Gerber Fastball

This fastball threw me a curve

I like cleaver style knives and for the price, a 20cv blade liner lock seemed like a good deal. But when I got the knife, it had the worst action of any knife I've ever owned- a $30 knife from (giant online retailer named after a major river) had vastly superior performance. After disassembling the knife I saw the problem- gobs of what looked like red thread locker over the bearings… read more and liner lock surface. I had to use a torch to melt that garbage off everything. After that, a good cleaning, and some nano oil, the action became what I would expect from a knife at this price point. The blade is nice and slicey, the ergos are decent, but as someone else mentioned, the detent makes closing the blade more of a chore than it should be. I have a Gerber multitool and love it, but with the fastball, they've hit a foul ball instead of a homerun.

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Fast as hell, reliable, durable, the design is flawless, and above all, it is QUALITY!!!

So I technically ordered a custom version of this knife, however I'm not sure why but it won't let me post a review under that one.
Anyway, I got the black blade and black parts for everything except the handle which was olive/tan and the customizations anyways so it's similar enough to what I got.
Anyway! On to the review!
This knife is freaking GORGEOUS and flawless!!… read more I got it as an early birthday present from my father, and my God, does the thing perform amazingly! It's so so SO fast, I mean I can draw it in less than a second, it's amazing.
Then it's made entirely super sturdy & strong, meaning you know it'll last.
The print is high quality, crisp and beautiful in colour. Along with this, the knife's custom writing I had engraved is shiny and beautiful on the blade!
I also love the texture of the blade, the design has a raised surface to it so it feels relaxing to pet the knife, haha!
The only "downside" I could see having with this knife is it's quite small, smaller than I expected at first,
but that is actually a huge advantage when you think about it--when it can fit in your hand without anyone knowing you're prepared to defend yourself, not seeing it due to its small size, and not expecting it when it swiftly comes out!
(Of course, I hope to use it for work and hopefully never battle lol!)

Overall, this knife's quality is absolutely AMAZING.
And the website is made very well too! No confusing layout here, super easy to traverse. Also your knife customizer is really really good, like it showed my knife exactly as it looks like, now that I see it in person.
And of course, shipping was amazing too! It said it would arrive in 2-4 weeks, and it came in about 1-2 ish weeks.

All around, fantastic customer service! I've always loved Gerber in the past, and things have not changed since I found the company! You guys are the best, thanks for the great work, keep it up!
And for those looking to hear if Gerber is the right brand for you, I urge you to consider it strongly! It is the most well-made, durable knife around, and the fact they give you customisation options makes it all the better.
Makes for a terrific gift for those blade-lovers in your family/friend group!

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Great Service & Knife

A quirky knife, but certainly a good one. I’ve heard a few tales of asymmetrical grinds, though mine is fine in that area. A bit of a pocket hog that carries a bit unconventionally, but really a nice knife all the same. Terrific service from DLT as usual!

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Fantastic Blade, Everything Else... Meh

Good: Opening action (depending on detent). Ergonomics are overall okay.

Great: Blade has excellent geometry, and the 20 CV performs as it should during testing.

Bad: Weak-ish detent. Liner lock is a major hot-spot during extended/heavier use. It would greatly benefit from a detent ball ramp, because the flipper tab stops on your thumb when closing. The blade/scales… read more could benefit from jimping.

Ugly: Side to side as well as up and down blade play.

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Among the best

This life is incredible and for the money you really can’t beat it. Super smooth action with a light and very tight build. I would put this up against any benchmade although it only cost 1/3 the price.

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Best Gerber I've Owned

Gerber has been trying to appeal to the enthusiasts lately by introducing knives with better steel and better and fit and finish. It's been a very long time since I've bought a Gerber, so I went on a cleaver spree and picked up the Fastball, Asada, and FlatIron. The last two were really disappointing, but the Fastball is the best of the bunch. Here's some takeaways:

Pros:
-Pretty… read more good action
-20CV blade is thin and slicey
-decent ergos
-well done sharpening choil

Cons:
-poor blade grind
-minor fit and finish issues
-late liner lock engagement
-slight detent rock
-poor access to the liner lock for disengagement
-Blade requires a bit of coaxing over the detent ball to close
-shallow screws

This is a decent effort by Gerber, but unless you're in love with the design I'd probably skip this one.

