This is the standard folder I carry in my belt BOB. It stays there, and comes out when cooking on all the camping trips. I have had this knife for about 10 years, and still love it. Knife enthusiasts have said that old-school Gerber steel is much better than the new stuff. I don’t know, and will not argue with them. The steel of this knife is good. It is stainless steel of some sort, sharpens easy, and holds the edge well enough. A few years back on one of my camping trips I thought I lost this knife, and replaced it with a Gerber AR 3.00 from Wal Mart. Then, after about 3 months, while cleaning my car, I found the Gator. Hooray! Both knives have their strengths and weaknesses, and the Gator would come out on top, in my opinion. The mechanism seems less prone to breakage than the AR 3.00, and the handle fits better. I cannot say anything about the blade, since both knives have served me well. The Gator has a lock-back mechanism, and a “handle made of a hard inner core of glass filled polypropylene, with Santoprene rubber molded and chemically bonded around it.” The grip is exceptional, even when hands are wet. This knife requires both hands for operation. I have tried flicking it open numerous times, and it just will not happen.

I purchased the Gerber AR 3.00 folder after a camping trip to Red River Gorge, when I thought I lost my Gerber Gator. I later found the Gator, but the AR 3.00 stayed with me because I like the pocket clip for every day carry. The blade action is incredibly smooth, and it has a satisfying “click” when locked into place. This is thanks to two Teflon washers on either side of the blade. Opening it with one hand is a breeze for me, thanks to the two thumb-studs. I have seen knives with better studs; some were simply larger, some had checkering to increase friction. I got the black non-reflective blade version from Wal Mart for about $30. The handle is not as comfortable as the Gerber Gator, but fits my hand well enough. I have used this knife on more than one occasion at work to cut fruit, bread, and meats, and it has retained the edge very well. Some purists may say that Gerber knives are not what they used to be, but for the price, AR 3.00 is a good purchase.