Gerber Bear Grylls Parang Machete

Jraptor said:
I got mine the other day, after a 2 month wait. First of all, it is not a flimsy or thin blade. The metal is thicker than my Cold Steel bolo machete but not as thick as my Linder. It has a good balance, slightly blade heavy, and a nice grippy handle. This is a great value for $30 (i have seen on some websites). The sheath is tough and sturdy, with 2 snaps and a velcro retention strap at the handles, and it opens easily. I haven't got to chop with it yet but I think it will do fine. Give it a try, I doubt you will be disappointed.
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Show us some pics man!!! :thumbup:
 
I just picked one up at the local mega-mart "sports" store. It is hefty for it's size. I plan on taking it out for play this weekend.

I don't have my calipers to measure it but it seems twice the thickness of the Gerber Gator Machete. The grip is just a little big for my medium size hand but not that bad.

There was only one belt loop that sort of cants it downward. Which doesn't matter to me as I usually take some para cord and make a large loop to sling it over my shoulder anyway.
 
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Will somebody who has one of these Gerbers please put a caliper or a micrometer on the blade and tell us how thick it is?

A 1mm thick parang sounds like a joke.
 
BlueyM said:
Will somebody who has one of these Gerbers please put a caliper or a micrometer on the blade and tell us how thick it is?

A 1mm thick parang sounds like a joke.
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When I get home later I will find my calipers. It isn't 1 mm for certain. 2 at least, maybe 2.5. It was too heavy to be only 1 mm.
 
pellidon said:
No caliper but it is 1/8 inch by my scale.
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Thanks Pellidon. None of the Gerber dealers I could find online mentioned blade thickness.
IMO a key element of a good machete/chopper/parang/gollick is a well weighted and balanced blade.

Malaysian parangs are often forged from car leaf springs, and while heavy, are superb tools for their intended purpose.

Nepalese kukris also are effective because of their blade shape and weight distribution.

A 1mm thick bladed parang would bounce off 90% of jungle growth, and might last until lunchtime if treated with care.
 
Wanted to update this thread for other lurkers like me who dig it up and want to know more about the Parang.
I do a lot of backpacking and bought it for clearing trails of briars and poison early in the year as well as chopping deadfall too small to walk on or too bushy to jump/hop over.
It works great for small bits of firewood and for hacking up dead pines to get to the heartwood for fat lighter pieces to start a campfire (I live in the Southern Appalachian mtns of the US.)
I used it this weekend as the rain came pouring down in camp. I was making stakes for my tarp with it and it did really well in the rain. Didn't slip or feel slick at all, even with a frogdrowner of a storm overhead.
It worked well on firewood too. What the Sven Saw didn't cut, the Parang hacked into fire sized pieces.

Only problem was the blade developed a small swag in it where I was hacking at a pine heart where a limb had grown out of it. That hardness of the wood put a big enough dent in the blade that it's noticeable. About maybe 3/4 inch long.
Other than that, the Parang has worked well for me. It gets sharp and fairly careful usage will keep it that way.
I used it to trim stakes and hammer them into the ground, cut 550 cord, and all other kinds of stuff. It works. The blade is pretty hardy and stands up well to being shoved into the dirt tipfirst as you're working and need both hands.
It's nice and heavy enough to work with, but not heavy enough to tire me out after cutting firewood or using it to do trail maintenance for a few miles. It's a nice balance of heavy cutting ability and portability.
 
Here's a pic of the sheath, missing the rivet that popped out on day 1. I've been waiting for it to disintegrate but it hasn't.
popgoestherivet.jpg

And here's the Parang itself as of today.
parangnpine.jpg


So far, it hasn't really self destructed or developed any real issues that would preclude it from work, but I use it like a machete or for shelter building in the backcountry. I don't baton a lot of wood since there's so much deadfall around here that can be burned easily, and I keep my campfire's small.

It's been useful.
I did take it on a pretty long trip I did on the Appalachian Trail a couple months ago and it was more dead weight than anything since it rained the whole time and I cooked over my stove instead of a fire.
I do get a lot of "lawnmower blade" comments though. XD
Just thought I'd add an update and pics, since people wanted to see pics. :thumbup:
 
got a recall notice. Thought I'd update this thread. Box is on the way. I'll update how the new one goes.
 
