What's Wrong With Gerber?

Goosey said:
Beside the legitimate low quality gripes a lot of people don't like how Gerber used to make great quality, American made production knives and then Fiskars bought them, dropped the quality, moved most of their production to China and basically smeared the brand name.
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That's certainly my impression; that they used to be such nice knives, and now they're mostly marketing flash.
 
chambelona59 said:
Glad you totally agree.

Btw, I could care less who owns or bought the company, I'm a fan of the Strongarm I recently purchased, made in the U.S.A. (not China) no "mystery" steel.
Would I depend on it to save my life during another hurricane Katrina or Sandy or if I had to evacuate due to a large flood or typical west coast massive fire.... absolutely I would.
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Don't put words in my mouth are make it look like I said something I didn't. That is a low and classless move.

I in no way totally agree with you. I do care who owns the company and I do care what the rest of the company is doing. And the rest of the company is still making poop. For the money I can do better than the strongarm. I would trust almost any the knives I own over a strongarm in a disaster scenario. It seems like a good knife but it is not the messiah you are making it out to be, doesn't matter how many times you bold the name.
 
craytab said:
Don't put words in my mouth are make it look like I said something I didn't. That is a low and classless move.

I in no way totally agree with you. I do care who owns the company and I do care what the rest of the company is doing. And the rest of the company is still making poop. For the money I can do better than the strongarm. I would trust almost any the knives I own over a strongarm in a disaster scenario. It seems like a good knife but it is not the messiah you are making it out to be, doesn't matter how many times you bold the name.
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"Does that mean the strongarm is a bad knife? Not at all."
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You clearly stated "Not at all".
No words "put in your mouth", that's exactly what was stated which clearly says you agree with what I said.

"It seems like a good knife but it is not the messiah"
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This is my point, if you never owned one, you never used one and you never held one in hand, I give no validity to that statement as that's solely based on "Gerber company hate/dislike".

No point in having further discourse as haters are just going to hate.
 
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To sum it up most Gerber suck, some however suck slightly less, then on the rare occasion they release something worth while.

The strongarm while being a good knife, isn't going to my number one choice to grab in a bad situation, wouldn't be my second, third, and etc choice either. Nor would I willfully bet my life on the strongarm, but if that's all I had to use, I could probably get by with it.
 
Bobby3326 said:
To sum it up most Gerber suck, some however suck slightly less, then on the rare occasion they release something worth while.

The strongarm while being a good knife, isn't going to my number one choice to grab in a bad situation, wouldn't be my second, third, and etc choice either. Nor would I willfully bet my life on the strongarm, but if that's all I had to use, I could probably get by with it.
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I wouldn't "bet my life" on anything, I'd be confident in depending on it to perform in a emergency/disaster situation though if it was all I had to grab or in a bag.
Are there much more expensive knifes with much higher steels available to purchase from other companies?
Absolutely.

Did I get a knife completely made in the U.S.A. with a fully disclosed steel type, that can dig a hole, pry, cut through an oil drum top, baton, is light weight, am I happy with what I received and happy with the value received for money paid?
Absolutely.
 
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chambelona59 said:
You clearly stated "Not at all".
No words "put in your mouth", that's exactly what was stated which clearly says you agree with what I said.


This is my point, if you never owned one, you never used one and you never held one in hand, I give no validity to that statement as that's solely based on "Gerber company hate/dislike".

No point in having further discourse as haters are just going to hate.
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Please stop speaking for me. It is insulting.

I do not agree with what you have said. Some things I agree with but most I don't.

You clearly don't know what discourse is.

I thought about buying a strong arm, but because of your complete lack of class in discussing Gerber I sure as hell won't now. I already have far better knives from better companies with far less noise fans like yourself.

Oh, the old haters gonna hate argument. Great one kid. This thread is about Gerber. Not your stupid knife. The company has gone down the poop throne. One knife you like doesn't change that. The facts are evident.

Ignore :thumbup:
 
craytab said:
Please stop speaking for me. It is insulting.

I do not agree with what you have said. Some things I agree with but most I don't.

