Gerber Gear STL Folding Pocket Knife for Hunting and Outdoors, 2.5" Drop Point and Plain Edge Blade, Black

This is an excellent little knife, very sharp, really comes in handy whether your dressed up or dressed down. So light weight I never leave home without it. Purchased my first one about 7-8 years ago, I'm so accustomed to popping it into my pocket, I accidently forgot to put it into my checked baggage prior to a flight. Big NO, NO... My bad. I quickly purchased a new one as soon as I got home.

Can't say enough about these great little knives. I'm on my fourth or fifth one, not because they break, but because they keep getting misplaced (equal fault lies with myself and my children). I decided to carry a small knife several years ago when I had to open a lot of cardboard boxes every day at work. Note that I am very picky about minimizing the weight and bulk of what I keep in my pockets. My phone goes in one pocket and my keys and knife go in the other. I carry only the keys I need on a daily basis, and even that much annoys me. So I require my daily pocket knife to be as small and light and unobtrusive as feasible. After trying all of the knives I had lying around the house, including belt-clipped and small pocket knives, nothing really suited me well. The belt-clip knives always seemed to be getting in the way or popping off. The knives I put in my pocket were always too big and heavy.I first found this knife in Wal-Mart for about $12 and figured I'd give it a try. It appeared to be thinner and lighter than anything I had tried, plus it looked pretty slick in all black. It was immediately clear that this was the knife I had been looking for. It is as thin and light as it looks. When it is closed, it has no sharp or pointy edges that poke me in my pocket. When it is in there with my keys, I don't even notice it at all. The locking blade is strong, but very easy to open and close with one hand. There is a little oblong hole on the top of the blade that functions well as a grip to help open it.Probably because the blade is so small and light, but I haven't ever been able to fling open this knife in that super cool way. You know what I'm talking about. However, it is very easy to open quickly with just one hand. Plus, it wouldn't be nearly as impressive to fling open a knife this small anyway. And I haven't yet been in a position where I needed to intimidate any rival gang members, so the lack of flingability is only a very minor issue.The blade is plenty sharp enough for anything I have needed it for, which mostly consists of opening taped boxes, opening envelopes, cutting tags off clothing, and occasionally cutting zip ties or string. It is also effective for sharpening pencils and trimming sharp corners off plastic. I haven't ever had to sharpen the blade, but I imagine it could get pretty sharp if that's what you needed. The knife is probably too small to effectively cut larger or tougher things. The short blade works better when cutting against an immovable object. I've tried to slice cardboard by holding it at the top and cutting down with the knife, but the blade likes to slip out. If your lifestyle requires cutting through thick or tough things such as wood, bone, or carpet, this probably isn't the knife for you.Out of the four or five that I've had, the blade on one of them was a little looser. If I had been really bothered by it, I probably could have tightened it with a hex or star key, but it was never that much of a problem for me.The only problem I've ever had with the knife is forgetting it was in my pocket when I go to the courthouse. Luckily, there is a small hole on the back for attaching it to a string or something. In a pinch, I have used the hole to put the knife on my key ring, and just toss it in the bowl to go through the x-ray machine. I haven't ever had the deputies give me any problem about it that way, but I wouldn't recommend pushing your luck.tl;dr — This is an absolutely fantastic knife that is very thin and light, making it comfortable to carry in a pocket. The blade is perfect for small, daily tasks.

I have owned this knife for 2 years now (the Gerber STL 2.5) and I can say it the most useful knife I have ever owned! It is small enough to keep in my back pocket and thin enough to where I can sit on it and barely notice it is there. It is large enough (just barely) to use it for most cutting tasks at hand. It is strong enough to where I can put my full arm weight behind it and cannot feel it bend backwards at all! It will flex slightly up and down, but not too much so. The build quality overall is impressive for an affordable Chineese made knife IMO.I can see where some people have a problem with the lock being akward to disengage, and I understand that. I myself do not have a problem. I hold the handle firmly with my right hand (blade facing toward the inside) and press down firmly with my left thumbnail and the blade swings in easily. I also have not had the problem where I opens up in my pocket either, but the good news is- I know how to fix that one! The hinge that the knife blade swings on is adjustable- you can easily tighten this with a T6 torx socket(I checked) to whatever tension you desire, and with a drop of Loctite you are good to go for a while.Was it razor sharp when it came out of the package.... I don't know, the first thing I do is put my own edge on it. I usually sharpen it every 3 months or so. This is a regular thing I carry in my pocket every day, I use it at home, I use it at work, and when on the move. So naturally it becomes dull, that being said- it holds a decent edge for a good period of time. It will not stay sharp forever, however it is easy to sharpen.The finish is OK, probably my least favorite thing about the knife. It can chip over time(allthough mine still doesn't look too bad). I am only dissatisfied with the finish of the STL2.5 because I have owned the Gerber STL 2.0 and it's matte type finish is superior and has a better grip. In spite of that, I still believe that this is my favorite knife of the two! (because of the ideal size)One thing is, when you lay down- say on your couch, it has a tendancy to slide out of you pocket and into the couch cushions. It does seem easy to lose. I can't complain about that however, because it is the same thing which makes it so convenient to carry everyday.When I tell you that this is a regular thing I put in my pocket every day along with my keys, wallet, and cell phone- it is no lie. When I reach into my pocket and realize I forget to grab it in the morning, a small feeling of sadness creeps over me. So for me , this blade is the most usefull folding kife I have ever owned. It is not the fanciest, it is not the longest, or even the most beautiful - It is however a tool which has been and will continue to be very useful to me for a long time to come (until I lose this one in my hungry couch)I hope this review has been helpful to you