Gerber’s Cult Classic Tiny Pocket Knife Just Got Even Smaller — and Cheaper

The Pete Gerber-designed LST has been an affordable pint-sized folder for 45 years. Now it has a feisty little brother.

Published February 3, 2025

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Updated February 3, 2025

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Pocket knife designs come and go, pretty much every single day. Rare is the blade that stays in the line for several years. Rarer still is the one that sticks around for decades.

The Gerber LST resides squarely in that third hallowed category. Designed by one of the brand’s founders, Pete Gerber himself, way back in 1980, the LST caught on fast by delivering on the promise of its Light, Smooth, Tough acronym.

gerber lst mini full — Small as it is, the LST Mini sports a larger-than-average nail nick for easy deployment.

It’s such a staple that Gerber continues to sell the original design to this day, alongside a leaner, meaner Ultralight LST weighing just 1 ounce.

But if you think that’s petite, you haven’t seen the latest spinoff, the new LST Mini, which delivers the same reliable design at an almost unreal size and price.

Mighty Mini

So how tiny is the Mini? First off, it has a 1.9-inch modified plain edge wharncliffe blade made of 440A stainless steel and an open length of 4.6 inches.

That blade is deployed via a large nail nick and held in place via a classic lockback mechanism.

The Mini has pretty unmatched pedigree in the form of 45 years of history. Heck, GP was singing the original’s praises as early as 2013, when we recommended it as part of a free solo climbing kit.

For comparison, let’s look at two other well-regarded tiny knives. The James Brand Elko has a 1.7-inch Sandvik 12C27 blade and an open length of 4.33 inches, while the WESN Microblade’s D2 blade measures 1.5 inches, and it has an open length of 3.75 inches.

So it’s not the smallest miniature blade. However, it might be the lightest, as it weighs just 0.5 ounces, while the Elko comes in at 1.3 ounces and the Microblade is 1 ounce.

The difference probably owes for the most part to the LST Mini’s grippy, glass-filled nylon handle, versus the Elko’s aluminum and the Microblade’s titanium.

gerber lst mini folded — When folded, the LST Mini measures less than three inches, making it perfect for a keychain.

Beyond those numbers, of course, the Mini has pretty unmatched pedigree in the form of 45 years of history.

Heck, GP was singing the original’s praises as early as 2013, when we recommended it as part of a free solo climbing kit.

“For fast and light missions, a simple knife is an ideal accessory,” Austin Parker wrote. “Weighing in at just over an ounce, and only 3.6 inches long folded up, the LST knife is diminutive (nearly to a fault). The stainless steel blade comes in handy for any task around camp; we used it to trim bandages and cut fishing line on recent trips. At only $23, you can afford to pick up a few so you always have a good knife on hand.”

gerber lst mini colors — The LST Mini comes in six different handle colors, including Burnt Orange, Lichen Green and Urban Blue.

In 2025, we stand by that review, and while the LST Mini might be a bit overmatched for outdoor adventures, it has the makings of an ideal keychain EDC knife.

Granted, its materials are not as premium as that of the Elko and Microblade. However, its price enables you to, as Parker suggests, pick up a few.

Because while the Microblade costs $89 and the Elko $65, the LST Mini goes for just, wait for it, 15 bucks.

All six colors for less than a Benjamin? The world hasn’t seen that kind of deal since the ’80s.