What's so bad about the Gerber LMF 2?

M

maximus83

Joined
Nov 7, 2011
Messages
2,104
One thing that amazes is the amount of bad press that this knife gets from guys who are "knife knuts." I fully get, and agree with, two of the very common issues with this knife: many of us dislike serrations, and also the rubber "hilt" on this knife makes it nearly impossible to do batoning of good-sized chunks of wood (if you do larger pieces, you end up hitting the upper hilt and it breaks loose). Oh yeah, a 3rd issue with these knives is that the recent versions have come out in 420 stainless, rather than the original Sandvik 12C27 stainless, and it is often thought that the 420 being used is inferior.

Here's the funny thing. While I agree with those criticisms and it means that this knife is less than ideal, I still think it's a great fixed-blade user knife, for the price. In fact, in its price range, I think it's one of my favorite beaters, and it's also one of the better hard-use stainless fixed blades available for $60. Here are some things I like about mine:

* The Sandvik 12C27 SS is very easy to sharpen (yes I got lucky and got mine before they switched to 420). My Sharpmaker puts in incredible edge on the plain-edged part, and that edge stays even through multiple rounds of batoning.

* The blade is a great slicer. I have sliced potatoes and apples with it multiple times, and while it's a thick blade, it actually does really well.

* The serrations are extremely sharp from the factory, and do really well on rope, hard plastic, cardboard, and other substances. I've never had to sharpen them in 4 years!

* The blade thickness is perfect, for a hard user. Thick enough to baton with, and it also has enough mass and weight to do reasonable chopping. I've batoned a lot with mine, and it does really well though you have to be careful not to hit the rubber hilt.

* The grip is incredibly comfortable and secure. This is one of the better grips I've had on ANY knife. One drawback is that it's not as durable as micarta or G10, though.

* The hammer/glassbreaker on the pommel is actually quite useful. It's effective at breaking glass, and I've hammered everything from nails to tent pegs with it.


If they ever issue this knife again with three improvements, they'd sell so many they couldn't keep up with orders:
* Go back to the Sandvik steel.
* Offer an edition without the serrations.
* Do something to remove or improve that hilt, to enable easier batoning without the hilt getting in the way or getting broken.
 
Last edited:
i got the little brother to the LMF II , the gerber prodigy. I also got it before the the sandvick to 420 switchover. Made in usa. great knife . 40 dollars:)
 
I too feel that my LMF 2 (Portland Oregon USA made) is a decent fixed blade. It feels great in the hand and the sheath is very sturdy. I have also used the flat part at the bottom of the handle as a hammer...which eventually damages the rubber, but still works.
However, it rarely gets used because I have so many other knives that can handle the work much easier.
The serrations are annoying, and the blade length is about an inch short IMO.
 
I think the main reason is people don't like the serrations. Everything else about it is fine by me. Handled one at a gunshow over the weekend. Seemed like a solid knife.
 
I really like these, but IMO carbon steel would make them an unbelievable deal and wouldn't cost Gerber much more (1095 is pretty darn low cost) the blades are coated anyways, so that would keep the anti rust crowd quiet at least.
 
Not a bad idea, EricV. Same basic blade profile, same length and thickness, switch to Rowen 1095, improve that detached rubber hilt that always breaks when you baton, dump the serrations, and man, that knife would seriously kick some tail. It already rivals some knives that are much higher priced in terms of its cutting performance and toughness, considering how thick the blade is. If you made these changes we're talking about, it would be IMO hands down, the best 5-inch $50 to $75 survival knife in the market.
 
goldie said:
when was it changed to 420 ?
Click to expand...

Goldie, I'm not precisely sure of the date, but it was somewhere around 3 to 4 years ago. Mine is around 4 years old, and I got mine in Sandvik steel, just not long before they started switching to 420 (or so the packaging said--one annoyance is that no matter what steel you have, they don't indicate the steel type on the blade).

Here's a thread with some dates and some details from the manufacturer on when they switched and why:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...Gerber-LMF-II-Blade-Material-(420HC-or-12C27)

Honestly, I don't know how much difference the 420 really makes in this case. Everybody says it's bad they switched, and I know I definitely like the performance of the Sandvik steel in mine, it's an extremely nice knife. However, as we've all heard many times, it isn't always the steel, it's what you do with it, especially the heat treat. Buck takes 420 stainless and does some amazing things with it and makes it pretty tough. However, just about everybody I've heard seems to think the 420 is a bit of a downgrade from the Sandvik. Maybe you can google and find some online performance tests with side-by-side comparisons of the Sandvik and 420 versions: it'd be interesting to see the performance difference based on steel type, if there is any.
 
