Opinions of the Gerber Mark II

I've used mine for 2 seasons now Surf Fishing.
Cut many a head off, filleted many a fish, shucked many a surf clam, cut loads of bait, poked it in places I wouldn't put my hand, investigated many strange carcasses washed ashore.

I found it extremely comfy, handy, useful all around tool.
Easy to carry, grip is great, and amazingly, as long as you rinsed it with fresh and dried, occasional WD-40, has not rusted at all.

Even took it on a few tours Scuba Diving.

I like it. Plain and simple.
Although this year, am going H1, because I'm lazy.
 
TheBishop said:
I've used mine for 2 seasons now Surf Fishing.
Cut many a head off, filleted many a fish, shucked many a surf clam, cut loads of bait, poked it in places I wouldn't put my hand, investigated many strange carcasses washed ashore.

I found it extremely comfy, handy, useful all around tool.
Easy to carry, grip is great, and amazingly, as long as you rinsed it with fresh and dried, occasional WD-40, has not rusted at all.

Even took it on a few tours Scuba Diving.

I like it. Plain and simple.
Although this year, am going H1, because I'm lazy.
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:foot: I stand corrected - I didn't think the design was any more useful than your average prison shank...
 
Dorito Monk said:
:foot: I stand corrected - I didn't think the design was any more useful than your average prison shank...
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You never know till you use it type thing.
Was in the box of goodies for years, just sitting there like so many of them.
One day was diving with a buddy and saw he had on strapped on his leg.
When asked how it held up, he showed me, was impressed.
Several years later, wanted something bigger and longer for fishing and remembered her.
Out of the box she came and got put to life :D

Gonna switch to a Spydie Rock Salt this year, Martin Swinkels is currently making a sheath for it. Will see if I like it better or if I go back to the Mark II.

Though I'm a big Kukri fan, I feel I'm gonna be hard pressed to find a better sticker for around the water. The double edge came in handy time and again.
Time will tell.
 
Dorito Monk said:
Right on!:thumbup:



Now I'm curious: What kinds of things did the double edge help with?
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Bundled fishing line and rope and plastic crap.
Rock hopping on jetties, it ends up all over the place!
I usually take trash away with me in my haunts, either left by others or washed up.
You get a big knot of it around a lot of stuff, you grab it like hair, stick the knife in, and go one way and the other. Lots of time you have to poke the knife in between rocks and just swish it because you can't see what your cutting, especially mono.

Sucks having that junk on the rocks, easily grabs your cleats.

You'd be amazed how much stuff comes in from the ocean, and when you fish at night, the thought of getting tangled in any of it makes you appreciate it. Since its so thin, its a nice poker that way.

Your making me get worried about my Rock Salt :)
Now you got me thinking about putting a second edge on the Caspian?
In other post am gonna try it as a necker in addition to the RS for a blunt utility.

Anyone try a second edge on a Caspian or see a reason not to?
 
C. Dean said:
The Fairbairn-Sykes dagger is superior.
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i dont know about that, the gerber is made better than a lotta F-S clones i have seen, its all subjective anyway.

& i also i dont know that the F-S design has any advantage over the mk2.
 
I've got one from the early 80's, it's just a pig sticker or some people call them a bar knife. it's in my collection, never use it.
 
C. Dean said:
The Fairbairn-Sykes dagger is superior.
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I don't know, having handled both I would consider the Mk II a F-S Dagger with a much better handle and an (arguably) better blade shape. About the only way I see the Mk II as inferior is the laughable serrations that were put on later production versions.
 
TDB7117 said:
They are a very effective stabbing weapon... :eek:
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You mean like one of these? The ever dreaded sharp toothbrush?

492829379_9dc4b85816.jpg
 
Dorito Monk said:
You mean like one of these? The ever dreaded sharp toothbrush?

492829379_9dc4b85816.jpg
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I have both owned one, and seen the effect one has had (fatally) on a human body.

