Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Knife vs Gerber Prodigy

B

barber oregon

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Nov 19, 2000
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Looking for a new hiking/survival/camp knife -- while my original Becker BK-7 (from Camillus!) has served me well, I've always found it a little too large for my 5"6 height.

I've found that serrations, while not necessarily preferred, do come in handy and I usually carry a small Mora for fine work like feathersticks so the two knives referenced in the title seem to suit my needs. Both are very well rated but in most of the reviews I've seen they've each been compared to their larger predecessor, the LMF II, and not head-to-head against each other

I'd first considered the LMF II but changed my mind after seeing how much lighter these are compared to bigger Gerber

The Cold Steel SRK was also looked at but didn't have a pommel although the blade was nearly perfect for my uses.

Part of my criteria was in that it should be sub-$60 range, with an optimal 6-inch blade and a somewhat stainless steel

Comparing the Bear Grylls knife to Prodigy, which is the "better" knife? They are within $5 in price on Amazon (the Prodigy being the more expensive).

Are there any knives in this category that could also be considered for self-defence as well? While big, that BK7 sure made things feel safer when there were strange noises in the bush...
 
If you are looking for a cheap, tough, well made and proven design (with the option of serrations), get a Kabar.

ETA - if you like the SRK, that too will serve you excellently.
 
of those two the prodigy. one reason and one reason only. i don't want anything with bear gryllis's name and endorsement on it. i have nothing against the guy...i just don't like celebrity type endorsements and sponsors stuff. if others like that kind of stuff....i'm okay with it. it's a personal dislike thing that's all.


too bad you don't like carbon steel, as the becker bk2 would be about perfect and in that price range. condor makes a nice line of camp and other outdoor task knives, high quality relative to the low bucks. they have a couple in 420hc like those gerbers are made from, the mountain and the bowie II, but their are more choices in carbon steel.
 
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/790424-Gerber-Bear-Grylls-Ultimate-Knife/page14

Skim from there to the end - included are comparison picks of LMFII, BG, and Prodigy.

I have the LMFII and would buy the Prodigy before the BG knife - personal preference. The Gerber Big Rock is another in this group that you could look at - good knife for the money. Otherwise, why not a larger Mora - Mora2000? Buck 119 is an option - I personally dislike aspects of its design, but Buck's 420HC is well regarded. Otherwise just save up and pay for a knife of higher quality steel or what not: Cold Steel or SOG, KaBar or ESEE, Fallkniven or Bussekin (to name a very few). There are also custom makers out there (or here on the forum). Good luck!
 
I keep a Prodigy in an ammo box with some tools in the Powernoodlemobile. Its a great knife, with solid construction and its ergonomic. Not spendy either as I recall. I bet you would be happy with it.
 
I'd take the SRK any day over any of the Gerber's. It's a stout knife that will do whatever you need to do.

Myself, if I needed a steel pommel on a corrosion resistant blade, it would be one of the Next Generation Kabars in 440A or the Extreme in D2.
 
I'd also avoid Gerber these days. Just not up to par. If you're looking in the sub-60 range, Kabar is a good choice. I haven't had any experience with the SRK, but the one Cold Steel fixed blade knife I do have is pretty excellent. The Kershaw Outcast is a pretty decent knife as well, which you may be able to find pretty close to 60.

If you don't mind the suggestion, I would strongly recommend saving up just a bit longer, and pushing up to the 100-120 dollar range, since the level of quality goes up quite a bit when you hit that range.

An ESEE-5 or 6 would probably make you very happy, for instance, and that runs in the range previously mentioned. You may be able to find a Bark River knife in a similar range as well, although those do run a bit pricier retail.

The other thing to consider is what exactly you want to do with your survival camp knife. Personally, my favorite survival knives are khukuri. A good bit longer than you're talking, generally, but fantastic outdoor knives, and Himalayan Imports has great pricing and quality.
 
crimsonfalcon07 said:
I'd also avoid Gerber these days. Just not up to par. If you're looking in the sub-60 range, Kabar is a good choice. I haven't had any experience with the SRK, but the one Cold Steel fixed blade knife I do have is pretty excellent. The Kershaw Outcast is a pretty decent knife as well, which you may be able to find pretty close to 60.

If you don't mind the suggestion, I would strongly recommend saving up just a bit longer, and pushing up to the 100-120 dollar range, since the level of quality goes up quite a bit when you hit that range.

An ESEE-5 or 6 would probably make you very happy, for instance, and that runs in the range previously mentioned. You may be able to find a Bark River knife in a similar range as well, although those do run a bit pricier retail.

The other thing to consider is what exactly you want to do with your survival camp knife. Personally, my favorite survival knives are khukuri. A good bit longer than you're talking, generally, but fantastic outdoor knives, and Himalayan Imports has great pricing and quality.
Click to expand...

I agree, save up for a higher pricepoint and you will not regret it. Unless you are completely fixated on Gerber models, I'd check out blades like a BK2, Swamp rat RMD, Ka-bar's, Fallkniven's, etc. Heck, I'm currently saving up for an RMD (not the 6" you want though) and its one heck of a blade for everything you want to use yours for.

If you only want one of those models however, I'd go with the prodigy.
 
Many are going to find this strange, but I had a chance to handle the BG fixed and I was impressed with the thought put into it. Every feature on the knife serves a purpose, such as a 1" flattened section on the spine. The sharp edges allow you to use the spine to strike the included fire steel, instead of knackering up your blade. A diamond hone in the sheath allows for quick touch-ups and the blade spine is quite thick.

I personally wouldn't edc such a knife, but for day hikes that might turn into night hikes, it is very handy.
 
I have both of these knives their blades are identical. I prefer the look and feel of the prodigy handle over the bear handle though the bear comes with more items, fire steel and sharpener for example.
 
the prodigy has a great sheath, & the knife is u.s. made. i just got one, i sliced up some overgrown forsithia bushes with very little effort,has a good grip for its handle,too.
 
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