In 1939, in Portland, Oregon, a man named Joseph Gerber turned a set of handmade cutlery gifts into a knife company. Gerber went on to make blades and tools that served soldiers, hunters, and outdoorspeople for generations, including field knives carried in every American conflict since. This is another Portland tool company, sitting alongside Leatherman in the Pacific Northwest’s surprising cluster of blade makers.
The short version: Gerber, founded 1939 in Portland and owned by Finnish group Fiskars, makes knives, multi-tools, and outdoor and tactical gear at a range of price points. Buy it for knives, multi-tools, and field gear, with strong military and everyday-carry credibility. It competes with Leatherman on multi-tools and spans a broader, more accessible price range.
Where Gerber came from
From Joseph Gerber’s Portland cutlery to a full knife-and-tool company, Gerber built deep ties to military and outdoor users, supplying field knives and multi-tools to armed forces for decades. Now owned by Finnish consumer group Fiskars, it keeps its Portland design roots and its tactical-and-outdoor focus.
What they actually make well
Fixed-blade and folding knives, multi-tools, hatchets, and outdoor and tactical gear across budget to premium tiers. It shares the multi-tool and blade world with Portland neighbor Leatherman and Swiss maker Victorinox, spanning a wider price range than either.
Built to last?
Quality varies by tier more than with single-focus rivals: premium Gerber gear is excellent and warrantied, while budget lines make honest trade-offs. Its military heritage anchors a genuine durability culture at the top of the range.
The causes they actually fund
Gerber has supported military, veteran, and first-responder communities fitting its heritage, plus outdoor causes through parent Fiskars’ programs. Its cause work is more service-community oriented than land-conservation focused, an honest read.
Where this gear comes from, and where it earns its place
Made in Portland’s tool tradition, at home in any pack or pocket where a blade or tool earns its weight: field repairs, camp tasks, and backcountry problem-solving on any line in the Trail Atlas.
The honest take
Gerber’s range is broad enough that quality varies, so buy the mid-to-premium tiers rather than the cheapest, and for a pure multi-tool Leatherman‘s focus and warranty edge it out. But for knives, tactical gear, and field tools with real military pedigree, Gerber delivers across budgets. Buy up the range for the gear you will keep.
A Portland cutlery gift that armed a century of soldiers and hunters. More makers in Brands We Love. Last verified July 2026.