Gerber Gear Fastball - Slim, Lightweight Folding Knife with Lock Release - Pocket Knife with 3-Position Clip - EDC Gear - 3" - Made in USA - Black

I've carried a few other knives everyday for the past few years, my favorite being the Leatherman c33T (and c33Tx) mainly because of the screwdriver tools. For my entire youth I carried a Victorinox Tinker (or similar) because I worshipped Macgyver. Let that color my review if you want, but I use the built-in screwdrivers in the c33T daily. People ask "why not just carry a multi-tool?" Well, because I don't want a multi-tool. I want a knife with some screwdrivers. So that was my standard before deciding to give the Fastball a try. I was looking for something slightly more basic and diminutive in size. First impressions of the Fastball are: - Super slimline, low profile frame - One-handed opening action is the most positive I've ever used. The design is brilliant. - Blade profile is unique, very cool - Clip has two positions, you can remount it on the other end of the frame if you like - One-handed closing took a little practice. Carrying is a much better experience because of the low profile frame. It's easy to forget it's clipped to the inside of my pocket. On most knives, the clip has a bent-out end to facilitate easy sliding onto whatever you're clipping it to. I don't like it because I wear my knife on the inside of my pocket and that little bent-out metal end scratches whatever I lean against. So for all all my knives I will remove the clip, put it in the vise, and bend the end so that it's not so proud. The Fastball is no exception. The clip is great but I bent the end back a little so it's lower profile. The edge that comes on the Fastball is pretty decent, but like most factory knives it's just a start. It's hard to describe how amazing the one-handed opening of the Fastball feels. It's almost effortless, and it's pure geometry of the quillon/guard part of the blade. My one reservation initially was the one-handed closure. At first it felt like closing it required a little too much effort to break the detent and it would accelerate the blade closed, maybe on my thumb. After a little playing with it, I realized that while my thumb was working the release, it was totally protected by the quillon of the blade. You keep your thumb there until you've pushed the blade beyond the detent, then move it out of the way and the blade closes with no effort. I can see how this might take a little practice for someone not used to it. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with the Fastball. The form factor, the aesthetic, the dynamic of the one-handed opening...all are awesome. The only thing that could make it better are built-in phillips and flat head drivers. :)

This knife was as perfect as I could imagine. From the first opening, it was as slick as they come. Quality was excellent. Assembly was perfect, as was blade centering. The knife was so good, it's boring. I'm not fan of (dirt-magnet, soon-to-be-scratchy) ball bearings, but at least they were greased from the factory. Generally they are not! It's slightly on the small side, which surprised me. It's in the mid-size category I guess, but only barely. But because of that, it carries discretely. It has only the essentials. I'm not a fan of flippers or liner-locks, but the ergonomics of the controls on this knife are such that they don't get in your way. However this depends on your hands. I have long, skinny fingers. If you have big hands, this knife may not be for you. Unfortunately it has pocket clip, which I loathe. It least it's a deep pocket clip without multiple bends. And the edges were radiused and polished, but it would probably still stratch the paint on cars. So how pokey, slicey, or choppy is it? Very pokey (for a sheepsfoot profile!), somewhat slicey and not good for chopping. My sharpness scale, from dull to sharp: Wooden Dowel > Butter Knife > Letter Opener > Dollar-Store Razor > Utility-blade Sharp > Usefully Sharp > Dangerously Sharp This knife: Level 1 Letter Opener Comments: Typical grinding-wheel factory sharpening. Sort of annoying, since it's S30V and takes more work to fix. But it was consistent in both angle and edge, from end-to-end. Overall, it's the most well-executed knife I have in my collection.

After a couple weeks of use, I have come to really enjoy this knife. It's well balanced and I like the weight.. The handle is simple, clean and modern (no extraneous BS). Out of the box it is very sharp and the action was smooth. After using it, it has gotten even better. I am thoroughly impressed with the way the blade actuates, a simple detented manual flipper, with no additional moving parts, so less possibility of broken parts. I like the way it carries in my pocket (not bulky at all), tip up and just sticking out enough to be able to grab it with my gloves on. The blade is strong throughout it's length (And I know that from use, not cutting Kleenex in the air). 100% American designed, developed and made! And, for $100. I'm beyond pleasantly surprised, I am very happy. Good job Gerber.

Great knife. Solid action opening. Balanced weight and good materials. Feels like quality in your hand and holds the edge.

I'm a knife fan/user but I've never purchased a $100.00 pocket knife before so I wasn't completely sure what I was going to get. This Gerber opens like butter - super smooth and without much effort. I like the flat aluminum sides, although some additional texture wouldn't be missed. The blade is razor sharp out of the box so I don't have to do any work there. The QC on my knife was fine - no issues with edge grind or blade alignment. I guess if Gerber really wants to get back into this market they may need to do a little QC on fit/finish to make sure only the best product leaves the building. At $100.00 you're getting a S30V (premium) steel blade that out performs most of the knives typically compared to the Fastball. It's really a discount compared to some of the competitors putting out knives with similar level steel and features. I'm very happy with what I got. Glad to see Gerber stepping it up!

AMAZING knife! So HAPPY I decided to purchase. It’s EXPENSIVE. I was hesitant because of the price. It’s not as big as I thought, but that was my fault because I knew the measurements. That being said. What a gorgeous knife. You get s20 steel. An anodized handle that’s smooth to the touch. It say made in the USA Portland Oregon on the blade. For me that’s a plus, because I love those kind of details. When you engage the thumb stem, the blade snaps out. EVERYTHING about this piece feels high quality. I got the desert brown handle because I wanted the black blade. If you’re looking for a smaller folding knife that’s a clever style I would definitely get this.

First off, not one QC issue - flipper action is as easy and smooth as it gets, lock release is also easy on the thumb. Zero blade play - it’s just smooth and solid. The feel over all is light, but not cheap. Very comfortable in the hand, and a nice size for light to medium EDC use. I don’t see or feel any of the rough spots that have been mentioned on the liner or clip. A few more models of this quality and price point should put Gerber back in the game. I think they really nailed this one.

If you want a Flipper/liner lock that's made in the USA, at a price that wont make you feel guilty, this is what you want. The action is great and there's no slop in the pivot. The blade is a functional shape, sturdy, and arrived sharp. The belt clip provides good retention while not being obtrusive, but I feel like it could be designed to provide a deeper carry. The screws retaining it came loose but I re-tightened with some loctite and so far it has held. This is a good knife.