Gerber

Best Budget Fixed Blade – Gerber StrongArm

Fixed blade knives are a must-have for any self-respecting outdoorsman, prepper, or tactical loadout. If you’re looking at budget knives you’ve likely come across your fair share of utter crap, right? It’s to be expected. But, you’ve come to the right place because I have the perfect budget fixed blade knife for you. It’s called the Gerber StrongArm and it’s easily one of the best options you can get for around $70.

The Edge of a Budget Fixed Blade

The Gerber StrongArm might be a budget fixed blade, but it’s far and away the best option you’ll find. It’s a brutally durable and strong fixed blade design that offers a 4.875-inch full tang blade made from 420HC. 420HC is one of the better budget steels and is extremely strong and durable. It’s not a surprise the StrongArm uses 430HC as a budget fixed blade. It’s also easy to sharpen, and the biggest downside is that it doesn’t hold an edge as long as better steels.

The straight edge and simple clip-point tip make it as versatile as it can be. The tip of the blade has a swedge to it to prevent it from getting stuck when slicing through thick materials. A rare feature on a budget fixed blade.

Buy It Now $70

I’ve been using a StrongArm for years now and it’s a durable knife. I’ve worn the finish from the blade from so much use and even purchased a second just because I like the design so much. They just keep on keeping on with a crazy level of durability for the price. I’ve used my StrongArm to dig, to break ice, to baton wood, cut rope, and even as a throwing knife when I get bored.

It’s yet to tap out. Quite impressive for a low priced budget fixed blade knife.

Comfort in the Handle

For hard work, the handle is perfectly designed. It’s rubber coated with a diamond texture. The texture provides a superior grip when working with gloves, wet hands, or even cold hands. The soft rubber texture is also comfortable and resists creating hot spots throughout your hand.

A small handguard on the top and bottom of the handle keeps your hand positioned in the center of the handle. You’ll be protected during hard work and keep a sure grip. At the bottom of the handle is a metal glass breaker that doubles as a lanyard loop.

The StrongArm comes with a multi-mount sheath that gives users a ton of options for carrying the knife. This multi-mount sheath is a surprising addition to this budget fixed blade. It allows for plain old tip-down vertical carry, as well as horizontal carry along the belt for a more concealed option. You can even mount it on MOLLE platforms. The options cover every modern knife carry method and does so with a simple modular sheath.

The Gerber StrongArm packs a ton of features for a budget blade. It’s well designed, versatile, and made from reliable steel. The StrongArm is hands down the best budget fixed blade on the market. Oh, and it’s a budget fixed blade built and produced in the United States. In fact, it’s built-in Portland, Oregon the home of Gerber. Check out and complete your kit without breaking the bank.

Coin pocket folder: Gerber US1 knife

The American made Gerber US1 is a quality and functional tool to include in your EDC. It isn’t going to be my first choice for a defensive option due to its smaller length and lightweight, but it is a great backup knife for times when breaking out your automatic defensive blade may be inappropriate or inconvenient. Plus, this knife disappears in your coin pocket – or any pocket for that matter – so you’ll virtually forget that it’s there until you need it.

Here are the quick specs:

Blade length: 2.6˝
Overall length: 6.1˝
Closed length: 3.5˝
Weight: 1 oz.

The grip is surprisingly good on the handle due to the rubber overmold on the glass-filled nylon handle. The finger notch on the handle is an important feature for me because with the knife being on the small side, it provides better grip and a bit of protection against your hand slipping onto the blade. Speaking of the blade, it is made of 420HC stainless steel with a fine edge. It comes sharp out of the box and held up well to the practical testing that I put it through by cutting various everyday materials.

The addition of thumb grooves on the blade spine is a nice touch for grip and leverage when cutting. A nail nick is present for easier manual opening, and the blade is secured when open by a lock-back safety mechanism. It is a very thin and light knife, but the construction is well-done and feels like it will last through reasonable wear and tear. For the suggested retail price of $21, it would be easy to buy a backup or two if you like the style and want to keep them in various EDC kits. They also come with a limited lifetime warranty.

