Gerber Gear relocating after 60 years: Its knife-making legacy remains
After six decades in Tigard, Gerber Gear is relocating its factory operations to nearby Wilsonville.
It was 1939 when Joe Gerber first opened the business as “Gerber Legendary Blades.” With the help of his sons, his ingenuity and marketing propelled the brand worldwide. Gerber was the first of several legendary manufacturers that would elevate Portland’s status as one of the “Knife Capitals of the World.”
In 1966. Gerber moved factory operations to 14200 72nd Avenue in Tigard. Since then, the company has debuted many iconic products – from the Mark II military knife to the LST and the Bear Grylls Survival Series. Gerber was purchased by Fiskars of Finland in 1987. Today, rebranded as Gerber Gear, the company produces a wide variety of folding and fixed-blade knives, multi-tools, hatchets, shovels and camp cookware.
Even with many upgrades to the Tigard facility over the decades, a more modern building became a necessity, says Gerber Global Head of Marketing Ash Williams. The company finally landed on a leased property at 9275 SW Peyton Lane in Wilsonville.
“The process has been going on for quite a long time,” Williams says. “The factory is in the process of moving over; everyone else will be coming over in mid-October.” A celebration with Wilsonville officials and Fiskars reps is planned for Nov. 3.
“The legacy that Joe Gerber started back in 1939 has helped establish Oregon as a knife-making hub within the US, something we celebrate and will continue to build upon in the decades to come,” Williams adds. “We continue to focus on bringing innovations to the market that help solve problems with our legendary knives and tools.”
But no matter where operations are, Gerber will always be known as the seed that helped launch a robust knife manufacturing industry in Southwest Washington County, providing hundreds of jobs.
The Gerber Tree
In 1974, former Gerber salesman Pete Kershaw started his own company, Kershaw Knives, producing primarily hunting models.
Kershaw soon entered a partnership with Kai Ltd. of Seki City, Japan. Drawing on centuries-old Japanese blade expertise, the Kershaw brand became well known for affordable, high-performance knives and innovative assisted-opening knife technology.
Kai eventually acquired Kershaw outright and expanded its U.S. presence. After opening a facility in Wilsonville in 1997, the company moved its U.S. operations to Tualatin in 2003.
Today, Kai produces sporting, work and tactical knives under the Kershaw name. Kai also produces the higher-end Zero Tolerance brand, as well as Shun Cutlery for the kitchen. The Kai USA factory at 18600 SW Teton Avenue employs about 300 people.
Columbia River Knife & Tool (CRKT)
Tualatin-based Columbia River Knife & Tool, better known as CRKT, was founded in 1994 by Rod Bremer and Paul Gillespie, both former Kershaw employees.
When the two began exploring overseas manufacturing opportunities, Kershaw wasn’t interested. Pete Kershaw, however, encouraged them to pursue the idea, according to CRKT President Mark Schreiber.
CRKT eventually developed a global manufacturing model while collaborating with custom knife designers from around the world.
“To get something from a world-class custom knife maker at an affordable price, that’s really the business model that Rod created,” Schreiber says. “We work with probably 50 different custom knife makers and designers to bring their designs to market.”
While manufacturing is outsourced all over the world, quality control and administration happens at CRKT’s Tualatin headquarters at 18348 SW 126th Place, where the company employs about 50 people.
A Shared Commitment
The knife industry is strongly rooted in Oregon’s culture. With easy access to mountains, forests and the ocean, it’s a natural market for hard-working outdoorspeople and their tools.
Portland boasts some of the most well-known knife brands in the world. The region produces more than half of all American-made knives.
Furthermore, the Portland area’s technology and manufacturing base—including the industries of the Silicon Forest—provides access to precision machining, advanced manufacturing technology, high-grade steel and a ready supply chain.
In 2024, local knife producers formed the Portland Knife Makers’ Center of Excellence (PKMCE). Its membership includes the region’s “Big Nine” manufacturers: Gerber, Kershaw, Zero Tolerance and CRKT, along with Leatherman Tools, Steelport, James, William Henry, and Benchmade.
The companies may compete in the marketplace, but they also share an interest in maintaining the region’s reputation for quality, craftsmanship and innovation, as well as advocating for knife rights across the country.
On Aug. 23, the group celebrated National Knife Day 2026 with its third annual Portland Knife Maker Showcase.
What began with one knife company in Portland has grown into a cluster of makers, designers and manufacturers stretching across the region—an industry cutting its own path into the future.
