Gerber Tech Skin Pocket Knife

Part of the Gerber Daily Carry (GDC) line, the Gerber Tech Skin Pocket Knife is designed for everyday use, but with a design that sets it apart from other pocket knives. Two different incidents in the same week caused me to want to take a closer look at this knife, and its unique properties.

Overall dimensions are about what you would expect to find on a 2.24 ounce lock back pocket knife – 2.52 inch blade, 5.93 overall length. That makes it 3.40 inches folded. Blade material is 7Cr17. For those that aren’t familiar with different steel grades, the Gerber Tech Skin leans towards ease of sharpening, rather than harder steels that hold their edge longer but are more difficult to sharpen. With its MSRP of $32, we find this an appropriate choice. (If you want a long-lasting, razor sharp edge, expect to pay 2-3 times as much).

Gerber Tech Skin Pocket Knife

What really got our attention though, was the Techhide handle. See, the Gerber Tech Skin is intended for carry in a pocket, purse, or backpack, the same place many of us keep our phones. But Techhide is a rubberized treatment that not only provides outstanding grip, it won’t scratch your expensive electronics. Rubberized thumb studs and recessed blade hardware continue that theme. I hadn’t give much thought to that until one morning, I accidentally brushed against my car with my usual “everyday carry” knife clipped to my right pocket. And the clip put a three inch scratch in the paint. This was only days after visiting a friend of mine who showed me the nasty cut he got when he reached into his pocket, only to find that his knife with its automatic blade (legal in Utah) had opened unintentionally. Isolated incidents, but avoidable. So I tried the Gerber Tech Skin for a week.

It would seem that one of the challenges of designing a knife like the Gerber Tech Skin was finding that balance between being soft and grippy, while not sticking in your pocket. If you grab the knife and pull it out of your pocket, it’s fine. If you try to slide it out, it’s going to try to turn your pocket inside out. Not a huge deal, but worth noting.  The generous size of the thumb studs make up for the fact that it doesn’t open easily, at least when new. Over time, that may change, but one handed operation is certainly possible. When open, my finger fit naturally into the cutout from the thumb studs, which made for a comfortable hold. Raised  bumps on the Zytel grip let your thumb know it’s in the right spot too. And the locking mechanism has a bit of texture, making it easy to find.

Gerber Tech Skin Pocket Knife

Out of the package, blade performance was more than acceptable. We use a very inexpensive sharpener to touch up knife blades during testing, as we know many consumers aren’t going to bother with multi-step systems. This gives us a real-world test of how well a knife can hold an edge. “Everyday use” for me means opening boxes and cutting them up. I’ve been known to use a knife to open my mail, and food packages in the kitchen. Whatever you use yours for, if it’s light duty, this knife can handle it. And when you’re done, it goes back in your pocket.

After a week, I switched back to one of my two regular clip knives. Although there is nothing wrong with the Gerber Tech Skin knife, I just didn’t like having to fish it out of my pocket. That was my only minor gripe – other than that, it’s a great knife. I’m sure I’ll be in situations where a larger knife clipped inside a pocket is frowned upon (I’m a wedding photographer too), and will carry it then. There is no one knife that’s perfect for every situation, which is why we should all have a couple. If this one suits your needs, you can read more at gerbergear.com.

– Brian

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Gerber Tech Skin Pocket Knife for free from Gerber, in consideration for review publication