EAB Pocket Knife

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: =============================== * 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: ================================ * 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 ================== 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.

The knife is pretty small but works well. I had one a long time ago and lost it, and bought two recently. Nothing has changed from the one I had years ago, and the two I bought were similar in their strengths as far as the locking mechanism was concerned. The locking mechanism is a bit hard to do with work gloves on, but not impossible. The screw to keep the blade in is easy to remove and tighten with a coin or whatever is at hand. Obviously changing the blades is the point of this knife and its easy enough to do. I do wish they made the screw into something you could tighten with your fingers which would act as something you can use to open it, but its not necessary and I don't think this screw will fall out easily or anything like that. It is a small knife, but not too small that your hands will try to slide to the blade. You can use this as a money clip and all that; it's pretty sleek and small enough to put in your pocket without taking much room and can slide out easily enough. The clip being large makes it easy to clip on your pocket though, easy access. I would recommend this to someone who uses a utility knife somewhat often, who can take their work gloves off to open and close it while at work. It would also be good for someone who wants a small knife to daily carry with them without taking up much room or weighing their pockets down. There are larger utility knives that carry more blades and are easier for gloved hands, but this works for me.

My favorite Every day blade. This is the third one I've bought, I lost the other two. one thing I would change or add is a piece or two of grip tape, makes it that much easier to open and close one handed. I use this by flicking out the blade, the weight is good enough so that it doesn't need too much force to open and close and I can one-hand the open close process. The trick is releasing it enough from the closed position to flick it out. Super smooth and works every time. body/handle is too smooth and has an awkward feel to it, Really not comfortable to grip, but I don't hold it for very long so it doesn't bother me too much, you just figure a way to hold for whatever you're doing. Certainly not ergonomic for a hand grip. The belt/money clip portion had gotten so loose on my last one that it just came off, I had to bend it so that it would stay on, but it would still come off again, so this one I'm careful of what and where I clip it, nothing too thick, like the pocket of my jeans. That's really where I'd prefer to keep it but that's where I kept my last one all the time and likely why the clip bent out so much. One thing I like about it is the minimalist design, there isn't much waste here, the weight is good and the best quality blade is included with it, I've switched out blades on my last two a few times, but I would come back to the thick heavy duty blades these come with. You have to look up the model number to get the right ones though. I think that info is in the Q&A section. Another negative is the way the blade is held in, if you lose that screw, good luck finding one that fits the same. also I would like to grind down the screw face to be flush with the surface, although I use my middle finger to push against the screw to open the blade, I'd rather have a flat piece of grip tape to assist in this. I don't want to mess with this screw if I don't have to so it won't get loose and get lost. The price is also great, I really hated to lose the last two but it's not so bad to replace it. One more thing, I had to make a "key" to open my last one to lube it. and I have no idea if there is some sort of commercial screw driver you can purchase for this. But when you need to open it you will likely want to find the right tool for the job instead of having to make one like I did. Also I will never be able to find this key I made the next time I need it so I'll have to just make another, why not just use allen keys(hex) like most other manufacturers? Just one of the lame things about this knife, not a deal breaker but annoying.

I always carry a pocket knife, but I like to have something small and light enough I don't notice it. I also like to have a razor sharp edge without having to do any maintenance. The Gerber EAB fits these requirements perfectly. This is an excellent and very handy little knife. It feels very well constructed, and I will probably lose it long before it shows any real wear or damage. I would rate the fit and finish as very good on the exposed/obvious places, but a bit wanting on some of the nooks, crannies, and thin edges. Given the extremely low price of the knife (~$10) I will not complain about these small rough areas; the only time you will notice them is when you are actually examining the knife. The blades attach very securely, and there is no wiggle in either the blade or the liner lock. The trade off for this is that the blades are not 'quick change,' but I have had many quick change box cutters and they all had blade wiggle. The pocket clip is also very secure; it actually gives a tighter fit than any of my other knives, which will make it a very hard knife to lose. It also is broad enough that it does not get stuck on couches or office chairs. The grip is a bit limited, but this is an inevitable trade off for the knife being so small when closed. Opening the knife with one hand is doable, but a bit tricky. I could easily see someone nicking their finger or thumb (I haven't, but I could see it happening). In summary, I find this a very attractive, well-made, durable product that fulfills its intended role perfectly.

Amazing little knife, folds down so flat and small with a solid clip. Seems very strong, has a great feel both closed and open, nice sized handle. Deploying the blade is simple but releasing the catch to fold it back is recessed into the mechanism too far and is way too stiff, for me and two other men who tried it, this isn't a knife for opening & closing routinely, requires two hands. The blade is a box cutter blade fully exposed, seems like it would be easy to cut yourself by accident (i haven't). It will NOT close by accident which is the point I'm sure. I cannot see the average woman being able to do it, tho, nor wanting to. This is a purpose-built box cutter, it will not adequately replace my Kershaw Leek knife (which I lose so often, decided to try a $14 replacement) but the Kershaw is $70. Definitely keeping it, people who hold it closed or open marvel at it until they go to close it.

