Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife

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I think Gerber told us at the beginning.

It's called the ULTIMATE knife, ultimate means final, I think if I really bought one - it would be the FINAL one. Possibly my final Gerber knife purchase ever.

I did manage to just hold & look one over - you can tell it is not going to take much abuse, but to be honest - 98% of the people that buy these will never abuse them.

I don't really like the LMF either - but this one is based off of the LMF, the LMF is a much sturdier knife.
 
Yeah, it should probably be the topic of a separate thread, but nobody cares about quality any more. So what if it breaks the first time you use it - it was cheap.
 
I think you nailed it on the head when you said you could see them hanging up at Walmart for the holidays.

Also when you hope nobody buys it and needs to truly rely on it.
 
I think I'd rather buy one of those cheap survival knives with the hollow plastic handle, with the ball compass on the end than that thing. (though the hollow handle survival knives with the metal handles are quite good.)
 
Bear should head over to the wilderness sub-forum for the bushknife contest...great knives baby!!
 
rpn said:
Bear should head over to the wilderness sub-forum for the bushknife contest...great knives baby!!
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What he should do is go to Gerber and raise hell, recall the knives and have some made just like them with quality materials and decent craftsmanship, preferably here in the USA. The concept was fine. People will pay a little more for quality when they know the difference. Both Bear's and Gerber's reputations take a hit here, and I guarantee you that other testers will discover the same weaknesses. I am a fan of Man vs Wild and a long time Gerber user, so if anything, I am inclined to like this knife series. But this Ultimate Knife just doesn't cut it. Recommended changes:

1. Either secure the pomel to the tang or secure it with whatever method they used on the LMF II.
2. Make the sheath more like the one on the LMF II. The carbide sharpener is near idiot proof.
3. Use the same handle material used on the LMF II.
4. Secure the fire steel handle side up in the sheath loop. Having it upside down is an accident waiting to happen.
As for the steel, it seems tough enough. I didn't test it long enough to test edge retention. But it is hard to beat 12C27 for this type of knife. I suppose 420HC with a good heat treat will do.
 
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Horn Dog said:
Unfortunately, I think you may be right. If an old man can break it in his back yard in a few minutes of use, it is really not a very tough knife. A Mora is cheaper and tougher. I just don't want some young person who may be planning a real trip into the wild to get one of these knives, thinking it has been tested and found worthy by a world famous outdoorsman. Get an ESEE, or Busse or Mora or Bark River or even the Gerber LMF II. Just don't waste your hard earned money on this gimmicky knife.
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Worthy advice.

Can't say HD's review surprises me, in any way.
 
Horn Dog said:
What he should do is go to Gerber and raise hell, recall the knives and have some made just like them with quality materials and decent craftsmanship, preferably here in the USA. The concept was fine. People will pay a little more for quality when they know the difference. Both Bear's and Gerber's reputations take a hit here, and I guarantee you that other testers will discover the same weaknesses. I am a fan of Man vs Wild and a long time Gerber user, so if anything, I am inclined to like this knife series. But this Ultimate Knife just doesn't cut it.
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Well, that's not gonna happen. Because, you know, money talks, and they paid him a pile of money to use his name.

As the old joke goes, "we've already established what you are, now we're just haggling over the price."
 
Samael said:
Well, that's not gonna happen. Because, you know, money talks, and they paid him a pile of money to use his name.

As the old joke goes, "we've already established what you are, now we're just haggling over the price."
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I tend to be a little less cynical than that, but I find it hard to believe that the pommel stayed on when Bear batoned with the knife, and we know he does that a lot. He probably never thought about that and just assumed it was fine since he has used other Gerbers without such pommels and the blades held up. I don't think he ever put the final production model though a real Bear Grylls test or he would have discovered what I did. You know darned well he won't like these knives breaking all over the world with his name on them.
 
mistwalker said:
The pommel actually broke off while you were striking the blade?
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Yes. Whether or not I had weakened the pommel by smashing a little acorn earler, I can't say. I have yet to find the pommel as it sailed off into heavy undergrowth.
 
Ah, but I'm sure it was worth every penny of the $50 he spent on it just for the photo of Bear looking all manly and all (right before he went back to his hotel room for Dunkin' Donuts, that is).
 
It appears that all that was holding the pommel on was two little hollow pins under the rubber cover of the plastic handle.

Bearknife025-2.jpg
 
Horn Dog said:
Yes. Whether or not I had weakened the pommel by smashing a little acorn earler, I can't say. I have yet to find the pommel as it sailed off into heavy undergrowth.
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Wow, if it broke that easy the plastic is definitely more brittle than the little pumpkins eh?

Remind me to duck if you ever swing a stick at my head :)
 
mistwalker said:
Wow, if it broke that easy the plastic is definitely more brittle than the little pumpkins eh?

Remind me to duck if you ever swing a stick at my head :)
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Hahaha. As you can see, the handle is unscathed. Beating on the blade must have been just too much shock for the handle. Or maybe I should never have hit that acorn with the pommel. I thought that was what it was for, like on the Air Force bolt knife. We will never know for sure. Yeah, I think those plastic trick or treat pumpkins are tougher. :eek:
 
well, i guess gerber blew it big time ; to bad, i wasn't hoping for more in regards to blade steel and overall fit and finish, but this is to much...made like a cheap toy...
 
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