questions about ht river shorty

L

lhassa_fever

Joined
Jan 23, 2005
Messages
4
i am not a diver or a kayaker, but i was considering buying a gerber river shorty as an everyday fixed blade carry. all the info i can find is "400 series steel" which leads me to believe it is 420 j2 or something. i was wondering if anybody else has ever owned one, and what there experience was like. (how much carbon in the blade, cutting ergonomics, ease of sharpening, edge retaining)
thanks
 
Welcome to Bladeforums! :)

I gave my blunt tip version to my brother for a rafting trip, and later got a pointed tip for myself. It's a handy little knife, lighter than it looks, very secure little sheath that works as a necker or on a belt or pack strap.

The blade is relatively thick, corrosion-resistant, and tough for digging and prying. I managed to get a cutting edge on it, but I can't say it's the sharpest knife I own :D

The Gerber website doesn't seem to acknowledge its existence.
 
The Rivermaster is a pretty interesting design. It's elegant looking, Blackie Collins designed, very secure in its sheath. One edge is serrated, the other plain. I wonder how it differs from the shorty?
 
Hi,
I too prefer the Rivermaster design with one exception. I used the knife as a backup to my main dive knife but try as I might I could not release the knife from its sheath whilst wearing neoprene gloves.
The rivermaster has an ingenious integrated clip to secure it in the sheath but, as I say it can be stiff and awkward to use with gloves, and probably so with cold and wet hands too.
Regards
Tack
 
I bought one for my brother who loves kayaking. At the time the box read that it was Sandvik12C27. I don't know what the current ones are made from.
 
I have a River Shorty that I use for river rescue on the Guadalupe. This primarily entails cutting a lot of ropes quickly to free masses of tubers who, having tied their entire group of tubes and icechests together, get wrangled around rocks at the falls. When one group gets stuck, the next bunch or a canoe or raft piles into them.
My shorty makes quick work of the taut ropes and has sawn through a fiberglass paddle once to free a trapped rafter. The sheath has a secure clip (to my cut-off pocket) and holds the blade securely, yet releases quickly with a pull. In the confusion of the above situations, the blunt tip prevents injuries. As for the blade, I can't say more than it has always done it's duty. I have never sharpened it.
As an EDC (with a pointed tip) the knife and sheath combo would be good.
 
It's made in Italy, but I have NO idea by whom, so there's not much we can do to get information on it short of writing to Gerber.
 
ok thanks, i have searched around and i think maybe it still is the Sandvik12C27, which i think is what production upgrade protocol has been for buck and others, so i will assume the shorty is the same, being that sandvik is more apt to be a pry tool.
thanks again for making me feel welcome
 
There are a lot of River Shortys in use for Whitewater rescue, and while it is a decent knife for the task, its sheath has had a history of losing the knife. Some people report no problems with it, but then a heck of a lot do, and my version has been a consistently good seller for me.
 
My sheath is still tight and I never lost it due to sheath failure. The knife has gotten knocked out of my hand and even purposely dropped when things got too crowded. After a couple of dives I always found it between the rocks due to the bright orange shoelace I have tied to it. :)
Can't help on the steel. I see no indications on the blade. Mine is still shiny (though a bit scratched) with no signs of rust after ±15 years despite being put away wet every time.
As an 'on the water' knife I recommend it. As an EDC for cutting apples, maybe not. The blade is thick and dull beyond the few inches of serration and that cutting edge is poorly placed for most everyday tasks beyond cutting cords or plastic straps. Despite the dull tip it may open cartons. As a SD...I would hate to be stabbed with one....
Depending on your reasons for EDC it may not be quite what you are looking for and I think there are more general purpose knives to consider.
 
I suspect the Rivermaster, made in Italy also, might be the same steel, "400 series stainless steel" if the first site from a Google search is to be believed. It sure seems like stainless steel.

The Rivermaster has a spearpoint and would be quite a weapon if the need arose.
 
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