Everyday Carry

Gerber DoubleDown Folding Machete

Authored by:
Jonathan Tayag
Gerber DoubleDown Folding Machete

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When you’re out in the woods, sometimes the best knife to EDC is actually a machete, with a big enough size and heft that will let you accomplish big tasks that a small folding knife simply cannot do. But if you find it hard to justify the sheer length of a full-sized blade like that in your kit, Gerber’s designed a unique folding camp knife called the DoubleDown, and its familiar functionality allows it to fold to a compact size while still providing you the cutting power you need for the outdoors. And most importantly, it gives you the reliability that only a fixed blade can when you’re out in the field.

One look at the folded DoubleDown clues you on in on its design heritage as a butterfly knife. The balisong opening allows Gerber to make a sizeable outdoors knife take up less space than a traditional folding knife would had it employed a more standard full-tang design.

But unlike a regular balisong, the DoubleDown isn’t built to do tricks. Instead, safety is at the heart of the knife’s design, with a unique quad lock system that requires all four locks to be engaged in order for its twin handles to move. There’s even a built-in safety detent that stops the blade as you close it, giving you time to get your fingers out of the way of the blade as it moves.

That beefy quad lock also ensures the blade stays in place even during the most demanding camping and survival situations and gives the DoubleDown its three main functions of chopping, cutting, and batoning. And with a full-size 7.5" 420HC stainless steel blade with a partial saw back and a saber grind, you can make short work out of cutting branches, preparing firewood, and cutting through material as you need it. The ease of maintenance that steel provides is also great because it lets you sharpen and maintain the blade with ease after putting it through the wringer, where harder steels would be too brittle for the job.

There’s no knife like the Gerber DoubleDown: it’s a massive machete that folds down into a much more manageable size once you’re done with it. And with its MOLLE-compatible sheath, you can attach it to your gear or your belt easily as you move off the beaten path. Its safety-oriented design makes it an excellent choice for the great outdoors and deadly serious rescue situations. After all, you can always bring your toys along but this is the knife to reach for when you need to get things done out in the woods. Pick one up at the link below.

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Buy at Gerber

Jonathan Tayag

Senior Contributor


About the Author
Jonathan Tayag is secretly an information technology and corporate security expert who prefers to moonlight as a creative event and commercial photographer whenever possible. His varied experience and substantial travels have led him to seek, without even thinking about it at first, the best gear for the best use at the best price available. Before the concept of EDC (everyday carry) firmly took hold, Jonathan already spent untold amounts of time optimizing for the best-in-slot pieces of gear, from cameras and lenses to pocket knives, pens, and bags and packs. In November 2015, Jonathan joined EverydayCarry.com and has since written numerous articles and guides to help impart his knowledge to the community as a whole.

Jonathan's photographic works have appeared on numerous online websites, print, video, and television outlets for over a decade. Jonathan's previous clients include Blizzard Entertainment, Red Bull, ESL, Razer, and several other endemic and non-endemic esports sponsors and brands. His work also features heavily in online competitive gaming communities, especially those of the StarCraft and Fighting Game genres. You've likely seen his work if you've spent time in a stream or in-game chat over the years.

Discussion (2 total)

That is a big NOPE for me !
Chris ·
Awesome article! Just a heads up, this sentence doesn’t make sense...unless I’m just reading it totally wrong, which is possible 😁
“The balisong opening allows Gerber to make a sizeable outdoors knife take up less space than a traditional folding knife would had it employed a more standard full-tang design.”

“Full-tang” and “folding knife” are mutually exclusive. Maybe something like this instead:
“The balisong design allows Gerber to make a sizeable outdoors knife with a smaller footprint than would be possible with a traditional full-tang blade.”