The beauty of us not being paid to do reviews is we give out honest opinion. I normally write favorable reviews, and I don't have a ton of issues with most things I review. Rereading this review today before posting, I thought dang this is harsh for me. But I would rather tell it to our people straight rather than prop it up and make it look pretty. Tell me what you guys think.
Gerber for about a decade has put a lot of time and focus on their domestically manufactured knives and tools. There's been a few new knife offerings here in 2023, but none have received as much hype or social media coverage than the Assert. Hype can be good for a product, it can create a demand for a product before it's release, and could translate into desired revenue for the company. Does the Assert live up to the hype, or does it fall a little short?
The Assert has an overall length of 6.95", a blade length of 2.98", and a handle length of 4.00". The choice in materials reminds me of other knives in the market, like the Benchmade Bugout, or the Griptilian. I don't feel Gerber was out to copy anyone with this design, but high end blade steel mixed with plasticy handle gives you vibes.
The handle on the Assert is glass-filled nylon, same thing used on Spyderco knives for decades. FRN has been a staple for many a companies when it comes to making lightweight knives. The strength to weight ratio is already great with this material, but the folks at Gerber went ahead and honeycombed the insides of the handles for reinforcement. First thing you notice when picking up the knife is the weight, coming in at only 1.87 ounces it's insanely light for it's size. I really appreciate the texture used on the handle, it's not all over but it's exactly where it needs to be. The dimples, we'll call them this for lack of a more scientific term, become more elongated as they reach the heel of the handle. It's different, but the surface provides enough grip to aid in pulling the knife from your pocket, and keeping it secure during use.
Having a really thin handle is great when it comes to saving weight, but it certainly has it drawbacks. The handle is .42", which doesn't seem too terrible, but the open back design and thin handle material causes some digging where my fingers wrap around. This problem isn't a new one, and has been a compromise since companies have went the FRN route. What makes the situation worse is the deep carry pocket clip. Those of you that read my reviews know how much I love a well designed pocket clip, especially those of the deep variety. I don't know if it's the design or maybe a in combination with the handles, but the clip digs into my palm like the handles do with my fingers. I know this feels like a ton of negativity for a knife that gets quite a bit of praise, but I'm here to give you facts so you can decide where to put your hard earned money.
The blade on the Assert uses S30V in a clip point style, with a high sabre grind. Opening the knife can be done a few different ways, first and probably the most noticable is the thumb stud. The stud on this model is adjustable, it's a really nice feature for adapting to different hand sizes. The stud can be adjusted anywhere in the opening, and is done so using a torx bit. Some folks like the stud closer to the pivot, and others may like it a little further down the blade. If this doesn't work for you, the stud can be removed completely and use the opening/fuller to open the blade.
With so many knives using bearings these days it's interesting to see a new knife in this price point that does not include them. Opening is smooth, no issues there, but closing is a bit lazy. Your not able to freely swing the blade when the lock is disengaged, which is crazy because other companies have pulled this off with the aforementioned bearings. The Assert utilizes a cross-bar lock that's super easy to operate one handed. Tension on these locks can differ so much from each company, Gerber's springs are somewhat on the lighter side making it easy to manipulate one handed. Does the late model super steel cut the mustard? It does a fairly decent job, the thin blade profile and high grind make it a really good slicer. I tend to use my knives as box cutters due to my profession, and it's decent. I hadn't quite figured out why it's unhappy chewing through cardboard, because the shape says different. Not a deal breaker though, it performs good in all other areas I tested it. Cardboard is a a hard tackle for many a knife, wood, glue, and other bits can make things challenging.
Is the Assert a good knife for the value, does it live up to the hype and scream buy me? I don't think so, I wholeheartedly appreciate the fact that it's American made and Gerber is trying new things. It performs decent, but comfort is an issue when being used in anything but light duty. If your a die hard Gerber fan this might be up your alley, for those looking for a good knife in a similar price bracket, might want to look at some other options.
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