Gerber Instant
Tactically inspired, the Instant utilizes Gerber’s Assisted Opening 2.0 mechanism for easy, one-handed blade opening. The thumb plunge unlocks the three-and-a-half-inch blade for safe closure. Layers of G-10 composite are textured and shaped to make an ultra-light, ultra-tactile handle. It’s a sleek clip folder made for everyday use.
- Blade Length: 3.18"
- Closed Length: 4.57"
- Overall Length: 7.75"
- Weight: 4.01 oz.
- Steel Type: 7Cr17Mo
Features
- Assisted Opening 2.0 Mechanism
- Thumb Plunge Lock
- Ultra Light
- G-10 Composite Handle
Reviews Press
This knife has a great blade that keeps an edge really well. The spring assist is nice and strong. Coins in my pocket sometimes get wedged in it but that's not even a problem always pops open when I need it.
The handle has sharp edges and so does the relase when I got the knife it was very sharp I recommend this knife if you have tough hands and want it to last good job gerber....
I applaud the craftsmanship in the making of the handle. A fine looking piece. I adore the blade shape, but I noticed the black finish wears off rather quickly. In my field of work I find myself using this everyday and am very pleased. But aesthetically speaking, this knife gets dull. This, however, does not stop me from loving this. Rugged and strong.
I'm only gonna say this in a few short words...the knife is horrible. the button that locks up the knife in place broke on me the first time using it on a camping trip...even before hand when you keep it in your pocket or clip it to your side after awhile the knife blade would pop out, it's very dangerous from the fact if you were to fall down the blade would stab you. sounds ridiculous but it has happen to people with other knives...but I will say the blade is strong and stays sharp...that's the only nice thing I can say about it. DON'T BUY IT.
Overall I would put this knife as a good value. It isn't made to be a premium knife but more of an entry level open assist knife.
I paid $30 for this knife though It tends to go for $30-$40 depending on where you look. The G10 handle is nice gives a good grip. The thumb stud is easy to gain purchase on and the retent of the blade is just right. The open assist system works well, though it's not as good as Kershaw's system.
The button lock works great, you can open and close this knife easily with one hand. The blade is made of "budget" steel, not bad steel but not premium steel. I would put the performance around 8cr steel or between 440C and AUS-8, but closer to AUS-8. So overall the steel is not impressive but it is good enough for a everyday carry/utility knife.
I would easily buy another one of these for myself, and possibly ones as a gift if GERBER would PLEASE make this knife with a straight plain edge! For this price I got mine at $34.00 I love it although I have never been crazy about serrated blades. Light, super fast,Great ergonomics,great look,very smooth, and comfortably small, however not to small! In a pinch it could be pressed into service efficiently and effectively for self defense. I would prefer at least a 4 inch blade for sd however with this I would still feel confident that I could stop an attacker eventually. ccw handgun is my preference actually.
this knife is an amazing knife and i would highly recommend it to anyone ho is looking for a cheap knife but one hell of a knife
Iv had this knife for about year, but it finally met its fate the other day at work.
Over the past year it had been through alot, from carving wood, breaking down boxes, cutting rope, its been left outside for a few days and even dropped deep in the ocean! But unfortunately it was no mach for the trash compacter at work....
Action is great, Blade is great and the Handle is great!
I would recommend this knife to anyone!
The knife is amazing. I've had it for over a year, the only problem is the clip just recently broke. other than the clip not being strong enough, it's a great knife to own.
I love this knife I actually bought two of them my self, I love every thing about tis knife except it does not have an option for a plain edge with no serration. If you guys at Gerber could do that option in the near future that would be great. But, overall a great knife love it.
Great Knife Gerber. Just please make the clip a little stronger.
i liked the feel of this knife and the blade shape. i had got the knife as soon as it hit shelves and mine mightve been in the recall group it had a tendency for the assistmechanism to un intentionally fire the blade until the assistspring bar in the rear of the handle simply snapped. i never sent it in to be fixed but gerbers customer service is great and i know i wouldve had a new one. i chose to drill the bladeso now the button locks it closed and open. it has sincebecome a beater knife
I love the feel of this knife and how sharp it is. but the clip is not as tough as the knife and soon broke.
