Gerber's 7Cr17MoV Stainless Steel...underrated?

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Frotier76

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For the past 9 years I've been a maintenance man at a hotel.At the time I was looking for a very comfortable and textured knife that was a smaller (but durable) alternative to my daily carry knife and bought a Gerber Presto 3.0.Now at the time I heard all this sort of propaganda about 'Gerber Mystery Steel' online and went with it anyways as this knife came in 7Cr17MoV (china equivalent to 440A).I still carry and use this knife to this day as my work knife.

In my opinion Gerber's steel isn't bad at all.Granted it's not top shelf stuff but I'm convinced 420HC is more noticeable to roll it's edge on dense materials than this stuff...stripping wire for example.The 7Cr17MoV seems to take a few more passes to sharpen but seems to come back as sharp as 420HC,so it's equally as serviceable as a camping and hunting steel.So I can't help but ask-why the negativity on Gerber's steel?

Now some might say the 'mystery' of the steel was when Gerber simply called it 'High Carbon Stainless' and no one knew what it was unless you asked them because they don't really market their common steel offering.Correct me if I'm wrong but didn't the old USA knife manufacturers do the same thing?As I recall we just gave stainless steel a marketing name,stamp 'stainless' or a symbol on the blade tang,and no one knew what it was unless you asked a dealer or contacted the manufacturer.
 
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Lots of people out there using the various Chinese steels and they aren't bad and for most everyday people who look at the budget price point will be plenty satisfied but I have never seen anyone really underrating them.
 
440A and its Chinese equivalent have been used in various brands for many years. They hold up well. There are better steels (I like D2), but 440A works just fine. I have and use many knives from various brands done in 440A and never had a problem with any of them. Don't let the steel freaks bug you. I've been collecting, making, customizing knives for over 65 years. Until fairly recently all anyone knew was "stainless, stainless steel, surgical stainless" (all 440) otherwise it is carbon steel. I'm not a fan of current Gerber, but it's a matter of style not steel. Take a look at Rough Rider, Marbles, Schrade (all Chinese made). I do like Buck's 420HC and never had a problem with it either. If you like and can afford a $000. or $0000. priced blade - go for it. But you don't need to sell a kidney to get a good, functional, working knife. There are dozens (maybe hundreds) of brands on the market today and just like the old days,some are several fad collectibles or users, etc. If your knife does what you want it to do and you like it, that is all that matters.
Rich
 
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I've owned a few cheap Gerbers that were decent, but the most recent, an Air Ranger folder, absolutely refuses to hold an edge. Maybe it's the grind, maybe there's something else, but it will be my last imported Gerber.
 
440a been around as long as i have. it worked fine in a knife when i was a kid...still works fine. gerbers chinese version isnt all that great heat treat wise, but its okay. i put it low end of 440a knives i own and have used enough and sharpened enough to make a fair judgement.
 
It's not as good as my colonial made 440a, not as good as Victorinox steel ( don't need to know what they use ), and definitely not as good as bucks 420hc, but does seem better than the 420hc blade on my leatherman fuse .
There are other inexpensive knives with better performing blades, but Chinese Gerber's are far from the worst out there. I no longer have any Chinese Gerber knives, but that's a different reason.
 
My collection is primarily made up of low-cost knives that are made in China, such as S&W, Schrade and Gerber, so I'd like to think that I have enough experience to give an opinion (or not).

Anyway, personal experience is that Gerber's 7cr17 is not as great as S&W's 7cr17 in edge holding.
 
7 CR17 is just a basic Chinese cheaper steel.
8Cr and 9Cr (Equivalent to, probably 440c) depending on Heat treatment,
are better metals that give better blades.
I've only bought 440c and 8cr14 as minimum in chinese.
AUS8, Preferably AUS10, and D2 too, are good working blade steels that give NO problems
as long as you keep an edge on them.
I use Diamond plate sharpener, and carry a 6in 600grit Diamond steel in belt.
NEVER have a blunt blade.
Just accept they need more maint in use.

Harnds. Y-Start. SRM and certain GANZO Firebird blades will give you no problems, in either steel or build quality.
NEVER use those LACK of quality blades for kitchen knives though.
AUS8 up are starting grades.

I've used a few over the last few yrs. Mainly Wusthof.
Good. reliable steel. But thick and heavy.
The last 10 yrs or so I've been using Japanese chef/cooking blades.
Entering a completely new world as such in cutting/slicing.
Carbon steels. costing up to $6k, or differing levels of Damascus then Swedish steel.
in that order.
I Have a coupla cheap ($400 to $550 each) Carbons to play with only.
My regular using kitchen blades are all Damascus from 3 layer to 64 layer. apart from a 8in Wusthof Chef blade.
They all Magnificent KITCHEN blades but are too brittle, fragile steels,
for working pocket/sheath knives.
 
