle. I haven't seen that...must be a different brand of blade that person was using.
* When the knife is closed, the blade doesn't come in contact with the handle anywhere, so it's not getting dull or developing notches.
* Fit in the hand is good. I mean, it compares well with a pocket knife. I don't put my finger on the little metal thing that holds the blade in. I think if I did, I would find this uncomfortable to hold. As it is, it's real nice. Mind you, it's not the kind of ergonomics that I would require if I were cutting things all day. But remember, this is a replacement for a pocketknife (seldom used) not a utility knife (used all day by some people). I would never cut carpet or shingles or something with this. I wouldn't even use it if my job were to open boxes all day. This is for occasional use. Use it in place of a pocket knife.
Couple of things that could be better:
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* I don't understand why knives like this have clips. I always carry it low in the pocket and the clip is just in the way. The clip comes off very easily (though it is destroyed in the process). Simply bend the clip out then push it in a little. There's a little hook on the inside of the handle where the clip attaches and once the clip is bent it pops right out. I have removed and disposed of my clip.
* Underneath the clip the level of the handle and of the knife-holding mechanism isn't quite flat. It doesn't affect anything but aesthetically I would prefer if it were flat. Minimal is good but it has to all match up.
* This knife is made of surprisingly thick and heavy metal. It weighs a lot in the pocket...as much as larger knives of other brands. Maybe that's because of the all-steel construction. Anyway, it's heavier than I'd like. Maybe they wanted to make it lighter but the resulting knife wouldn't have enough strength or something.
* I would have liked to have had a hole drilled somewhere so I could put it on a lanyard or even keychain. It's a bit heavy for that, but overall I think that would be a more likely use than the clip it comes with. I have looked around for a place that I could safely drill and use but there really isn't one in this design. Maybe if the main hinge had a hole in it or something.
Closing Comments
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I kind of alluded to this a little bit above: This is a pocket knife. Not a replacement for a Stanley utility knife or competitor. It does a great job being minimal in the pocket and working in a pinch for occasional light or heavy duty. Everyone I have seen who have given this a bad review did so because they wanted to use it professionally, cutting drywall or carpet or something. For those uses you want a full-sized utility knife with much better ergonomics. Also those full sized ones allow the blade to come out only partially, if you want to make shallow cuts. And they carry spares and stuff. There are lots of things a utility knife should have that this does not. I do not consider that a problem. This is a pocket knife. There are few or no things that a pocketknife has that this lacks.
I recommend this to anyone who currently carries a pocketknife around and sometimes doesn't use it because they don't want to dull the blade.
| Brand | GERBER |
|---|---|
| Color | Stainless Steel |
| Item Length | 5.1 Inches |
| Handle Material | Stainless Steel |
| Blade Material | Stainless Steel |
| Item Weight | 2.29 ounces |
| Blade Length | 2.25 Inches |
| Style | Lite |
| Handle Type | stainless steel |
| Manufacturer | Gerber |
| UPC | 013658115279 |
| Global Trade Identification Number | 00013658115279 |
| Part Number | 31-000345 |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | 31-000345 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Size | 2.3" |
| Power Source | hand_powered |
| Item Package Quantity | 1 |
| Number Of Pieces | 1 |
| Blade Edge | Compound Bevel |
| Special Features | Foldable |
| Batteries Included? | No |
| Batteries Required? | No |
| Warranty Description | Limited Lifetime Warranty |