Most camp knives look like tools. The Gerber Quadrant looks more like something from a design shop: a black aluminium handle with a bamboo inlay, and a square-tipped sheepsfoot blade that folds away into it. Under the looks it’s a practical everyday knife, with a finger flipper, a frame lock and a deep-carry pocket clip. I paid $60 for it.
What’s in the box
A clip folding knife with a black anodised aluminium handle, a bamboo scale on the front and a stainless steel pocket clip on the back. The blade is 7Cr17MoV stainless steel with a black band along the spine. It comes on a card, with no pouch, and it weighed 85 g on our scale.
What we like
- Finger flipper, one-handed
- Solid frame lock
- Slim, 85 g, deep-carry clip
- Bamboo handle looks great
- Easy to resharpen
- 25-year warranty
What we don’t
- Plain edge only, no serrations
- Short 7 cm blade
- Needs sharpening more often
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Gerber |
| Model | 31-003731 |
| Material | 7 cm sheepsfootStraight edge7Cr17MoV stainless steel bladeAnodised aluminium handleBamboo scale |
| Weight | 85 g |
| Length | 17 cm open10 cm closed |
| Lock | Frame lock |
| Warranty | 25 years |
| Features | Finger flipperDeep-carry pocket clip |
The sheepsfoot blade
The blade is the unusual part. A sheepsfoot has a straight cutting edge and a spine that curves down to meet it, so there’s no sharp point sticking up. That makes it a good shape for cutting on a board or against your thumb: rope, cable ties, packaging, an apple or a block of cheese. The 7 cm edge is plain, with no serrations, so it cuts cleanly but saws less well through thick rope.
The 7Cr17MoV steel is a budget stainless steel. It doesn’t hold an edge as long as harder steels, so it wants a touch-up more often, but it’s easy to bring back to sharp on a stone or a rod.
Opening and the frame lock
There’s no thumb stud. Instead, a small flipper tab sticks out of the back of the handle: press it with your index finger and the blade swings open. Once it’s open, the same tab sits under the blade as a finger guard, so your hand can’t slide forward onto the edge.
The frame lock holds it. Part of the handle frame springs in behind the blade as it opens, and to close it you push that bar aside with your thumb and fold the blade back in.
Carry and the bamboo
Closed, the Quadrant is a slim bar about 10 cm long, and at 85 g it disappears in a pocket. The deep-carry clip lets it sit low, and it clips just as easily onto the organiser on the back of the seat in the Prado, where it’s within reach.
The bamboo is what makes it look good, but it’s a natural material: with a lot of handling it can darken, pick up oils and show wear, which some people like and some don’t.
Quadrant or Paraframe?
Our other Gerber folder is the Gerber Paraframe I, and they suit different people. The Paraframe is the working knife: lighter, cheaper, with a longer blade that’s part serrated, and an open stainless frame that rinses clean. The Quadrant is the nicer one to carry and use every day, with its bamboo handle, finger flipper and safer sheepsfoot shape.
This one Gerber Quadrant | Serrated Gerber Paraframe I | |
|---|---|---|
| Blade shape | Sheepsfoot | Clip point |
| Edge | Plain | Plain & serrated |
| Opening | Finger flipper | Thumb stud |
| Lock | Frame lock | Frame lock |
| Handle | Aluminium & bamboo | Open stainless frame |
| Blade length | 7 cm | 7.6 cm |
| Weight | 85 g | 79 g |
| Price paid | $60 | $40 |
| Our score | 8.8 | 9.1 |
Conclusion: Gerber QuadrantConclusion
The Gerber Quadrant is a slim, stylish folding knife that works as well as it looks. The 7 cm sheepsfoot blade handles everyday jobs, the finger flipper opens it in one move and doubles as a finger guard, the frame lock holds it firm, and the deep-carry clip keeps it close at 85 g. The 7Cr17MoV steel needs sharpening more often than pricier knives, there are no serrations, and the bamboo will show wear over time. For $60 with a 25-year warranty, it’s a good-looking everyday knife for the pocket or the car.
A slim, good-looking folder that’s as handy as it is stylish.
The 7 cm sheepsfoot blade suits rope, packaging and food prep, the finger flipper opens it in one move and the frame lock holds it firm. The steel needs a touch-up more often than pricier knives, and there are no serrations for rope work.
- Everyday carry
- 4WD tourers
- Car campers
Yes, if you want an everyday knife that looks good. I paid $60 for a slim 85 g folder with a solid lock and a 25-year warranty. For heavy jobs, a bigger blade does more.