Overall, I really like this knife. While I prefer a knife that has a bit more weight for my primary, I like the idea of having a lighter backup. For being a roughly 20-dollar knife, the quality and craftsmanship is actually quite good. If you’re looking for an everyday backup, box cutter, or gift – this is a great option.

420HC American steel blade
Lightweight at only 1 oz
Ergonomic handle with prominent finger choil

Rad on Gear: Always prepared with the Gerber Paraframe

Here at the Loadout Room, we love a good knife. This time, Rad’s back out in the hills of Utah doing the sort of thing we all do, but rarely talk about from a preparation standpoint: killing time.

Whether you’re widdling on a stick or marking trees on the trail, Gerber’s Paraframe knife is light enough to be no bother in your pack while still being strong enough to be useful for any number of things. Here’s Rad to tell you why he carries this handy and inexpensive little knife.

Outdoor Edge Divide: An affordable no-frills everyday carry folding knife

Outdoor Edge is a small but growing knife manufacturer that offers a variety of knives suited for the outdoors and everyday carry (EDC). The Outdoor Edge Divide folding knife reviewed here is a fun knife that is currently available in two different sizes: a 3” blade or a 3.5” blade in either a plain or half-serrated edge. The Divide doesn’t reinvent the wheel, it takes pride in being a simple but practical folding knife. It is a worthy knife to have that is also a low-cost alternative in a market dominated by big name manufacturers.

Specifications

3.0” Divide

Blade: 3.0” / 7.6cm
Overall: 6.9” / 17.5cm
Weight: 3.0oz / 85g
MSRP: $46.95

3.5” Divide

Blade: 3.5” / 8.9cm
Overall: 8.2” / 20.8cm
Weight: 4.2oz / 119g
MSRP: $49.95

Features

Steel: 8Cr13MoV Stainless with Blackstone™ coating
18 Ball-bearing pivot system
Opener: Flipper plus double-sided thumb stud
Handle: Black/Red G10 and titanium coated 420J2 stainless
Pocket-Clip: 420 Stainless with Blackstone™ coating
Lock: Integral Frame-Lock

Specifications courtesy of Outdoor Edge

As I mentioned in previous knife reviews, 8Cr13MoV is a budget-quality steel. It isn’t necessarily a bad steel since steel quality ultimately comes down to the heat treatment used (which is exclusive to the manufacturer and undisclosed), but it won’t hold an edge as well as more premium-grade steels. However, 8Cr13MoV is pretty easy to sharpen; this is often the type of tradeoff you can expect from inexpensive knives. It doesn’t mean it’s a cheap knife, it’s just a compromise for being offered at a low price.

The actual design of the knife itself is practical for everyday use. On one side of the handle you have G-10, which offers a little texture to the handle, and the other side is made of titanium-coated stainless steel. The decision to go with a half steel handle was to implement the frame lock system. The frame lock system functions the same way as the common liner lock but is much more reliable because the frame is often a much thicker steel without extra components. The only real issue with the frame lock, aside from personal preference, is that it is not ambidextrous. However, the deployment of the knife is ambidextrous, so this isn’t necessarily a con.

What I like most about the Divide is the ball-bearing pivot system. This makes deployment of the blade is as quick as is smooth and is comparable to the quality of Kershaw’s SpeedSafe® assisted opening. If you aren’t familiar with the technology or these terms, it means the blade is mechanically secured in place when closed and applying manual pressure on the flipper (see photo) will release the blade, which springs open and locks in the open position.

The Outdoor Edge Divide is a simple, no-frills EDC folder that I would recommend to someone who isn’t looking to spend very much or wants an extra knife as a backup. Aside from aesthetics and steel quality, there isn’t anything to really dislike about the Divide, especially since its available for about $30-$35 from online retailers.

*All photos courtesy of the author, Matt Jin

Gerber Airlift Folding Knife: Is it worth the $20?

