Gear Mini-Fast Draw Knife, Assisted Opening, Fine Edge [22-41526], Black / Stainless

I love this knife. I work in an office in IT and carrying a pocketknife is incredibly useful to me, but I can't carry a big, scary looking blade. This knife is completely unnoticeable in my pocket, and even when I am using it, it is small and discreet. The FAST technology makes it easier to operate to completely one-handed than any other knife I have used. Most knives with thumb studs are easy to open one-handed, but the safety/lock switch makes it easy to close with one hand as well. Initially, it was a little difficult to get it to snap open, but after playing with it a while, it loosened up just a little bit and I developed the proper muscle memory to be able to deploy it quickly and easily. If I am sitting around at home I often have it in my hand, snapping it open and closed. It's really fun to feel that satisfying snap as the blade flies into it's open position. It is a VERY right-handed knife. I am able to operate it with my left hand, but with considerable awkwardness, as the safety/lock switch must be manipulated with index or middle finger. Lefties beware. The blade came razor sharp out of the package, is easy to sharpen, and holds it's edge very well. It is lightweight. Some folks think the handle material feels "cheap," but It gives good grip and is very lightweight. I don't believe weight=quality, and the plastic handle is very durable. I prefer it to a heavier metal or wood handle. It is quite small- about the size of a Bic lighter when closed. I like this aspect, but others may not.

I recently purchased the Gerber Gear Mini-Fast Draw Knife and it has quickly become an indispensable tool for everyday carry. This knife is compact, yet robust, making it perfect for a variety of tasks, from opening packages to outdoor activities. What really stands out is the fast draw feature, which allows for quick and easy one-handed opening, a real benefit when you need to access the blade quickly and safely. The safety lock is reliable, ensuring that the knife only opens when you intend it to, which provides peace of mind when carrying it in your pocket or pack. The build quality is exactly what you would expect from Gerber—solid and durable. The blade itself is exceptionally sharp and retains its edge even after considerable use, minimizing the need for frequent sharpening. The ergonomic handle fits comfortably in the hand, providing good grip even in wet conditions. For anyone in need of a reliable, easy-to-carry knife, the Gerber Gear Mini-Fast Draw Knife is an excellent choice. It’s tough, dependable, and offers great functionality in a small package. Highly recommended for both everyday tasks and more rigorous outdoor adventures!

Many of you, like me, have probably compared this knife to the Kershaw Chive 1600. I could not decide which I liked better so I just bought them both. To spare the suspense, if you can afford it, buy the Chive. That's not to say that this knife doesn't have its merits. The Gerber is a great knife for the money. Not as nice as the Chive but half the cost. I like the blade locking mechanism on this knife more than the Chive. Nice small frame and still very sturdy. I would buy this again. For comparison, the Larger knife shown in the picture is 4.25" long. This knife is wider than the Chive by about 1/8". They are essentially the same length when open and closed. The Chive is the best in class as far as I can tell. The fit and finish are superb, exactly what you would expect from Kershaw. The knife is very narrow (a little less that 1/2" when you factor the clip) and the spring assist is silky smooth. If I were only going to have one of these knives, this would be my choice.

I've owned several Gerbers in the past. I've broken a couple, and they sent replacements without fail. This is a great utility knife, easily fits in pocket or clipped on. I use it like a high grade box cutter and for light duty stuff, but it's strong enough to take a little abuse. It's the baby brother to the other gerbers I've owned. The only catch is that you sometimes need to put some soap and water to them to keep the slide lock mechanism from sticking, but that is just maintenance, not a design flaw.

