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Gerber Basic Knife -
The Gerber Basic knife is the perfect companion for the minimalist who wants to go light and fast with a sturdy, affordable blade.
Please Note: This product is not able to be shipped to addresses in New York.
Imported.
Insulation:
- The Gerber Basic knife snaps securely into its rigid sheath; pocket clip is reversible for right- or left-hand and tip-up or tip-down carry
Features:
- Solid stainless-steel design with partial nylon/rubber overlay on the handle is super light and tough
Average Price History:
| Activity: | Camping |
|---|---|
| Blade material: | Stainless steel |
| Handle material: | Stainless steel with nylon/rubber inlay |
| Knife blade type: | Partially serrated |
| Lanyard ring: | Yes |
| Max blade length (in.): | 3.4 inches |
| Number of blades: | 1 |
| Weight: | 3.8 ounces |
Compare specifications to related products.
Gerber Basic Knife Reviews:
Positive Reviews:
Great knife to carry everyday/everywhere
The Basic is what it is... a small, strong knife you can have on you at all times. I'm a big guy with large hands and I love this knife. It is sharp and strong enough to handle most tasks when you need it. It is easily sharpened with stone or diamond. The sheath is stiff at first but breaks in. I've worn my Basic everyday for over a year.
Outdoors, it is my backup knife that is small, light and easy to have on me in case I lose my primary. Because the Basic is a small knife, I carry a more substantial fixed blade (Gator) or lockback (AR 3.5) when hiking, fishing, or anywhere I expect to do a lot of cutting. So I'll tuck the Basic in my waistband. Or I'll attach to a belt or MOLLE - Tip - the clip bends easily alone and will slip off if you try to attach it outside and you are active. So if I'm attaching it sheath side out, after I run the clip behind what fastening it to, I use a small zip tie, run it through the hold on the clip, and around the sheath to hold it place - so it cannot slide off the strap. I'll carry it on a pack, vest, or life jacket. Also, the screws on the clip may loosen, but Loctite solves that.
Around home and office, it is my primary everyday knife. I don't need a knife everyday when at home, but I tuck it inside my waistband (jeans, shorts, dockers, dresspants); it's small enough it's undetectable in the waistband and it's out of my pocket clutter... it's ready if I need it.
Outdoors, it is my backup knife that is small, light and easy to have on me in case I lose my primary. Because the Basic is a small knife, I carry a more substantial fixed blade (Gator) or lockback (AR 3.5) when hiking, fishing, or anywhere I expect to do a lot of cutting. So I'll tuck the Basic in my waistband. Or I'll attach to a belt or MOLLE - Tip - the clip bends easily alone and will slip off if you try to attach it outside and you are active. So if I'm attaching it sheath side out, after I run the clip behind what fastening it to, I use a small zip tie, run it through the hold on the clip, and around the sheath to hold it place - so it cannot slide off the strap. I'll carry it on a pack, vest, or life jacket. Also, the screws on the clip may loosen, but Loctite solves that.
Around home and office, it is my primary everyday knife. I don't need a knife everyday when at home, but I tuck it inside my waistband (jeans, shorts, dockers, dresspants); it's small enough it's undetectable in the waistband and it's out of my pocket clutter... it's ready if I need it.
Good Knife.
I don't see anything wrong with the design of this knife. I wanted a small fixed blade to carry in my boot. The interchangeable pocket clip is perfect, whether you carry it on your belt, in your boot, or on a strap on your back pack.
If you aren't planning on moving your clip back and forth alot, I recommend using blue loctite on the screws to help them stay tight(also so you dont lose the Gerber plate like mentioned above).
As for the tightness of the sheath, no worries. Almost every locking blade I've had from Buck's, Kershaw's S&W's, Gerber's, either need broken in(loosened), or adjusted. I realize this sheath is plastic, and mine too is slightly carving out a bit of plastic on the top side, but if you use the thumb depress on the top when you pull the knife from the sheath, it starts to get smoother. I do hope that the sheath doesn't crack or split like the gentleman's above, but time will tell, remember, this knife is only about $40. I don't expect to use it daily for 25 years.
I for one like the small handle, the rubber inlay is soft and grippy. I tied a lanyard on the handle so my pinky finger also had something(kinda) to grip.
I recommend this if you want a small, lightweight knife. Remember, buy whatever knife you need for your application.
If you aren't planning on moving your clip back and forth alot, I recommend using blue loctite on the screws to help them stay tight(also so you dont lose the Gerber plate like mentioned above).
As for the tightness of the sheath, no worries. Almost every locking blade I've had from Buck's, Kershaw's S&W's, Gerber's, either need broken in(loosened), or adjusted. I realize this sheath is plastic, and mine too is slightly carving out a bit of plastic on the top side, but if you use the thumb depress on the top when you pull the knife from the sheath, it starts to get smoother. I do hope that the sheath doesn't crack or split like the gentleman's above, but time will tell, remember, this knife is only about $40. I don't expect to use it daily for 25 years.
I for one like the small handle, the rubber inlay is soft and grippy. I tied a lanyard on the handle so my pinky finger also had something(kinda) to grip.
I recommend this if you want a small, lightweight knife. Remember, buy whatever knife you need for your application.
Gerber Basic has it's Place
This Gerber has proved to be a convenient fixed blade every day carry, and also a great addition to my life vest. It's sheath is very simple with a good amount of tension so that the knife will not come out when you do not want it to, but is very QUICK and SIMPLE to pull out when needed.
In my opinion, the clip that screws onto the sheath could have been better designed. Possibly with an inward J to grip more sturdily.
It is thin and short enough to carry in one's front jean pocket which is a plus for a fixed blade. (I remove the clip if I plan on carrying it in my pocket.)