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The Fastball: Fun, Fierce, and on FIRE!!!

My first flipper and I couldn't be happier. This knife is a joy to fidget with.

At first, I wasn't sure just how stiff the opening detent was supposed to be since I had no experience with any other flippers to compare it against.

It seemed hard to open, but once it broke past the detent...GEEZ...talk about flipping with gusto!

You can use the light switch or… read more button push method of deployment. Either way, this knife fires open fantastically.

If you don't have a fidget obsession right now, the Fastball will definitely change that once in hand. It's so fun to open and close.

It was a little rough on my fingertip at first. My flipping finger was tender at the end of the day, for sure.

My thumb was equally tender from pushing the rough-edge and very stiff liner lock.

Immediately, the asymmetrical bevel is very noticeable, especially looking down the spine towards the tip.

It's centered nicely and it came SHARP!
And the blade shape is pointy perfection. The Wharncliffe is one of my favorite blade shapes.

I was a little disappointed with how quickly the pocket clip screwed became loose. A quick tighten and I back to playing with--hands down--one of my favorite knives.

Love the gray color and I love the feel of the aluminum handles. Very smooth, yet it has a subtle grip.

Overall, it's a very smooth knife...dare I say...sexy!!!

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Good Job Gerber

Gerber did a good job on this American made EDC. The blade is S30v steel and was super sharp out of the box. The blade alignment was spot on and there was absolutely no blade play at all. The liner lock was positioned dead center where it should be.The overall fit and finish were a nice surprise considering some of the negative reviews I read online. The detent is a little stiff… read more and takes a bit of effort, but nothing major to worry about. The nice knife has a nice quick snap/pop when deployed. The handle offers a good grip and feels very secure in your hand. I really like the look, style and feel of this knife. The look reminds me of a cross between a Kershaw Leek and a Dividend. This EDC is the perfect size for an everyday pocket carry and appears to be robust enough for actual use not just sitting in a drawer or a knife case. This Portland, Oregon made Fastball might change the minds of a few knife snobs and hopefully move Gerber in a new direction.

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Great knife - fit and finish need work

Even though I gave this four stars, I love this knife.
Action - This is my first rear flipper knife, but I'm happy with the action. Very snappy and reliable.
Handle - My favorite part of the knife. The handle is slim and the aluminum feels great. This knife is pretty unobtrusive in the pocket.
Blade - Good steel and was delivered sharp.
Fit and Finish - This is my only… read more complaint about the knife. The blade grind wasn't completely symmetrical. If you stare down the spine you can see a bit of unevenness. You really have to look for it, but it's there. Doesn't affect performance and only someone seeking it out would notice it. The liner also has a bit of roughness to it. This can't be felt, but you can see that it's not a polished piece of metal. To me this should not be present on a $100 knife.

Even with the fit and finish issues, this is my new favorite knife. While my Spyrderco Para 3 is superior in most ways, this Fastball fits better in my pocket and is a pleasure to hold, so it has become my primary carry knife. This knife is a great step forward for Gerber.

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Snappy budget knife

Always been a fan of the kershaw leeks. This is very similar, except you get S30V. Once played with and loosened up, I can flip as easy as I open my spring asst. leek.

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Fastball Liner

Received the knife and liked the appearance and the weight. I didn't like the liner because it had some defects. I wish it had a smoother finish. Lock was a little stiff and hope that it will loosen up over time. The main draw was the price for S30V steel.

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Tight de-tent

I have worked the de-tent to break in the action. Have a blister on my finger and still is tight. If the action is still tight after a time, may have to polish the action.

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Meh

Not too impressed. Flipping this knife open is a task - the action is horrible. Sharpness is ok, but not good for even the discounted price available through BHQ. Really wanted to like this knife, sorely disappointed with Gerber on this effort. If you have $80 - $100 to spend I'd look for a Kershaw or CRKT.

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Not ready for primetime

I really wanted to like this knife. Upgraded steel, American made. However, the finish was just not great. Very stiff action. Pock-marked liners. Cheap plastic back spacer. Not deal-breakers, unforced errors.

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Great EDC

I really like this knife. It's snappy, light, and super thin. Fits great in the pocket. The blade feels pretty robust. Great EDC knife. It's exactly what I expected. Perfect for me, but not without some flaws.

