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Gerber Obsidian

rated 4.5 of 5 stars
photo: Gerber Obsidian folding knife

I have the fine edge version of this knife. It is a solid knife. The quality seems good so far after a year of use. The blade holds a good edge. The lock is a nice safety feature and it can be locked in the open or closed position. Its intent is to keep knife blade from accidentally closing on you while in use which it does.

The tools (bottle opener, philips/slotted screw drivers, and file) seem to work fine in a pinch.

When using the bottle opener I suggest placing your index finger along the top of the knife to increase leverage. It's kinda rough opening a bottle w/o doing this.

I do wish that there was some type of lock for the tools. If you place any substantial amount of pressure downwards while utilizing the screwdrivers it will close on you if you are not careful.

Over all it works well. Other than the above issues it serves my purposes. I have to be fair. It's a knife not a multi-tool.

Price Paid: $30

I like this knife for a number of reasons. Notably it has a double lock mechanism so it will never shut on my fingers. The compact size means it doesn’t take up valuable space and it weighs very little – 124 gms.

Pros

  • Holds good edge
  • Double locking safety mechanism
  • Versatile size

Cons

  • None

The open design allows dirt and grit to fall through and not jam it up. The blade is 7cm or 2.75” in the old scale, the steel holds an edge well and cuts everything I've needed to date — opening dehydrated meal packets, cutting rope, fishing line and fruit. Additionally, there is a small Philips driver with file and standard driver with bottle opener, nested into the back of the handle.

There are no sharp edges to catch on and its size fits very comfortably into the hand. The lock mechanism and blade can be operated safely with one hand leaving your other hand free to hold whatever needs this knifes attention. The handle is made of the normal polymer found on most knives these days and with its ridged profile offers a better grip if using it in wet conditions.

There is a lanyard hole at the back and the pocket clip is large enough that should ensure it never falls out. In fact when I first got this knife I wore it for a week in various pockets to see how effective this clip was. 

It is well balanced and not intrusive like some items wanting to dig into your groin at every step.

Source: bought it new
Price Paid: AUS$85

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Specs

Price MSRP: $38.00
Historic Range: $24.93-$49.99
Reviewers Paid: $30.00
Product Details from Gerber »

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