My Favorite Knife EVER: Gerber 06 Automatic S30V

[OnPointFirearms]

I've been collecting knives since childhood. Pocket, boot, dive, tanto, bowie, Swiss Army, throwing, and Rambo... I've got 'em all. As a boy, Smokey Mountain Knife Works and US Cavalry catalogs encouraged me to save my pennies. After the obligatory Swiss Army pocketknife, the first "real" addition to the collection was a Command I by Gerber. It was the quintessential boot knife, and if I recall correctly, cost me over $60-- an exorbitant amount for a sixth-grader to spend on anything, let alone a knife!

Since then, my memories of Gerber knives has been fond. "Legendary Blades" has always been their tag-line. In recent years, like many others, I've swayed to trendier nameplates: Benchmade, SOG, Microtech, Piranha, Boker, and Colt among others. But, I've finally come full circle and returned to familiar territory. Let me introduce you to my new Gerber: the model 06 Automatic.

I say without hyperbole that this is my favorite knife... EVER. For many months, I've been searching for a knife featuring the elusive S30V steel blade. The Gerber 06 Automatic is that blade. To be honest, I didn't find it on my own. One of my buddies with a Ranger tab came into the shop last week to return a rifle I loaned him (months ago) and showed me his 06 Auto. Immediately, I was impressed with its feature-rich design. The "skull crusher" lanyard loop is menacing. The safety selector is reminiscent of a style you would find on a pistol. The aluminum handle is ergonomic, rugged, and solid. The pocket clip is the perfect size-- securing the knife in place, yet displaying just the right amount of handle for watchful eyes to see. The drop point blade is an elegant, classic design-- and partially-serrated. It's also available in a Tanto-style. The finish is stealth-like: operator black.

Perhaps it's the October chill in the air, the strange mix of euphoria and depression that aging another year brings, the 24% year-to-date loss my 401k has taken, the end of triathlon season, the Rays race for the World Series, or the return of college football. For some reason, this Gerber brings me back to a simple time in my life. It reminds me of that day long ago, when a package from Smokey Mountain Knife Works arrived at my mom's house with a shiny new Gerber Command I inside. Just in time for my birthday, not unlike this new knife.

Have a good one and God bless.
-- Evan

[OnPointFirearms]

More pics...

[one]

I've looked at those a couple times at gunshows. I liked it as well and have kept it on my list of items for consideration.

Nice knives.

[DBautista]

Interesting write up, especially about tri season. Tomorrow is my last one for the year. Its a sprint and in a pool...

[DocHolliday01]

Love my 06 Auto. I chose the tanto version though. The blade is awesome.

[T2J]

I have one of the prototypes of these that I got on my last deployment. Good blade, but I'm very disappointed with the spring. It's slow to activate that big blade and after a few months of use it stopped being able to completely open the blade.

[ArmatusCivis91]

That's a prett cool knife. The blade looks like a mini LMF II. I got an LMF as a gift a few months ago, it's the best knife I've ever owned, Gerber makes some cool stuff.

[maximus83]

Nice write-up, nice knife. I agree with you about Gerber's quality and simplicity of design. And the excellence of S30v steel.

It's interesting how much that new auto in its contours resembles (though slightly smaller than) their relatively new "infantry knife" design, a 5" fixed blade with a heavy window breaker. I own one of these, and it's a wonderful all-purpose utility knife that I take hiking, hunting, and camping: