Did Hinderer ever collaborate with Gerber?

[VolundoftheForge]

A non-knife nut friend of mine told me they bought a Gerber today(cue my horror), and sent me a link to this:

Was this a collaboration with Rick Hinderer, or is this a blatant rip-off of his designs?

 

[T.L.]

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/903471-Rick-Hinderer-Gerber-collaboration

It's called the Gerber Torch 1. They also have the Gerber Hinderer CLS and Hinderer Rescue Knife.

 

[G. Scott H.]

They worked with him on their Hinderer Rescue and CLS knives, but I'm not familiar with the one in the pic.

edit: T.L. beat me to it. :thumbup:

 

[VolundoftheForge]

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/903471-Rick-Hinderer-Gerber-collaboration

It's called the Gerber Torch 1. They also have the Gerber Hinderer CLS and Hinderer Rescue Knife.

So it IS a collaboration? If it is then I have no problem, but I was kind of concerned at how obviously similar they look.