J.Davey said:
Ya' know, I was actually looking forward to trying one of these out, especially after seeing the YouTube vids exclaiming how 'heavy duty' they are going to be. Then I read this review on fieldandstream.com:

"However, the blade isn’t very thick (a hair over 1mm) like most machetes, giving it light weight for repeated swings, easy maneuverability and quick swiping speed, but sacrificing strength. The light, plastic handle, without a stainless pommel like the Ultimate Knife, makes the whole tool feel a bit unbalanced and delicate, though once you get to swiping, the advantages of the blade shape are immediately apparent."

This does not inspire my faith in the product. 1mm is pretty damn thin, especially for something that is being marketed as 'heavy duty'. Was this just a test model? :confused:
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This estimate for blade thickness is completely inaccurate. I actually own and use one of these machetes
This machete is somewhere between 1/8 in thick and 1/4 in thick. I can't go and measure the exact size
Right now because my wife is asleep, but if you're really that interested, please let me know and i'll be happy to take the micrometer to it and give you an exact measurement. The blade is very superior for a storebought blade, cuts very well, holds an edge very well, and is quite strong, i have not bent or chipped mine yet and i have felled trees with it up to 2 feet in diameter. Granted, i would never hit anything with it at full strength, as i am incredibly strong( when i use full force i shatter axes), so bear in mind that full force was not used(or needed, as the blade was deadly sharp from the factory). I highly recommend this tool, it is the finest production blade i have ever used. Oh, and i should mention... I have no affiliation with gerber blades, i am a chemist by trade. Hope this helps you.
 
Welcome to the forums Jere121787. Bit of an old thread but it's good to see the different opinions and reviews. Looking forward to seeing more from you :)

I'm not sold on the GB line but I like that they've been working on their quality of late.
 
Jere121787 said:
This estimate for blade thickness is completely inaccurate. I actually own and use one of these machetes
This machete is somewhere between 1/8 in thick and 1/4 in thick. I can't go and measure the exact size
Right now because my wife is asleep, but if you're really that interested, please let me know and i'll be happy to take the micrometer to it and give you an exact measurement. The blade is very superior for a storebought blade, cuts very well, holds an edge very well, and is quite strong, i have not bent or chipped mine yet and i have felled trees with it up to 2 feet in diameter. Granted, i would never hit anything with it at full strength, as i am incredibly strong( when i use full force i shatter axes), so bear in mind that full force was not used(or needed, as the blade was deadly sharp from the factory). I highly recommend this tool, it is the finest production blade i have ever used. Oh, and i should mention... I have no affiliation with gerber blades, i am a chemist by trade. Hope this helps you.
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10 dollars buys as good a machete as you will ever need. I have a Tramontina and 2 Martindales. They are all quite thin and very flexible. The steel tends to roll not chip. They are softer than knives but that's a good thing especially if you are clearing bush and hit a rock etc
 
Stock thickness on the BG Parang is 1/8", for reference. That's about 3.2mm
 
Jere121787 said:
This estimate for blade thickness is completely inaccurate. I actually own and use one of these machetes
This machete is somewhere between 1/8 in thick and 1/4 in thick. I can't go and measure the exact size
Right now because my wife is asleep, but if you're really that interested, please let me know and i'll be happy to take the micrometer to it and give you an exact measurement. The blade is very superior for a storebought blade, cuts very well, holds an edge very well, and is quite strong, i have not bent or chipped mine yet and i have felled trees with it up to 2 feet in diameter. Granted, i would never hit anything with it at full strength, as i am incredibly strong( when i use full force i shatter axes), so bear in mind that full force was not used(or needed, as the blade was deadly sharp from the factory). I highly recommend this tool, it is the finest production blade i have ever used. Oh, and i should mention... I have no affiliation with gerber blades, i am a chemist by trade. Hope this helps you.
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http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/images/smilies/highly_amused.png Nice to start the morning with a good laugh...really good stuff... Felling trees 2 feet in diameter with a machete made from metal so "superior" that the manufacturer isn't willing to admit to exactly what it is...breaking axes...no wait "shattering" axes with super-human strength...awesome stuff!!! After reading this review I've decided to sell my chainsaw and get one of these tree-felling super machetes instead! Thank you for this gem of a review. Truly invaluable!
 
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