I don't often put reviews on this site as there are plenty on you tube where guys spend 20 minutes putting the knife in and out of it's sheath and turning it over and round and in and out in front of the camera, not so much a review as a show and tell..A review is only a review if you use the knife for it's inended purpose!!
and here it is in all it's Toy Story glory with the dreaded serrations that all outdoorsmen detest. Anyway it's quite easy on the eye, nice and orange and very sheeple friendly..
As for comfort, well it's gorgeous! Really ergonomic and comfortable for occasional use, definitely a thumbs up.
First seashore test was prying a limpet off the rocks, I really twisted the knife not sparing the edge against the rock or the limpet shell and I fully expected a chip or some rolling...
Limpet successfully prised off the rocks and next test was to gut it out of the shell for wrasse bait, very easily done, and another thumbs up!
Next test was to use the extended tang for some bashing,here to crush a willick shell, again no problem at all
easily done and I ate this one! Quite tasty..also look closely to see the blade edge where I prised the limpet off, no rolling or chipping at all, and that was against solid rock, well done Gerber!! Good Heat Treat on this blade!
lastly was the rust resistance test, so I dunked it completely in salt water then put it straight in it's sheath without drying the blade at all, and 24 hours later...
well the edge is rusty as you would expect but the coating on the blade has worked well, the edge rust is superfiicial and cleaned off easily with a loaded strop..
To finalise, it's a superb little knife that punches way above it's weight, and I would be happy to turn to this in a survival situation, if only Gerber would get rid of the serrations and release a Plain edge version the way they did with the BG Ultimate knife, then we could be talking about the best little production compact knife out there..Top marks Gerber!!
Great review as always Phil, I love the shape and colours of this knife just a pity about the serrations as you say!
ReplyDeleteThanks Paul I really appreciate that..as a matter of fact there's been the odd email between Buzzard and Gerber with regard to a plain edge version and although there's no imminent plans for a release, watch this space!
ReplyDeleteHi Phil. Really useful review as always. I have one of these knives and was just wondering how you rate the Bear Grylls Survival Kit? Not sure if you have ever had your hands on this. What would you recommend as a comprehensive survival kit or do you think it is better to put your own together using the best of the best if you know what I mean? Thanks in advance
ReplyDeleteI would never recommend buying a commercially made survival kit, there are just too many variables between people and environments to cover all eventualities. The best way to find out what you need and will use is to go out and practise..I still adhere to the 5c's..so as long as the basics cover those you can adapt any extras you might need.
ReplyDeletelove my bg ultimate you just need to know how to use it for the serrations not to be a hindrance
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