bear grylls stuff fad or functional?

BG knives are fine for 98% of the knife-buying world; they are capable in about any light-duty task. Of course I wouldn't buy one, and agree that there are much better options out there.
 
Bear has found a company who sees value to buying the rights use his name to market their products. He is no better, or worst than the local TV, or Radio host who does a comercial about this company, or produce they tell you is just wonderful.

Just wonderful no, or maybe?? But they like Bear could just be about collecting a pay check by putting their INTEGRITY FOR SALE to the higheest bidder.
 
Rasco said:
This right here.

Start with a low quality product, and then make it visually unappealing by adding orange and "BG" branding to it.
You might as well get a Duck Dynasty machete.
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Agreed. Gerbers (and especially BG's stuff) are not going to explode on you or crumble into dust...they are OK for people not "into" knives. I'm sure each one of us buys something that they are into and they think we are an idiot for buying.

I happen to be "into" knives. So I pass on Gerber entirely. And I pass on BG/Gerber even more so since I think Grylls is a knucklehead cashing in on the whole "Survival" fad.
 
I pretty much pass completely on the entire Gerber line now other than their hatchets/axe. Before Gerber was sold, they made some pretty good stuff for the price.
 
i have an old gerber multi tool that i've beat the crap out of for 15 years. it's semi retired now. their warranty's pretty good, but i don't want it replaced with new crap if i break it. i have a mark II that i wouldn't part with either. i have a bear fire starter. i started a fire with it, so it works ok i guess.

i have a new-ish suspension multi tool, that replaced a different new-ish suspension, that i broke pulling staples.

i have a mini swagger i picked up on sale for $13cdn. i was pretty happy with it until i started using it at work. i have to constantly sharpen it. won't hold an edge for sh*t. though i'm no expert sharpener, i find it won't take an edge for sh*t either.

i won't buy another gerber anything. doesn't matter who's name is on it.
 
After being quite critical of Gerber I feel the need to bash out a quick update.

I handled one of the BG "pro" knives today. It's a clear improvement on the USK. Looks like it's full tang, has pretty nice ergonomics and a better grind. The biggest positive though is that they identify the steel used as (from memory) 9Cr19mov. I don't know this steel but a little Google fu has people suggesting it falls between 440B and 440C. It would be great to have this confirmed. The BG Pro retails for $110 here so I'm guessing it's significantly less expensive in the States. For context an Esee3 costs around $160 - $200AUD.
If I knew more about the heat treat and construction I might just give this a go. Well, if I ever had the chance to go camping anymore (I have a baby girl instead :) )
Regardless of whether the good people of this forum go for this knife I for one think it's a very positive step by Gerber.
 
To be fair and balanced, not all of the Grylls product line is junk, but some of it is. The Survival Hatchet is pretty nice, actually. I love mine. It holds up well, and packs light and easy.
 
They're no worse than all the people buying jersey's or anything else in support of their favorite 'team' which is, in most cases, a group of millionaires 'working' together at a place that will pay them the most.

I haven't scaled Everest or done any freefall skydiving, so I am not going to critique those that have.

As to BG's marketing/branding with Gerber...put yourself in his shoes...you've managed to get ahead a bit in life and get some fame...a major company comes up and says 'Hey, we'd like to put out some gear related to your chosen profession for X amount of dollars.' Wife, kids, mortgage, car payments, etc etc etc...you going to say 'no?' I'll believe it when I see it. Real easy to talk when the offer isn't on your plate.

Gerber is smart enough to know that the for the VASSSSST majority of America, $50 is a lot of a knife...over a hundred and you're into the serious knife enthusiast that represents just probably a fraction of a percent of the knife buying market. Gerber is not a small sub 20 person company...so they need to make a buck. They go for quantity. It would be great if they came out with a worth $400 knife that was a serious competitor, but they'd probably go out of business...they just wouldn't sell enough.

It's like people hating on the orange trim? Really? Unless you're a for real deal mil/LEO person that needs a tactical camo finish on your knife, that blaze orange is an extremely good idea for an outdoor knife. I put blaze orange lanyards on all my knives so that if they do get dropped in the brush weeds, you know out in the woods, I'm not being ubertacticcool looking for it 10X longer than I need to. Difference between fantasy and reality.