I never write reviews but I'm making an exception here because I've gotten so much value from this product for the past few years I think Gerber deserves it. I came to this page because I'm going to order four more of these in case they're ever discontinued. It's not that I expect them to break (had this one for about two years), but I may lose them or want to give them as gifts. One time I did lose it and for several weeks it laid in the grass getting exposed to dew and rain. When I eventually found it the disposable blade was completely rusted but the knife itself was completely untarnished. I removed the rusty blade, did a quick clean up and put in a new blade and you would never know it spent weeks in the grass. This is why I decided to write a review. (I also had a very good experience with Gerber customer service once with a different product) Now I would like to comment on a few of three star reviews here: Two reviewers claimed that the edge of the blade hits against metal when closed making the edge dull. Here is the comment I made to those reviews - I've been carrying these great little knives for years. I was surprised by your comment about the blade hitting metal so I checked it out. I cut a narrow piece of paper and placed it in the slot between the edge of the blade and the handle where you say it makes contact when closed. After closing the knife I was able to move the paper back and forth without any resistance from the blade edge. Perhaps there is variation in the size of blades that accounts for this discrepancy. I think you should edit your review to at least mention that, and even better you should try the same test I did to confirm the results from your original review. Another reviewer said the the knife was too small for his big hands. This knife tries to be small and succeeds, that's the point. My hands are average for a man and I can open this knife in my sleep. Maybe there is a learning curve for operating this knife but I can't imagine what you could change in terms of design to make it simpler other than making it bigger which defeats the purpose. The funniest review is the one that claims this knife can't be used as a money clip. It's a piece of steel with a clip on it. I won't say more about that! Okay, I will. When I read that I took out my EAB and shoved a bunch of bills under the clip. Voilà!! Money clip! I always have two Gerber products with me, this one and the Suspension multi-tool.

Amazing, love the product super sturdy and teh blade that is comes with lasts long. I would have liked if it came with at least one or two spare blades.

I bought this Gerber so that I would not scratch or nick any of the knives in my collection. I refuse to use knives from my collection for cutting everyday things. My knives are for enjoying, and not for abuse. This folding knife/cutter fits the bill. If it gets dull, I do not even need to sharpen it, I just replace the blade. I read most of the negative reviews on this Gerber, and all of them except for one, cannot be verified if they even own one. I use this everyday, and it will cut almost anything and is very ergonomic. I have an extensive collection of Spyderco, Benchmade, Zero Tolerance, Buck, Kershaw and boxes of other folders, so I know what an excellent folding knife can do. And this can do it. This can cut and slice just as smooth as any Spyderco or Benchmade. Since I can easily change the blade, it is always razor sharp and ready to take a beating. Since I got this, even my Victorinox Swiss Army Knives have seen little action except for the screwdriver and micro tools. I use this if I need to cut something. Pros: 1. Opens smoothly. 2. Locks into place. 3. Compact, slim and portable 4. Literally cuts like a razor blade. 5. Very easy to replace the blade. 6. Very inexpensive for the Tool and replacement blades. Cons: 1. I wish they made one that didn't look so Spartan. Summary: This cuts just like my $100-250 dollar knives. And once it is dull, I just replace the blades to get it back to razor sharp. So, if you just need something that will cut anything and is portable, this can do it.

Wie schon in einer anderen Rezension hier geschrieben. Diese (alte) Form entspricht meinem Geschmack mehr, als das aktuell neue Modell. Ich hatte beide gekauft und das mit dem modernen Styling dann verschenkt. Das Messer an sich ist toll. Sehr gut verarbeitet, ein Handschmieger, den ich auch sonst, neben der Tastatur liegend, gerne mal in die Hand nehme. Mitbestellt hatte ich mir Wolfcraft-Ersatzklingen. Und hier ist Vorsicht geboten. Die Klingen haben sehr wohl Normmass, nicht jedoch Normdicke. Die Originalklinge ist doch deutlich dicker, als die bestellbaren Wechselklingen (die dennoch einwandfrei passen). Wem dies wichtig ist, der muss hier aufmassen. Falsch machen kann man mit dem Messer nichts. Ich kann es empfehlen.

I’ve owned a few Gerber products and they can be hits or misses but the last few has been misses including this. The liner lock is too stiff and makes closing the knife a painful experience for the fingers at best and positively dangerous at worst.

I have to say to hold this knife in your hand whilst closed it really is a thing of beauty. I know it sounds strange to say this about what is in essence a folding Stanley knife (box cutter) but it just looks and feels fantastic. On opening the knife as you can see in the picture there is a index finger guard on the underside of the blade which feels rock solid and I was more than happy to rest my finger on it without fear of cutting myself. The guard / holder on top of the blade is also solid. Overall the whole knife feels very well made. I have a huge hands and was worried this knife would be too small or end up hurting my palm as is the case with many small knifes however this knife fits perfectly into my hand and with the finger rest / guard described above it just feels like a very natural extension of my hand. The pocket / belt clip did not bother me at all which with other knifes that feature a clip it often gets in the way or digs into the inside of the hand when using the knife but Gerber seems to have cracked this. I use a blade of some type every day for lots of every day stuff like opening post (mail), cutting up boxes for recycling, opening parcels / deliveries from the likes of Amazon and Ebay so this is the perfect tool to have around. All in all it's a beautifully designed knife that I will look forward to carrying everyday and safe in the knowledge it's legal in the UK where I live.

Es de tamaño reducido, plegable, hoja bloqueable y con un clip para poner en el cinturón. Las cuchillas son intercambiables.

Easy to open and close with one hand, replaceable blade is super convenient. Small, but solid build, and comfortable to use.