You clearly don't know what discourse is.

I thought about buying a strong arm, but because of your complete lack of class in discussing Gerber I sure as hell won't now. I already have far better knives from better companies with far less noise fans like yourself.

Oh, the old haters gonna hate argument. Great one kid. This thread is about Gerber. Not your stupid knife. The company has gone down the poop throne. One knife you like doesn't change that. The facts are evident.

Ignore :thumbup:
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Post#99
"Does that mean the strongarm is a bad knife? Not at all."
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Said by guess who?
 
calc said:
"easily judged by eyesight" / "you don"t have to own any" / you just have to "not like their advertising".
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chambelona59 said:
A commonly encountered hater philosophy.
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How is that a "hater" philosophy?

If you see something is not up to your standard or to your liking, that's not hating, it's simply called choosing. If I see a car dripping oil, or if it's painted yellow, either way I know I won't buy it, because I don't want a car with engine problems I'll have to fix, and I don't like yellow cars I'll have to repaint to my liking. You don't have to own a product to not like it.
If someone sees a Gerber and see flaws, poor grinds, or simply if they don't like the packaging (handle design, blade profile, colors), whatever, they can gladly choose to not like it without being a "hater". It's just not for them...

The strong arm you love so much for example, it very well may be a great made knife, to you it obviously is to the point you're adamently sales pitching it, but for some 420hc steel just isn't good enough, for others they'd rather only get said entry level steel from a time tested source like Buck, for others the design is just unappealing.
Personally I fall in all 3 categories; 420hc is the lowest grade/lowest carbon level (<0.5%) steel ill even consider for a knife, and the only source I'll buy 420hc from is Buck, I won't even buy a Kershaw Link (usa made) because it's 420hc, and i love Kershaw knives, but it's 420hc and not a buck. For all other brands, the lowest grade steel i'll typically consider for a knife is 0.6% carbon or better; 440a, 12c27, 7cr series, (1055 for machetes) etc. I'd rather see krupp 4116in a budget knife by a company other then Buck, and its a very similar steel to 420hc.
I also don't like the strong arm's design; not that I think it's hideous, but it just just doesn't do anything for me.
If i was in the market for a knife like the strong arm, 3 comparable Knives I would buy without a hitch are;
4.25" CRKT free range fixed blade in 8cr13mov (china)
I own the folding version and love it.
5.5" cold steel peacemaker II in 4116 (Taiwan)
Have to be let down by anything I've bought from cold steel, plus my brother edc's the smaller "III"
Both cost around $30
And if it had to be USA made I'd get a 6" ka-bar marine Hunter also in 4116 for under $50, because, kabar has yet to let me down.

I don't like Gerber because they've not served me well the last few purchases, and other cheap knives have served me better in every way. The one I do still own, is a gator machete that was on sale at Walmart, and it too is a pos. Compared to numerous other "cheap" machete's, poor grinds, cheap handle, partial tang, and inferior edge stability, next to say a Tramontina, its night and day which is better, but I keep it to do the worst tasks though because I can ding it up in the dirt and chip the edge off rocks with little to no concern...

A few billion people on this planet with litterally thousands of Knives to choose from, just because someone doesn't like something you like doesn't mean they're automatically a hater, they may just have different taste, different demands, and are allowed to choose differently to suit themselves, for whatever their reasons.
 
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Nephron44 said:
I see A LOT of hatred for Gerber knives. For a budget knife company and their target audience, what is really wrong with them? Sure they don't stand up to companies like Benchmade, Zero Tolerance, and Spyderco, but for what they are, are they really that bad?

I have a few Gerber knives that I've had for almost seven years and have had no problems. I also use their tactical pen while on duty and I LOVE it.

Taking it for what it is and not what someone could better spend their money on, what is really wrong with a Gerber knife as a low cost working knife?
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Nothing in this OP is specific to the Strong-arm.
Maybe you fans should have started a strong-arm thread. Judging a company by one product is not always the best way.
 
nephron44 said:
i see a lot of hatred for gerber knives. For a budget knife company and their target audience, what is really wrong with them? Sure they don't stand up to companies like benchmade, zero tolerance, and spyderco, but for what they are, are they really that bad?

