We have a new generation of people out in the world using tools and equipment. People have been conditioned to replace rather than fix or maintain tools properly. Planned obsolescence is a concept that has been in use for decades, but it is a whole new beast in this day and age. On the topic of knives, there is nothing like a knife with a high-quality blade that can be used for years. Cleaning, honing, and sharpening your blade to cut like a razor is a skill that every outdoorsman or woman should learn. For the younger generation, that takes too long. Here enters the Gerber Vital Folding Pocket Knife – a mix of your normal folding knife and a box cutter. This knife blends the two ideas well. We get a knife that feels sturdy out of the package that comes with multiple razor-sharp blades ready to work.
Gerber Vital Folding Pocket Knife
Featuring safe Exchange-a-Blade technology, the Gerber Vital folding pocket knife ensures you will always have a surgically sharp blade available. From skinning and gutting an animal to tackling household chores, this foldable pocket knife is what you’ve been looking for.
Price: $52.00
- Easily change blades for razor-sharp performance
- Bright orange, ergonomic, non-slip grip handle
- Foldable design
- Weight: 1.3 ounces
- Length: 6.9 inches
- 6 replaceable blades included
Gerber Vital Folding Pocket Knife Review | First Impressions
The packaging is clean and effective. It has the knife displayed in a way to show off the features being sold, showing this is not your average little pocket knife. With one good look, you can get a handle on what is different compared to other knives and how to correctly use the blade interchange on the back of the packaging.
This knife kit includes:
- Folding knife x1
- Replacement blades x6
- Small plastic carrying case for replacement blades
- Usage instructions
There are a few things that a knife must have in terms of quality and functionality. Here’s the checklist I used to evaluate the Gerber Vital folding pocket knife:
- Balanced Weight
- Grip
- Blade Length
- Blade Quality
- Ease of Use
Gerber Vital Folding Pocket Knife Review | Balance/Weight
After I finally had this knife in my hand, I could feel the balance right away. With a light blade, the body needs to correctly fit a person’s hand to not cause uncomfortable handling. The whole knife isn’t very heavy at 1.3 ounces. With a total knife length of 6.9 inches, this is quite a light tool. Carrying in your pocket, whether on the pocket clip or just freely floating in your pocket, you will barely notice you have this knife. After using for some time, you will not feel any fatigue from using a knife that weighs 1.3 ounces total. Considering the size of the knife compared to the total weight, this product earns a 10/10 in the weight category.
Gerber Vital Folding Pocket Knife Review | Grip
Every time you have a knife in your hand, you feel the grip. A good or bad grip can really change your perception of the tool quickly. This knife features a comfortable and tacky grip. The ridges on the edges of the handle really help with a sturdy grip in all applications of use. After using this knife in wet conditions, no grip was lost due to moisture. The grip feels high quality and earns a 10/10.
Gerber Vital Folding Pocket Knife Review | Blade Length
Everyone has a different preference on what length of blade they would like on the knife they use in everyday applications. Personally, for everyday use at my workplace, a small knife is preferred. I don’t lose pocket space or really notice the presence of the knife while on the job. The smaller blade measures in at 2.8 inches. Everything I used this knife for worked well with the smaller length. For this pocket knife, I grade the choice of blade length at 8/10. If the kit came with a few other blade size options, it would easily earn a 10/10.
Gerber Vital Folding Pocket Knife Review | Blade Quality
Blade quality is definitely where the real rating comes out and unveils a high or low-quality knife. I started using this for what this knife is mostly intended to be used on: box cutting, rope, twine, cloth, and smaller shrubbery. Out of the box, the blades are razor sharp. The intent for this knife is not bushwhacking, but to use in everyday smaller applications. Once I used this knife for its intended use for some time, I hit the woods. I had some tree stand work to get done and I had my handy little knife on me.
I decided to put this little razor blade to the test and attempt to cut a small ½” diameter tree branch in my line of sight. Halfway through the cut, the blade snapped and went flying. I wasn’t terribly surprised that the blade wasn’t exactly able to handle the cut. I had tried to apply slight pressure so as to not overstress the thinner blade. After the blade broke, I walked to my pack and installed a new blade. Unfortunately, when the blade broke, the hold down pin surface sheared as well. As seen here, the small pin/rivet typically has a larger tab connected to hold the blade in place. At this point, I was unable to reinstall a fresh blade to continue its use. Honestly, I put this small diameter blade through the wringer. More than it was really meant to do. All in all, if used properly, I give the blade quality a 7/10.
Gerber Vital Folding Pocket Knife Review | Ease of Use
Generally, knives are easy to use. It’s not typical for a knife to be “difficult”, but with knives evolving to using interchangeable blades in one package, we may run into issues. Opening this pocket knife can be easily done one-handedly and safely. Closing the blade is a two-handed action as with the majority of pocket knives out there. Changing the blades is very simple and straightforward. A push of a button in addition to sliding the blade forward gives you the ability to remove an already attached blade. Attaching a new blade only requires sliding the new blade onto the provided slot and waiting for the “click” of the blade lock snapping in place. Once the blade is locked in, the knife is ready to use with an absolutely razor-sharp blade.
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CONS:
Gerber Vital Folding Pocket Knife Review Summary
Overall, I am pleased with this little pocket knife. I enjoy the new style that utilizes the replacement razor blades. This knife is a great small tool for everyday light usage without being bulky or heavy. The grip on the handle is ergonomic and tacky, even after water reaches the tool. Having razor-sharp blades at your disposal (literally) can be quite convenient if you don’t have time or equipment for sharpening.
If you’re looking for a heavy-duty bushwhacking knife, this is not the knife for you. After weeks of regular light duty usage at work, I put this knife through a tougher environment and it couldn’t handle this situation. I don’t blame the design or the product itself. The job was not meant for the Gerber Vital folding pocket knife. As of today, I still have no response about my warranty claim for this product breaking. Gerber has included a statement on their warranty claim page requesting patience due to long wait periods for resolved cases. All in all, I quite liked this product and would recommend it to anyone interested in a good everyday pocket knife.
Ready to buy? You can readily find this product from a wide variety of retailers, such as Scheel’s, Amazon or Black Ovis.
Thanks to Lucas Hunter for this user-submitted gear review. Hunting Gear Deals is funded by affiliate commissions. We may receive a small commission when you buy from our partners using the links provided. There is no additional cost to you. Thanks for supporting us by using our links when making your purchases.
AUTHOR BIO
I’m a Hunter from Iowa that loves the outdoors. When I’m not working on cars for my profession, I’m in the woods. Whether it’s cutting firewood, improving my Whitetail habitat, or hunting for Morels. I try to live up to my last name