Inazone said:
I've owned a few cheap Gerbers that were decent, but the most recent, an Air Ranger folder, absolutely refuses to hold an edge. Maybe it's the grind, maybe there's something else, but it will be my last imported Gerber.
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Try a regrind around the 25/28deg. But the steel probably too soft/coarse, to hold it.

You want an interesting light but good working blade. send off for a GANZO Firebird. F753. 3ish in blade
440c steel. ($13/$17 US)
Takes and holds a wicked edge.
Heavier duty?.
Y-start ---02 D2 steel. 3 1\2 in blade. Bearings not bushes. THAT does hold a good edge. ( US)$18/25).

These selected Chinese Mfg's nowadays. ARE making good quality knives.
A high %age of your US named blades are made in China nowadays, of Chinese metals.
I have a "HARNDS" Knight. 8cr14 blade.
Diect copy of a Kershaw.
with better steel AND better finish. for cheaper price. Copy. YES.
But standing up under it's OWN name.
 
I try not to be a steel nerd but when I cut open two boxes with my victorinox and it's dull it's frustrating. Good knives with good steel are so affordable now there's really no reason to carry crap..... Jmho.....
 
Dragonflybladewrks said:
I try not to be a steel nerd but when I cut open two boxes with my victorinox and it's dull it's frustrating. Good knives with good steel are so affordable now there's really no reason to carry crap..... Jmho.....
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Victorinox steel is 'hardened' to around 55-56 RHC, I believe. Easy to sharpen, quite tough, takes a fine edge but loses it quickly on abrasive stuff. Holds up well on cheese, tho'.
 
7Cr17MoV is roughly equivalent to 440A in composition. Performance is highly dependent on the final hardness after heat treat and on the geometry of the blade.

Hardened to a 55, it's about equal to the performance of the steel in Victorinox blades
Hardened to a 58, it would be pretty fair stuff, much like the Schrade knives of the 60's through the early 90's. Schrade's standard stainless was 440A hardened to a 58.
 
Rich S said:
440A and its Chinese equivalent have been used in various brands for many years. They hold up well. There are better steels (I like D2), but 440A works just fine. I have and use many knives from various brands done in 440A and never had a problem with any of them. Don't let the steel freaks bug you. I've been collecting, making, customizing knives for over 65 years. Until fairly recently all anyone knew was "stainless, stainless steel, surgical stainless" (all 440) otherwise it is carbon steel. I'm not a fan of current Gerber, but it's a matter of style not steel. Take a look at Rough Rider, Marbles, Schrade (all Chinese made). I do like Buck's 420HC and never had a problem with it either. If you like and can afford a $000. or $0000. priced blade - go for it. But you don't need to sell a kidney to get a good, functional, working knife. There are dozens (maybe hundreds) of brands on the market today and just like the old days,some are several fad collectibles or users, etc. If your knife does what you want it to do and you like it, that is all that matters.
Rich
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I have a folder (S&W) and some Cutco kitchen knives in 440A. The heat treat on the Cutco knives seems to be better than on the S&W folder. Nonetheless, both brands have functioned well for what they are. The S&W is a beater knife that I keep in my car as an emergency cutter as it has a glass breaker and seatbelt cutter. The Cutco knives are specialty knives which have performed well, no corrosion. They stay sharp, which was a bit of a surprise, given they are 440A. I have other much spendier folders and kitchen knives made out of more premium steels for comparison.
 
Dragonflybladewrks said:
I try not to be a steel nerd but when I cut open two boxes with my victorinox and it's dull it's frustrating. Good knives with good steel are so affordable now there's really no reason to carry crap..... Jmho.....
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I have to call BS on this unless you somehow got a bad one or just have high standards for what you consider still sharp.
I've never experienced this once with any Victorinox, and they're ground so thin that even when they do start getting dull they still cut very well.
Maybe it's because I give them a working edge and not a mirror polished hair whittling edge, if I had more proper sharpening equipment I might give them such an edge though.
 
I love soft steels. I use my knives. Easier to sharpen = more likely to use.


That being said. I have own a ton of the new super steels. I just carry and open and close them but that's it! Most I resell here on the exchange.
 
colubrid said:
I love soft steels. I use my knives. Easier to sharpen = more likely to use.


That being said. I have own a ton of the new super steels. I just carry and open and close them but that's it! Most I resell here on the exchange.
Click to expand...

So you don’t fend off bad guys anymore?
 
colubrid said:
I love soft steels. I use my knives. Easier to sharpen = more likely to use.


That being said. I have own a ton of the new super steels. I just carry and open and close them but that's it! Most I resell here on the exchange.
Click to expand...
Hmmm. I use my knives as well. Because of that, I find longer edge retention very beneficial. Plus, I don't mind sharpening. Being a knife nut, I rather enjoy it...
 
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