Steel used in Gerber folders

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weldingandmetalfab said:
Hello I am new to the page, I am a welder as well as a metal fabricator. and agree with all of you to a point. =) but if you want a knife that can really hold a edge, and is durable with good steel that's strong aginst corrosion and rust try a ZT knife it would be CMP S30V stainless steel. I am not saying anyone's wrong and this specific metal is incredibly expensive BUT it's one of the best on the market. I have a ZT knife and a smith and Wesson, the ZT I've had 5 years never dulled out, and I collect knives and guns as a hobby. And for knives it's been sense I was around 5-6. I've experimented with allmost all grades of steel. heck I even took a mild steel bar and grinded the sides down to make a sword and that kind of steel is not even made for blades the over all best in all my years of knife collecting is the ZT knife. I got mine new for around 150$. But the way I looked at it is I live in a bad city and I need to protect. my self and family as well as use my knife for heavy duty work sometimes. even prying, my ZT knife did not bend chip or even scratch and that's metal vs metal! I am a metal worker as I said before. But you need in my opinion steel wise if you have reliable steel. I bought a smith and Wesson 7cr17 high carbon blade yesterday... it's already dull.... I figured I'd use it like I'd use my ZT knife and it's dulled truly a terrible steel in my own opinion. But then again it's all about who makes the knife and HOW they make it! and it's all about heat treatments, how much time and effort the company puts into their knife the quality of the steel the carbons and metal fragments they add in, if it's forged, or if it's just a piece of steel that's punch pressed, or even if they are just pumping them out as fast as possible! With every company there is a different method they use for their knife. And could make the best of the steel they have if they do everything right it should do what you want. Keep in mind if you want to keep buying these Gerber knives and smith and Wesson's your going to lose more money in the long run. If but get a knife that you need of course but for self defense I would go with the zero tolerance knives or ZT. for common day use (edc) opening small packages cutting small things I'd say a CASE company knife they hold a blade for about 10 years, and they are around the 60-120$ range but if you look online you can get one for about 50-80$. (not sure of the steel on them but I can deffentally say it's good.) Now if you are looking for survival, I'd say anything that won't dull out! literally look for the sharpest large knife that holds a blade the best I can't name any to think of still trying to find one myself. living in the woods of Pennsylvania state where we have forests that stretch 50 miles before you find a road. (not where I live because I live in a city not a town) and for work related use such as welding i would suggest two knifes and I would also suggest to get BOTH! 1 a Leatherman not a knock off brand ether, Or you will end up with another dulled out crap tool that's falling apart. And ether a ZT knife or something you can go to a field and stream and buy for 140+$ and do your research before blindly buying it, just because it costs a lot doesn't mean it's the greatest. Plus the people at field and stream are awesome... well some of them are.... ZT makes a lot of knives find one that you like! And also don't get stuck to one company, look around test stuff out that's how I found ZT. And I'll keep collecting until I die finding better and better blades! =D but I think I covered every knife type you can get... except cooking and I don't really care about cooking nore do I think any of you are. And I love reliable knives because if I cannot take a gun with me, I'll bring two pocket knives. And if my life is threatened I'll use the knives to stop them. (notice I did not say kill! Everyone's life is important to someone think of them.) but if anyone can dig up any other really good knives that are like a ZT knife in stores let me know. I'll pick one up test it put it though all sorts blade tests such as sharpening how strong the tip is anyone ever see that? Great knife yet the tip breaks off now it's basically useless? Not with ZT! and I'll get back to you with a video, and I'll post or I'll be willing to send it anyway you want me to. And I'll even video it! And rather or not the knife is worth the money like I said I collect them so I don't care about putting 200$ into a knife. and fellas and lady's no daggers or anything please! just pocket knives thank you for reading this, if you have questions why I say the steel I have put so much hype into and the company's let me know. And you can always look it up on YouTube. keep in mind I am a metal fabricator with a 2 year degree in welding and metal fabrication. I know good quality metal when I see it I worked on lots of it. And I've never heard of a bachelor's degree so I am at my max. any questions about heat treatment look online it's what makes the knife! so long
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Holy Wall of Text, Batman! :eek:
 
flash900 said:
I think it's inexcusable when a manufacturer fails to list a blade's steel on its specs.

I was interested in a Gerber a few weeks ago, called a dealer for the steel type and was told that the dealer had no idea either.

So I wrote Gerber. This is what I found:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=824553&highlight=gerber+steel

When a manufacturer hides a key fact about a product from consumers there's usually a reason.
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I totally agree with this.

I would just like to say that the "Gator" line of knives are, in my experience, perhaps the one good thing they still produce (haven't tried any of their products developed in the past few years, some new stuff may be good).

It doesn't vindicate them or anything. I just wanted to chime in that a lot of the reservations are well-deserved but there are still a couple of gems.
 
chiral.grolim said:
Gerber's standard "high carbon stainless steel" or "surgical stainless steel" is the equivalent of American 440A and comparable to Japanese AUS6 and AUS8. It's not as impressive as their 12C27 blades (their HT seems better on those) and it isn't high-end like S30V (they have a few models), but it's functional...

Is it worth $25? That's up to you, but knives of comparable size and materials from CRKT and SOG cost twice as much. *shrug*
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Alternatively, there's Victorinox, Opinel, Kershaw, Buck and Cold steel, just to name a few.