I will agree saying this is a great knife. But the first one i bought did not come with a serrated edge which i thought was strange so i took it back and now have a new one. People really seem to get bad luck with this knife when buying it but i love my auto gets what i want done when i want it done.
I wrote a really bad review on this knife a couple of weeks ago because of poor one handed opening action. I am happy to report that cutomer serevice was helpful and I had a new knife in my hand quickly. New knifes action is great. Knife is everything it is supposed to be. G-10 handle is secure in hand, knife is heavy enough to feel comfortable to tackle anything a knife needs to do and light enough to be a fantastic EDC. Gave a 3 star ranking instead of 5 because I hope Gerber really listens to reviews and adopts better quality control and builds this and all thier knives in the good old USA.
This has been my every day and everything knife over the past month. Not only is it one tough knife, it's very comfortable & lightweight to carry all the time. The Gerber Instant will do it all. A real gem in the Gerber line.
I have read several reviews and have seen that many people have complained that the action is bad for one handed use.
Mine actually feels like sand is caught in the action until the assist takes over and then knife open easily.
Blade is super sharp, shaved hair out of package. But there really seems to be a lack of quality control with this knife.
Too bad because for weight, and secure feeling in hand I could have really loved this kinife.
Going to contact customer service and see how painful that will be. Maybe I will write an update.
I had an issue with my first one but Gerber replaced it with no questions asked and ive been using the second one for a long time now and it stands up to everything. I would definitely purchase another one in a heartbeat! A great knife GERBER - thanks
This knife is part of my EDC. It has never opened in any of my pockets. I generally clip it in my right hand pants pocket. Opens like a switch blade and closes very easily. Still sharp after six months of use.
If you're looking for a great EDC knife that won't break the bank then this might be the right knife for you! Quick spring action, grippy handle & a razor sharp blade... I've had it 3 months now and I have yet to have it open in my pocket like others had mentioned.
Awesome knife! I love the simplicity of the assisted open, much better than previous designs. have had it about a month and just broke the clip, very common for me happens to every knife. Hopefully there will be a better design for that someday
I got this from a friend who knows nothing about knives for my birthday and needless to say I am very satisfied. It has become my new daily carry and the spring action is very nice.
I got this knife for Christmas from my wife and i really love it. It has opened in my pocket once. So i switched to mu left pocket and it cannot open.
I have had the knife less than a month and my clip has already broken. I have reached out to Warranty today, so hopefully it will be a quick response.
Overall good knife, love the blade stays sharp. The only gripe it will not stay closed. I have a rubberband to keep it closed.
the knife would open inside of my pocket for the first month or two of having the knife but now that i have worn in the mechanisim it is much better. kept an edge well and has worked like i thought it shouold. Overall not a bad knife
wife got me this for christmas and i love it
I got it and it haven't opened on my pocket as some say. It is really sharp. Love it!
I've used Gerber's since I was a boy scout, my Gator has been abused for over 15 years and finally won't continue to hold an edge, it has sentimental value to me so i decided to purchase a new knife instead. I purchased the Gerber Instant, and so far the knife is fine, other than the fact that i cant carry it with the clip that is intended to hold it secure... the clip screws need tightened daily but worse yet is I still require my sheath because this knife will open in my pocket unintentionally. thats going to be bad for my thighs or furniture.. This knife needs a safety, I've grown to expect more from Gerber.. definately not this.
This knife was given to me by my son...all I can say is I love this knife...! Thanks son...!!!
I've purchased three of these knives, one for myself and two as gifts. Both the knife that I purchased for myself and the knife I purchased for my friend arrived with several stripped torx screws, mine with a broken torx head still stuck in a clip screw. However, both knives function as designed.
I purchased the third for my little brother for Christmas and the knife barely functions. The blade was so poorly machined that the knife cannot be opened with one hand alone.