Gerber Gear has long been a household name for knives, multi-tools, and other equipment. They are a brand that every military servicemember is familiar with, and one that every Exchange store on post carries. From my experience, their gear is sometimes a hit-or-miss but I always find a use for whatever it is. One of my more recent additions is the Gerber Airlift Folding Knife.

Specifications

Blade Material: 5Cr13 Stainless Steel
Blade Length: 2.8” (7.1 cm)
Overall Length: 7.0” (17.7 cm)
Weight: 3.2 oz
Handle Material: Stainless Steel
Lock Type: Frame lock

Specifications courtesy of Gerber Gear

My thoughts and review

The Gerber Airlift is nothing special and there is nothing about it that makes it a coveted folder. However, it is probably one of the best deals you’ll find on the market. The Gerber Airlift has an MSRP of $25 but can be bought on Amazon for $18 at the time of writing this review. For the price point alone, this is a knife I have no problem recommending if you want a spare knife in your bag or car. With that being said, you get what you paid for and the Gerber Airlift does have a few minor issues.

First of all, the frame lock is an undesirable locking system. The frame lock on the Gerber Airlift can be a little difficult to release. This is by far the biggest complaint that users have with this folder. The indent to unlock the blade does not protrude far enough out of the frame to easily depress in order to fold the blade back in.

Secondly, the 5Cr13 steel used is a less than average steel. It can handle simple everyday tasks but is a step down from the standard 154CM or S30V steels that are popular on the market from most manufacturers. This isn’t a surprise as this is how Gerber is able to offer this knife at such a low MSRP. The steel choice here isn’t a dealbreaker though as long as you don’t plan to put the Airlift through extensive abuse or don’t mind sharpening it regularly. For that reason, the Airlift’s best role is as a backup folding knife rather than your primary knife.

The verdict

The good
-Less than $20

The bad
-Poor locking system
-Less than average steel

The Gerber Airlift is as simple as a folding knife gets. There isn’t anything unique about the knife design and there isn’t much room for customization as the pocket clip only has one position, tip-down. Though the Airlift leaves much to be desired, keep in mind that the knife can easily be purchased for under $20. Having an extra knife around is a good measure of preparedness, just in case. It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

We enjoy hearing back from our readers. If you have any experience with Gerber Gear, let us know what you think.

Photo of the day: Running a Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boat (RHIB) wide open

Pictured Above: Running a RHIB “wide open” in formation off the East Coast practicing launch and recovery from the “mothership” as well as chasing, evading and practicing small boat tactics for maneuvering against ships.

Running a RHIB wide open

RHIB’s are some of the greatest vessels to drive and honestly getting to ride/drive them every day was a blast. This photo was taken off of the East Coast after we launched from one of the “Mothership’s”. Driving a RHIB in east coast chop was honestly some of the hardest driving I’ve ever had to learn. I mean you name it – bike’s, sedans, SUV’s, truck’s, jeeps, mini bikes, jetskis; I can drive them all. But a 33m RHIB with 4-5 guys onboard hauling ass (40-60 knots) over 4-5 ft waves with close intervals between waves? It’s hard getting used to and you can definitely tell the great drivers from the mediocre drivers. I’ll be honest, I was a mediocre driver on my best day. Coming from the west coast, I’m used to long intervals between waves so driving is a bit easier for me on the west coast. The big problems I had on the east coast was finding that “groove” between speed and safety as having a rider fly out of your boat when you’re going after a ship is no Bueno. I had plenty of guys that can really drive help me out and I still was never able to find the groove after 8 months. Maybe I’ll find the groove another day, or then again maybe not haha.

Some of the gear that was always with me on the water

Altama Maritime Assault Boots
Gatorz Eyewear (Magnums)
First Spear AAC Frog Kit
Hurley Boardshorts (if it was warm)
Garmin Fenix5 plus Sapphire
Gerber LMF Survival II, Half Face Blades tomahawk, or CRKT fixed blade.