At SHOT Show in January, we spotted a new folding knife design in the Gerber booth and posted a photo of it on our Instagram page. This new knife is called the Gerber Empower Auto, and it'll soon be joining the company's expanding American-made line of knives, alongside the US-Assist, Propel, Sharkbelly, and several others.

The Gerber Empower Auto has a 3.25-inch blade with a modified spear-point design, although its upper half is a dull swedge (false edge). This provides a strong tapered point for improved piercing. The blade is made of CPM S30V steel, one of our favorite materials for all-around EDC and outdoor use.

As an automatic knife, the Empower flips open as soon as you press the plunge lock release button on the side of its handle. We were pleasantly surprised to find that this knife's automatic spring snaps open its blade substantially quicker than that of the Propel Auto series. The knife can also be locked open or closed using its sliding safety.

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Armored Grip handle scales feature photo-chemical etching to create physical texture and a patterned appearance. The pocket clip is reversible for tip-up or tip-down right-handed carry. Four styles will be offered in the Gerber Empower Auto series: black with stonewashed blade, black with black oxide blade, grey with black oxide blade, or Urban Blue with black oxide blade. All knives in the series are manufactured in Gerber's Portland, Oregon facility.

The Empower Auto is not available for purchase yet, but we're told it'll be launching officially on May 1st. MSRP will be $125. For more info, go to GerberGear.com.

Written by Patrick McCarthy