I have long been a Gerber fan, own several of their knives and tools and have never had a problem with any of my other purchases. But, the fact that I've purchased three of these knives over a three month period and all three made it through quality control with damaged parts is ridiculous. I'll be returning the knife I purchased for my brother while he uses mine in the meantime.
For a knife that Gerber spent so much time and money marketing, I'd expect them to take more care in manufacturing it. I am one very disappointed buyer.
I purchased this based entirely on the design aspects. Now after owning it for some time the looks are nearly not as important. The spring assist is nice, it does have a little kick back when you open it. Sharpness is amazing no effort in cutting. My only complaint is the blade will open up if you are bending or bump into something. This has only happened 4 times. Besides that its an amazing knife
I just got this knife and love it. Really easy to sharpen and holds an edge like nothing else. Shaved some hair off of my leg with it without difficulty. The only reason i gave 4 stars is that I really wish there was a fine edge version. Other than that, I think it's the best knife Gerber has made.
Good knife despite having to return it due to a recall on the locking mechanism. Customer Service was rather slow on the uptake and I only found out about the recall after emailing to tell them it broke after a few uses.
The new lock is a little more ridged, not nearly as smooth on open but it'll do.
I would have given it 5 starts had it not been for the recall and lackluster customer service.
I'd recommend it for a person who isn't super into knives but needs something lightweight.
Ive had this knife for a few months now and its beast...the only thing is that the pocket clip bent, how can i get that fixed?
AWESOME knife... lightweight and chick-friendly!
I watched the reviews for this knife and little by little I fell in love with it, but there is one thing that needs to be changed. That is, ALL GERBER KNIVES NEED TO BE MADE IN THE U.S.A. !!!!!!!!
Bought two of these knives, one for me one for my dad n they r awesome. Sturdy, dependable, and come sharp as hell right outa the box. I carry mine in my pocket, and the knife is a big knife but i like how when u clip it on ur pocket u can barely notice u have a knife on u. Guys did a great job with this one, only thing that could make it better was to see made in usa on it.
great knife very sharpe holds a good edge light weight, easy open easy close and cant beat the low price for such a great knife!!
It is a beast knife
nothing is wrong with it it works perfect and is light ill only buy gerbers for life
Got this knife three days ago. I've had many pocket clip knives like this, and the Instant is hands down the best one. Best blade, best grip, best feel in the hand. Can't go wrong with this knife.
Needs to be a fine edge version!
Bought this knife and it hasn't left my side! Had to sharpen it once already but absolutely love it! Light weight, nice design, easy open but only when I want it to.
great everyday knife
..it seems like every time I'm ready for a new knife, I have 2 choices..big as a machete, or "aww, ain't that cute?" Well not any more! This is a good "useable" sized knife..not so big that it'll bug you in a front pocket, not so small you'll lose it. Now, the downside..when it's all the way down on the clip, the thumb button on the blade hangs up on my pocket..it could be my pants, I dunno, maybe they could make left/right handed models, and only have the thumb button on one side (??) Other than that, I can't believe I hesitated on buying this knife...
I usually don't buy assisted open but I really wanted one. I purchased this knife because it looks cool, has a fair price, and I wanted to try the 2.0 Mechanism.
So, I get my knife in the mail and am really excited to test it out. I unbox the knife and try to open the blade with my thumb. I could not get the blade open with my thumb, I open it using two hands and realize it opens fine. I try to again open with my thumb and try real hard, it opened. This knife is far to difficult to open, the pressure needed from my thumb is ridiculous, both of my thumbs are now bruised (my fault for trying to open again and again). Overall not a huge deal I can still open it with two hands or with my sore thumbs. But when I buy an assisted open i expect it to open properly.
I realize that many of these knives are very easy to open and may open in pockets. My knife is just the opposite. I think Gerber adjusted to the easy opening knives and this was the cause, hopefully they find a middle ground. Another possibility is that i will be able to "wear it in" and make it easier to open.
