Newbie questions about Gerber! And what knife for my upcoming camping trip?

M

michiganitis

Joined
May 5, 2011
Messages
6
Hello!

Newbie here, I know very very little about knives. This past Christmas, my wife got me a Gerber MP600 multi-tool and a Gerber Paraframe I...just because she thought I'd think they were cool and because I didn't own a multi-tool or knife.

While vacation in the Smoky Mountains, we went to a local knife store and I picked up a Gerber Yari II (tanto) just because I thought it looked cool and because it was on sale for $49.

Well..I just started reading about multi-tools and knives online. And it seems like no one likes Gerber...the sentiment from youtube video's I've seen seems to be that they are just junk. Are Gerber's no good? Also...I read that my stupid Yari is only good for stabbing people and useless otherwise. Is that true?

Also...we'll be going on a extended backpacking/hiking/camping trip to Isle Royale later this summer. And I need a good knife for general camping tasks...and for preparing fish...and maybe for some small game in the future. Is there a knife that can do all that?

Thanks!!!
 
The Gerber Yari II with the S30V steel blade is a good knife and one of their US made knives ( and $49 was a good price). Gerber markets a bunch of imports that are not the greatest , but they still make a variety of good knives.

The tanto point is not considered the best as an all around utility knife, the point is designed for piercing , but it will do fine for most general cutting tasks. I use a tanto blade from time to time and it works well for me.

If you want a good camp knife you might want a fixed blade with more of a drop point blade.... something like a RAT 5 or 7. You can find the RAT line up all over the web.
 
I go to my ESEE-3mil for just about every knife chore outside of work, where i carry a SAK soldier alox.
 
There not terrible. It's just they used to be great, but the quality has deteriorated over the years. Good starting point though. Do some research and you can find somthing a little nicer, then your gerber stuff can stay in your vehicle or somewhere else. I keep some cheaper stuff in mine. Soon enough you will have knives stashed everywhere. Haha.

Welcome to the forum. Looks like you're in the right spot.

Check out ESEE.
 
If you want something economical and a good all around utilty/camp knife get a Mora. I have a Mora Clipper and it works great, only $13 + shipping from ragweed forge.

Stick around here though and a good camp knife won't be enough. You'll need a folder, a SAK, a chopper, a neck knife, you'll want it all, it never ends!
 
hughewil said:
If you want something economical and a good all around utilty/camp knife get a Mora. I have a Mora Clipper and it works great, only $13 + shipping from ragweed forge.
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+1, hard to find much normal camp chores a Mora Clipper can't handle.
 
I had a Gerber multitool for well over a decade before someone stole it out of my camp one night. I liked it just fine except for the smallish can opener. Super handy when camping.

Do you like big folding knives? Buck 110s are pretty cool camping knives, and are easy to come across.
 
There is nothing wrong with Gerber knives... Everyone on the internet has their opinions on this and that and everything else, just because there is all kinds of stuff that is nicer (and more expensive) shouldn't mean that Gerber gets written off as entirely worthless. I own a few handfuls of mid to high end production knives and a few customs and still find nothing wrong with gerbers. I still have and use a needlenose multitool simply because nobody else makes one with the same style of pliers for a reasonable price and in such a small package :) I keep a ripstop as my loaner knife, and I keep a Big Rock in my car in a bag. I don't own a yari, but it looks like a fine knife. Lots of people just don't like tanto blades. I think they're fine, you can still cut stuff with it can't you? and i like the straight areas for scraping stuff.

As far as getting a new fixed blade for camping, if you wanted to keep it reasonable, check out becker, ESEE and cold steel. If you wanna move up the food chain and spend some money look at Busse, Swamp Rat and Chris Reeve. You may find you want to stick with Gerber. Good luck and have fun on your trips :)

JW
 
Nothing wrong wither Gerber, but nothing right, either.

They went the easy way and had their products made with cheap @ss material in less than perfect factories.

Will Gerber tools do what they're suppose to do? You bet your @ss they will, but there's no say if they'll break down the moment you need them the most.

On the other hand Gerber is a good entry point to get familiar with knives and such, not everybody here started out with an ESEE5.


For your new camping trip you might want to give ESEE-3 or ESEE-4 a try or like someone already said, try Mora knives for the value.
 