I have a few gerber knives that i've had for almost seven years and have had no problems. I also use their tactical pen while on duty and i love it.

Taking it for what it is and not what someone could better spend their money on, what is really wrong with a gerber knife as a low cost working knife?
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there is nothing wrong with a gerber edc i,m thinking of the swagger ao
 
strategy9 said:
How is that a "hater" philosophy?

If you see something is not up to your standard or to your liking, that's not hating, it's simply called choosing. If I see a car dripping oil, or if it's painted yellow, either way I know I won't buy it, because I don't want a car with engine problems I'll have to fix, and I don't like yellow cars I'll have to repaint to my liking. You don't have to own a product to not like it.
If someone sees a Gerber and see flaws, poor grinds, or simply if they don't like the packaging (handle design, blade profile, colors), whatever, they can gladly choose to not like it without being a "hater". It's just not for them...

The strong arm you love so much for example, it very well may be a great made knife, to you it obviously is to the point you're adamently sales pitching it, but for some 420hc steel just isn't good enough, for others they'd rather only get said entry level steel from a time tested source like Buck, for others the design is just unappealing.
Personally I fall in all 3 categories; 420hc is the lowest grade/lowest carbon level (<0.5%) steel ill even consider for a knife, and the only source I'll buy 420hc from is Buck, I won't even buy a Kershaw Link (usa made) because it's 420hc, and i love Kershaw knives, but it's 420hc and not a buck. For all other brands, the lowest grade steel i'll typically consider for a knife is 0.6% carbon or better; 440a, 12c27, 7cr series, (1055 for machetes) etc. I'd rather see krupp 4116in a budget knife by a company other then Buck, and its a very similar steel to 420hc.
I also don't like the strong arm's design; not that I think it's hideous, but it just just doesn't do anything for me.
If i was in the market for a knife like the strong arm, 3 comparable Knives I would buy without a hitch are;
4.25" CRKT free range fixed blade in 8cr13mov (china)
I own the folding version and love it.
5.5" cold steel peacemaker II in 4116 (Taiwan)
Have to be let down by anything I've bought from cold steel, plus my brother edc's the smaller "III"
Both cost around $30
And if it had to be USA made I'd get a 6" ka-bar marine Hunter also in 4116 for under $50, because, kabar has yet to let me down.

I don't like Gerber because they've not served me well the last few purchases, and other cheap knives have served me better in every way. The one I do still own, is a gator machete that was on sale at Walmart, and it too is a pos. Compared to numerous other "cheap" machete's, poor grinds, cheap handle, partial tang, and inferior edge stability, next to say a Tramontina, its night and day which is better, but I keep it to do the worst tasks though because I can ding it up in the dirt and chip the edge off rocks with little to no concern...

A few billion people on this planet with litterally thousands of Knives to choose from, just because someone doesn't like something you like doesn't mean they're automatically a hater, they may just have different taste, different demands, and are allowed to choose differently to suit themselves, for whatever their reasons.
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Very well said. Just to add to the list of better knives for cheaper, I recently bought a BK 15 for $47. Any one else can do the same. Far better company, better materials, better knife, for less. Gerber has nothing on BK.
 
Nephron44 said:
I created this thread to hear some fair arguments either for or against Gerber. I agree with you that it has become a negative post about Gerber, especially from those that have no experience with their knives. There is no doubt they are not on par with Benchmade, Spycerco, etc, but that wasn't the point of this thread. The point was to take Gerber for what they are and provide real experience with their knives, not to compare them to what else is out there for the money, as the original post stated.

I agree that any review/critique/opinion of anyone that has not actually used a Gerber knife has little to no value.

