Bear Grylls Ultimate PRO Survival Knife

Bear Claw Chris Lappe said:
I got the new "Pro" version this weekend, the changes are nice, it's not a bad knife at all. If they released it in a plain "No celebrity name" version, I'd suspect it would go over better with some.

At the end of the day, tell him to carry what he wants, and other peoples opinions should be like water off a duck's back. :)
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Good to hear. I'm all purely for the design itself. Look forward to further thoughts should you want to share them.
 
untamed said:
Good to hear. I'm all purely for the design itself. Look forward to further thoughts should you want to share them.
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I have one of the new ones, as well as a gen 2. The new one is MUCH better. I'll post a review in a bit when I get caught up.
 
I stand by what I said above about this knife but having seen this video three questions present themselves:........................... 1] I can get to how the steel upgrade could have improved edge retention but I'm a bit lost as to how it improved toughness. I'm not saying this knife isn't tough. The guy on the video made the claim, and he could be wrong, or I could be having a go in the dunce hat. Without introducing a third element I can't see how he got to there at this time..............................2] Shame he didn't do a pure edge retention test. He's got a bunch of other knives there. Three inches of the blade cutting rope would have been a neat start. He's got an SRK there, so how well does it hold up against a classic implementation of 52100 carbon steel at that. Likewise he has some AUS 8 there that might have given it a good fight. What if his Seki AUS 6 gave it a kicking at that and also has inherently superior plastic deformation properties? I suspect this knife may have spanked all of them, but mebe not. It's a glaringly obvious thing to miss in a knife test......................3] How much does it weigh? I like a FB to have a bit of substance 'cos to me there's no point having a blade that just duplicates what a decent folder can do unless you are doing shitwork in grime and slime. I've seen the weight of this quoted at 13.7oz though, and to me that's silly-heavy for a sub 5” blade. My goloks put that into perspective. I suspect that figure is wrong. It didn't look stupid heavy in the vid given the balance point and that the blade is apparently 4.5mm thick. How heavy is it?
 
I don't have an exact scale here, but it does feel kinda heavy for it's overall size. I just assumed it was a combo of the full tang, plus that chunk of steel hammer head on the end. :)
 
Bear Claw Chris Lappe said:
I don't have an exact scale here, but it does feel kinda heavy for it's overall size. I just assumed it was a combo of the full tang, plus that chunk of steel hammer head on the end. :)
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Yep, that's exactly what it is, and it is a bit handle-heavy, but not uncomfortably so to me. I just had a knife made that has a welded pommel, and working the balance out with the welded pommel was a bit of chore for the maker. It had to be a hidden tang, to get a neutral balance, but I haven't had any issues at all with the strength with the prototype.
 
Hello all, I've been lurking for a while but haven't really posted much.

I picked up the new Pro version of the knife. I liked it for reasons most don't like it. When the Ultimate first came out I liked the ferro rod and sharpener being integrated into the sheath and I also am a huge fan of orange so that drew me to it. I also find Bear Grylls entertaining so I don't mind his name all over it. I stayed away though because of the steel and the lack of full tang. So when the Pro came out I had to get it. The novelty of owning one is a plus for me too.

I have started 2 fires with this knife just this weekend. The striker on the spine of the knife digs in really well. I shaved a bunch of wood, batoned some wood and made a featherstick with it. I also stood around the fire pit dropping the blade into the grass. The coating has worn more than I expected on the tip from dropping it into the ground, wore much more then the coating on my BK9. I batoned through a couple of knots with some ease and the edge showed no signs of rolling. I did accidently hit the tip on the edge of a brick around the firepit while cutting kindling. I got a small chip but no more then when I did the same with AUS8 on my SOG NWRanger. I definately can't shave with it anymore but it still does alright at making wood shavings. The handle doesn't absorb shock from batoning near as well as I expected it too.

