GERBERGear Paraframe

I absolutely love this knife! I’ve had many over the years. Problem with some is that the pocket clip gets loose because they’re screwed into plastic. This one is all metal. Although I’ve only had it a week, everything is holding up. I’m a fireman in NYC and use this for everything. Was originally looking at a leatherman skeletool because a friend at work has one but after looking at their reviews of broken blades and pliers because of all the cutouts to make it lighter in the pocket I decided to get this. This one is still very light in the pocket you barely know it’s there. Very sturdy, very clean looking in the stainless steel. An awesome price that I would buy another if I ever had to. It’s also not that hard to close with the frame lock design. It’s just right and doesn’t have spring assist open so that’s nice too!Update: months later it’s still my favorite and it’s holding up strong with daily use!

Holds up for years

The blade is sharp and keeps its edge well.The clip is very strong. The best way to use this to your advantage is to clip the knife to the inside of your jean pocket, with the clip side out. It is possible to clip to a belt, but belts are typically thicker than denim and harder to remove the knife from.The knife is versatile. I have used mine for cutting and eating food, opening boxes, cutting old rubber exhaust hangers from my car, and stabbing through the near-impossible-to-open retail packaging most electronic gadgets come in these days.I have had a few of these in the past, and I have had to replace them because I abused them. The main thing this knife is not suited for is prying, which I unfortunately have had a habit of doing. I've broken the knife from its handle by doing that. MY fault, NOT the knife's!Overall, this is a wonderful knife to keep as a daily clip-on.

I work in a commercial kitchen and use this knife 40+ hours a week. Usually I'm just slicing through postal tape to open boxes, but I also use it to open food packages. This brings me to my first pro - this knife is really easy to keep clean. It gets pretty grimey after cutting through dozens of bags of poultry, but the skeletonized scales make it a breeze to wash. I never have to worry about cross-contamination from a piece of food getting stuck in the liner. I've considered switching to a knife from CRKT's M16 series, but the Paraframe just has a more open design. Also they're considerably cheaper, which is actually my second favorite thing about the knife. I previously had this exact model and lost it. Losing a $100+ Benchmade or Spyderco would have been a real bummer, but losing a paraframe was more of a minor inconvenience. There is a peace-of-mind that comes with not actually caring about your knife. If I bend the tip or chip the blade... whatever, I'm out fifteen bucks. Whereas ruining some nice M90 or S30V steel would make me pretty salty.I guess that brings us to the blade steel and the first con. I was able to find a Paraframe on BladeHQ.com that was advertised as 7cr17mov. Now, I'm not sure if that was an indication that all Paraframes are made with that steel, but I can safely assume they're at least using something similar. I'm not gonna lie, sharpening this thing every single week gets old quick. It's not difficult. I'll watch some youtube while I absent-mindedly sit with my whetstone. But it is annoying when, after only a few days of use, your knife struggles to slice though cardboard. I often use the serrations to saw through boxes, but this introduces the problem of sharpening the serrated portion of the blade. Gerber, if you're reading this, make a limited run of Paraframes with some better blade steel.Some other cons:It takes a little effort to open the knife. Even when nicely lubricated, it takes a good flick of the wrist to deploy the blade. The skeletonized frame gives you a little extra grip for this, but it doesn't just fall open like some higher-quality knives.I personally like the tip-down design for the big, loose front pocket of a chef's coat. But I can see why some people may prefer a tip-up carry.On my current one, the thumb stud spins freely within the blade. This didn't happen with my previous paraframe which makes me think it's just a small QC issue. It's not at risk of falling out or anything. It's secured in the blade. But it just makes the knife feel cheap.The pocket clip isn't deep carry. I personally don't care if a half inch of metal is sticking out of my pocket. But some people are picky and will drop 80 bucks on aftermarket pocket clips, so I guess this is a con.Some other pros:It has a nice weight to it. Some knives are so light, they feel like a toy (I'm looking at you, Bugout). But when you hold this knife, you just know that you can throw it across the room and won't have to worry about any cheap polymer chipping or snapping. It feels like a sturdy tool, but it's not some 12oz monstrosity. You could still throw it in a backpack without worrying about the weight.Aside from the thumb stud, nothing is loose after months of continuous use. All of the screws holding it together are still snug after beating on it, and the action is still factory-fresh.The Paraframe has an unfair reputation of being a "beginner's knife", but there are plenty of reasons to carry this instead of your $500 auto with s35vn steel and gold-plated hardware. Gerber is a good company. I would urge anybody in the food service industry to use this as their EDC. But this is also great for anybody who wants a solid beater knife for less than 20 bucks.

Excellent pocket knife and the blade has held an edge well.I have quite a few pocket knives and this has become my daily carry, I don't have to worry about losing an expensive knife and the performance has exceeded my expectations. Due to the low cost I can do alot of things that I wouldn't do with a more expensive knife, like cutting and stripping wire.