I personally love Gerber knives because they are cheap, nice looking, and I can use them without fear of breaking the bank if I break or lose one. I have had the same Gerber knives for years without problems. I've had my Paraframe and Mini Paraframe for 7 years now and they perform as if they were new.
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I agree with the above sentiment by "the originator" of this thread/subject.
While I'm 100% satisfied with the quality and value of my purchase (I actually "own/use" the knife) that does not make me have to have a love affair with the company that designed, produced and sold it, nor does it make me a Gerber "Fanboy".

Those of us that care less who "bought" the company and purchase/d "newly released" knifes based on dozens of positive reviews both written and or video "Gauntlet reviews" (several by former Gerber haters) have no actual reason to hate/despise the company based on what we received and actually own.
I'm a fan of the "knife" I received, including the 100% lifetime warranty, the brand's history was irrelevant in the purchase.

If some don't like that... that's their issue not mine.
 
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chambelona59 said:
Glad you totally agree.

Btw, I could care less who owns or bought the company, I'm a fan of the Strongarm I recently purchased, made in the U.S.A. (not China) no "mystery" steel.
Would I depend on it to save my life during another hurricane Katrina or Sandy or if I had to evacuate due to a large flood or typical west coast massive fire.... absolutely I would.

Other alternate points of views:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1293782-Gerber-Strongarm-The-return-of-Gerber

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1222043-Gerber-Strongarm-the-fine-edged-Prodigy-that-you-have-been-waiting-for
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Who owns the company IS the reason they have made very few relevant, or even what we could call 'decent' knives for so many years now....

You think that's a coincidence?!

Corporate ownership means that it's profit margin first.....there is a lot of profit margin in cheap Chinese made knives that sell at Walmart.

When you make knives to solely make money, this is what you get.
Gerber is the official knife of people who are not into knives, but need one when they go camping and want to feel like Bear Grylls for 2 days.......there's nothing wrong with that...
 
mtangent said:
Nothing in this OP is specific to the Strong-arm.
Maybe you fans should have started a strong-arm thread. Judging a company by one product is not always the best way.
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We don't have to start a new thread, those that have had a positive experience are going to say so.
This thread is not limited to tell us how horrible the company is and tell us their newly released knives are all worthless as well.

Not "judging the company by one product", nor touting the name "Gerber", I'm touting the "knife" itself which performs excellently, it so happens to be designed and made by Gerber and if made by another company those of us that actually "own" one would still like it.
It's made in the U.S.A. (for those that keep whining about China and mystery steel).
420HC is no shameful big deal for me as it can dig a hole, throw showers of sparks, cut/slice/stab as well as any higher end steel can.
I own many types of so called high end steels with no steel snobbery.

Those that purchased Bear Grylls junk, or had their Gerber knives recalled, or purchased Paraframes that you didn't like, I understand your feelings towards the company and understand your major disappointment and in turn, dislike.
If you don't like that some of us have had a positive experience with a recently produced knife (not made in China with mystery steel and no recalls) that's your issue.
Comparing higher costing knifes with higher end steels is pointless to me, as is the "mine is better then yours" thing.

The funniest thing I read in this thread was someone who never even held the knife in hand or saw it in person said: "I don't like the handle... yuk!"
LoL!

I'm not telling you Gerber is a great company, I'm saying there's no issues with the "newly produced knife" made by them that some of us purchased.
To base our buying choice/s on other peoples lousy Gerber experiences just isn't going to happen.

With a 100% lifetime warranty, if it's such a worthless piece of junk (to some), Gerber will get a lot of returns, ya' think? :p
 
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Have you checked the title of this thread? This is not about your messiah strong arm. And throwing around gerber's warranty is BS. The damn warranty ain't worth advertising.
 
Danke42 said:
I've had that same multi tool for over a decade and it's outlasted several Leatherman tools. I get lured away, wreck the new one and come back to the Gerber.
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I dare you to break a Wave doing something a Gerber can handle. :P
 
I always like my original EZ-Out. First modern one hander I acquired and it got a lot of use. Didn't hold an edge well, but it was smooth, felt good them using, and could be deployed several ways. Didn't hold a edge long though. I always wanted to try their ATS-34 version. No idea if their HT on it is any good.

Got fancier stuff now, but I still pull it out on occasion.
 
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