I bought this knife yesterday to add to my collection. I like it alot, probably will be my #1 carry knife in any survival situation. The link is to amazon, which has several pics and a vid with Bear promoting the knife. But I actually bought it at Walmart. Made by Gerber, comes with a flint that fits in the sheath nicely, a whistle attached to the cord and a sharpener built onto the back of the sheath. Also has 2 holes in the handle to allow you to more easily attach the knife to a limb or pole for use as a spear. It also comes with a small fold-up survival guide... and sewn to the back of the sheath is a duide to ground-to-air communication... you know, just in case you get tired of eating canned goods and want to signal to the chopper to take you on in to the FEMA Camp. I recommend it... Amazon.com: Gerber 31-000751 Bear Grylls Survival Series Ultimate Knife, Serrated Edge: Home Improvement
From the Amazon link you posted alone, I can tell from the reviews that this knife is a little sketchy to be taken seriously as a tried and true survival knife. It looks to be more of a marketing strategy than anything else, and perhaps quality was thrown out for marketability. This is sad, because I like quite a few Gerber knives. You are a newer member, so I will be kind to you and say thanks for the information, if nothing else Yet, this is the Survival Monkey... The knife you linked is not full tang. The reports from users is that they either have had it break, or they fear it will break. The added tools are a nice bonus, but they may take away from the overall ruggedness which is expected in a survival knife. Generally, I do not take Amazon feedback as supreme and final say on an item; I have seen a lot of amateurs give poor reviews and turn up being dead wrong. However, I do not feel this is the case with this knife. If you would like to test the blade out yourself and give a final review of your own, I would appreciate your opinion more, and dare I say that the other users here would as well. Fail or pass, your opinion is always appreciate around here, at least from my own perspective. There are a lot of great knife makers on these forums, and many of them sell their own products. Check around, I am sure they will open a dialogue with you if you are interested. And for the record, I have always been a Les Stroud fan.
Actually this knife IS full tang, although apparently the first model that was out was not. This is a solid knife imo... I'm a Cold Steel dealer and sell K-Bar aswell as SOG and others and this knife would hold its own with the other brands in twice the price range. Yet the xtras that come with it puts it out in front. Excellent deal for 50 bucks.
I saw it at the store and it looks pretty flimsy. If you are going with a Gerber use a Big Rock Camp Knife or a Profile, both are pretty good. I am not going to trash "Bear", I know people who have met him and apparently he is a pretty good guy, but I hate his show. YMMV.
IrishMonk, For less than $50.00 start putting it through it's paces and let us know how it stacks up. I personally carry Busse and Fallkniven knives. I do like Ka-Bar and Cold Steel. Lance
I just want to say that since I first posted on this thread I have gotten to handle it a bit more. I guess it is just a retrofitted LMF II. It isnt bad, but their are still way better options.
My survival knife is a Fiskars Hatchet. I've had a hatchet since I was a kid. I guess I just got use to whittling, shaving bark, pointing a pole with it. I guess I'd never consider filleting or dressing game with it. I carry a couple of types of gerber lock backs for that. this hatchet holds an edge better than any hatchet i've ever owned. I would like to try a tanto bladed knife one of these days. I like the idea of being able to deliver full force to the point if need be and not destroying the knife.
I would look at something that without a doubt last as long as you will no matter the abuse you give it. BUSSE is a good option if money doesn't matter. ESEE is (IMHO) the best quality to cash ratio knife a guy can get.
Bear and his comedy hour Bought it at Wal Mart...that should tell you something. It's a marketing idea to sell to the sheeple. Bet you just couldn't resist that flashy look'n blister pack & Bears picture on it.... special. Bear and his comedy hour are for the sheeple! Go to the lnife forums where the real knife guys hang out and you'll see that the reviews of the are that it is knife is a piece of sh#t, passed off as a survival knife. Did I mention that I don't think much of Bear or his fixed blade and folder survival knife??
If you want a decent survival knife made by Gerber, try the LMF II. It gets great reviews everywhere I have read. I prefer a straight blade, no serrations, which makes me SOL for most of Gerber's line. Serrations are tough to sharpen on a sand stone, for example. Carving is tough as well with serrations. As for Bear, there are good points and sh*t points to his show. Watch it for the entertainment value and use common sense. Bear doesn't use common sense sometimes, but he is more of an adventurer than a survivalist. That doesn't mean that he can't show you a technique or two that you may have not previously known. Leave the 200 foot vine climbs, 300 foot waterfall drops, spelunking without a light source, and base jumping from mountaintops for adventure weekends- not real life or death scenarios.
ill just stick to my hand forged bowie it aint done me wrong in 25 years of hard use though im thinking of makin a new one with a kbar type grip wood does get slippery when bloody
Okay, my oppinion on the knife has changed yet again thanks to one of our readers submitting a review.
Decent little review. Its not really my cup of tea, but it does appear to work. A follow up with more use would be nice. < This one is my cup of tea
Yeah, I know. Like I said it was submitted by one of our readers. BTW, God bless you and yours in your decision to leave the Army. I am an Army brat, and I know how it can be to be constantly moving.
Thanks and God bless you and your family for your sacrifice. The family sacrifice is often overlooked. I don't know how my wife has done it.