Yep agree with your critique.

Id prefer 12c27, but I got one of the 420hc versions. I seriously doubt id notice any performance differences between them though. These two steels with proper heat treats are close in perfomance from the level I am at and would notice. I guess a steel expert might notice a difference, but I can't say I would.

The weight is a bit much for the knife, imho. I rarely carry mine though as other knives perform as well but weigh less and are better balanced. Its all opinion though.
 
I have the Prodigy as well. Maximus, please note that most of us don't have issues with Gerber's design-we have issues with the quality of the blade steel. The LMF and Prodigy are some of the most ergonomic knives I've ever held, and I believe the blade shape and thickness are perfect for the job. When I use my Prodigy, the edge falls apart. By this, I mean with regular cutting use, not even approaching camp tasks like battoning, visible cracks form along the factory edge and there are sizeable chips throughout. Something is seriously wrong with the steel used, the heat treat, something-the end product is just horrible for edge holding. If Gerber got their schmuck together they'd be an industry leader in my book-but for now I see them as a mistake that costed me hundreds of wasted dollars in failed product.
 
It is a good beater that is designed to work.
I've had one for a couple of years.The grip feels good but began to disintegrate after some very light use which was dissappointing.Super glue fixed it.
Serrations -bleehhr but it is a "multi function" knife.
Any way to know which steel it is ?It holds its edge well.
 
Last edited:
I beat the daylights out of the one I got...it was my first knife. I didnt know much but I did like this knife. It wasnt expensive and did alot of things well. The grip was comfortable and ate up shock. It was very solid but the tang is full length however not that thick or as wide as the grip. The sheath is big and does alot of things but I am not a huge fan...it is just too big of a sheath. This to me is a great starter knife...someone that want to explore the outdoors. I didnt mind the serration...at the time I did but looking back and trying to cut veins, rope, etc it did some of these things easier. I had the 420 version and once again didnt think it was all the bad consider the cost. The hammer on the pommel is ok and I felt it might break. Batoning it was alright the serration did seem to hang up just slightly. Chopping this thing wasnt that bad and the grip made it very comfortable and easy.
 
If you aren't the type who abuses his knives, and you like the look of it, I see no reason why the Gerber LMF wouldn't make a good knife for you.
 
My experiences with Cold Steel's el cheapo 4116 Krupp line are allaround higher performance than Gerber's steel for these knives... if you're looking for a beginner cutting tool. I'd point you in that direction to save you 70 dollars. I don't like saying that because again, I really like the design, but the steel quality is a joke.
 
PayetteRucker said:
I have the Prodigy as well. Maximus, please note that most of us don't have issues with Gerber's design-we have issues with the quality of the blade steel. The LMF and Prodigy are some of the most ergonomic knives I've ever held, and I believe the blade shape and thickness are perfect for the job. When I use my Prodigy, the edge falls apart. By this, I mean with regular cutting use, not even approaching camp tasks like battoning, visible cracks form along the factory edge and there are sizeable chips throughout. Something is seriously wrong with the steel used, the heat treat, something-the end product is just horrible for edge holding. If Gerber got their schmuck together they'd be an industry leader in my book-but for now I see them as a mistake that costed me hundreds of wasted dollars in failed product.
Click to expand...

Mine seems to hold up quite well, even to batoning. Do you have the Sanvik in yours?
 
BTW, I noticed that the Bear Grylls survival knife, which obvious has its roots in the Gerber LMF, is available in a plain edge version now. That at least corrects the serrations problem, but it leaves intact the other issues: the 420 steel, the goofy hilt that makes the blade less useful for things like batoning, and so on. I notice that the pommel has also been improved; I'd be just as happy without a sharp pointed "glass breaker."

http://www2.knifecenter.com/item/GB31001063/gerber-bear-grylls-ultimate-survival-knife

If Gerber keeps at it, in 20 years maybe they'll have this knife updated to what we all know that it should be. :-)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top