Gerber produce good knives/tools and some that are less good. But theyre not as bad as most people make them out to be. Far from it. My Gator is my go-to outdoor folder :thumbup:

Dont worry about what is said on the internet. Go out there and use your Gerbers on your camping trip. Theyll serve you just fine. And your wife sounds like a keeper...mine hasnt bought me a single sharp thing in 7 years :D
 
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michiganitis said:
...This past Christmas, my wife got me a Gerber MP600 multi-tool and a Gerber Paraframe I...just because she thought I'd think they were cool and because I didn't own a multi-tool or knife.

While vacation in the Smoky Mountains, we went to a local knife store and I picked up a Gerber Yari II (tanto) just because I thought it looked cool and because it was on sale for $49.

Well..I just started reading about multi-tools and knives online. And it seems like no one likes Gerber...the sentiment from youtube video's I've seen seems to be that they are just junk. Are Gerber's no good? Also...I read that my stupid Yari is only good for stabbing people and useless otherwise. Is that true?

Also...we'll be going on a extended backpacking/hiking/camping trip to Isle Royale later this summer. And I need a good knife for general camping tasks...and for preparing fish...and maybe for some small game in the future. Is there a knife that can do all that?

Thanks!!!
Click to expand...
Many youtube reviewers are not users, and even more just feed off of eachother's opinions.

Most of the users I know carry Gerbers and Bucks and don't spend much time watching youtube reviews, etc. The knives they own are the knives which they bought and have not failed them in use. If the knife does fail, they'll try to get their money back via Lifetime Warranty (offered by both Gerber and Buck). If the company won't warranty the item, maybe they won't buy from them again.

Among those I know, Gerber multi-tools are second only to Leatherman, definitely not junk. If yours does happen to break on you, contact them and get a refund.

As with most American knife companies, Gerber sells a lot of products manufactured in China at low cost and inferior QC (not that all Chinese products are poor quality, just that most American companies don't seem to care as much about QC of these products, but that is changing). General experience is that USA-made Gerbers are excellent products and a lower price-point than comparable offerings from other companies. Their Chinese products are improving as well. Most Gerber knives are 440A or 420HC stainless steel or the Chinese equivalent - nothing too fancy, takes a good edge, easy to touch up afterward. Their folders are not as high-quality as Benchmade and Spyderco (materials, fit&finish) but they also cost less.

My advice: USE your Gerbers, take them to task in your daily life. Form you own opinion and ignore the input of others. If you're not a knife-nut, there's a good chance you'll never need anything fancier/more expensive. Before you get more knives to replace the Gerbers, get sharpening-equipment and learn to use it.

As to the Yari, great deal! That's a USA Gerber of premium steel and materials, light-weight and versatile... however, it is designed for tactical use. The western "tanto" shape is not optimal for general EDC tasks and camping. That said, it certainly can do more than stab: carve, chisel, slice, pound, etc. Use it. If you don't like it, sell it to a friend or even here on the forum and make a profit! I'm not partial to the tanto, but I think it'd handle your camp-out tasks admirably, though I'd still take along a dedicated filet-knife (recommend Gerber or Rapala for that).

This is all imho, btw. Have a great time with your knives, and feel free to buy more and get addicted :thumbup: (especially if your wife is willing)
 
My favorite knife is a Gerber Freeman in S30V. I own about half on the Gerber lineup and I love them. Never had one break. Just opt for the better editions if you are looking for better quality.
 
I'd just keep what you've got if I were you. I got a Gerber Yari 2 a little while ago myself and it's a damn good knife for the (closeout) price. I also have a similar Gerber Multitool (my only multitool) and it's never let me down. Gerber does make some very solid gear, in spite of some of the junk they turn out, and I'd say those are two examples of quality tools.

Besides, Don't be so concerned about what random people on the internet say about your gear! You have some good gear, so go put it to good use and don't get in a state because of what we think!
 
I am oddly drawn to Gerber...I guess because they're the first ones I've owned. Looking at their lineup...it doesn't seem like they have a good camping/hunting type knife. Maybe the Big Rock or Freeman? Would they be ok? I read a bit about the LMF and people don't seem to like them except for some sort of combat-survival type purpose.

