What Happened to Gerber?

They stopped caring.

I love the SLG Carbon Fiber:
img2202bl5.jpg

ATS-34 steel, Titanium linerlock, Featherweight, Good fit and finish, Carbon Fiber for structure instead of just looks.

It's no high-end knife, but it holds an edge, and I think it looks pretty nice.

But, I haven't EDC'd it since I bought my BM Griptilian, and their new folders are junk, unfortunately. Which I really don't understand. Fiskars makes great scissors, and supposedly makes a great axe. Why they can't make a decent pocketknife is beyond me. Choice in steel?
 
I think Fiskars has owned Gerber for almost 20 years now, not 10. Gerber still made a lot of knives in Oregon till a few years ago and they were pretty good. It wasn't the Fiskars buyout that started the quallity to drop, that happened much later when some production was moved offshore.
 
i have the USA made harsey titanium airframe that they couldn't even produce after advertising it heavily, because it wound up costing too much for the handles. its certainly a nice knife, with 154 steel.
 
Knife Outlet said:
I'm afraid so. The difference is really dramatic. I would estimate from the top of my head that we sell 30 Chinese Schrades for every U.S. Schrade we used to sell.

We sell a good number of U.S. made Gerbers but the Chinese import Gerbers blow them away in both unit and dollar sales.
Click to expand...
That's not surprising, as the average knife-buyer has no idea that the "Gerber" or "Schrade" they're buying today isn't the Gerber or Schrade their father, father's father, etc. owned. They think they're getting real Gerbers and Schrades. They look at the name, look at the price, and that's it.
 
In my youth Gerber was the company to beat, you know, the company to watch and get excited about for each new product. They came out with the slimline sportsman series knives with 440C blades and super modern looks and profiles. Pete Gerber owned the company and things looked up. I loved the company and their knives back then. Still have a few of those original slimline stainless and brass knives with the wooden inlays that I consider classics to this day.

Founded in the later 1930s Gerber has had a proud history. No matter what they do today they will always at least have that. We can thank them for introducing us to such great makers as Al Mar, Pete Kershaw, and Paul Poehlmann. In the past they've collaborated with Ernest Emerson, and Bob Loveless, Blackie Collins, and William Harsey Jr. as well as Fred Carter just to name a few.

For a time they stayed on top with the Mk II knives but in my opinion their fall from grace was about the time that they started injection molding handles and showing early signs of mass production and sales being more important than the quality of the product. As I recall it was about the time the LST knives came out that I began to lose serious interest in the company even though I have owned several of those little LST knives and been quite happy with them over the years. I remember trying to find out what the blade steel was in those and not being satisfied even way back then some 30 years ago as I recall.

Contrary to the loss of favor for many knife lovers such as those that hang here, I've been told by the workers at Wal Mart that they sell Gerber knives more than any other brand in their case. I know I sure sharpen enough of them for hunters in this area right before every deer season. The Freeman folder and fixed blade seem quite popular as do the Gator and several other 'better made' models they offer in 440A steel here local. These aren't bad knives and certainly worth the money based on reports I've had from users.

Its all in what you want I guess. Maybe we need to look at the picture for what it is sometimes. Gerber isn't really guilty of doing anything different are they? BenchMade has a Taiwan line, Spyderco does, Kershaw makes knives in the USA and out, and so does Buck. I think its pretty common and natural for us to always look back and wish for the good ole days. I know I do. Yesteryear is gone though folks. We can only look ahead and be thankful for what we have here to grab onto in the now.

STR
 
the real problem-people have no pride in american made stuff-its all about cost now,why buy american for 30 bucks when i can get a china piece for $12-

they dont understand they are buying into the destruction of our once proud nation,first they are giving billions to the enemy,dont think for a minute they arent- and they are paying more in tax's because of the lack of jobs and tax's paid by those who work and the companies who employ them-

its the road to destruction for our nation-

so lets keep buying commie crap and make more unemployed americans till its too late
 
I just picked up a A475 in M2 that just kicks butt. All hunting knives should be like this. keepem sharp
 
rosconey2 said:
the real problem-people have no pride in american made stuff-its all about cost now,why buy american for 30 bucks when i can get a china piece for $12-

they dont understand they are buying into the destruction of our once proud nation,first they are giving billions to the enemy,dont think for a minute they arent- and they are paying more in tax's because of the lack of jobs and tax's paid by those who work and the companies who employ them-

its the road to destruction for our nation-

so lets keep buying commie crap and make more unemployed americans till its too late
Click to expand...

I certainly hear where you are coming from but national economics is pretty damn complicated. No one area or person to put the blame on really.
 