I payed $130 at Cabelas in Canada for it and would say you can get a better knife at that price point such as the BK2 or BK7 which are similar in size but if you want a stainless blade I think it's an alright package being that it comes with a sharpener and ferro rod. It would be the perfect knife to throw in a BOB bag or a car trunk and forget about it. It also holds up well enough as a backyard knife. I would still take a Becker or Esee backpacking over the Gerber but I think anyone would.

For me it's just another knife to play with and I am not dissapointed with the purchase but would not buy it as the name suggests....Ultimate Survival.
 
Yes this one blade may have been an improvement, but Gerber will have to do a lot more than that to get their countless lost costumers back
 
Im waiting for the survival noob version to be released , for people with out catering , back up crew and consultants .
 
Myal said:
Im waiting for the survival noob version to be released , for people with out catering , back up crew and consultants .
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How useful will it be though without the Mastercard compartment in the sheath? ;)
 
I thought the slots were for a cell phone so you can call and have pizza waiting once you are back in the hotel? You know he is not staying in a full service hotel... he is roughing it, trying to survive at a Motel 6.
 
j-roc said:
Hello all, I've been lurking for a while but haven't really posted much.

I picked up the new Pro version of the knife. I liked it for reasons most don't like it. When the Ultimate first came out I liked the ferro rod and sharpener being integrated into the sheath and I also am a huge fan of orange so that drew me to it. I also find Bear Grylls entertaining so I don't mind his name all over it. I stayed away though because of the steel and the lack of full tang. So when the Pro came out I had to get it. The novelty of owning one is a plus for me too.

I have started 2 fires with this knife just this weekend. The striker on the spine of the knife digs in really well. I shaved a bunch of wood, batoned some wood and made a featherstick with it. I also stood around the fire pit dropping the blade into the grass. The coating has worn more than I expected on the tip from dropping it into the ground, wore much more then the coating on my BK9. I batoned through a couple of knots with some ease and the edge showed no signs of rolling. I did accidently hit the tip on the edge of a brick around the firepit while cutting kindling. I got a small chip but no more then when I did the same with AUS8 on my SOG NWRanger. I definately can't shave with it anymore but it still does alright at making wood shavings. The handle doesn't absorb shock from batoning near as well as I expected it too.

I payed $130 at Cabelas in Canada for it and would say you can get a better knife at that price point such as the BK2 or BK7 which are similar in size but if you want a stainless blade I think it's an alright package being that it comes with a sharpener and ferro rod. It would be the perfect knife to throw in a BOB bag or a car trunk and forget about it. It also holds up well enough as a backyard knife. I would still take a Becker or Esee backpacking over the Gerber but I think anyone would.

For me it's just another knife to play with and I am not dissapointed with the purchase but would not buy it as the name suggests....Ultimate Survival.
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I payed $130 for it at Canadian tire.I haven't had a chance to use it yet but I plan to test it outthisweekend. I used ot be a gerber fan buthave lost faith in then recently because of the first BG knife that just wouldn't hold an edge.I ended up selling the first one after sharpening it up razor sharp. Got most of my money back at least. I got this new one without looking at whT thenew steel was..for this price I could have got a knife made of a good steel...ahh well I can give it toone of my kids if I hate it
 
Couple of points:

1. Bear Grylls (like many other famous "Bushcrafters" and "Survivalists" on TV) likes to sensationalize things for entertainment, but he's constantly acting like what he is doing is real or valid advice in a "survival situation" when several of the things he's done/said have been dis-proven and in some cases down right dangerous to even attempt. In that regard, his actions appear irresponsible but I also see why a lot of folks these days don't have the attention-span to watch someone like Les Stroud or Ray Mears (I personally do, but that's just my preference).

This is why so many people in the outdoor community dislike Bear - he's acting (many of the things he's claimed on the show have been dis-proven, so to take him seriously as a "survival expert" based on the show is silly). There is all sorts of stuff floating around about his life before and outside of the show, but I don't care enough to dig into it and know the truth - I'm just not that into the guy or his show to put out the effort. Maybe he was Rambo, maybe he was a nobody, I don't know. All I know is that if one looks at him as what I consider him to be - purely entertainment and not to be taken too seriously, then he's essentially harmless (and somewhat entertaining I suppose).

