Skip to main content

The Manual may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site.

We’re in Love with the Look of Gerber’s New Everyday Carry Knives

There’s nothing like reaching into your pocket and feeling the shape and heft of a great everyday carry knife. It gives instant confidence — adds an intrepid spring to your step. It makes you ready to take on whatever life throws at you.

However, the unspoken rule of the EDC knife is its secrecy. Like a high bank balance or a supermodel’s phone number, it’s not the kind of thing you flash around. The EDC knife is meant to stay stashed until the moment when it’s needed, at which point the carrier can casually unearth it and say, “It’s cool. I got this.”

This point of secrecy is the only fault we have to find with Gerber’s new line of EDC knives. Gerber calls it a collection with an added emphasis on aesthetic — the brand should call it the “hardest knives to keep in your pocket” line. You’re going to want to pull them out just to look at them. Which is weird. Maybe a little bit creepy. But once other people get a look at these knives, they’re going to want to look at them, too.

Gerber Quadrant
Quadrant Gerber

The Quadrant has a finger flip for intuitively easy blade deployment, a satin-finished sheepsfoot blade that is as efficient as it is stylish, a sturdy frame lock, and a pocket clip for easy carry. The ample cutting edge makes this knife worth its carrying weight, but the real star is the bamboo-overlaid handle that makes it unlike any other knife you have or are likely to see.

Gerber Jukebox
Jukebox Gerber

The Jukebox lies at the other end of the spectrum, an homage to classic barbershop knives with an eye-catching acrylic molded handle in luminous tortoiseshell. However, its functional details are anything but antiquated. The extended tang finger flipper is uniquely designed for easy deployment without muddying the elegant silhouette. The sheepsfoot blade features a full yet fine edge, and a liner lock keeps the whole thing together when not in use.

Gerber Straightlace
Straightlace Gerber

Finally, there’s the Straightlace, my personal choice. The clean lines of its fine-textured aluminum handle are highlighted with a red and white stripe. The exaggerated nail nick makes it just easy enough to unfold the mirror-polished sheepsfoot blade, while the traditional slip joint eliminates the need for a lock. The clever little lanyard hole makes it extra convenient. But none of this fully explains its appeal. It’s hard to say exactly how a knife speaks to you, but when this one showed up in the mail, I felt like I was meeting a long-lost friend. Suffice it to say, it’s all I can do not to keep pulling it out to open and fold up, over and over, just for the sake of playing with it.

These new aesthetic-forward EDC knives are available now on Gerber at a surprisingly accessible price point. Get one and be that guy.

Need more gear suggestions? Check out the Gerber Fastball or other EDC essentials for the outdoorsy guy.

Editors' Recommendations

Chelsea Batten
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Chelsea Batten is a writer, photographer, and Kerouac groupie. One of the original digital nomads, she was seduced from life…
The camping and hiking gear we’re most looking forward to in 2023
new outdoor gear for camping and hiking 2023 pexels jens mahnke 776117

Is there a better feeling than pulling out all of your favorite outdoor gear ready for those first camps or hikes of the season? There's no getting around it; outdoorsmen love outdoor gear. We can't help ourselves. There's always more to buy, always ways to make our hiking setup lighter or our camping setup more comfortable. However you justify it to yourself, you've probably got shelves overflowing with tents, sleeping bags, and stoves.

Well, I have some good news for you because a new year and a new camping season mean — that's right — more gear to be had. Companies around the world are releasing their 2023 outdoor lines, complete with new-and-improved versions of gear we've come to love or exciting new releases that might break the mold. Here are some of our favorite outdoor gear items we're looking forward to this year.

Read more
The 6 Best Knives Every Man Should Own in 2022

Unless your parents were seriously cool, they probably never let you own a knife as a kid. But as a teenager or young adult, owning your first steel knife is a rite of passage to help prepare you for the real world. These are basic yet multifaceted tools that can serve you equally well especially when it comes to kitchen knives, in the great outdoors, and in everyday life. Although there is a variety of knives on the market, we've narrowed our search to the most essential knife types that every man should own in 2022.
Everyday Carry (EDC) Knife

In the old days, it was known as a jackknife. In the old, old days, it was called a pocketknife. Now, it’s best known as the “everyday carry" (EDC) knife. Despite the name changes, the specifics haven’t changed at all: One folding blade, about 3.5 inches long, ideally with a locking mechanism so needn’t apply pressure to the tang as you use it. Some also have spring-loaded opening “flipper” mechanisms, making them extra efficient to use, not to mention adding a little “wow” factor when you whip it out for a task. The virtues of the best EDC knives are simplicity, sturdiness, and size. But with just one blade, you can’t expect your EDC to do it all. So it’s important to choose an EDC knife with a blade suited to your most routine tasks.

Read more
Pennsylvania’s Case Knives Announces Two New Everyday Carry Blades
case knives edc announcement image004

No question, we here at The Manual love American brands. Case Knives, which has been around for more than a century and sold blades from the back of a covered wagon, more than fits the bill. The Bradford, Pennsylvania-based brand predates the automobile, and over its storied history, it's been everywhere, from the battlefields of World War II to outer space. (No, really: When Gus Grissom and John Young were shot into orbit by NASA, they brought a Case with them.) But the one place the company's wares haven't gone is in the pockets of the modern man. With the announcement of the new Marilla and Kinzua, its blades are headed to the final frontier: Your pants pocket.

“[It's] an important milestone for Case Knives,” said Brent Tyler, Case Knives' associate vice president of marketing, in a release. "These knives combine expertise perfected over generations with a modern design that meets the needs of today’s trends in everyday carrying."
Related Guides

Read more