Old school Gerber BMF

Status
Not open for further replies.
M

Megawatt308

Joined
Dec 15, 2013
Messages
300
Curious how many of you still have (or had) a Gerber BMF? When I was getting deployed to operation desert shield I picked up a BMF to make sure I at least had my own big knife. That was back in 1991 and I still have it. There were 3 different lengths and avaliable with or without the sawtooth back, so 6 different models over the years it was made for 1986 to 1998.

Mine is the larger one with 9" blade, 8" sharpen edge, 14.5" overall length made from 1/4" 440C steel.

KLC09882.jpg
 
I have a plain bladed large BMF that is buried in my collection somewhere in my house. I always thought it was a neat looking knife. I bought it when it first came out.
 
I have that exact same knife. ^^^^^^^ I too deployed in support of Desert Shield/Storm with the 4th Marines, and carried this blade every day on my web gear. Out of all my knives this is my prized possession, and it will get passed down to my daughter one day.
 
Megawatt308 said:
Curious how many of you still have (or had) a Gerber BMF? When I was getting deployed to operation desert shield I picked up a BMF to make sure I at least had my own big knife. That was back in 1991 and I still have it. There were 3 different lengths and avaliable with or without the sawtooth back, so 6 different models over the years it was made for 1986 to 1998.

Mine is the larger one with 9" blade, 8" sharpen edge, 14.5" overall length made from 1/4" 440C steel.

KLC09882.jpg
Click to expand...
Did you carry that thing around with all your issued gear?
I had enough stuff to carry in the field without adding something like that.
 
I had this knife in the 9" configuration with sawback, and it was fine, with an acceptably thin edge geometry. It is a bit too small and light for heavy chopping: 9" veers from real chopper into hacker territory, and a broader blade would have improved it.

Thanks to its fat handle it chops about level with the Trailmaster and its thin handle. The handle material is unique and wonderful, but it needs slight re-shaping.

The saw could do notches, but not real deep cuts: That was fine by me.

The best feature was the sheath, which is a curious combination of rubber and nylon. It needs a wide flat object in the front pouch, or the thick rubber front of the sheath will tend to sag into the blade a little (the rear of the sheath is much thicker and more rigid). The provided compass does a fine job of stiffening the front, but I substituted a wide and flat sharpening stone.

It is a great looking knife, and is strong, with a good belly near the tip, but the blade is too narrow and the handle is too fat, even for me: The designer of the handle must have had huge hands... Just 1/8" or 1/4" more width in the blade and it would have been great.

Gaston
 
I had two BMF's 9" blade with the saw back. As my collection grew, I gifted both to friends and I believe they still have and use them.
 
Still have a no saw that I bought around '93 or '94. Blade measures 8.875" sn04238x. Nice knife. The LMF from that time was a great model.
 
sabre cat said:
Did you carry that thing around with all your issued gear?
I had enough stuff to carry in the field without adding something like that.
Click to expand...


Yes I did when I could. The neat thing was because it was unique, is it could not be stolen so easily. I choose not to carry the M9 knife.


I decided to sharpen the big knife and it is wicked sharpe now.
 
Photobucket disserted us. Flicker is not so friendly, smugbug wants $$. I had nice pics to post but that an issue now. What is everyone using to host pics?
 
I still have mine somewhere in the house. Something I bought in the 80s I expect my Son will someday have to figure out what to do with because I never did.
 
Back in the day there was a time when rumour had it
that the gerber outback bowie
And perhaps even the BMFakaBig#%! and LMFakaLittle#%! Series
had blades that were Italian made.
Never did know if that was a fact or just myth.
 
My dad gave me one when I was 14. I think he got it from a pawn shop or something like that. Was in great condition at the time and still is. It's one of the originals, no sawback.

It's 1 of 3 knives I'll never part with. The other is an original seki-city desert dagger (kill bill) that I bought for my gear when I was carrying guns for uncle sam.
 
I still got one BMF in an old canteen with a Coffin Handle Bowie and a Parabellum, good old knives.
 

Attachments

  • 15A1FFED-6C44-4DF5-AE05-FF5ED59999BB.jpeg
    15A1FFED-6C44-4DF5-AE05-FF5ED59999BB.jpeg
    31.7 KB · Views: 23
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top