Gerber Strongarm

rlewpolar · Sep 15, 2023

Posting this for a couple of reasons. First, I posted a couple months ago about a couple of Strongarms I got off of Amazon that had some QC issues . Turned out they were fake.

Finally decided to get one from a reputable site and they had a special edition version that is stonewashed with a OG colored handle. This is a NICE knife. Perfect grinds, very sharp, centered point. And it cuts really well. Good sheath as well. I’m impressed overall, glad I didn’t give up on this model.

w · Sep 15, 2023

I think I have the same one. I like it.View attachment 2322761

el gigantor · Sep 15, 2023

Congrats on buying through the proper channels. It really does make all the difference.

Another Shepherd · Sep 15, 2023

My favorite EDC for the past couple months. Does almost everything I need on the farm, and it's a great neck knife.

rlewpolar · Sep 15, 2023

Another Shepherd said:
My favorite EDC for the past couple months. Does almost everything I need on the farm, and it's a great neck knife.

I saw you post that a while ago. Impressive that you wear it like that.

Another poster pointed out that it’s not a great slicer but it slices paper and cuts paracord well. I’m not going to be slicing tomatoes with it but it seems like a good all arounder for such a sturdy knife

yamsi12 · Sep 15, 2023

Shame that the BHQ exclusive used the same 420hc steel as the other versions. Would have been nice if they changed it up.

rlewpolar · Sep 15, 2023

yamsi12 said:
Shame that the BHQ exclusive used the same 420hc steel as the other versions. Would have been nice if they changed it up.

Agreed, S30v for example or even D2 would have been nice. But 420hc if done right is pretty nice. Easy to sharpen if nothing else

ShaiHulud · Sep 15, 2023

While I'll admit it seems like the strong-arm is a win, it doesn't make all the bad disappear, and gerber produced some losses over the years. Respectfully passing

Another Shepherd · Sep 16, 2023

rlewpolar said:
I saw you post that a while ago. Impressive that you wear it like that.

The leather cord makes it very comfortable, even more comfortable than a much lighter knife on a ball chain. It's the sheath that makes it really work as a neck knife. The Strongarm snaps in securely, pops out with a firm push of the thumb, and the holes in the sheath allow the handle to hand toward my dominant hand. And it's an ambidextrous sheath.

rlewpolar said:
Another poster pointed out that it’s not a great slicer but it slices paper and cuts paracord well. I’m not going to be slicing tomatoes with it but it seems like a good all arounder for such a sturdy knife

True, the Strongarm is not designed to be a slicer. The blade thickness is .19 inches. The edge bevel angles on mine are 25 and 19 degrees, which is fine for a beater. Out of the box, it had a BESS score of 234, averaged over 5 measurements. Since I started using it daily, the BESS score near the tip has gone up into the upper 200s, with no appreciable change over the rest of the blade, which is reasonable because I have used it for stabbing, drilling, and prying as well as cutting. I have not felt any need to sharpen it yet, but I might do so just for fun. I might get a second Strongarm and reprofile it to 12 degrees per side, and compare the two (not that I want to spend hours cutting rope!).