Gerber LMF or CRKT Ultima?

S

StrangestMan

Joined
Jul 5, 2007
Messages
28
Hi

Apologies if this is in the wrong place :confused:

I'm the new guy round here and am in need of some opinions/guidance..

I'm looking for a good 'Tactical' fixed blade and have got my eye on either a Gerber LMF 2 or a CRKT Ultima 6.75..

I've found the LMF test on Knifetest.com, does the Ultima come close to being that durable?

I'm more of a collector than hardcore (ab)user but still would rather have a blade I can rely on

Any info you guys could provide would be greatfully recieved..
 
Get the Gerber.

Both companies IMHO don't have a huge following here (when compared to companies such as Kershaw, Benchmade, Spyderco, and a few others...) and for good reasons... however, I believe the LMF is one of the "good" Gerbers. I have a few Gerbers, and from my experience they aren't bad blades for the price (but you usually get what you pay for).

With that in mind, I own a few CRKT's as well and have not been impressed. Poor edge holding to say the least.

The Gerber gets my vote.
 
Nice one, thanks fella.. Now to find a company in the UK that can get the black version..

Any other ideas guys?
 
I've had both said knives and i would go with the LMF. The LMF feels way better in the hand IMO and is the better knife. I've had the ultima for about a year and haven't used it once. I thought I would like the handle but it feels like crap.:thumbdn:
 
I've owned the CRKT Ultima & only handled the Gerber LMF. The LMF actually feels pretty good in the hand. The Ultima, OTOH, did not.
 
Choosing only between these two knives, IMO the LMF is definitely the way to go.
 
I have a Gerber Prodigy, LMF II and CRKT Ultima. To me, they are two different creatures entirely. The LMF II is more a "survival knife" that you could use as a "fighter" where as the Ultima is just a weapon, with limited utility compared to the Gerber. When it comes to durability, there is no contest-the LMF II is vastly superior. You probably wouldn't break an Ultima under normal circumstances, and it too is durable, but the Gerber is incredibly robust and would likely survive anything short of the most extreme abuse. I think a more apt comparision would be between the Prodigy/LMF II and the CRKT M60 fixed blade.

Were I to be in a knife-fight, I would prefer the Ultima. I think it feels excellent in the hand and its sheath is very nice. For a fighter, its a very nice knife. Its a quality blade...

I used to have my Ultima affixed to my drop leg holster, but I have since replaced it. My primary fixed blade "fighting knives" are a Gerber Silver Trident and Benchmade CSK and CSK II. Though my Surefire Delta is probably my "most used" fixed blade...

It really comes down to personal preference. To me, the Ultima is much more specilized and wouldn't fare as well in a pure survival setting. As a law-enforcement knife or pure weapon, it would be excellent. I don't think its the best "fighting knife", but its far from the worst. I bought mine a long time ago, when I was solidly in my "CRKT whore phase". Its a nice knife, but there are knives I like more...
 
Hi guys
I purchased a KA Bar on Mon (Black fighter) and i saw the Gerber LMF2 for the first time here in South Africa.
When i asked to look at the knife i immediatly fell in love with it.
What a fantastic knife from Gerber, so i bought it today as its the only one in SA and i had to have it.
The only bad thing about it is that it cost double the amount here in SA than in the states.
 
Raw1 said:
Hi guys
I purchased a KA Bar on Mon (Black fighter) and i saw the Gerber LMF2 for the first time here in South Africa.
When i asked to look at the knife i immediatly fell in love with it.
What a fantastic knife from Gerber, so i bought it today as its the only one in SA and i had to have it.
The only bad thing about it is that it cost double the amount here in SA than in the states.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum

It works out cheaper to purchase online from the US and get the knives shipped to RSA. If you buy more than 1 knife it always works out cheaper, even with all the shipping, handling and VAT payable. Look around at some of the online dealers a lot of them ship to RSA.
 
Hi Andre and Raw1

I'm also from JHB and picked up an LMF 2 infantry a couple of months ago. There definitely isn't just one in the RSA. I was able to source these knives from the Gerber agents directly (in Kya-Sands) and from two on-line dealers based in JHB (Blairgowrie, would you believe it?). If there is a call for more of these knives they can definitely be had.

Cheers
Dirk
 
Gerber and CRKT aren't my favorite knife makers. To be sure, the Ultima offers a very nice grip, but CRKT's steels have been steadily degrading, as have Gerber's, but at least the Ultima can be purchased without serrations. For a folding knife, serrations may be okay, but the patterns on both Gerber and CRKT are course and bumpy. I prefer a plain edge that can be sharpened easily with just a pocket sharpener.

Ka-Bar makes good outdoor knives and I've also been impressed with the Smith & Wesson Homeland Security knife. (For thirty bucks, it's awfully hard to beat.) I bought one myself and several others as gifts, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well the knife cut. Because of its size and weight, I found it not only does routine cutting chores, but is capable of acting as a mini-machete. It comes with a sharpening stone that can put a very sharp edge on the blade. Be aware that S&W doesn't actually make the knife but, rather, has their line produced by Taylor Cutlery. Some S&W knives are quite good; others are notoriously bad. The ones that are decent have invariably sold for quite a bit more than I paid, so if you get a chance to pay ten bucks for a knife with a retail of $65+, you can get a great deal. On the other hand, if you pay $10 for a knife that retails for $15, don't expect much. Suffice it to say that I have a number of S&W knives that have been excellent; but even the cheaper ones are okay for the price. Sadly, as once notable companies like Gerber and Columbia River downgrade their steels and other materials, I'm finding that the S&W and other budget knives are actually getting better by comparison.

I have a number of CRKTs and do like some of them. But others have convinced me that Columbia River's days as a decent knife maker are well behind them. And Gerber used to put out some fine premium knives but, alas, are now putting out largely junk. (Their Paraframes are garbage.)

CR2007.jpg
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CRKT's Ultima, sans serrations, and the Gerber LMF.
 
And it's done an outstanding job.

I bought mine at LAPoliceGear.com for ~$60 and it came with the paracord cutter/sheath etc.

I batoned/split kindling with it no problems. Dug several field points out of an oak with it (after an acquaintance shot my bow, missing the target, and lodged 2 of my $15 arrows into a tree) and didn't break the tip. Used it to whittle a few pegs for ground cover under our tent.

Understand that this isn't what I'd term serious abuse, but the LMFII genuinely surprised me (especially when digging target tips out of a live tree).

The sheath uses MOLLE attachment points and does so admirably on my pack.
 
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