New Strongarm

marcinek said:
Never heard of him. Is he a member here?
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I think he is just recently joined, but don't recall the user name. He definitely posted in some thread about "Is Steel will using fake M390" (the title was similar to that, not my thread).

In general, he's one of the folks out there who's doing a really good job providing informal but solid knife testing that follows a reasonable methodology. And he tries to document his results. I always read his reviews with interest.
 
maximus83 said:
In general, he's one of the folks out there who's doing a really good job providing informal but solid knife testing that follows a reasonable methodology.
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We all do that. I guess I should get on YouTube! :cool:

That said, I have no doubt that Gerber tweaked their LMF, made it with with some lower end mystery steel nobody really knows, slapped some new scales on it, jacked up the price, and tried to pass it off as some sexy super steel sprint run.

I'm sure they will sell a boatload of them.

(If they were smart they would plant some Strongarm sprint run flippers on the Exchange! That would really make people want those things!)
 
115Italian said:
M marcinek As usual you make some good points.

I see people want to defend a company that doesn’t deserve it.
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Now, now. :p Gerber is excellent at what they do. It's just that what they do isn't really aimed at us knife junkies here. For the average person, a Gerber is fine. It cuts, it doesn't explode or crumble into dust, and it is reasonably priced and available at the MegaMart.

I wouldn't let a friend buy one, but hey.

I am a bit taken aback by the fact that folks here are biting on this "sprint run/limited edition/super steel" gambit they are trying.

It's Gerber, :rolleyes:.
 
I own a reg Gerber Strongarm. I bought it last summer for $55 and free shipping from a reputable seller of mostly firearms products. It is a solid camp/hiking knife for the money. I have no problem recommending it for a budget hiking knife. The sheath is actually pretty good for the price too. I could care less about this "upgrade" steel but the reg Strongarm is a solid knife for $.
 
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I’ve seen the “upgraded” version for $65. Using American branded steel to make a knife in America as well as the sheath is a small step in the right direction for a company that has sent most of their production overseas. If Cedric’s tests are correct, bdz-1 is a better option. Even spyderco uses a comparable steel— bd-1– in a budget version of the manix2.
 
marcinek said:
Now, now. :p Gerber is excellent at what they do. It's just that what they do isn't really aimed at us knife junkies here. For the average person, a Gerber is fine. It cuts, it doesn't explode or crumble into dust, and it is reasonably priced and available at the MegaMart.

I wouldn't let a friend buy one, but hey.

I am a bit taken aback by the fact that folks here are biting on this "sprint run/limited edition/super steel" gambit they are trying.

It's Gerber, :rolleyes:.
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I see lots of people talk about their Fiskars axe without criticism, and it was the latter company’s acquisition of gerber that helped turn the company into a joke, no? They are similar to kershaw in this regard. I am not going to defend the company, however, until at least 75% of their knives are made here, or in a country friendly to Americans.
 
Yonose said:
I see lots of people talk about their Fiskars axe without criticism, and it was the latter company’s acquisition of gerber that helped turn the company into a joke, no? They are similar to kershaw in this regard. I am not going to defend the company, however, until at least 75% of their knives are made here, or in a country friendly to Americans.
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I haven't the slightest idea what point you are trying to make.

Gerber/Fiskars is, among other things, a knife manufacturer. Their target is not us. I wouldn't call them a "joke" because of that. I don't know axes, or how Fiskars axes are regarded by axe junkies, but, since this is GKD, nor GAD, I think that is besides the point.

I don't know what Kershaw or "unfriendly countries" has to do with any of it. :confused:
 
marcinek said:
I haven't the slightest idea what point you are trying to make.

Gerber/Fiskars is, among other things, a knife manufacturer. Their target is not us. I wouldn't call them a "joke" because of that. I don't know axes, or how Fiskars axes are regarded by axe junkies, but, since this is GKD, nor GAD, I think that is besides the point.

I don't know what Kershaw or "unfriendly countries" has to do with any of it. :confused:
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That depends on who you mean by “us.” The thread I’m reading has the company’s name in the title. Not every forum member is a steel junky, but many people here, myself included, have implied that their knives have become a bit of a joke. Not all of them, but their China made knives are mostly garbage. As are the majority of kershaw’s China made. Some of the latter ones in the under $20 category are unsafe. I won’t put words in your mouth, so I just don’t know who you mean by us? This thread, on which we have both posted, contradicts one possible meaning that the OP and myself are.(included)
I’m being serious when I say that Kershaw and Gerber are both capable of making extraordinary knives in their own US facilities, although they overuse imo 420HC. Both are owned by “friendly” foreign countries. If it isn’t politically correct to exclude China, then I’ll abstain from further comment. Gerber and Kershaw both make knives that I enjoy, and would call value for the dollar. They both make knives I wouldn’t use if they were free.
Btw Fiskars hatchets are nowhere near the quality of, say a Gransford Bruks, but nowhere near the cost, either.
 