Beside being difficult to open i am absolutely pleased with the knife. It is very sharp right out of the box and has a great weight.
Terrific knife. Very fast opening with little effort, but never opens when I don't want it to.
This knife is awsome. Great feel, great weight, and great features. I use it at work and as my every day carry. I highly recomend it.
This knife is amazing and need more to buy for family members and friends.
This knife rocks ! Had it for around one month now. In my pocket everyday. Never had it open when I didn't want it to. The grip on this knife is excellent. Can't be beat for the price
Cut through a half inch piece of cardboard with literally no effort whatsoever i fricken love this knife
Easily in the top 3 of my EDC collection. Bought the Venture because of it, but have to work through a warranty issue. As far as this knife is concerned, I absolutely love it. Great lock-up, solid grip, awesome blade design, and ideal size and weight. A must have!
Really amazing locking mechanism and blade is sharp as can be. Worth every penny. A GOOD INVESTMENT!
I bought this knife on impulse, and I don't regret it. I've owned the Gerber AR 3.0 straight edge for years, and rationalized buying The Instant because of its serrated edge. The feel and weight is perfect, and I absolutely love the assisted opening device.
This is another great and well made knife by gerber! The blade is sharp and has a very nice curved look to it. The G-10 handle is great and doesnt slip out of your hand. The only the I have wrong with this knife is that there is no way to keep the knife closed once you fold it. The FAST system on this knife is very sensitive and it opens if you drop it, mess with is in your pocket, or hand it to someone else to quickly. All around this is a great knife I just wish that they was a locking system to keep the blade closed. I put a piece of paracord through the lanyard hole at the bottom and loop it over the blade when its in my pocket but even that's not a perfect system.
For getting my eagle scout rank, i asked my dad to get me a knife. i was looking at the myth which isnt my Favorite knife it needs to be rininforsed with something in the handle. This knife, is amazing! i take it everywhere and use it all the time, its sturdy and very durable! i would recommend this knife to anyone!
Blade shape looks perfect... you only need three changes: A straight edge version, s30v steel, and get rid of the thumb stud the scratches up your knuckles when you put your hand in your pocket... go with a simple round thumb hole
Short enough to carry, big enough to impress, the knife has a good and simple design, easily opened and closed with one hand, sharp enough to cut you need to cut, and built to impress. I have never had a problem with the knife opening in my pocket, and the clip is working pretty well for me so far. For fifty bucks, a great buy.
Great knife but I want it as a fine edged knife
Outstanding knife, I love it but it opens in my pocket every time. Because of this I usually carry my Paraframe II instead. Definitely worth buying but don't be surprised when you have holes in your pockets.
I did a review back on AUG 6 and got it on that day.Ever since then it has been IT IS STILL GOING STRONG!!,And the only kinfe i carry around the farm Every Day.SPEND THE 50 BUCKS AND GET THIS KNIFE!!!!!!!!!!
Love this knife, would and have recommended it to others!
I like most everything about knife, but the clip. Took it to work and only used it once and when I came home the clip was still hanging on my pocket and knife had fallen into pocket, but lost the screws to put the clip back on. I am afraid to carry it clipless in my pocket if it decides to open at any point while in my pocket with my luck it would be worst case scenario. I would say poor assembly or fasteners caused this and wonder if its covered by warranty.
This knife is great! Sharp, light, strong, quick... But it has a few short comings.
1. The knife DOES open in your pocket. This may be a concern for some folks, but so far with me it hasn't harmed me when opened in my pocket.
2. The belt clip. The clip got bent when I brushed up agains a wooden rail. I can't seem to bend it back. BUT... it is removable with a T6 star screwdriver. I will email them to see if it can be replaced.
Other than that.. GREAT KNIFE!
This is a great knife!!!!! The assisted opening is great and the blade is super sharp. Extremely light weight but no to much so it still feels solid. Only complaint is it was a bit hard to open easily with one hand at first but not i have loosened it up a bit from use and it is working like a dream! A great investment!!!!
