Gerber is Back!

Also, hopefully Gerber will learn one day to cut down on all the crappo combo-edges.
 
Back around the turn of this century, I had good luck with Gerber stuff.

I had an old Vietnam era Mark II that I wish I had back. Got rid of it to finance some other "new = better" knives which are now long gone.

I had a Bolt Action knife designed by Blackie Collins. Don't really know what kind of steel it had, because I really didn't care back then. The knife processed game readily, had good shape and ergos, and the lock was solid. Sharpened easily, held the edge long enough and didn't rust.

I also had a little EZ Out that just plain took a beating. I abused that poor thing, mostly because I didn't spend very much money on it. But it held up, stayed sharp, was easy to carry and didn't scare anybody when you pulled it out.

I really don't know what happened to Gerber since that time, but I don't see anything in their line that I want. There's just too much quality stuff out there in their price range that I'd get first. My son has a Bear Grylls Compact Fixed Blade that he saw in the store, and that's fine for him... he likes it just fine, and if he ends up tying it to the end of a stick and throwing it at salmon in the creek, I won't care.

I want to like Gerber again, for nostalgic reasons if nothing else. I like companies that make knives in the US, not because I think it automatically means quality, but because good jobs are hard for Americans to find and I try to support outfits that offer them. I'll keep an eye on them, and perhaps I'll end up with a couple of Gerber Legendary Blades in my stable again.

They have at least one more sale coming... my son now wants that Strongarm. Hey, he's still a fan.
 
Velitrius, I had a Bolt Action must have been in the early 90's and I lost it. Misery. It was such an obviously great knife that my brother got one for himself. It was even a one hand opener, without opening hole or thumbstud, just press on the side of the blade and swing it open. That's how smooth the pivot was.

I had an EZ Out that I gave to a new brother in law who didn't like knives. But he was a turkey hunter and he got back to me to say it was the best knife he'd ever used in the field. I think they actually had ATS-34 on it at the time, an introductory model.

What happened to Gerber was obvious. They got bought by Fiskars, and Fiskars didn't care about knife quality, only sales.
 
Yes Esav, that was one of my favorite features as well.... slide the knife open or draw the bolt back and flick it out. No thumbstuds, holes, or flippers need apply, that blade was out. And no clip to muss up yer grip!

If the EZ Out was in ATS-34, that would stand to reason, because that thing went through hell and didn't let out a whimper.

I know Fiskars bought Gerber, but one would think that they could leave the manufacturing aspect alone and just add their corporate logo to the letterhead. But alas, that rarely happens in our cookie-cutter, disposable goods world.

I would like to express my interest to Gerber: Build those two knives as you did in days of yore, and I'll stand in line to get 'em.
 
Their problem is that other companies are killing them on the "high end" production stuff (Fallkniven, Esee, Bark River, etc just to name a few)... and then other companies are much better budget values (SOG, Kabar, etc). Gerber has no more niche anymore, except for the people who will buy anything that says Bear Grylls on it.
 
I own a couple of their autos and 06 non auto and an lmf. Not bad for the price points I paid for them. Ive paid more for worse knives both autos and non autos and fixed blades.

Their chinese stuff i haven't been impressed with at all. Ive owned a few and i get where the gerber dislike comes from when we are talking these....not so much when we are talking the american made stuff... im not just saying that cause im a made in america fanatic. I own chinese made stuff that i think is pretty darn good as well. Just not from gerber.

I do agree with the wish gerber would make more plain edges and less half serrated.
 
Unfortunately fiskars cared less about the Gerber product then they did about their global corporate portfolio and profit margins. As such the Gerber product quality suffered, I think even the general public is starting to catch on, outside of the knife nuts. Avg. Tom Richard and Harry picking up a Gerber at their local Walmart based on name recognition, one would guess are being less impressed by the 5cr and 420j steels that they're using, and are less inclined to buy another. It must show in their profit margins as they keep stocking shelves but aren't clearing the shelves like they used to. Less restocking shipments. People (myself incl.) Are no longer swayed as much, no longer attracted as much to the bear grylls name tag when the product doesn't perform.