I have an older larger Gerber F.A.S.T. that I absolutely love. Because of the size, I usually only carry it when I'm hiking, boating, etc. I was looking for a smaller knife for my every day carrying. I got this today and I'm not impressed. The basic knife is OK but the spring assisted opening and closing process are not smooth at all. The spring assist doesn't open the blade all the way so I have to make sure its locked before I use it, and when I try to close it, the lock release button is not easy to push. If it was just a regular folding pocket knife it would be fine, but I wanted a sping assisted knife like my larger Gerber and this just isn't. Maybe my expectations were too high for an $18 knife, but if Gerber can't put the F.A.S.T. system in a small economical knife and maintain their quality level, they shouldn't even offer this knife. With a little use and oil, this may get better and if it does, I'll revise this review, but for now, consider me underwhelmed.

I really thought I was going to like this knife, but I was very wrong. The design is flawed to begin with. There is a spring in there, that is supposed to assist with blade opening. Because of this spring, there is a safety lock on the side of the handle. The safety lock doubles as the locking mechanism, which means that it does not have the liner lock that is common with similar knives. The problems with the design are numerous, starting with the fact that the spring is so weak as to be useless. It is cumbersome to open, and once you get it open, the locking mechanism that is supposed to lock the blade is not reliable. With knives that have the liner lock, the liner snaps into place securely in a manner such that there is no uncertainty whether it is locked or not. With Gerber's goofy locking mechanism you have to make a concerted effort to force the lock mechanism to engage, and even when it is engaged, the only way to be certain that it is, is by trying to close the blade. This is not at all the same as with knives that have the liner lock. It is simply a poorly designed mechanism that does not work adequately well. In addition to the design flaws, there is a curiously large amount of friction when the blade is opened or closed. I had just opened the package sealed at the factory, and was surprised by this. I worked the blade open and closed several times and it didn't get better. It felt almost as though there was some sort of grit inhibiting the motion of the blade. I took out a 10-power magnifying lens and what I saw surprised me very much. The lower part of the blade, close to and around the pivot, was covered with metal shaving and assorted grit, especially in the narrow space between the thick part of the blade and the liner on both sides. The knife had been assembled and packaged without having gone through any cleaning step. Of course I can clean it, but I shouldn't have to. And even if I cleaned it, I couldn't be certain that the metal shavings aren't coming from the interior of the pivot and that the pivot isn't going to grind itself away in short order. What a disappointment. I'm sending this knife back to Amazon and will probably look for another similar knife. It probably won't be another Gerber.

I was looking for something a little more discreet than my usual SOG Flash Tanto or my Gerber Applegate Fairbairn folders to carry with me at work. Working in an office with the knife clip visible on your pocket can draw too many stares or comments for comfort in these politically correct times. I still need to open things and cut fasteners (string, zip ties, tape) occasionally and scissors are not always handy. So this knife fits the bill perfectly. It is small, closed about 3" in length and open about 5 1/8". Initially I experienced the issue with knife not locking on the open sequence. then I noticed why, the way I held it would put my thumb in the way of the opposite thumb stud and it would interrupt the open sequence. I shifted my grip and that cured that issue. The knife opens fast and locks positively. It is the perfect size for small tasks. Light, yet ruggedly built, I think this will be my new EDC knife for work. I'd recommend it for anyone looking for a SMALL knife for light duty, this is your best bet!

The theory of this knife is good. It's a small spring assisted lockback. So why do I hate this knife? The lock. First let me talk about the opening. It's not a smooth action. Also even with the spring action, you still have to apply more initial effort to get it started than some others without a spring. Once it's open, it's great. Small, sharp, comfortable. Now that it's time to close it, you get to the party that makes this knife unusable. To close it, you have to lift up on the safety button on the side to disengage the lock, then close it. That tiny switch it horrible. There are times when it gets locked in and even with 2 hands, it won't switch up. I'm used to opening and closing knives like this one handed without looking. With this, something it works and sometimes I have to stop everything I'm doing and spend a few seconds trying to close it. I've tried to loosen the screws on the side. I've applied thing machine oil. I don't know what else I can do without trying to reengineer it. This knife is going in the trash. It's garbage. Gerber might not be an heirloom brand, but I expected basic functionality. This is a disappointment.