With the release of the Gerber 06 Auto G10 Tanto, the company continues to advance the art of fine knife design and manufacturing. I got to handle a G10 Tanto at the 2010 SHOT SHOW in Vegas and I found it to be a really fun knife.
Improving on the already popular 06 Auto knives, Gerber made the new series even more light-weight by using the G-10 handle. That handle is made of hard anodized 6061-T6 machined aluminum.
The 06 Auto G10 has a S30V black oxide coated stainless steel blade, which is reported to increase edge retention while providing for corrosion resistance. This blade is just under 4 inches long and has a partially serrated edge and Tanto-style tip. The overall length of the knife when the blade is extended is about 8.5″ and with the lightweight material this knife is only 6.3 oz.
The 06 Auto G10 is a fully automatic knife, so the blade is spring loaded to release by an extra large thumb button found at the front of the handle.
One of the newest ideas in knife manufacturing is the red dot safety system that can be found on the 06 Auto G10. This safety allows the user to lock the blade in the closed position so there is never an accidental opening. The user simply slides the ambidextrous horizontal safety switch found on the front part of the handle to the rear position, exposing the red dot letting the user know the knife is ready to be deployed. When done the user closes the blade and slides the safety to the front, covering the red dot. The red dot can be seen on the side of the handle and on the top of the handle for easy recognition of when the knife is in safe mode or ready to deploy.
The knife comes with a pommel designed as a strike point for emergency egress too, and there is a large lanyard hole at the back of the handle designed to receive 550 cord or similar retention cords.
Gerber is looking to offer the 06 Auto G10 with safety red dot for around $230.00. For the auto knife enthusiasts this price is very reasonable and comes with a loaded package of extras. Gerber makes their knives in the U.S.A.