Gerber MKII update !!!!

I was so excited with the advent of 154 and s30v, but now even finding 440c is difficult. What's worse is people are charging s30v prices for 440a. I've also been hoping for 25 years that the term "surgical steel" would die out, but it's still a tired buzzword for every sales pitch and package label.

We've seen the future, it's walmart 420/440a gerbers priced like s30v, give the people what they want.:yawn:
 
Gunfucius said:
420HC is not a bad steel at all. Buck uses it in their knives and I'm not hearing any complaints about it.
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But I wonder if that's brand loyalty, preference for ease of sharpening over edge holding, or people who just don't know any better.
 
Just got this email from Gerber about the MSRP:


Hi
Thank you for contacting Gerber Blades. The re-release of the Mark II
will have an MSRP of $146.00 and will be available within the month of
July 2008.

Sincerely,

Donda Burnett
Consumer Affairs
 
enderwiggin said:
But I wonder if that's brand loyalty, preference for ease of sharpening over edge holding, or people who just don't know any better.
Click to expand...

All my Bucks hold an edge just fine. Granted, their edge hold ability is nothing like any of the so-called super steels, but it's nothing to scoff at, either.
 
If I'm not mistaken Bucks 420hc has had a Paul Bos designed heat treat that brings 420hc to it's peak ability. I'm hoping that this is a good knife that lives up to it's predecessors but if it's not then we will find out shortly cause news travels fast on the net.
 
Well it looks like Gerber is almost picking up where they left off with the MKII.

As for the price, yeah $146 MSRP but there are plenty of shops that will sell it below MSRP. I'd expect it somewhere inbetween $90-$120. Prices have gone up a bit since they were discontinued.

My only issue would be if they made it in china, then we got problems.
 
The '08 catalog states this about the Mark II,

"The Mark II is one of the best selling knives of all time. First introduced in 1966, this tactical knife is serialized for collector's. This 40 year-old jewel features a black oxide coated 420HC double serrated blade and die cast aluminum handle. It also comes with a ballistic nylon sheath."

Blade length: 6.875"
Overall length: 12.75"

July 2008 Release
 
I am a pretty big Mark II fan and IMO this stinks. Even though I have sold off quite a few over the past couple of years I still have a couple of them left. I have not bought any Mark II's newer than 1976 anyway, except for Anniversary and Cutlery shoppe models. None of the black handle models are worth buying and this sounds even worse - black coated blade and black handle makes it a no-go regardless of material but yeah the 420 series stainless is pretty bad as well. I guess they have gone the way of some of my other old favorite production knife companies which I can no longer stomach, SOG and Cold Steel.
It is an expensive knife to make but no longer worth bothering with, they should have left it in the grave where this new one belongs. Why is it that most manufacturing companies try to make a better product like computers, TV's, cars, cameras, stereo, etc. but knife companies like Gerber, SOG, and Cold Steel have consistantly downgraded their products like this. To tell the truth I don't even buy production knives any more only customs.

mk2.jpg


Probably soon , Gerber will come back with an aluminum bladed Mark I with a kraton rubber handle. Sad, really Sad.

mk1.jpg
 
jcs71 said:
I not surprised at Gerber. It seems every time they get a nice design they have to mess it up somehow. Either with serrations or bad blade steel, or both.

If I am correct though didn't they make it with 154cm steel a few years ago? I wonder why they couldn't use that steel again?
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You are correct about the 154cm. They used it on the 35th Anniversary Mark II which came out in 2001 and later that year in a "Limited Edition with a black Handle which I believe was just a production over run of those blades for the 35th Ann. I think those were the only ones made with that steel; they had very non-authentic leather sheaths.
 
They had some M2 tool steel Mk11 commands out there, I own one, a bugger to sharpen but it holds an edge for a long time.
 
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