I have a few of the Gerber EZ Outs with the ATS-34 steel. They weren't bad little knives until I discovered Spyderco and Benchmades. :)

I still have my old Gerber BMF. As a kid I used to druel over it in the knife catalogues, thinking it was way out my price range. When I was an older teen I eventually got one for Christmas or my birthday, or something. I never used it. They seem to have some collector value now and I think I even have the box for it. I always wondered how tough of knife they were.
 
Brings us back to "as good as Buck?"

Yup, considering some of the stuff Buck is making, US or not. Spyderco and Benchmade are just starting down the same path - regardless of the quality, they are importing cheaper lines to compete in the marketplace.

This will eventually cause the shutdown of midrange priced knives made in North America. High priced customs will be about it, unless you want Chinese made. This has happened before - England, Germany, and Japan have all done it, until there economy grew so much they became uncompetitive, too.

History is simply repeating itself. So I don't blame BM or Sal Glesser for trying to control the market rather than drown in the Katrina like flood of cheaper goods being imported. The masses don't care anyway, they worship the god of Low Price Guarantee.

Might get a Benchmade Vex after all. Kershaw's Vapor II has been a better knife than the last Buck I had warrantied. It's all about value for the dollar, and when American makers can't do as good a job because the workers are "overpaid," too bad.

It's the collective worker shooting himself in the foot.

Scrooge off.

Merry Christmas.
 
It isn't just Gerber.... take a look a Benchmade's "red dna".... made in Taiwan and elsewhere. They're still overpriced, but they're cheap enough that people will buy them and still be able to open it and see the "Benchmade" name and logo. I have a feeling Benchmade's red dna class will continue to grow. Sad.
 
I have a very old Gerber Folding Hunter with brass framed wooden scales and I don't know what steel in the blade, but it holds an edge like mad and is hard as Hell to sharpen...
Click to expand...
.
Sounds like my old Gerber from the 70's, I believe they used 440C at the time.

You may notice that I drilled a lanyard hole, damaged the wood scales and fixed them with epoxy putty and added a small thumbstud, it's seen its share of knife work and has served me well.

Luis


Click to enlarge
 
I can remember when the Gerber FS II was the thinking man's folder , terrible shame to see them go down the tubes . Personally , I try to avoid buying Chineese POS's as much as possible , but it's pretty hard to turn the tide of history .

Chris
 
As for Gerber, I had bought a Gerber Silver Knight several years ago...
Click to expand...
I have two or three of those also, made in Japan for Gerber. Those knives were made very well and they are prefect for pocket-carry. They were discontinued in 1995-ish. Then a few years ago Japanese production of the Silver Knights was resumed. I don't know if they're currently being made or not.

I'm happy with my two inexpensive USA Gerbers, a Magnum LST Junior and a Gator. Both were made in Oregon. Good action, interesting and original designs, and very little blade play (none at all on the Magnum LST Jr).

The only other Gerber in my collection is a Paul Knife, First Production 1995. It was a bit stiff at first, a hard action, but after ten years of casual fondling it's becoming much smoother.

I haven't bought a Gerber since then, so I have no idea if the new production models are lower quality or not. Maybe I'll give one a try next time I'm at WalMart.

-Bob
 
I think people should pay a little extra for domestically made goods (whether it's better quality or not). For people who are on the verge of financial collapse sure, go ahead and buy the cheapest stuff from Walmart. But I see tons of people who's wealthy enough to have plasma TVs and iPODs and stuff who still buy junk made by foreign sweat-shop/slave labour and it makes me sad. Everytime they buy stuff like that it's like saying "I think it's fine for some American to be out of a job and for my stuff to be made on a wage of 25 cents an hour".
 
FullerH said:
What happened to Gerber?
Click to expand...

about 5 years ago they started to suck, and they never stopped sucking ever since.

remember the good old days with the LMF, BMF, Mk1, Mk2............:o

nowadays when i browse a knife-shop i don't even look at the Gerbers anymore......:(

i wouldn't be surprised if they go bankrupt in the nearby future or merge with another knife-company.

denn
 
bruce said:
I think Fiskars has owned Gerber for almost 20 years now, not 10. Gerber still made a lot of knives in Oregon till a few years ago and they were pretty good. It wasn't the Fiskars buyout that started the quallity to drop, that happened much later when some production was moved offshore.
Click to expand...

I stand corrected. I thought the Gerber acquisition by Fiskars happened in the mid to late '90's. Wikipedia says the buyout occurred in 1986. But something happended to the quality in the last 7-10 years. It has really dropped. It wouldn't be so annoying if Gerber had not at one time been so good.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top