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.

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 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.

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.

This is hands down the best EDC (every day carry) you can get on a budget. I am a knife enthusiast and when looking for a light folder I purchased this, along with a number of other knives such as the Sheffield12115, Bessey DBKWH, Gerber EAB Light, Gerber Superknife, and KR Tools Elite. The Gerber EAB Light is less comfortable than in in my opinion and the weight savings is insignificant. This knife is incredibly light already, and the blade is held securely by a screw that can be adjusted with most coins. If you need to change the blade and don't have any coins, and you are *careful*, you can quite easily use the back of the blade you're going to put in to unscrew the old blade. As stated in my Bessey/Sheffield review, I very much prefer liner locks over lock-back knives since I feel they are much safer and secure for varying grips and knife handling methods. The finger hold just below the blade feels great in the hand, and I don't feel that you could slip forward onto the blade if you're using this properly (or even improperly). Since a utility blade is not shaped like a puncturing point (tanto, etc) it is easiest to use a can-opener motion to carve into something (cardboard or plastic packaging for example). As long as you put pressure in the wide angle range behind the blade with a secure grip you will be fine. I personally prefer the Lenox Gold blades and Stanley Carbide blades in this knife. I feel that carbides are a little sharper, but the tips can chip much more easily than the Lenox. The price premium over the "cheap" brands is negligible compared to anything other than knife blades. The "expensive" blades are 40 cents each and the cheap ones are 14 cents each? So what? That bottle of coke I drank instead of the water I should have drank cost me $2.00. How quickly will I go through 5 blades if I decide to drink from the water fountain instead? My opinions is that if you're not management trying to save a buck, you shouldn't be using "cheap" blades. All blades are cheap.

According to the banner that greeted at the top of this listing, I first bought a Gerber EAB in 2014... and I honestly think it was my second; I think I had the EAB Lite first! Whichever I bought first whenever I bought it, I have carried it every day since. The earlier EABs had kind of a crappy pocket clip that constantly broke. In the last couple of years, though, Gerber has fixed that issue. This is my EDC knife; the only reason I have more than one is because I keep one in my tool bag, another in a belt pouch of tools I carry at work, there's one in my glove box, another in my office at home and I rotate between an EAB and EAB Lite in my right front pants pocket (I use whichever I grab first usually). Even though I often have other knifes on me, the EAB is my first choice for most jobs because I don't have to worry about sharpening it or breaking the blade, the handle (which admittedly looks like it would be uncomfortable) is really easy to grip tightly and if something bad does happen (like I end up dropping it into some horrible abyss and can't retrieve it) IT WASN'T EVEN TEN BUCKS! This is by far the best darn $10 knife I have ever owned. I use it to strip wire, open boxes, cut cabling with reckless abandon because I don't worry about ruining the blade, trim plastic model parts with it, shave kindling for starting fires and so much more. Is it my first choice for a good ol' fashioned knife fight? No (but I trust it more than most folding knives). Will it replace my Leatherman? No, but it takes care of jobs that might screw up my Leatherman. Would I use it to cut a steak? If I had to... but I'd probably put in a clean blade first! AND THE BEST PART ABOUT THIS KNIFE: if I accidentally leave it in my pocket and go somewhere that won't let me bring it inside, I can whip out a dine or penny, unscrew the single screw, ditch the blade only and save myself a walk back to the car and another wait in the line to get in!

If you are looking at the Gerber EAB Pocket Knife- chances are you will also look at the EAB Lite, and wonder to yourself- what's the difference? The differences are slight- but they could sway you to one or the other, I've purchased both to compare. The standard EAB is small (4.3oz) and rectangular and about 1" x 2" closed The EAB Lite is the same advertised weight (4.3oz) and trapezoidal- with skeleton cuts on the handle. The overall width is about 2mm wider than the standard EAB, length is unchanged. The finger guard is another difference- the standard EAB has a nice concave cutout that fits your index finger nicely and is very unobtrusive. The EAB Lite has an angular finger guard with a more pronounced "hilt" - this looks pretty cool, but IMO not as comfortable as the original- I could see how having the more pronounced "hilt" could prevent slippage and keep you from getting cut. Last noticeable difference is the liner lock- The standard EAB lock is quite stiff and machined very close to the contour of the frame- making it difficult to accidentally disengage. The liner on the EAB lite stands off the frame just a bit further, and is easier to manipulate- however, does not lock in place nearly as securely. Both accept standard size utility razor blades without issue, the included blades from the factory are very heavy duty and quite a bit thicker than your normal cheap two-sided blades. Only ding is the blade securing screw does not have any thread locker from the factory- so I can see it backing out and getting lost, so first thing I did was put a drop or two of Blue Loctite on the threads- good to go. The standard EAB looks just like a regular money clip when it's closed- the EAB Lite looks a lot more like a knife.

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.

Ce mini couteau à lame interchangeable reversible (lame triangulaire de cutter) est tout simplement genial. Il est equipé d'un clip pour le mettre à la poche. Il est particulièrement solide et comme les lames sont jetables , je n'hésite pas . On peux y mettre toutes les lames triangulaire , notamment les lames avec une pointe en forme de crochet . Il est léger et la V2 l'est encore plus pour quelques euros de moins.