Cleavers are popular for their broad and heavy blade that lets you slice through animal carcass with inimitable ease. That’s the whole reason why they’re bigger and heavier than your typical knife. So how the heck are you supposed to use a cleaver with a tiny 3.8-inch blade and weighs just 6.1 ounces? We’re not quite sure, but pick up the Gerber Flatiron and you just might be able to find out.
A cleaver clad in a pocket folder form factor, the knife shrinks the butcher’s favorite blade into a rig that fits in your pocket. No, you definitely won’t use it to slash into a whole pig in your counter, but for all the other tasks you perform with a pocket knife, this cleaver-style blade should execute with remarkable aplomb.
The Gerber Flatiron takes the cleaver’s familiar forward-trending blade in a folding pocket knife, giving you a tool that can rip through miniature animal carcasses like an absolute badass. Actually, the fact that it isn’t thick and heavy means we’re not all that sure whether it can do that (maybe use it to chop a chicken foot from the Chinese takeout and see for yourself), but the cleaver-shaped blade sure makes for a stunning addition to any EDC stash. For the standard pocket knife duties of ripping through packages, cutting through ropes, and slicing a burger in half, though, this thing should do the job without breaking a sweat. Yes, we know knives don’t sweat, but you know what we mean.
It combines the 3.8-inch blade with a 4.7-inch handle, so this is a little bigger than your standard pocket folder (though not quite as big as that other mini-cleaver we saw). That extra size, of course, allows it to have a blade that’s broader and heavier than most pocket folders, all while being easier to use with a generously-sized handle to grip with your fingers. As such, this should make for a much more useful pocket knife that can serve you just as well in your business travels and outdoor adventures as it does in your everyday romp around the city.
The Gerber Flatiron has a sturdy frame lock design to ensure it stays shut while it sits in your pocket, with an exposed thumb hole for easily deploying the blade with just one hand. A large finger choil enables optimal hand placement, ensuring you have a strong grip for those times you’re cutting something that’s tougher than usual, while a reverse curvature on the handle serves to keep your knuckles out of the cutting surface, allowing you to cut without those joints getting in the way.
Construction is 7Cr17MoV stainless steel with a satin finish for the blade, while the handle is fabricated from a textured G-10 composite material. A low-profile pocket clip allows you to secure it on the edge of any pocket, so it’s always there within easy reach whenever you need to cut, slice, or chop something.
Want one? The Gerber Flatiron is available now.
- Arguably the most prominent feature, the cleaver blade is bold and trend forward