OP, why don't you get her one of these?

COLOREDMINITUFFLITE_5.jpg
 
I don't have the mini, but the Tuff Lite is a great knife. Love it. Effective, small and inexpensive... you could fill a whole shoe box and be set for life.
 
Kwon Kwang said:
Alternatively, there's Victorinox, Opinel, Kershaw, Buck and Cold steel, just to name a few.

OP, why don't you get her one of these?

COLOREDMINITUFFLITE_5.jpg
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LOL!!! I hope is not still considering it being that this thread is almost 5 years old. Hopefully by now he's pulled the trigger on a gift.

Ron
 
chiral.grolim said:
Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe 420HC is an American steel (as is 440A, and Swedish Sandvick 12C27 used to be used in some of their knives), but as Gerber (Fiskars) has outsourced much production they've implemented a Chinese compositional "equivalent" in knives made in China, 7Cr17MoV. Gerber may also change what steel their knives are made of from time to time, as they did with the American-made LMFII (12C27 -> 440A -> 420HC). I guess Gerber doesn't think you'll be able to distinguish 420HC, 440A, 7Cr17MoV, or even 12C27 performance-wise...
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That's not how it works. For example, while 440A is AISI standard, 440A steel can be produced anywhere in the world. If mill (or independent lab) issues a test lab report (certificate) that the steel composition and properties matches the specific standard (440A in this case), you can call it 440A.

And as far as 12C27 is concerned. In most budget knives, 12C27 is actually 12C27M which allows for less carbon and much higher content of impurities. 420HC > 12C27M
 
bush-haus said:
LOL!!! I hope is not still considering it being that this thread is almost 5 years old. Hopefully by now he's pulled the trigger on a gift.

Ron
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I dunno, I've kept people waiting longer. ;)

In all seriousness, I need to start looking at dates that threads are posted. If I had known there were so many zombies around here, I'd have bought a Ka-Bar ZK knife already!
 
chiral.grolim said:
Anyway, if a Gerber rep told you that your unmarked knife was 420HC, okay. But I've had a Gerber rep tell me that an unmarked knife was 7Cr17MoV, so there is no way that all unmarked knives are 420HC. .
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True. Just the U.S. made knives have 420HC. The Chinese models are more than likely 7Cr17MoV. There was some discrepancy with Gerber back in the 90's with the ATS-34 EZ out. Apparently it was just 440A but labeled as ATS-34.:(
 
knifedude802 said:
"I like ZT. I own a ZT. I use a ZT knife. It's good. Check them out."
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You're braver than I am. I couldn't bring myself to attempt reading that post. :eek:
Walls of text like that actually hurt my eyes. Knives are good things. So are paragraphs. ;)
 
This thread has just made me go back and check the gerber site for my pocket carry knife when it is unsuitable to belt carry my Buck 112.
The discontinued Gerber Torch I fine edge drop point clearly states 440A steel. Now i got this knife years ago and i suppose i didnt know or care what 440A was back then. But it seems that they used to display the steel whether good or not.
I di recall that the knife cost alot of money for me as a non knife guy at the time
 
It doesn't matter to me what steel they use these days on their knives. The name "Gerber" is enough to to make me steer clear away from them. The Gerber brand today is not what it was a few decades ago.
 
Cosmic Superchunk said:
It doesn't matter to me what steel they use these days on their knives. The name "Gerber" is enough to to make me steer clear away from them. The Gerber brand today is not what it was a few decades ago.
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The Strong Arm has been well received from what I have read and watched.
I also would have bought a Gear Grills Ultimate Pro Survival knife had the not called it the Bear Grills Ultimate Pro Survival Knife with BG on it
 
say Heah Boy's and Girl's, I sometimes think there's guy that want to sound like an authority and just go the other way right off the handle and might never owned that specific knife, steel etc. I have Gerber Para Frames in various sizes, Some smaller Para Frames in plain edge, as well with combo edges. Nice little nifty knives, I have a older Gerber Gator in a Clip Point Combo Edge that hold's a very good edge retention. I also have a newwr Gator in a Drop Point, Plain Edge in the 154 CM. I also got lucky at Knife Center to buy a Gerber Freeman with Stag Handle Guide in the S30V and then the Caper in Stag and S30V on two seperate occasions at closeout prices, One of my Fav. Small Fix Blade Camp Knives that I teamed together. All my Gerber's I don't have problem's with any of them. I also have a Gerber Silver Trident that I bought sterile (no marking's.) I just ask this questiin "Where's the Beef". Am I that lucky that I never bought a lemon because I bought all of my seperate and on different occasions. I wish I was that lucky in picking Six Numbers. Seriously, Yeah, Gerber for the money is Ok. But research first. I almost bought a Gator Premium, I'm not a hunter, so I might baton kindling although I'm a Trio Carry guy, a belt knife, hatchet, saw, sometimes I multi knife carry, mostly a large/small knife. The reason I didn't by the Gator Premium wasn't because I didn't like the S30V or how the knife look's, But because it has a Fork Tang. So I researched it and made a discussion and I went with a Solid Tang, I went with a Cold Steel 3V Master Hunter. The point is, I didn't bust the knife then complained. Like I said, I wonder if some guy's think being negative makes them look smarter ? I Think so.,,.

Sent from my SM-J700T using Tapatalk
 
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