2. None of the above has any affect on the knife itself (other than marketing - either pro/con based on opinions of Bear). Bear Grylls and Gerber are two separate subjects and opinions on one should have little to do with the other. To claim that the knife is crap purely because his name is on it without giving it a try is ridiculous.

3. That said, Gerber doesn't have the greatest track-record in the knife world. Neither does Bear Grylls' first venture into the Survival Knife market. So to be weary of the knife... well, that's just logical in my opinion.

4. The new Pro version is well more costly than the original version. IMO, a Mora Bushcraft or any of their heavy-blade versions could do most of what the first version of the Grylls Survival knife accomplished (and with better blade-steel probably out-perform most of the actual "knife duties").

IMO, for $50, there are a lot of options out there for a good "Survival" or basic Bushcraft knife. For upwards of $70 to $100, there are a crapload of options (many that I've owned and used) that are all way better suited for survival or bushcraft than what the Grylls Pro appears to be on paper, but I will probably never find out because at that price-point, I just can't justify getting a 9cr blade with a plastic sheath and a pull-through carbide sharpener. The Fire-Steel is cool, but again at that price-point, there are better options.

So, to say Bear Grylls is getting people into outdoors that ordinarily wouldn't - sure his show is more than likely doing that, but at the same time - is it bringing a bunch of new folks to the outdoors into the hobby with unrealistic expectations and unsafe habbits?

Is the knife a good knife for what it is and at that price-point? Not the new Pro version IMO - there are too many good options out there for less money and well better options for the same or just slightly more money.

But, that's just my opinion. I'm not Bushcrafter, nor am I a survival expert. I'm just a guy who likes knives and enjoys the outdoors.
 
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1075 Condor Tool Carbon Knives? No thanks. If im gonna have a knife that is gonna rust i,ll whip out my Becker BK-9, at least its 1095 High Carbon Cro-Van Steel. Now about the Ultimate Pro. The knife may have Bear Grylls written all over it, but if you look past all of that, the knife is actually quite good, let me explain. The steel is a Chinese premium metal called 9Cr19MoV. This is one of the best stainless metals they use, and its commonly used for their surgical tools and barber sissors. 9Cr19MoV is the Chinese version of our 440C, which is a tough carbon stainless that holds a wicked edge and keeps it, plus its corrosion free.I have seen many reviews and test on this knife and its taken a hell of a beating and kept on going. No youtube videos show ANYONE breaking this knife and your not going to unless you put it under a jackhammer or do something incredibly stupid like run it over with a bulldozer ect.Personally the Orange does not bother me because its a "Survival" Knife, and in that type of situation I "want" to been seen, I "want" to be found. And if I drop the blade on the ground that bright orange that so many hate on is gonna help me find it easily. The steel on this blade is better then alot out there, even the Cold Steel SRK which is made out of AUS 8.Look past the BG hate folks, this knife is a contender. Personally if im in a SHTF situation I don't need my knife corroding or rusting on me, especially if im near salt water or that type of habitat.I see alot of people say " Get a Cold Steel SRK and I say no because 1) Its not Full Tang 2) The steel is good, but 9cr19MoV is much better. 3) You will need your survival knife to hammer, pry, stab, ect; It has to fill a wide criteria.Your survival knife needs to fill multiple fuctions, not just One.So IMHO after a long winded explanation BG orange stamp on the handle be damned, this knife is a beast, and its good. Get one, toss it in a survival kit, and thank me later when your in a SHTF scenario and it gets your a$$ out of it. - Stay frosty, stay safe.

P.S Most of the other big named survivalist out there are gonna slam this product as will their followers simply because they are selling their own merchandise, and BG is the "World of Warcraft" of survival gear, he is the competition that they want to beat out.Now personally even though the best selling knife in the world was not my cup of tea this one is for many obvious reasons. Do the research, think for yourselves.
 
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