GerberGear LST Pocket Knife - Folding Pocket Knife - EDC Gear and Equipment, Black

I ordered this knife as a backup for my daily pocket knife. I thought my daily pocket knife was a Gerber LST, but apparently there are multiple versions of the LST.My old pocketknife is the top one. Very small, very light. Not usually noticeable in my pocket, but useful for a lot of small daily tasks. Pretty certain that it was labeled as an LST when I bought it.The knife that I just received is the lower, much larger knife. Much more noticeable in my pocket and out of my pocket. Probably much more useful, definitely less discreet.I've always had good luck with Gerber knives, been part of my toolbox for probably 30+ years. I will get used to a bigger knife in my pocket. Or I will find the smaller LST to order as a backup when I inevitably lose the one I have.

I’m keeping it but it’s a very small knife, I didn’t do my research like I should . I had the next size up yrs ago very slim and easy to carry knife.

Exact replacement for the one I lost. It's light, but sturdy. You forget that you have it on you.

Make sure you understand the "Overall Length" measurement. I initially ordered the smaller 4.2 inch when I wanted the 6 inch overall length. Had my last one for 15 years and forgot to put it in my checked luggage at the airport, so gifted it to the TSA. Knife holds its edge, light and easy to carry for a pocket knife.

Great knifeHigh qualityFits comfortably in the pocketSuper sharp

What I like:1. SOLID lockup - I expected a bit of blade play in something this small, but there's no blade play in my sample. It feels like it's one solid piece.2. It is light, but I can't say that it's noticeably or significantly lighter than something else of this approximate size. I mean, a 2" blade isn't going to weigh you down much to begin with, and there are certainly lighter knives in this class, but maybe not at this price. Which brings me to...3. Great value. You're getting a lot of knife for under $20, and in a lot of cases this is all the knife you need anyway. For tossing in a briefcase or keeping in your coin pocket, this is a economical option that won't raise any eyebrows.4. It's pretty easy to one-hand-open, albeit slowly. There's a nice, very sturdy detent at the halfway open point, too. Makes it very easy and safe to manipulate the blade once you unlock it.5. Beyond knowing this is "surgical steel" with no information on the hardness or heat treatment, it performs admirably. Came very sharp out of the box, and it cleans up easily on a whetstone or with sharpening rods. I'm not going to nerdgasm over the angle of the grind or things like that, as I think these are all relatively unimportant factors on this end of the knife spectrum. Buy and cut with confidence.What I don't like:1. There's an hourglass shape to the rear half of the handle scales if you're looking at it with the edge of the blade facing you. You can't see this in the profile pic above. I think the concavity is meant to serve as a place for your middle and/or ring fingertips to rest while holding the knife, but the indentation would work better as a place to rest your thumb, IMO. I actually prefer the knurled texture they put up front for thumb and forefinger and would have preferred to see that across the entire scale. The design is fully ambidextrous, though.2. The FRN scales feel pretty cheap. This is why I'd rather have the checkered finish all the way across instead of on the front half.3. It's in no way serviceable. Disassembling the knife would probably destroy it. Again, given my rating, this isn't a big enough deal to make huge deductions for, but if something needs to be fixed on this knife, your next move is going to be replacement and not repair.All in all, this is a great little knife for (well) under $20 - I nabbed this at closer to $12 but the price varies a bit on here based on who you buy it from. What I was really looking for was the Gerber Microlight, which is slightly smaller with flat scales, but looks to be discontinued. I have lately gravitated to knives 2" or under as they really do all the things I need them to do, are usually lower-profile and can safely be carried and used in a business casual office setting. I can't say that for my Kershaws or Spydercos or CRKTs as they're generally a lot more aggressive and not easy to carry in slacks without announcing to the world that I CARRY A FOLDING KNIFE!So you can get a carbon fiber Case Executive for close to $60, and it's a fine knife as well, but the Ultralight will do all of the same things but in slightly lower-rent materials and a fraction of the cost. These are great to have on you for the times you need a knife and don't want some kind of tactical slicer/dicer.

I found a knife similar to this in a parking lot. It soon became my favorite everyday carry knife. It was a Schrade . I decided I wanted another one in case I lost it and found Schrade no longer made it but Imperial Made the exact knife because they and Schrade were basically the same company. Then I found out that Gerber was the originator of the design and of course I had to have that. And I'm glad I did. It is a superb example of the plastic handle drop point blade design. It fits well in your hand. It opens easily and unlocks easily for closing. The checkering for grip is much better than the other brands. It is very light weight and not large( not small either) it cost more but is a good value IMHO. It is my new resident knife in my front pocket.

This is the third LST I have owned. Lost the first one after ten or so years and the second after another ten years. The salient point is that my experience with individual knives is about ten years each. They never failed. The steel was easy to sharpen, but held a good edge for a long time in day-to-day use. Now, I'm not carving tree stumps into toothpicks, but I do cut a cardboard box or two open daily. I do cut cordage daily. There is the odd letter opened with this knife. I have shaved wood to make things fit. I do whittle my time away, when the opportunity presents. Knife stays sharp enough that it never causes a bother. Stropping brings the blade back and about monthly I will hone it for a few minutes.The size is great. I have 'lost' it in some jean front pockets where the tight fit towards the hip can cause it to stand upright against the back seam. Not so in dress pants. They allow it to fall horizontally where it 'prints' a bit, but not so much that I have stopped carrying it. Wish there was a pocket clip, but have never found one. The weight is such that I don't feel it at all. Like I said, it can get lost in a pocket.Don't expect it to have zero play at the pin. There is a small amount--but, it never seemed to increase over time. Seems like what you have at the start, which is not much, is what you have after a decade. The amount of play has never interfered with the use of the knife. Never made it feel unsafe at all. The blade lock is solid.For fifteen bucks, I don't know that you can do better.