ID this Gerber, recomend a superior, knife newbie

[zahc]

I have a Gerber small folding lockback, prolly 3'' drop point stainless, with black ALL plastic knurled 1 piece handle, no liners, and has 2 sorta deep finger grooves. I got it for free from someone, it seemed cheap it has grown on me as a great pocket knife. The things I like:


Light!
Just the right size and thickness
Fingergrooves (control)
durability

things I don't:

slow.
hard to open with one hand.
ugly

I was wondering if there are better knives you could reccomend since I may actually buy myself one
with those features. Also, could you rate the steel on the gerber? I love a good steel that gets REALLY sharp and stays sharp long. I have a lansky and like to shave hair Is this normal? What angle should I use? I'm on 20 right now. Should I get a super fine stone for my lansky? have fine now. Oh well I'll shut up now thanks.

 

[hksw]

Sounds like a Magnum LST.

Gerber is very fond of ATS-34 but I'm not sure if this is used for the Mag LST. How it compares to other metals I think could be better detailed from more hardcore blade enthusiast than myself. I only know enough to get me out of trouble. Might want to try bladeforums for serious information. Even converse with some mainstream and custom/semi-custom manufacturers.

There are tons locking folders of about the same size from numerous manufacturers. From cheap Chinese freebies to high production retail like Gerber, Spyderco, Buck, Victorinox, etc. to high end custom/semi-custom like Chris Reeves. For easier one-hand opening, I think you would want to look at the knives with thumb studs or holes on the blade.

 

[zahc]

yep that's mine, the right middle. WOW if they make one with a plain edge and a thumb hole like that one on the right I may just get a 'nother one.

 

[Phantom Warrior]

If you don't mind paying a little bit more you can get several really nice knives from Benchmade. Major selling points:

One-handed: Almost all Benchmade knives are designed to be opened and closed one-handed.

Sharpness: They come from the factory very sharp. Very, very sharp.

Steel: Good steel. The standard steel is 154CM (I'm no steel expert, but it's almost identical to ATS-34 and it holds up really well under use) and you can get some models in the tougher M2 steel, which holds an edge better.

Options: BT2 (Teflon)-coated blades, serrations, different locking mechanisms, different finishes.

Price: When I say "a little more", I still mean less than $100. You get what you pay for...

Looks: Dead sexy. If these knives were women you'd be falling over yourself asking for their phone number.

I've had Benchmades since I started carrying a folding knife and have always been very pleased. I've only changed because I wanted a different knife for a different purpose. None of my knives have worn out. I still have every knife I've ever bought from them. If you want more info, Benchmade.com is a good place to look. If you want to buy one, knifecenter.com is a lot cheaper (it's also a good source of info).

 

[hksw]

Gerber does make the E-Z-Out line of lock folders very similar in shape and size as their Mag LST.

The finger grooves are not as pronounced and the handle is Kraton® (spongy rubber) instead of Zytel®(hard plastic). $25 at Smoky Mountain for the Junior.

Gerber