Looking for comments on Gerber "Loveless" Dropped Hunter

[Elkslayer]

I'm new to this board and new to any kind of knife dicussion board for that matter.

I seem to have these darned things (knives) follow me home from time to time and have more of them than a sane person should own, Randalls, Kershaws, Chicago Cutlery lock blade, Schrades, Buck, and now I'm looking at this Gerber! That is way too many knives especially when that person says he is just a person with hunting interests.

Anyone have any comments on this knife?

Collector value now or potential?

Or is it just a hunting tool, good or bad?

 

[The Deacon]

Well, if I were going to spend that kind of money on a "Loveless" style drop point, think I'd go for the quince handled version by Beretta. Of course I could be prejudiced here because it's my name, but I really do think the wood handle is much prettier.

 

[rdangerer]

http://www.agrussell.com/gerber/ge5872.html

from the above AG Russell link
Loveless Integral Dropped Hunter from Gerber®
Limited to 2001 pieces.
This Loveless collaboration, based on one of Bob's most popular patterns, is an integral hilt hunter and makes use of what has been Bob's favorite handle material, green canvas Micarta®. The knife is made for Gerber by an Italian manufacturer owned by Fiskars, Gerber's parent company. Gerber tells us that it is drop forged from 440 stainless. This Loveless Dropped Hunter has a 3-1/2" Loveless drop point blade. The entire knife has a fine satin finish. Measures 8-1/4" from tip to butt and weighs 8.5 oz. Each blade is marked '1 of 2001'. Brown leather sheath included.

I own one of these, for some reason. I can't predict if it'll go up in value much... if so, it'll be a while. There are 2001 of them being made.

Finish is pretty good, but certainly not perfect, and you wouldn't expect it to be at $220. It's a collector's knife IMO, since it's made from 440... and that always means 440A, the low carbon version so they could drop forge it. It'll be pretty corrosion resistant, and reasonably tough for a stainless, but it probably tops out at Rc56-57. So I'm guessing that if you used it, it would be pretty mediocre edge holder. That's a guess, I didn't see that Rc data point anywhere.

It's an integral, and so it's a pretty heavy knife... lot's of steel. That fact, and the low hardness of mediocre steel, and you have a collector's piece. IMNSHO.

Some my find the green canvas micarta a bit ugly, I sorta do, but it was Loveless' favorite handle material from a practical standpoint. He swore that the canvas micarta, if less rough or bead blasted, was the grippiest tough handle material he could find (the canvas threads "exposed" helped) for his knives... suitable for real field use with dirty, wet, and/or bloody hands.