Strange to see how the strongly worded opinions fly when giant (successful) knife making corporations don't see the profound wisdom of those that post here. Not sure they care about the opinions of this tiny community... in fact pretty sure. Good thing, too. While they don't seem to be selling the quality of product they did years ago to civilians, they may not want to see pontifications that "their reputation isn't worth defending", or that their products are "trash" or "a joke".

I am thinking of the soldiers I know that carried Gerbers on their recent (over the last decade) deployments and they and they all found the Gerber issued tools good to great in a combat environment. Guess BF can't educate everybody, eh?

Robert
 
marcinek said:
I am a bit taken aback by the fact that folks here are biting on this "sprint run/limited edition/super steel" gambit they are trying
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Why do people have to bite on the "sprint run" nature in order to be interested? The regular Strongarm is $45 on Amazon. This BDZ-1 version is $62. That's 37% more, for which you gain an uncoated blade, a steel from a known foundry, and a steel that appears to have a 40-50% increase in edge holding.

What are some comparable US made stainless knives with good sheaths in the $60 price range that people should look at instead?
 
kniferelatedname said:
Why do people have to bite on the "sprint run" nature in order to be interested? The regular Strongarm is $45 on Amazon. This BDZ-1 version is $62. That's 37% more, for which you gain an uncoated blade, a steel from a known foundry, and a steel that appears to have a 40-50% increase in edge holding.

What are some comparable US made stainless knives with good sheaths in the $60 price range that people should look at instead?
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Couldn’t agree more. I’m happy Gerber made this happen, even if I don’t have one (yet.) They have returns that are a few dollars cheaper. I’m also interested in the ghoststrike with the same steel. S30v would not be appropriate for a rough use blade, bdz-1 is right in the sweet spot for carbon content (about .6%) Made in the USA is essential for me.
 
Yonose said:
Couldn’t agree more. I’m happy Gerber made this happen, even if I don’t have one (yet.) They have returns that are a few dollars cheaper. I’m also interested in the ghoststrike with the same steel. S30v would not be appropriate for a rough use blade, bdz-1 is right in the sweet spot for carbon content (about .6%) Made in the USA is essential for me.
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I own both Strongarms, but I'm chomping at the bit for a lot more out of the design. S35VN is magnitudes tougher than S30V. If Gerber would make a Strongarm out of 3V or S35VN, I know that I'd buy two right off the bat, and I'd probably buy FOUR, and give them away as gifts. The Strongarm knife is a beautiful design, but I'm done with buying them with the current steels.
 
midnight flyer said:
Strange to see how the strongly worded opinions fly when giant (successful) knife making corporations don't see the profound wisdom of those that post here. Not sure they care about the opinions of this tiny community... in fact pretty sure. Good thing, too. While they don't seem to be selling the quality of product they did years ago to civilians, they may not want to see pontifications that "their reputation isn't worth defending", or that their products are "trash" or "a joke".

I am thinking of the soldiers I know that carried Gerbers on their recent (over the last decade) deployments and they and they all found the Gerber issued tools good to great in a combat environment. Guess BF can't educate everybody, eh?

Robert
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I fully respect the capabilities and skills of all soldiers (and police officers and anyone else willing to put their life on the line for my safety), but that doesn't mean that I'll always agree with their knife choices. Gerber lost a lot of credibility with many innocent and unsuspecting knife aficionados when they released their faulty Bear "Survival" knives (some of which were recalled and replaced). There are still some Gerber knives that are very popular, receive a lot of excellent reviews, and probably make good tools. Gerber, in my own opinion, also spends too much time and money targeting couch warriors and trying to associate their product with 'tactical' and military applications —even when the knife they are advertising clearly has little value in military use cases. I won't buy a Gerber just because I don't have any faith in their brand quality and advertising (and, as a rule, I despise rubberized handles for my fixed blades). Perhaps Gerber is a good company, but they aren't my cup of tea.
 
Still available, I'd get one but I got one already. Got 5 strongarms total including the BDZ-1 steel one, gave a straight edge to my little brother. As I said earlier I got this uncoated one for hunting seasons.
 
It looks like this limited edition super steel sprint run is drying up, Amazon and Gerber are sold out! Better buy one quick at an elevated price before they are going for $200+ on the exchange!

I got one somewhat recently from Amazon. I think it has good build quality in the handle and sheath. The edge might be off-center, and it was quite obtuse. I spent like 6 hours (spread out over a few days) putting the "20"-degree angle on mine with the Lansky and extra coarse stone (should have sprung for the diamond one). Even still the very tip is obtuse, with a bevel on the shoulder from the Lansky. It cuts paper/etc better but I have not really had a chance to use it yet. I initially wanted to put the "17" degree edge on it, but I am not looking forward to the hand cramps that will be required.

The core part of the sheath is really nice. The retention is good without the strap. However, the floppy bit for the belt loop isn't that great. If I pull up on the knife without putting my thumb on the sheath to separate them, the floppy part pulls up with the knife and comes unsnapped fairly easily. It doesn't unsnap the belt loop, rather this second part that snaps the belt loop to the nylon sheath.
 
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