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What's Wrong With Gerber?
- Thread starter Nephron44
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You offer nothing to this post. Please provide more evidence based information when posting. Thank you.
People Shit on Gerber because they used to be amazing, then they sold out to fiskars, created the BG line, and suck. As a work knife they are fine. They use half decent steel with half decent designs. I would rather save longer for a better knife, or a SOG if I still want budget.
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Why would I? What outstanding designs have they put out that I need to check out? I've seen a lot of rehashing of old designs or just another knife. Nothing that pops out and says damn this is a good knife. Just packages with some dude who drinks piss. If someone gave me one I'd give it a try but nothing that says BUY ME!!!! Kershaw does this well for budget knives.
I've handed a few USA made designs. Mediocre fit and finish, plastic parts, weird blade shapes (daggers with multiple bevels, wasted space for huge serrations, chunky grinds, very thick grinds, OK steels,mystery steels "high carbon steel", blade play on the display model and just nothing impressive.
You can get more out there. Why settle?
If you have no real experience using their knives, then your opinion is not desired. If you just window shopped the knives, you have no real evidence to support your claims. I personally only window shopped SOG apart from a fixed blade I have, but am I going to say they are crap? No! In leave the judgements and opinions to the people who actually have used and tested them and can give a REAL opinion on performance.
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Right, but how freaking long did it take gerber to listen to knife users and offer a plain edge (basically of a prodigy)? This proves the point that gerber unnecessarily puts serrations on things when most knife folks don't like them.
And 420 steel may not be a problem for you but it is for a lot of folks. I'll take something like Aus8 over it any day.
Gerber has come back a little with the strong arm offering but they still have a long way to go to come back as a company. Too much crap for too long for us to forget about after one good knife.
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You are in the wrong place if you think you can tell people not to give their opinion. That is not how the internet works.
Not saying gerber is all bad, I like the prodigy and the strong arm looks good for the price, but I don't have to taste poop ice cream to know it most likely won't taste very good. Gerber has a ton of poopy knives and a poopy reputation at this point. Sorry, it is a fact.
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I don't have to have to eat a piece of rotten food to know it's bad. I can smell it, if I grab an apple and it squishes I know it's no good to eat. Likewise if I pick up a knife and it feels cheap I'm not going to want to use it like I would a well constructed knife. I read a lot, watch videos and talk to other knife people.
Nothing I've felt, read, seen or heard leads me to believe they are anything other than just another knife not even outstanding in it's range. Buy me one and I'll use it but nothing stands out to make me want to buy it. You asked what's wrong with Gerber, that is it. The selling points are name recognition, convenience, and being cheap. Not design, fit and finish, materials, warranty, or awards.
Maybe a cult following with people into watersports too
strategy9
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Problem is, for the price, if i was in the market for a stainless fixed blade, there are just so many other options in that general price range and comparable steel that I would buy first, before spending it on a 420hc Gerber;
Buck, Case, both 420hc,
Kabar or cold steel in 4116,
Any one of the Nordic brands, (Mora, Hultafors, Marttiini, etc.)
even a Boker magnum's 440a, (definitely their 440c plus line), I would trust before trusting another Gerber...
So that $50 will never see it's way to Gerber as I go down the list of other Knives I'd want more...
(And I don't even think the strongarm is that attractive, and I certainly won't buy it just for the sheath, I'd rather buy a knife I actually like and pay for a custom sheath for "my" knife).
Shoot, I'd buy an 8cr series Schrade before buying a Gerber...they've been more consistent.
If I saw a Gerber GAW, any Gerber, I seriously wouldn't enter... I'm just not interested.
Just is what it is, like I said, they struck out with this consumer, no more at bats, and the bridge is burnt...
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420HC isn't bad steel. I mean it does cut stuff. But it goes to show that Gerber has a greater interest in shaving off a few cents from production costs vs. providing great tools. What's the per-knife cost difference between 420HC and something like 1095, 440C, or AUS10?
And if Gerber makes a big deal of advertising that a few of their knives are 420 stainless, then just what steel is the other 95% that they're afraid to say?
strategy9
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And if Gerber makes a big deal of advertising that a few of their knives are 420 stainless, then just what steel is the other 95% that they're afraid to say?
Seriously... If there is a push to finally advertise 420hc to knife consumers, as basic Buck and Case have done for years, what was the crap steel they wouldn't advertise in all those other models year after year???