A good knife. Very fast opening. Found out that if you push the stud towards the front of the knife instead of 90 degrees to the blade, it opens much easier. Please make the blade in a better grade grade steel and a razor edge. It would be worth paying more for. No problem with clip...so far.
just got this and so far so good love the way it fits in hand and opens and close great this is a great edc
good edge retention, fast deployment and sturdy lockup is making me fall in love with gerber again
great knife, horrible clip
Amazing knife sharp, great handle great job Gerber.
this knife always opens in my pocket which then makes it even more difficult to remove from my pocket and within the first week of use the locking mechanism broke keeping the knife from staying open i am not impressed with this knife at all
i like the blade and knife shape but it needs tip up right side pocket clip and
needs a plain edge that is easier to sharpen
looks like i will stick to SOG
the pocket clip alone keeps me from buying several Gerber knives
The knife needs tip up right side pocket clip. The deep carry clip that it has bends 180 degrees from the mount creating a poor spring and a weak clip. The knife should also be made in america, out of 154CM, and be offered in a plain edge that is easier to sharpen.
I really want to buy this knife for multiple reasons like: the assisted open, the blade shape and design, and durable G-10 handle... But with the knife simply having no lock to prevent it from opening in my pocket, I cannot bring myself to buy this product. Fix that and you got yourself another sale!
I just ordered this knife and i cant wait for it to come in the mail.. the reviews seem all so good so i cant hardly wait.
Good EDC knife, needs to have better steel. Changing the pocket clip so that it can be drawn and opened without changing the hand placement is a must! Hope to see these changes to this design!
i got this knife and love it. great compact size, assisted opening is great. light but strong. the only down side is I have already broke the clip off, just sitting down. I snapped getting caught in the chair.
Almost perfect!
Day one i had the knife and it felt and worked great until I decided to sit down. The new clip seems to catch on more things than previous clips. I sat into and office chair and the pocket clip broke right off.
Not the best quality pocket Clip, everything else about this knife does ROCK!
Just got this knife downrange Afghanistan. Definitely love this thing, it's by far my favorite flip-knife, so easy to open with one hand, the shape of the knife is great, and the handle is nice and sturdy.
Bought my wife one as well, she loves hers just as much as I love mine.
Thanks, Gerber :)
this is an amazing knife i have bin using it for a while know and have had no problems perfect for ant job u need it for
This knife was very sharp out of the box but I sharpened it a little with my owner sharpener just to make sure that I was getting everything out of it. The only issue i've had with it in the past 6 days of ownership is that it swings extremely fast and if you don't use the thumb peg to open it (you use your hand trying to unfold it) I sliced my thumb pretty badly, so yeah word to the wise just make sure you use the thumb pegs, they are there for a reason.
GREAT KNIFE COMPANY. THE GARBER BRAND WILL ALWAYS BE A GREAT COMPANY. THERE KNIVES ARE MADE VERY WELL AND THEY HOLD UP TO THERE STANDARDS. I WILL GET OTHER GARBER PRODUCTS IN THE NEAR FUTURE. TO GARBER WAY TO GO KEEP UP THE GROOD WORK.
Very Great knife to own. I have the Garber bear and it is a great knife as well. I would love to own this knife as well because it is light and would be easter to carry on hiking, fishing and camping trips. So, to Garber and there great knive. Keep up the great work on a very great product.
for the money this knife is well worth it its strong light and not to big or to small i used to carry a para frame but this knife is far superior i can't even tell its in my pocket and it fits my hand well very controllable handle all it has to do is last and it will be the best pocket knife yet
Most my friends own st least one of these knives and they say they live up to the Heep.. I've seen them go through lots and they realy are awesome...and I wont one.
This knife is so useful, it can kill your boredom by simply flicking it only.
this knife looks awesome but could you offer a straight edge version?