Are Gerber's mediocre with less than top draw materials? Yep. But they're also not $300, and most folks shopping at wallyworld would never buy a $300 knife. Just the reality of life folks. But I will say, for the $$, you're getting a decent value and a good starter knife before you move onto something of higher quality, if you choose to do so. The USK, for $50, as a 'system' with the whistle, fire rod, etc. is not a bad knife for people who aren't looking to deliberately trying and break it. I never understand people that will look at a 1/32" thick tip of a knife and be surprised when it breaks when the stab it into a an old Maple knot and snap it out sideways. Ummm, dah. I've said it before...you used to be considered an unskilled idiot looking for a village if you broke your knife through misuse. Now its lauded ad being the knife's fault. Missing the boat folks.

I've been meaning to pick up the Pro version just to tinker with, but there's been a few projects get in the way. All things considered, it doesn't seem half bad, again, as a system. And his little hatchet doesn't look half bad for its intended purpose.

And as I've also said before, I'll have a massive amount of respect for the parents that can still afford to take their kids camping because they are NOT buying $400 knives.

Just my $.02 worth, YMMV.

BOSS
 
What would your reaction be if it were different---

2015 ESEE presents the Bear Grylls line of knives.......

or

New for 2015 Becker Knife and Tool releases the BK 69 Bear Grylls Ultimate.



I bet it would sell. :D
 
Monofletch said:
What would your reaction be if it were different---

2015 ESEE presents the Bear Grylls line of knives.......

or

New for 2015 Becker Knife and Tool releases the BK 69 Bear Grylls Ultimate.



I bet it would sell. :D
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Wouldn't happen since those companies currently make knives for experienced and knowledgeable knife users, not the mass market "big box" non-"knife" folks....like Gerber does.

That said, if a more respected mass market manufacturer like Victorinox did it, I might be more prone to give them the benefit of the doubt at the outset.
 
marcinek said:
Wouldn't happen since those companies currently make knives for experienced and knowledgeable knife users, not the mass market "big box" non-"knife" folks....like Gerber does.

That said, if a more respected mass market manufacturer like Victorinox did it, I might be more prone to give them the benefit of the doubt at the outset.
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I do understand what you are saying, though you could have worded it better. To most people there is no difference between a $150 ESEE5 and a $7 Winchester fixed blade except for the blade thickness. :rolleyes:

Back on topic,

I ALMOST purchased a Les Stroud Mountain survival knife. By the time I left the store I was so turned off by the quality of the little gadgets that were integrated in the sheath I put it back. Lucky for me it was the last one and the blister pack was open. My bill would have been under $20 including tax and I still didn't buy it!!!
 
I like Bear Grylls but I don't like Gerber. I don't think the Bear Grylls line is any better or worse than anything else Gerber makes but in general their bar is pretty low. The products they make aren't for enthusiasts -- they're for the people that are happy picking something up at Walmart or the local sporting goods chain store.
 
Monofletch said:
I do understand what you are saying, though you could have worded it better. To most people there is no difference between a $150 ESEE5 and a $7 Winchester fixed blade except for the blade thickness. :rolleyes:
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Are you saying "experienced and knowledgeable" is not an accurate description of ESEE and Becker users? What would have been a better way to describe them?
 
marcinek said:
Are you saying "experienced and knowledgeable" is not an accurate description of ESEE and Becker users? What would have been a better way to describe them?
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I took it as the ONLY people that buy them are experienced and knowledgeable--I know of at least 2 people that own both that have no business with sharp objects! It was just the way it was worded......or the way I read it. LOL!
 
Charlie_K said:
Sorry folks, but it's gotta be done.

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sorry Charlie, but it's gotta be said: any idiot can type anything they want on a picture, but it doesn't make it mean anything. Do you really think this "demotivational" picture is anywhere near accurate? Do you seriously think a pair of razors taped to a stick is a better survival knife than the bear grylles ultimate survival knife in question? I'm not saying it's the worlds best quality knife, but it's posts like this that gives common sense a bad name.
 
[video=youtube;_y8fktl29X8]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_y8fktl29X8[/video]
 
rustyrazor said:
sorry Charlie, but it's gotta be said: any idiot can type anything they want on a picture, but it doesn't make it mean anything. Do you really think this "demotivational" picture is anywhere near accurate?
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Compared to the Paraframe knife that I used to have, it's not that far off from the truth.
 
So I've been using my Ultimate Pro for awhile and it's been awesome! If you guy's still think it's a crap knife you should watch this-


[video=youtube;Kw8JxaDQ9ZY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw8JxaDQ9ZY[/video]
 
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