Nephron, you asked "what's wrong with Gerber?"
Sunyata's opinion is valid: the knives don't pass shopping inspection, in his opinion. It is a valid answer to your question.
Just because they have come out with a couple of useable knives does't excuse the other less useable knives.
You asked for opinion.
My first real knife was a Gerber Folding Sportsman. From 1970 or so. Still have it. A fine knife for the time. The latest Gerber's not so much. My latest is a BG folder . A Christmas gift from my grand daughter. A small folder I use as a desk knife. Wish they still made knives as they did in the 60's and 70's. Many of my troops carried Gerber's in Viet Nam and they were good knives.
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I'm satisfied with the Strongarm, I knew exactly how it performed and that I was getting a knife made in the U.S.A. for under $40.00.
Nothing wiggles, nothing bends, nothing is orange and black and it has no association with anyone from the U.K., there is nothing about it that warrants a 'recall', 420HC didn't "ruffle my feathers" as the heat treat appeared to be up to par.
You won't find an S30V made by them under $40.00
My requirements are "light weight" gear, which results in light weight carry, light weight packing.
The knife met all those requirements and has a nice drop point design which works for me, a plain edge and simple design including the sheath.
I would not ever carry an LMF II or BK2 as I'm not into carrying an Anvil around on me or in a pack.
Sure, they are not what they were in their heyday... yes, they produced a line of horrible orange and black stuff associated with a T.V. show personality, yes there were recalls, but that didn't poison my choice to purchase it.
As mentioned previously, it will not replace my U.S. made Survive! Knives 4.1 Bohler M-390, the Strongarm can baton, pry, dig, slice (tomatoes), slash, stab and the spine throws sparks effortlessly all under $40.00 with a 100% lifetime warranty.
That's what matters to me, not Gerber's past history.
Nothing wiggles, nothing bends, nothing is orange and black and it has no association with anyone from the U.K., there is nothing about it that warrants a 'recall', 420HC didn't "ruffle my feathers" as the heat treat appeared to be up to par.
You won't find an S30V made by them under $40.00
My requirements are "light weight" gear, which results in light weight carry, light weight packing.
The knife met all those requirements and has a nice drop point design which works for me, a plain edge and simple design including the sheath.
I would not ever carry an LMF II or BK2 as I'm not into carrying an Anvil around on me or in a pack.
Sure, they are not what they were in their heyday... yes, they produced a line of horrible orange and black stuff associated with a T.V. show personality, yes there were recalls, but that didn't poison my choice to purchase it.
As mentioned previously, it will not replace my U.S. made Survive! Knives 4.1 Bohler M-390, the Strongarm can baton, pry, dig, slice (tomatoes), slash, stab and the spine throws sparks effortlessly all under $40.00 with a 100% lifetime warranty.
That's what matters to me, not Gerber's past history.
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You are glossing over a bunch of bad with this strawman critique.
Not only is gerber's past history turning off a lot of knife enthusiast, most of their current offerings are as well. To deny this is not looking at things rationally. I like a couple of things they have done (prodigy) and if the strong arm were less expensive I would try one. Maybe when some show up on the secondary market for less I will try one (like i did the prodigy, no way I am paying the price for a new one). At this point I know I can be assured quality for less or get 100% known quality for a bit more and excellent quality for a premium which I am happy to pay. No need to risk hard earned money on a company with a dodgy past when there are so many options out there for us these days.
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Except the Gerber Strongarm I purchased, which is exactly the point.
Personally, I wouldn't take either the Prodigy or the LMFII if offered to me free (both partially serrated).
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Right, we get it. You love the blade you just got. But that is one in a sea of crap. Again, how long did it take gerber to take the serrations off the prodigy and call it the strong arm? Way too long. Other companies with better rep, better materials, and similar prices did that long ago.
The exception (your beloved strong arm) proves the rule. Gerber does most knifes wrong.
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Look into who own's Gerber, as in who the parent company is, and "what's wrong with Gerber" becomes very obvious....
I am not sure if they where bought by a garden tool corporation to make knives for "knife guys" or to sell as many knives as possible where most knife people shop, like Walmart, Amazon, etc....
I am not sure if they where bought by a garden tool corporation to make knives for "knife guys" or to sell as many knives as possible where most knife people shop, like Walmart, Amazon, etc....