It's an excellent knife but the thumb studs are hard to get into
this looks awesome need to have it i live in northern ireland and im a cadet need it!!!!!
would love this knife if it had s30v steel and tip up right hand carry clip
this is a great knife. too bad i wont be able to take it to basic training but it will be waiting for me after two months and it is a must have. i also have taken it hiking and hunting. fast access sharp as hell, even my wife loved it she got herself one. keep it up Gerber
this is an amazing knife fits the hand perfectly and is more than what it is sold for. Amazing job Gerber
Its really a powerful knife. So compact yet so powerful. One hand is all I need. Sharpness stays.
I just purchased this knife 8 hours ago and i can't put it down. The style and performance has just blown me away.
THIS IS A MUST HAVE KNIFE IF YOUR WORK REQUIRES BOTH HANDS FULL OR IF YOU JUST WANT TO HAVE A GOOD EDC KNIFE!
GET IT NOW!!!= )
this knife cuts smoothly and precisely.
im getting this knife for my son friday
My only wish is that they would either have the button on both sides, or make a left handed version of the knife, as I am left handed.
Just purchased this knife and it is well made, tight and sharp. I would give it 4 1/2 stars only for the reason that the thumb stud catches on the lip of my jeans pocket when drawing it. If it
i am going to get this knife soon and so why i picked it is because it is a gerber assisted opening pocket knife,its just want i need for around the farm
Its a great knife, the only thing i dont like about it is that the spring is a little tight out of the box. I recommend putting a little oit in the mechanism so it makes it easier to open. Otherwise its light, its dependable, and i would carry this everyday.
Great EDC for the money. Blade could have been made from a stronger material. but over all a great knife!
This knife is aweosme. I look the sleek design and its sharpness.
very sexy and works great
I'm not normally a sucker for adveritising but the Instants "Trouble" video peaked my interest. I saw it this morning and bought the knife this evening. What a well thought out design! The handle fits the hand perfectly, the release mechanism is perfect for a shotgunner like me (it functions the same as a cross block trigger safety) and the opening mechanism is out of this world! I'm talking fast!!! Jesse thought the dual thumbstuds is a problem, but the thumbstuds actually lock into the frame when open, preventing the blade from over extending. For design alone, I'm giving this 5 stars, but we'll see how she holds up.
Great all around knife for the cost and it is extremely light. Good job Gerber
amazing knife one thing isthere is no lock iwear my daily on my belt but with this i have had to start wearing in my pocket other than that its awsome super sharp and super quick when deploying
Great knife its the perfect size for every day carry its lighter than other knives i have had the assisted opening is great and it may seem small but the pocket clip is the best i have ever had usually they are too tight and impossible to just slip on and off but in short its a great knife expecially if your cheap like me and want a good knife without paying too much
Just purchased this knife and it is well made, tight and sharp. I would give it 4 1/2 stars only for the reason that the thumb stud catches on the lip of my jeans pocket when drawing it. If it had a single stud that was reversible for left or right handed users instead of a stud on both sides it would be easier to draw.
Haven't even owned it 24 hours, but I've been familiarizing myself with it and I quite enjoy the snappy opening of the blade and the sharpness of it. It seems like good quality craftsmanship, time will tell. The price seems right, I went to Dick's in Plainfield IN to purchase a SOG Trident but wound up getting this instead. The blade is nice and TIGHT, by the way and not loose as seen on some other pricey knives.
fast sharp and looks great i love this knife. Great price
It looks sharp!
Tactically inspired, the Instant utilizes Gerber’s Assisted Opening 2.0 mechanism for easy, one-handed blade opening. The thumb plunge unlocks the three-and-a-half-inch blade for safe closure. Layers of G-10 composite are textured and shaped to make an ultra-light, ultra-tactile handle. It’s a sleek clip folder made for everyday use.
Does your dad love knives or does he always carry one? If so you will want to check out the Instant by Gerber. Tactically inspired, the Instant utilizes Gerber’s Assisted Opening 2.0 mechanism for easy, one-handed blade opening. The thumb plunge unlocks the three-and-a-half-inch blade for safe closure. Layers of G-10 composite are textured and shaped to make an ultra-light, ultra-tactile handle. It’s a sleek clip folder made for everyday use.