Design: Initially, the detent was waaaay too strong. I worked the knife open and shut about 1,200 times, and still did not notice any difference. Eventually, I took… read more the knife apart and deformed the liner lock a little bit to help get the detent to cool it some. This worked. Now the knife opens much easier, and it is still super snappy. The only other thing I would change re design would be to put a deep-carry clip on it. I'd be curious to know what deep carry clips would be compatible with this knife.

Manufacturing: As far as quality control goes, the blade was well centered and the beveling on the edge was pretty close to even, maybe a 10-15% difference from one side to the other. The back edge of the liner had a rough finish that reminded me of a sloppy weld job. None of this bothers me at all, but I imagine some people might be turned off by that kind of thing on a $100 knife.

Overall, I really like this knife.

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That's one right down the pipe and you're out ...... $99

I heard about this knife from Wranglerstar and liked it so much, I decided to get one. Unfortunately the sage color was not offered on my initial order, so I picked this one up on the Gerber promotion.
I think a 3 inch blade is just the right size for an EDC folder. The blade steel is great as is the grind. The aluminum scales make it sturdy and slightly heavy. The blade centering… read more is right on and I like the Warmcliffe blade shape. I do wonder about the construction with the screws going into the aluminum scales, something my Kershaw Dividend and Link also have.
The detente was a bit strong on my original one and after a prolonged fidgeting session along with another knife with a similarly stiff detente gave me a blister on the tip of my index finger, something that had never happened before. This one is much better and I can push button or light switch it open.
I am pulling for Gerber to make a comeback to their prominence of yesterday and I think this knife is a good step in that direction.
I had my moniker engraved on the handle and it was very well done by the Blade HQ staff. It turned out as good as I expected with the silver text perfectly centered and standing out against the sage background.
The only disappointment with this is the pock marked liners.

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Gerber Fastball

Received my Fastball in about 4 days Opened it in front of my oldest grandson and all most lost to him poor kid Was disappointed with the flipper action Very difficult to open with the flipper Oiled it and have been playing with it for almost a week and still on the stiff side Hope it will loosen up soon

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Disapointment

I was excited about buying U.S made quality but it was not great enough.

good steel, bad grind. One side has super steep blade angle, obviously they forgot to grind one side....
too stiff to open w/ 1 finger.

I believe they had some Quality Control issue. they must have caught that kind of probrem and reproduct it by themselves.
I was ended up returning it.

I… read more bought Gator premium folding knife instead, that was much greater knife to carry w/ you.

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My new favorite EDC

The knife is light, fast, and sharp. It is cheap enough that I don't baby it, but nice enough that I want to carry it. It was a little stiff at first but after taking it apart and cleaning and lubing, It is smooth like butter.

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Fastball

Not sure this green is green, mine looks grey. Thought I would give gerber another shot, since I used to own more then a few as cheap work knives which always did well, but were nothing special. This one is another very workable knife that is nothing special. Decent steel, smooth action, and horrible quality control. Bevel is off so bad that resharpening this thing will be a pain.… read more Liner seem flimsy, with pitted metal showing all round the knife. Saber grinds aren't my favorite and this didn't change my mind. Overall could have been a great light weight knife, but it misses the mark for the money. I wanted to give this 4 stars, but can't. Not sad I bought this, but wouldn't recommend to anyone else.

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A step in the right direction

I fell in love with this knife as soon as I saw it. It feels great, looks great, performs great, perfect centering, nice materials, etc.

The only issue I had was uneven/rough grinding on the edge. I was definitely disappointed - but there are knives that have been around for years that cost twice as much with the same issue. A little love on a sharpening system fixed it right… read more up! I've heard from a couple people that most QC issues like this have seemed to be fixed since the knife has been out for a couple months now.

Perfect lightweight EDC knife (especially if you're like me and dislike the flexible bugout handles or need more real-estate than a mini-grip etc)

It might be worth looking at the Blur or Dividend but neither of those are manual flippers.

If you like how it looks, i'd recommend getting one. The performance will not disappoint and Gerber (so i've heard) has been doing well with customer support (not to mention BladeHQ :D ) if there ever is an issue.

Thanks!