One would hope then as a profit driven global corporation they are now aiming at least to find that balance and bring back some quality product to remedy loss sales, and rely a bit more on production and a bit less on gimmicky marketing and promotion. Rather then a "insert promo name here" sales trick, they will rely more on "premium steel" and "made in America" in an attempt to revitalize the brand, (and sales).

I still have to wonder about the heat treatment though. S30V is real easy to screw up, and lately it seems they've been struggling to get their 10xx carbons right... Guess I'll have to wait and see though... Eager for reviews to come out, as I too want to see Gerber reemerge as a quality knife. As it stands, they lost credibility with me my last few purchases, the final one being the final straw.
 
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Quite frankly, they are shit.
Handle materials, shit. One of the models with the rubbery grip peels away real quick.
The liner lock model absolutely sucks, there's a lot of rock lock...
The only one that's decent is the smallest, 440 backlock one.
 
The Remix was my first knife ever, and it's crap. Slow action on opening, loses its edge if you breathe on it wrong.
 
I know that Gerber has had issues in the past few years. I will say that I think the LST is one hell of a great little knife.
 
This is a US made Gerber knife and AFAIK it's still in production.
The knife is made as well as anything from the more popular brands. It sells for around $120 in the non-auto configuration.

I have the imported version in g10 ( the US version is anodized aluminum) and the quality is lacking. It could be a great knife too , but the knife has a sloppy fit and finish. Gerber should use whatever company makes Ganzo knives to manufacture their off-shore products.

 
I own several different brands of locking folders (Benchmade, Cold Steel, Kershaw etc) and the Gerber Gator is my favorite. The blade material is plain ole 440C but the handle is what I really like. It was given to me by an electrician who was diagnosed with cancer. He had used it so much the serration was almost gone. So when I saw the Premium Folder Gut Hook in S30V for $70 I ordered one. The old gator will never be replaced for sentimental reasons but I am excited to see how this new version stacks up.
 
i love my full size gerber applegate combat folder and my gerber covert folder, i carry them all the time. i think they are the best knives in the gerber line. the large combat folder is big and solid and well made. you could easily use it as an effective impact weapon without having to even open the folder if needed, its almost like carrying a blackjack lol. the knife is huge, the handle is nice and sleek and the blade flips out very quickly. it also comes with a lawks for additional safety. the bad thing is though the large combat folder is unclear what steel its made from. the smaller covert is made from 154cm and is a much smaller and lighter version of the combat folder, made in USA. these knives are folding daggers, and though they arent the most practical i really love the designs and the feel of the knives. i think the big gerber applegate combat folder is a must have for the collection.

gerber also has a new knife called the 39 series, its made in USA with S30V , doesnt look bad.

[video=youtube;gGQTCMyM7gs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGQTCMyM7gs[/video]
 
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One of my first and favorite folders as a kid was a Gerber.

Back then, it was a good knife and I cherished it (until I lost it, of course; I was a kid).

Too bad they suck now. I would buy one if they turned their act around, but I'm not going to hold my breath.
 
The Gerber Strongarm has proven to me to be a very nice knife. I posted a short review of it over in the review section and there are a lot of reviews (none are mine) over on you tube that are also positive.
 
I have stated this many times but I have been buying using knives for 30 years. I have used and owned many different brands of knives. I have easily owned 20 + Gerbers. I have never had one fail. Never had one break. I have edc them, used them hiking, camping, fishing, etc... For the money you can't beat them. At the price point they are just as good as my Kershaws, Bucks, Ka-Bars, Victorinox, and Crkts. I own them all and use them all and the Gerbers have always been equal. As to the new stuff I just got the Gerber Order. This is a great knife. Strong, lite, and a unique blade design. I do wish they would offer more blade options on each model and less combo blades.
 
It seems obvious to me that Gerber is trying to get back into the game. A lot of knife companies have had years when quality was poor, even Case and Buck. I would think people who buy their new higher end products, made with S30V and etc., should give them a fair work out and then report back to this forum what they have found. I am certain Gerber would be interested in the feed back. Perhaps they will listen.
 
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