They are not sharpened toothbrushes.

They are not utility knives.

They are killing knives, designed to stab deep into flesh and find the internal organs... heart, lungs, major arteries.

They aren't for EDC, they aren't for whittling, they are made to kill people.

Many knives over the past several thousand years have been made to do the exact same thing.

So, what's up with your attitude? :confused:

Andy
 
I've still got the one I bought back in the eighties while I was still in H.S. Had a matching MKI I carried in my boot (times have changed!). I used it camping a few times but it is pretty much useless for cutting wood. I did make a shelter once with it, and it will cut boughs and such, but not well. The rough handle was good for striking matches on. It never would sharpen up as nicely as the MKI (which I stupidly sold).
 
Andrew Colglazier said:
They aren't for EDC, they aren't for whittling, they are made to kill people.

Many knives over the past several thousand years have been made to do the exact same thing.

So, what's up with your attitude? :confused:

Andy
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Please don't get defensive - I'm not trying to offend anyone here. All I'm trying to do with the sharpened toothbrush post is point out that "being an effective stabbing weapon" or "being made to kill people" are not exactly traits exclusive to any one kind of knife. Like you said, many knives have been made to do the same thing - that includes all manner of knapped obsidian, pieces of scrap metal ground to a point on a prison floor, sharp sticks...Anything pointy can be jabbed into a person.

In short, I'm saying that praising a knife for being good at stabbing/killing people is a bit like praising a bird for being good at flying.

Again, I'm not trying to insult or attack anyone, and I apologize if I come off that way.
 
Dorito Monk said:
Please don't get defensive - I'm not trying to offend anyone here. All I'm trying to do with the sharpened toothbrush post is point out that "being an effective stabbing weapon" or "being made to kill people" are not exactly traits exclusive to any one kind of knife. Like you said, many knives have been made to do the same thing - that includes all manner of knapped obsidian, pieces of scrap metal ground to a point on a prison floor, sharp sticks...Anything pointy can be jabbed into a person.

In short, I'm saying that praising a knife for being good at stabbing/killing people is a bit like praising a bird for being good at flying.

Again, I'm not trying to insult or attack anyone, and I apologize if I come off that way.
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Apology accepted, but listen and learn: Some knives are made exclusively for killing, just as some knives are made for whittling, or skinning game, or kitchen work. A knife is not a knife is not a knife.

These knives were designed for stabbing into flesh, they are killing knives -
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These blades have several things in common. They are long enough to reach vital organs. They are thin to aid in deep penetration. They are double edged, both to aid in penetration, and to allow slashing in two directions. And, they have well defined guards to prevent the user's hand from sliding onto the blade, and/or to help protect from being cut by an opponent's blade.

You won't find these attributes in most folders, skinners, butcher knives, or knives meant for normal EDC.

A tooth brush is not even a knife. It's a shiv, made in place of a real knife. Yes, it will poke a hole in you, but it cannot be compared to a real killing knife, meaningfully.

Andy
 
Dorito Monk said:
You mean like one of these? The ever dreaded sharp toothbrush?

492829379_9dc4b85816.jpg
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Ha, ha, ha!!!

That's a good one. But I'd love to see you shove that through a thick leather jacket! On a serious note, I've tested the penetration performance of several daggers. I think you'd be very surprised at how much easier the thinner profile Gerber Mark II penetrates thick leather as opposed to the thicker-bladed Bokers. As far as comparing it to a single-edged pocket knife, there is no comparison. It is extremely hard to get a standard single-edged blade to penetrate at all through thick leather.
 
TDB7117 said:
Ha, ha, ha!!!

That's a good one. But I'd love to see you shove that through a thick leather jacket!
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For that, I'd resort to the tried and true Rusty Shank :D

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Okay, I think I'm done with the prison weapons...:p
 
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I have had a few dozen over the years. Still have 3 or 4. Never used one for anything but training and threats. The Spartan is nice too.

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