Gerber Introduces Custom Shop for Personalizing Four Popular Models

Gerber is opening the doors on its Custom program this month. This new service offers potential for variation and personalization on a selection of existing Gerber knives.

While Gerber uses the term “custom,” these are still production knives; the service is much closer to Benchmade‘s Custom Knife Builder rather than the actual handmade work of something like the State & Union shop at KA-BAR. There are currently four knives available for customization: the Fastball, Sharkbelly, US-1, and the Strongarm. “Gerber Custom empowers users to take part in the creation process, pairing the precise engineering and reliable quality of our bestselling knives with a unique aesthetic,” says Gerber Creative Director Todd Bischoff.

The number of options vary from knife to knife. Right now, the Fastball is getting the most attention, with abilities to tweak things down to the color of the hardware and the material of the backspacer. Many of the options for the Fastball are only available through the custom shop and don’t represent what could previously be had in the existing product line. For instance, the Fastball can now be had with G-10 scales or in various blade coatings [see feature image above].

For the other knives, the options are less expansive, allowing for custom lasermarks on the blade and handle. Additional costs compared to the standard versions vary depending on the customizations being made, and Gerber currently expects a 7-10 day turnaround for any Custom Shop order.

According to the company, they implemented the Custom Shop in the hopes of developing greater appreciation from a user for their tool. “Layering on the capacity to select how every single component looks takes great products to the next level,” explains Gerber’s Karrson Koivisto. “That’s what Gerber Custom is about.”

While these are the only four knives expected to be available in the Custom Shop for the immediate future, there are already plans in place to add more models later in 2020. No exact dates or models have been given at this time, however.

Knife in Featured Image: Gerber Fastball