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Should be Five Stars

I'm guessing that I'm not the only person who bought this knife because it's a USA made flipper with fabulous steel. First off this is a great EDC knife. It really disappears into the pocket well and the action is absolutely superb. I would recommend this knife to anybody. On the other side mine came to me with one of the worst grinds I've ever seen on a blade and my pocket clip… read more had about enough room to put a Bass pro shops catalog in without touching the knife. If Gerber wants to hire somebody to actually do their job in quality control then I'm available. So after fixing the blade and the clip my happiness level grew a lot but it's a shame I had to fix a brand new product myself.

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Nice!!

Great steel, comfortable in the hand, nice design. I like the warncliff blade shape, it makes a nice acute point helping to pierce whatever your cutting.

Make sure to read reviews on the different color options if you are using reviews to help make a decision.

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Worth Checking Out

I'm a Benchmade guy, and a ZT guy. But most importantly, I do prefer items made in the good old USA. So when I saw S30V knives from Gerber made here, I rolled the dice on it. The knife looks great and the aluminum handle manages to feel grippy. Love the dark green color, and the blade was sharp right out of the box. However, the knife came to me with an almost floppy action, despite… read more everything I read about its great snappy action. And the blade was definitely well-centered. After a lot of adjustment on the screw on it, it now opens really well and feels great. Kind of a bummer that it needed adjustment right away, but I'm happy with the quality given the premium blade material and overall look of the knife, particularly considering the price point for a US-made knife.

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American made!

Blade is centered, steel is great, feels nice in your hand. Deep pocket carry would definitely add to this knife! Looks like a phone call to Gerber to see if the sell one is in my future. Feels a little pricy, but being made in America comes with a price.

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Good knife

Do I like this knife? Absolutely! Do I LOVE it? I’d have to say no. My only gripe about this knife is honestly the price. It’s basically Gerber's answer to the Kershaw Leek. Construction is great, materials are great (except for the cheap plastic back spacer), blade centering is perfect, action is snappy and fast, made in the USA, love the blade shape, but these are all things… read more that I think a Kershaw Leek would satisfy at nearly half the price. So, am I glad I bought it? Yes. Would I pay $100 for it again? No.

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Smooth!

The title says it all. It's both the reason for the for the 4 stars, and the lack of the 5th.
This knife opens smooth, closes smooth, and cuts smooth. I've had it as my EDC for about 2 weeks now and have gotten plenty of "oh, let me see that". It is light, pretty, and almost disappears in the pocket. The blade is nicely centered as well.

Now for the missing star.
It… read more is smooth! Not quite to the point if slippery, but there is a definite lack of texture to the aluminum scales. Luckily since it is not spring assisted, it doesn't jump as the blade deploys (again, it's very smooth).
Last 2 minor things, but not overall deal breakers. 1.) Would be better with a deep carry clip. 2.) The flipper is a bit sharp on the edge, but that can easily be knocked down with a file.
Overall, a great knife, and would easily buy again if/when I lose it.

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Love this knife

I just received mine and my initial review is good. This knife is similar in size and feel to my ZT0450, just a little less beefy but also about $70 less and still S30v steel, sharp as hell and made in USA. Action is great, really springs open into locked position. The liner lock seems a little wimpy only reason I am giving 4 stars. We’ll see how it holds up with use.

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Perfect given time?

I fell in love with this knife as soon as i discovered it's existance. I picked one up quickly without knowing about Gerber's QC issues. Everything on the knife is perfect. However, the edge was very coarsely ground and not very sharp. I honestly expected better. But, some personal sharpening fixed all of that. The materials feel and look great. The fit and finish is also great.… read more I think this knife will find a place right alongside the delica, mini grip, and bugout if Gerber keeps QC high.

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Gerber stepping up the game?!

I received my fastball and was surprised at the level of fit and finish/build this knife has to offer for the price. Perfect centering, great materials, and it looks beautiful. Gerber hit a home run with this fastball (no pun intended) glad to see more USA products from them. Only thing I would change about it is a deep carry clip. But the fact it can be reversed for lefties is… read more a nice touch.

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Save your money

Recently purchased this after seeing it last month online. For a hundred bucks why not give it a try? It has S30V and is made by a popular brand. Well the opening and the closing stick way more than I like. And it honestly looks way too much like a Kershaw leek or a Dividend. This knife is honestly not worth a hundred bucks. Ya it has good steel but it's not a great knife. But I… read more will say it came really sharp. Nothing special here sadly

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