The Tri-Tip Cleaver: The Best Fixed Small Gerber Knife?

If you look up “best small Gerber knife” probably most of the reviews, guides, and testimonials are going to recommend the Gerber Mini Paraframe, and perhaps a few will recommend the Pocket Square.

Both of these are great as small Gerber knives, but if you’re looking for a fixed blade, it’s hard to look the other way at the prospect of a Gerber Tri-Tip Cleaver.

Don’t let the small size fool you, this little knife is capable of big things. It’s available in a few configurations but they all offer more or less the same specs.

It has an overall length of 5.75”, with a 3” blade made of 7Cr17MoV stainless steel, which puts it right on the edge of what most would consider a “small Gerber knife” anyway.

Be that as it may, the knife has a bit of heft two it, thanks to the blade’s cleaver-shaped profile and the weight of the stock. This little knife actually weighs nearly 10 oz (9.92 to be precise).

Which is pretty stocky for such a little thing. As you can imagine, you can be quite brutish with this knife and expect good results.

The aggressive cleaver profile is great for many different tasks. It can baton small rounds for a campfire, dice onions, cleave joints, and even prepare a rabbit or two for a stew.

The “Tri-Tip” in the name is a reference to the three sharpened points of the blade’s design that can be instrumental for prying, picking, splitting, shaving, chiseling, laying open rope fibers, and other generalized camp shores.

And, as for its nature as a cleaver, don’t be afraid to use a small Gerber knife like this for big chores. It’s not a chopper – it’s too small for that – but when it comes to slicing, scraping, shaving, and even batoning, it’ll get the job done.

As for the steel – you may have noticed that it’s not some modern ultra-steel. That is true, but the 7Cr17 is actually a great application for a blade of this profile and dimensions.

It is a very soft steel, but that is as much a blessing as a curse. You are more likely to blunt or deform or roll the edge than chip it, and it’s soft enough that you can bring it back to razor sharp in the field with just a pocket stone.

This makes it great as a camp knife – and, since 7Cr17MoV has a lot of chromium, it’s highly corrosion resistant, too. Use it near water, for cleaning harvests, or prepping food – never fear the moisture, it’ll make little ingress against this alloy.

The greatness of this small Gerber knife, however, goes beyond blade steel chemistry.

The handle scales are made from checkered aluminum which is basically impervious to the elements and which offers a great grip in most any circumstances. Moreover, they’re surprisingly comfortable for their size, which is something you’ll have to experience to appreciate.

The icing on the cake is the sheath, which is a MOLLE-compatible nylon model with a solid secondary retention tab and can be rigged for tip-down, tip-up, scout carry, pack carry, or anything in between.

Consequently, the Tri-Tip Cleaver, though undoubtedly a small Gerber knife, is a great camp knife, overall, and one that will excel in a lot of roles.

Where Can I Get This Small Gerber Knife?

Whether or not the Tri-Tip Cleaver is for you or you’d like to investigate other small Gerber knives like the Gerber Mini Paraframe or Pocket Square, check out White Mountain Knives.

They carry a huge assortment of Gerber knives and tools (as well as knives from other top brands) at competitive prices and they offer free shipping in the United States.

That’s where you’ll get your next deal on a good knife.