Gerber LMF II or Cold Steel SRK

J

jedi391

Joined
Sep 7, 2011
Messages
13
I am seriously debating between these two knives. I know there have been other threads about these knives but a lot of them dealt with previous versions with different steel compositions. Between the current LMF II with 420HC steel and the SRK with the AUS-8 steel which would you guys pick for usually uneventful back packing trips? I'm also kicking around the Gerber Prodigy. I have no experience with Gerber but my Cold Steel Recon-1 has been excellent.
 
for the price of both knives Id rather buy a becker bk2. But to answer your question, AUS8 is a better steel than 420HC without the heat treat in play. SRK would be my option.
 
See if you can fine a Carbon V SRK. AUS-8 is far from the worst steel in the world, and Cold Steel does a good job heat treating it. But I'd still prefer a used SRK in Carbon V over a new one in Stainless. Also I prefer the old sheaths to the new plastic ones.
 
Between those two, Cold Steel SRK, better of the two and cheaper.

But for $5 more than an LMF you can get an ESEE 4 or the same price as the SRK, a Becker BK2.
 
Watch out the the ESEE knives. They make look nice but the handles are very specific. A lot of people love them, but a lot of people hate them as well. I have owned an Izula, ESEE-3, ESEE-4 and ESEE-6. Only the 6 felt okay in my hand. And I think that I have normal sized hands. The becker and cold steel handles are much more comfortable for a much larger range of people in my opinion.
 
As a matter of fact my latest buy is the Gerber Prodigy, although I haven't quite field-tested it yet! But from the feel of the
knife itself, it is remarkably well balanced and fit very well in my hands. Tried the LMF II as well but found it strangely butt
heavy and weirdly balanced to the rear....just didn't feel right in the hands!! As for the reviews on the SRK.....it's all great.
AUS8 is good steel, so it would primarily boil down to personal preference....and the perpetual question about plain edge or
partial serrations!! All the best.....cheers!!:)
 
I have the SRK in carbon V, great knife, i recommend that one,
ive also seen and felt the lmf 2, id say the srk wins
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Of those two, I'd get the SRK definitely. But I'd want to go for the san mai version.
 
I've beat the ever loving tar out of an SRK over the last 9 years. Great knife...don't care for the rubber handle. It's not the grip, its the fact that the "guard" is starting to break down. I really should rehandle it.

I have always like the look of the Gerbers. I'm not a huge fan of the 420HC at that price point, but there are worse out there. As others have said, Beckers are really hard to beat for the price.
 
jedi391 said:
I am seriously debating between these two knives. I know there have been other threads about these knives but a lot of them dealt with previous versions with different steel compositions. Between the current LMF II with 420HC steel and the SRK with the AUS-8 steel which would you guys pick for usually uneventful back packing trips? I'm also kicking around the Gerber Prodigy. I have no experience with Gerber but my Cold Steel Recon-1 has been excellent.
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Honestly? For "uneventful back packing trips"? Neither one. Get a "slicer"...its going to do 99.99% of what you do on a nice backpacking trip.

That said, unless your backpacking involves egressing from a helicopter or other vehicle, using your knife to break glass or cut through live electrical wires, or converting your knife to a spear....then the SRK beats the LMF easily. If you need to do that stuff....go LMF.
 
I have an LMF II asek and have looked at the CS SRK. I would get the SRK. The LMF II is impractical for every day folks - thick blade, heavy knife, lots of serrations on the blade, doesn't hold an edge for very long. Mine just sits under the driver seat of my truck.
 
I'd say SRK all the way the SRK is just IMO a more proven and vernable knife I've got an LMFII and it really isn't that great the ergos are strange and it almost has a "boxy" feeling to it not to mention the serrations that cover a great deal of the blade.
 
I beat the heck out of an LMF II asek this summer. While it did everything I wanted the plastic between the blade and handle is cracking and falling out. The blade has not come lose yet but I not longer trust it and have retired it for a Becker.

I would definitely pick the SRK out of those 2.
 
I would go with the SRK (you know how Gerber can be with there mystery steels and such)
 
marcinek said:
Honestly? For "uneventful back packing trips"? Neither one. Get a "slicer"...its going to do 99.99% of what you do on a nice backpacking trip.

That said, unless your backpacking involves egressing from a helicopter or other vehicle, using your knife to break glass or cut through live electrical wires, or converting your knife to a spear....then the SRK beats the LMF easily. If you need to do that stuff....go LMF.
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:thumbup:+1 to this.
I own an LMFII and keep trying to explain to people that this is a military/combat egress and survival tool and it is loaded with bells and whistles appropriate to that specific purpose, at a very reasonable price with exceptional performance... but its features are the opposite of what is ideal for a general camp knife, even moreso for "usually uneventful back packing trips". Wrong knife - if you get it for this purpose, you will be disappointed and then may give a bad review of a great knife based on poor decision-making. As for the SRK, I've heard good things about it but do not own one. I will say that the Becker BK2 would be a poor choice due to its size (thickness) and weight. How about a Mora? Or an SAK?
 
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