Gerber has recently introduced the successor to their popular 06 Auto, the DMF or dual multi-function knife. As it's name implies, this isn't your average pocket folder. It was built specifically to meet todays military requirements with features that are well thought out.


The DMF sports a matte black, 1/8 inch thick, S30V blade with nearly 3 inches of cutting surface - a third of which utilizes some very effective serrations. One of the biggest differences from the 0

6 Auto is the tanto point. Note the false back edge to the blade that will definitely aid in penetrating tasks.


The choil area (section between the serrated section of the blade and the handle) is about 1/2 inch long and notched so that you can really grip up on the blade for detailed cutting tasks.


When you're looking at an automatic knife, the deployment of the blade is what it's all about. The DMF's deployment system is truly ambidextrous featuring a sliding release that also functions as the locking mechanism. Gerber really put some thought into this. Take a look at the stair-stepping on this release. It will surely give you positive traction whether wet, muddy or even gloved.


For those of you familiar with Benchmade's Auto Axis lock, it seems that Gerber's design is just as rugged and reliable.


Some may find the deployment speed lacking, but the military found that a slower deployment system was less likely to jump out of someone's grip that some overzealous autos can tend to do. In another example of the thought put into this design, activating the safety seems like a natural movement once the blade is open. The safety's locking bar is located on the spine of the handle which also lends to it's ambidextrous operation. Just slide the heavily jimped safety bar toward the blade to prevent the sliders from accidentally releasing the blade in use.


This safety can also be deployed in the closed position to prevent unintentional opening, but seems unnecessary considering this isn't a traditional push-button auto. That means that you can cary this and not have to worry about disengaging a safety before you deploy the blade.


The handle on the DMF is made of two 1/8 inch G10 slabs that give positive traction in the hand. Underneath these slabs are two 1/16 inch steel liners that ad to the heft of this knife, but also the strength.


The DMF weighs in at just under 7 oz. Keep in mind that this isn't intended as an everyday pocket folder, so some extra weight is to be expected for such a hard use knife.


Some other things we noticed:


  • Overall ergonomics of the handle are excellent for those with medium to large sized hands.
  • Steel strike pommel. This can be effectively used as a pressure point device when you don't need the deadly force of the blade. An oversized lanyard hole allows you to tie a tether or wrist loop to when in an operational area where there is a high risk of loosing your blade.
  • There is a large forefinger groove and slightly smaller middle finger groove, while the remaining section is left coarsely jimped. This design works equally well in a forward grip as well as a reverse grip.
  • The pocket clip on this DMF is reversible but only provides for tip-up carry.
  • Another nice touch is that the area under the pocket clip has been smoothed to prevent excess wear on your pocket that can normally occur with course G10 checkering.
  • While in the pocket, the clip leaves about 3/4 of an inch of the handle exposed, giving plenty to grab onto to withdraw the knife. An ultra-deep pocket clip, like those found on some edc knives would be impractical for the DMF's tactical role.


Lastly, Gerber provides two carry methods for the DMF. For a traditional belt style you can use the included nylon sheath or opt for the blackened steel clip for pocket carry.


The new Gerber DMF is a value packed tactical auto that will serve you well on your next mission.


Get yours today at uscav.com.