First Look: Gerber FlatIron Folding Knife

Due to the growing community of prepared individuals who carry purpose-built everyday-carry kits, the market has exploded with a wide range of accessories designed to enhance and complement different aspects of the EDC lifestyle. One of the latest companies to add to an expanding body of daily carry knives available to modern consumers is Gerber, and the company's FlatIron folding knife has a unique look that's built to fulfill specific roles.

Right away, the most-striking aspect of the Gerber FlatIron folding knife is the cleaver-style blade, which differs from the pointed blade styles used on many daily carry knives. The cleaver-style blade is built for a particular purpose: to chop, cut and carve with precision. Since the knife lacks any kind of point, its use in daily applications eliminates the chances of a point penetrating too deeply and damaging an item. For example, the cleaver-blade could be used to slice into a package while reducing the chances of damaging an item contained inside. Also, it looks cool, so what other reason do you really need?

Unlike many knives equipped with cleaver-style blades, the FlatIron knife is a folding design built on a traditional frame-lock setup. The knife incorporates a finger choil located just in front of the blade's pivot point, providing users with increased control and the ability to precisely apply cutting and chopping force where needed. The blade also incorporates a thumb-hole opening that facilitates one-handed deployment. One side of the knife's handles is made from G10 fiberglass-laminate material, impervious to all environmental factors and textured to provide a solid grip. On the reverse, users will find a sturdy pocket clip. 

The blade on the Gerber FlatIron folding knife is constructed from 7Cr17MoV steel and measures 3.8 inches long. When locked into place, the overall length of the knife is 8.5 inches long. Options are available with either gray or desert-tan G10 handles. The suggested retail price on the Gerber FlatIron folding knife starts at $37 for the gray-handle model and sells for $42 for the desert-tan model.