Bear Grylls Ultimate survival knife - good alternative knife?

R

Rhodesian

Joined
Jul 26, 2014
Messages
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I know there are several reviews out for this knife on the forum but i would like to give my own opinions and description of a field test performed yesterday
a few specs first
handle and sheath material: plastic/rubberwith a nylon belt piece
steel: high carbon stainless
shape: drop point
weight: 11.2 ounces
blade length: 4.8
price: $62
comes with half serrations or all plain
made in: you guessed it, China
The knife offers a wide number of applications all in one package, these include: fire starter ferro rod, whistle, diamond sharpener, pommel and priorities of survival pocket guide.
it has a nice feel in the hand with a very good rubber grip and a not so good plastic handle. I cut down a small tree yesterday using both serrations and plain edge, and i have to say that the serrations dont stand up to much abuse (they wore down very quickly) but the plain edge worked nicely and kept its edge. Then i made a few fires with the ferro rod which was impressive, using a small clump of dry grass i had a flame within 5 strikes (better than a match considering the wind was quite powerful). The pommel seems strong after hitting a few big nails but i have seen them brake before, whistle is loud but could use some design improvement and the diamond sharpener will get a decent edge but once again could use some design improvement as it is hard to sharpen the blade without scraping up your sheath in the process. One more thing, there are three strategically placed holes in the handle so that you can lash it with paracord to a pole for a spear, depending on your knots and pole, it will stand up to some abuse! i made one yesterday and was very impressed with the results, stabbing and throwing it at an old log did not weaken my lashings or damage the blade. Overall i would say that it is a good multi function backup knife, i would personally want something with a bit more oomph for a primary survival. let me know what you think of the knife if you have one, also what would be a good alternative for me to get?

the gerber website has further info and pictures: http://www.gerbergear.com/Survival/Knives/Survival-Series-Ultimate-Knife_31-000751
 
If you look up "mediocre" in the dictionary...

This is not a bad knife but by no means would I ever use it in the field. If you want a firestarter, go buy a magnesium firestarter. The knife isn't full tang, the blade chips easy and the metal isn't too good. The finish comes off very quick and I've had issues with the sheath multiple times.

If you want a good fixed blade, get a Ka-Bar. If you insist on buying Gerber, get an LMFII.
 
well by alternative i mean something similarly priced with the same sort of features but something better and more rugged, any ideas?
don't get me wrong i do like the knife but it is not as good as they would have you think, makes a good backup
 
As neilioli mentioned, there is the LMF II, as well as the Prodigy. Both are US-made and have been around for years. In fact, my first fixed blade knife purchases were a Gerber Prodigy and a Buck Nighthawk, which is another that you might want to check out. (The Prodigy tanto may be imported, not sure about that. The drop point model is US-made.) Others worth mentioning are the Cold Steel SRK and Schrade X-Timer XT2B; the latter is discontinued and was available first as a US model and then moved to China when Taylor took over the brand. They are still readily available, and I use one (US version) as my "jack of all trades" outdoor fixed blade.
 
Rhodesian said:
well by alternative i mean something similarly priced with the same sort of features but something better and more rugged, any ideas?
don't get me wrong i do like the knife but it is not as good as they would have you think, makes a good backup
Click to expand...

Ontario makes much better for about the same price. If you're paying 62 dollars for the Gerber. I've seen them closer to the 40 dollar mark though.
 
The higher cost pro Grylis knife is by all reports, not a bad knife. Use it and have fun. I would not choose the partially serrated version, but in the past, I did in fact buy knives like this. We learn about what features are useful and what are not for our own situation. One knife (Condor Moonshiner) that has tickled my fancy was mentioned on a thread the other day. I seldom use this large of a knife, but at this price point, I think I will pick one up and play with it. It is all about learning and value versus cost. I know that a $300-$500 custom will be better, but I want to play with this one. The same might be said about the Bear Grylis survival knife. When I first joined BF, I was really interested in SOG knives and bought more than a couple. Many put them down for various reasons, but in general they aren't bad knives.
 
Go with a Becker BK16 and don't look back!

As others have said, the Bear Grylls isn't horrible, but not great either. My buddy had one, and beat the heck out of it with no problems. The fire starter and sharpening stone are both things you'd want in your pack anyway. I have two magnesium rods with flint, and a little Gerber field sharpener.
 
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