In 1910, the Gerber family started an advertising firm in Portland, Oregon. While working for the family business, Joseph Gerber mailed 24 sets of kitchen knives to clients during the holidays. These handmade knives were very popular, with then catalog retailer Abercrombie & Fitch requesting more of these knives from Gerber to sell in their catalog in 1939. Gerber then left the advertising business and started Gerber Legendary Blades that same year.

In 1966, the company relocated to a new headquarters next to Interstate 5 in what is now Tigard. Finnish company Fiskars purchased the private company in 1987. Chad Vincent was hired as chief executive officer in July 2001. By 2003 the company employed 300 people and had revenues near $100 million and was the second leading seller of multitools in the United States.