Slightly modified Gerber EAB

babola · **on:** January 16, 2015, 10:43:36 AM

I have owned and used Gerber EAB ('Exchange-A-Blade') for over a year now. This is one of those peculiar simple tools produced by Gerber that actually grab your attention by its sheer simplicity and ingenuity, while actually being useful and not just something you buy, play with for few weeks or months then put away and never actually use again. It appears that some of the best and most popular Gerber-made tools are also their simplest and most affordable. I feel like this about Shard, Dime and many versions of their venerable 'multipliers'.

There are two models of this tool, the original EAB V2 (V1 was a World-wide recall due to inherent blade safety issues), and the newer 'EAB-Lite' which I never took to my liking and never cared much for.

Gerber EAB has has been a topic of many online reviews of folding utility pocket knives and box cutters with exchangeable blades which included some industrial tools heavy-hitters like Stanley, Irwin, Fuller, Sheffield and so on. It pretty much always came out as favorite or close to the top.

However, this tool however ingenious, comes with couple of small 'issues' or frustrations many have already mentioned and wrote about extensively.

One of them is absence of any gimping for thumb and forefinger, whatsoever. Another is the inability to use the tool as OHO, due to the sunken blade exchange screw head.

Recently I decided to address both of those matters and modify the tool to suit my needs better. I introduced semi-deep gimping for a better finger rest on 3 parts of the tool, as well as replaced the default factory blade-exchange slotted screw with a raised hex thumb-screw with a washer.

Enough with boring text and off to the photos...

EAB with custom thumb screw:

Open knife shows three sections I added gimping to:

The most important gimping is on the forefinger rest, underneath. Many have reported their finger slipping occasionally and 'landing' on a blade

Sometimes I like using the tool by holding its 'handle':

Other times holding it at the front, closer to the blade:

One hand opening is smooth and effortless now:

If you don't own one of these yet, make sure you at least give it a try, for some $10-15 invested it's worth a risk

ducttapetech · **Reply #1 on:** January 16, 2015, 01:43:32 PM

Nice work!

Nate

Etherealicer · **Reply #2 on:** January 16, 2015, 02:00:44 PM

Love the EAB, love the enhancments

babola · **Reply #3 on:** January 16, 2015, 08:46:36 PM

Thanks guys, it definitely feels better in hand now as well as being a little more secure to operate

AimlessWanderer · **Reply #4 on:** January 16, 2015, 09:27:06 PM

Nice work there

I cont OHO mine with just a thumb, but can if I pinch it between thumb and middle finger. Once open, I don't hold mine with forefinger beneath, but in a pinch grip just above the finger groove, with thumb in front and forefinger behind. I find I get good contol that way with no fear of slipping onto the blade.

babola · **Reply #5 on:** January 16, 2015, 10:34:41 PM

Quote from: 50ft-trad on January 16, 2015, 09:27:06 PM

Nice work there I cont OHO mine with just a thumb, but can if I pinch it between thumb and middle finger. Once open, I don't hold mine with forefinger beneath, but in a pinch grip just above the finger groove, with thumb in front and forefinger behind. I find I get good contol that way with no fear of slipping onto the blade.

Thanks Al, do try adding a raised thumb stud or screw of sort, you will be able to flick it open with a thumb only. It should work in general but it also depends on the size of your palm and hand, people with larger hands will find this a little more tricky because of a miniature-sized handle.

Kampfer · **Reply #6 on:** January 16, 2015, 10:56:27 PM

I love it! EAB is my favor Gerber.

AimlessWanderer · **Reply #7 on:** January 16, 2015, 11:01:42 PM

Quote from: babola on January 16, 2015, 10:34:41 PM

Quote from: 50ft-trad on January 16, 2015, 09:27:06 PM
Nice work there I cont OHO mine with just a thumb, but can if I pinch it between thumb and middle finger. Once open, I don't hold mine with forefinger beneath, but in a pinch grip just above the finger groove, with thumb in front and forefinger behind. I find I get good contol that way with no fear of slipping onto the blade.

Thanks Al, do try adding a raised thumb stud or screw of sort, you will be able to flick it open with a thumb only. It should work in general but it also depends on the size of your palm and hand, people with larger hands will find this a little more tricky because of a miniature-sized handle.

I did consider it, but opted for leaving it as is, so that it can't catch on anything and open accidentally as I'm putting the knife in and out of the pocket etc. I have also just ordered an EAB lite to try out too