The durability, blade/serrations, and grip are all decent and hold up to the GERBER name. It is as much, if not more than, you can ask for for the cost.
*My roommate bought the knife after one trip with me because he also liked it so much. My boss also owns one, and she loves it too.
In my opinion, the clip that screws onto the sheath could have been better designed. Possibly with an inward J to grip more sturdily.
It is thin and short enough to carry in one's front jean pocket which is a plus for a fixed blade. (I remove the clip if I plan on carrying it in my pocket.)
The durability, blade/serrations, and grip are all decent and hold up to the GERBER name. It is as much, if not more than, you can ask for for the cost.
*My roommate bought the knife after one trip with me because he also liked it so much. My boss also owns one, and she loves it too.
Mis guided reviews
So, I am slightly confused as to some of these reviews. first, if you push the sheath up with your thumb while grabbing handle it comes out just fine. My screws came loose through use and I lost the Gerber plate.
My only rants are the half serrated blade, I hate these styles of blades, and prefer a full smooth blade. Second, the clip isn't as secure as it could be and The sheath would be better if it fit lower on the belt so less of the handle stuck up. I pokes in the back or in the side if you bend too much. Other than that Gerber is on the right track.
My only rants are the half serrated blade, I hate these styles of blades, and prefer a full smooth blade. Second, the clip isn't as secure as it could be and The sheath would be better if it fit lower on the belt so less of the handle stuck up. I pokes in the back or in the side if you bend too much. Other than that Gerber is on the right track.
Good Knife for the Price.
Love everything about this knife. I bought it before my latest camping trip and it came in very handy in the woods. My only complaint is with the sheath. Wearing the knife on your belt is near impossible unless you don't mind the knife's handle jabbing you in the side everytime you sit down. As long as you're standing, you won't even realize it's there.
Great sheath knife
Great knife for day to day use. I'm sing it more for hiking and the like. The clip on the sheath is easy to adjust. You can put it on either side and in either direction. The grip is a little short for my hands, but all in all it's comfortable.
good knife
great knife for the price that i bought it at but the only thing i dont like about it is that the sheath does not hold the knife very well.
Negative Reviews:
Skip this knife
I rarely get a Gerber knife that I am not happy with,however this one is a exception. The handle is a bit small particualy in the front where you need it to be big to hold. The sheath is the poorest of all the knifes I own. The sheath will not hold the knife at all. If you hold the knife by the sheath the knife will fall right out. I clipped the knife on and just did some light yard work and in no time the came out of the sheath and in a hunting/backpacking/camping situation would have become lost forever. Sure I could store it in my backpack but if there is any room the knife will come out of its sheath and stab holes in you pack. Not happy with this one. I just ordered the Gerber LMF so I am taking this one back.
just ok
the knife itself was ok, the blade was sharp but the handle felt way to small for me, with it being a fixed blade. I also had difficulty pulling the knife out of the sheath and when i did, it would jerk out which could be dangerous having to pull hard on the knife and having it jerk in the air. better for people with smaller hands. needless to say i returned mine. i suppose for a smaller person it might be ok.
Awful.
I may have gotten a lemon, but this knife is awful. The sheath was too tight to be useful, it took an incredible amount of strength to pull the knife out. When I tried to break the sheath in, it broke. The blade dulls extremely easily, even after cutting sharp objects. The knife is also impossibly hard to hold, almost as if it was designed and built without ever having been tested.
Fatal flaw in the sheath
I like the knife part of this, but the sheath design makes it a loser. The sheath is hard plastic and the knife is hard to get in and out. That is until the sheath cracks, which it has done on two samples of this product. They should have designed the sheath with a little more give in it to begin with. Skip this until they redesign it.
Don't Buy
If you cannot pull the knife out of the sheath without full force, you don't need the knife. Looks like a good knife, but I will only keep it long enough to return it next trip. I've tried all kinds of different methods, but the knife still comes out like it's the sword in the stone.
Neutral Reviews:
Solid but small knife
I bought this knife for my earthquake survival kit. My first impressions are: nice design, sturdy construction, good price. The handle is small, as has been previously mentioned. Small gloves are a bit tight for me and I can barely fit four fingers across the grip. The sheath, when new, is so tight that I thought that I was going to break it when inserting the knife. Getting the knife out of the sheath is difficult as well. The serrations shave off bits of sheath plastic on one part of the sheath that is used to retain the knife (the other is a bump of plastic that fits into the second file mark on the top of the blade/tang). I am left wondering how long it will be before the sheath will no longer hold the knife securely.
Setting this straight
To the guy who said the knife was falling out shealth: Try pushing it in ALL the way until it clicks. For those people who said the shealth broke, well honestly it happened to me the first time too. When I got it out of the package I slapped it into the shealth and heard the plastic crack. Here is how you can avoid that. When you first get it, slide the blade in and out 10 or 20 times. But not all the way, only until you see the shealth expanding and it is going in hard, then back it out and do it again. That way the shealth gets "broken in" without being broken.
Besides that the knife is a decent design.
Besides that the knife is a decent design.
I tried to like it
I tried to like this knife. I love the look, the size, the way it felt in my hand, and the sheeth wasn't bad at all. I'm not sure why everyone complains about that. My issue with this knife was the tip was too dull and so was the blade. I really liked the knife but, for the purpose I bought it for those two items were critical.
Might be good for a kids first knife as it isn't too sharp.
Might be good for a kids first knife as it isn't too sharp.
Okay I Guess
I use this product a lot and I love the knife in general but the one and only and also major problem for me is that every last screw in the clip fell out in the first week or two.I would only recomend this product for hunting for things such as skining the blade is fairly good for that in my opinion.
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