Would any Gerber knives be a good analog to some of the other knives mentioned so far? Thanks!
 
I have to respectfully disagree with anyone that might sugar coat what Gerber actually is. In my opinion (remember, its my OPINION) most of Gerber products are completely mediocre in every way. Many of them are complete garbage. They may be fine for some, but the simple fact of the matter is that your money, no matter how much, would be better spent somewhere else. For example, that $49 could get you (or reasonably close to) a flat ground endura 4. If you can spend $50 - $75 you can get some extremely nice folders from companies like Spyderco and Benchmade that have proven track records and use quality materials and good quality control.

My recommendations for your camping trip:

Grab a Benchmade Griptillian or a Spyderco Endura 4 FFG. Both are high quality, proven knives in a similar price range. If you want something a little smaller that can be more easily used for every day carry after your trip, grab the Mini Griptillian or Spyderco Delica 4 FFG. After that, pick up a Victorinox Camper for 20 bucks. Now you have a nice little tool set with great capabilities for less than $100 invested.

If you want a larger fixed blade knife for heavy duty tasks/survival knife capabilities, check out the Becker BK-2, which can be had for around $70 I believe. Anything from Esee is great in this role as well but they are slightly more expensive.

That's my opinion. Have fun!
 
If you're happy with Gerber, get a Gator either fixed blade or folder. Probably a clip point blade is best for fish and camping chores. They are inexpensive and a decent camp knife.
 
danseifert said:
I have to respectfully disagree with anyone that might sugar coat what Gerber actually is. In my opinion (remember, its my OPINION) most of Gerber products are completely mediocre in every way. Many of them are complete garbage. They may be fine for some, but the simple fact of the matter is that your money, no matter how much, would be better spent somewhere else. For example, that $49 could get you (or reasonably close to) a flat ground endura 4. If you can spend $50 - $75 you can get some extremely nice folders from companies like Spyderco and Benchmade that have proven track records and use quality materials and good quality control.

My recommendations for your camping trip:

Grab a Benchmade Griptillian or a Spyderco Endura 4 FFG. Both are high quality, proven knives in a similar price range. If you want something a little smaller that can be more easily used for every day carry after your trip, grab the Mini Griptillian or Spyderco Delica 4 FFG. After that, pick up a Victorinox Camper for 20 bucks. Now you have a nice little tool set with great capabilities for less than $100 invested.

If you want a larger fixed blade knife for heavy duty tasks/survival knife capabilities, check out the Becker BK-2, which can be had for around $70 I believe. Anything from Esee is great in this role as well but they are slightly more expensive.

That's my opinion. Have fun!
Click to expand...

I was considering getting the US made Gerber Gator Knives featuring Bell and Carlson Handles with a s30v blade from Cabela's. Is that a bad idea? Would I be better off with a Becker BK2? Also...in regard to the other blades you mentioned...I was under the impression that a fixed blade knife is the way to go for camping. Since my Gerber Yari II is not well suited for a camp/hunt/fish/survival knife...I thought I'd need a different fixed blade. Are folders good enough? Or should I just use the Yari II and get a better folder than my little Gerber Paraframe II? Thanks!
 
A lot of people recommend the BK-2... I don't. I have one that I bought in the early '90s, and have never taken it on an outdoor trip (mostly hunting and fishing, some hiking) once. It's just too bulky of a knife. Yeah, I took over to my brother's house and batonned some of his fire wood. It worked well for that, but that isn't what I typically need a knife for.

For your specified purposes, that S30V Gator should work well. It should be a nice upgrade over the standard Gator fixed that Gerber sells. It probably wouldn't split wood as well as a BK-2, but for gleaning fish and game, food prep, and handiness to carry, it should be fine.

There's also no reason that you couldn't use your Yari II. The tanto point isn't ideal for cleaning or skinning game, but if you know what you're doing, you should be able to make it work. Being full tang, it should hold up to some batonning better than the Gator might, but it will also be heavier.

Folders and fixed blades both have their usefulness when camping. For the 3 items that you have, I'd say go out and use them for awhile, even if it's just testing them in your back yard, and see how they fare, before spending more money. Or just get what you like, figure out where it fits into your plans, and go from there.
 
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