What's Wrong With Gerber?

I used to frequently buy Gerber products. The last knife I had from them though was a F.A.S.T (partially serrated) I picked up some years ago. It was "ok" but I rarely used it for anything short of cutting tape. Anyway, once I found better quality knives, and had been hearing about all the QC problems, I stopped using the knife for anything. It sat in a drawer until I had a yard sale during this summer. I put it on the table and a guy asked me "how much?" I said "A buck." He gave me the dollar and took the knife. I can honestly say, I felt like I was ripping him off.
 
chambelona59 said:
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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.
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That made me lol... You do know there is actual science that proves otherwise right? That higher end (even basic) steels with higher carbon levels, and higher carbide levels from chromium to niobium, when effectively heat treated, will in fact cut AND slice better then 420hc... True story...
And also tougher steels will in fact ultimately "stab" better, especially if you stab and hit a bone, (as well as "dig a hole", especially if you hit a rock)...

Don't let facts get in the way of a good argument though... Your knife does all those things well enough for you, that's great, and i'm sure well enough for the average guy under most average circumstances I'm sure, but it doesn't do them "as good as any high end steel" sorry to burst your bubble.

Glad you like your knife though...
 
strategy9 said:
That made me lol... You do know there is actual science that proves otherwise right? That higher end (even basic) steels with higher carbon levels, and higher carbide levels from chromium to niobium, when effectively heat treated, will in fact cut AND slice better then 420hc... True story...
And also tougher steels will in fact ultimately "stab" better, especially if you stab and hit a bone, (as well as "dig a hole", especially if you hit a rock)...

Don't let facts get in the way of a good argument though... Your knife does all those things well enough for you, that's great, and i'm sure well enough for the average guy under most average circumstances I'm sure, but it doesn't do them "as good as any high end steel" sorry to burst your bubble.

Glad you like your knife though...
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Thanks, great knife.
Check out the Y.T. "Gauntlet videos" using one knife that was passed around.
Don't cry when your bubble bursts after it hits rocks, cuts through tires like butter and cuts/slices through the top of an oil drum.
Hard use fixed blade (no doubt about bone).
But you wouldn't want to do that with yours of course, you might get a scratch on your blade.
 
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chambelona59 said:
Thanks, great knife.
Check out the Y.T. "Gauntlet videos" using one knife that was passed around.
Don't cry when your bubble bursts after it hits rocks, cuts through tires like butter and cuts/slices through the top of an oil drum.
Hard use fixed blade (no doubt about bone).
But you wouldn't want to do that with yours of course, you might get a scratch on your blade.
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Make your own video.
 
Discuss the knives, not each other.
There's a nice list of folks who are ready for an infraction in this thread.
 
chambelona59 said:
Thanks, great knife.
Check out the Y.T. "Gauntlet videos" using one knife that was passed around.
Don't cry when your bubble bursts after it hits rocks, cuts through tires like butter and cuts/slices through the top of an oil drum.
Hard use fixed blade (no doubt about bone).
But you wouldn't want to do that with yours of course, you might get a scratch on your blade.
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I'm not talking youtbe videos kid, I'm talking metallurgical science, you know, by the people who actually engineer the steel. Again, not saying your knife can't do all those things, just simple fact it can't do them "just as good" as any other high end steel...

As for wouldn't want to scratch my blades, nice try kid, all my blades get used, from 420hc bucks to ELMAX kershaws, to cro-van kabars, and many in between, and I don't even own any "high priced" fancy Knives (yet), but when I do I'll use them too... Most materials don't significantly scratch steel since they're softer then the steel itself, and so just a small bit of polishing brings it right back to a nice shine as needed...

Now go have fun cutting some oil drums... Or just watching other people do it on YouTube...
 
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I've honestly never seen someone so passionately defend gerber before. Gerber does have a decent warranty and will replace there products pretty much no questions asked, they're incredibly slow getting a replacement product sent out. My first strongarm had a slightly bent blade near the tip. I discovered this when I ordered a kydex sheath that was super tight. They replaced it no questions asked but took over 6 weeks to get a new one.

The strongarm does show Gerber can make a decent knife when they want too. They're new gator made in the USA with s30v steel also looks to be a nice knife, but i doubt I'd pay $160 for a any Gerber. Especially for that price you can buy any Becker, many Tops models, benchmades, and are approaching the price range of bark rivers, and second hand survive knives. I'd choose to spend the money on any of those before a Gerber.

I only bought the strongarm because it's cheap enough, and looked like a better prodigy, which I use to really like. I paid $40 for mine and it's worth it .
 
I was all set to lose my mind over a $160 Gator, but it looks like the folder is more like $80. Still kinda high unless they've worked out their QC, I think you can get S30V from Kershaw for that.
 
okto said:
I was all set to lose my mind over a $160 Gator, but it looks like the folder is more like $80. Still kinda high unless they've worked out their QC, I think you can get S30V from Kershaw for that.
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Yea I was referring to the fixed blade model...You really wanna lose your mind look up the Gerber legend, last I saw it was selling for around $750.
 
This makes me wonder about the multi tool. I have one which I was issued but never use (I use my 1st gen leatherman). My wife also has the Gerber multitool which we have used on a myriad of ocassions with no issues or injuries. After telling her of the everyday commentary blog report, she related she was "not going to just throw away my Gerber multitool" (which she has had since the early nineties I believe).

Realistically, I believe the multitool is an ok product and it sure has worked for me in the past. But I'll stay away from the blades from Gerber for sure.
 
Tdhurl1103 said:
This makes me wonder about the multi tool. I have one which I was issued but never use (I use my 1st gen leatherman). My wife also has the Gerber multitool which we have used on a myriad of ocassions with no issues or injuries. After telling her of the everyday commentary blog report, she related she was "not going to just throw away my Gerber multitool" (which she has had since the early nineties I believe).

Realistically, I believe the multitool is an ok product and it sure has worked for me in the past. But I'll stay away from the blades from Gerber for sure.
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The older Gerber multitool is very, very well made.
I got one back in the later 80's(or around there), and my good friend got at the same time.
He lost his several years later, and went to Walmart to pick up another one.
It was junk, and you could hear the blades rattle when you shook it.
He tried and tried to buy mine, but I never sold to him.
Tell her to be proud of her older Gerber multitool !

BTW- like you, I also have a 1st Gen Leatherman that I really like a lot also.
 
I only buy Gerber when it features the Nixon Baby picture.
Bear Grylls pictures, not so much, especially after I heard he might only be an urban myth.
 
Some of their made in Oregon products are actually decent. I own the LMF II and happen to love it, handle is great ergonomically and very solid, grinds are good, coating has held up great. Sure the steel could be a bit better, but that would put it in a different price point I think. I own the Downrange auto in S30V, and that's a decent blade. Action is fast and smooth, great lock up, the G10 is good quality and very grippy. I just wish they would have made a non-serrated version though, and that's what I think a lot of people have troubles with is that you have to like (or can tolerate) serrations because they're on everything. Their non-usa made products (China made I'm assuming), I was 100% dissatisfied with though. But that's OK, because Gerber was my gateway to the knife world and because of them I figured out what I didn't like in a knife, and through companies like Spyderco and Benchmade I found out what I did like...
 
FanBoy86 said:
But that's OK, because Gerber was my gateway to the knife world and because of them I figured out what I didn't like in a knife, and through companies like Spyderco and Benchmade I found out what I did like...
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This is absolutely true for me, as well.

Gerber is easily granted the award for the biggest "stepping stone" or "gateway" brand into what I would call are higher quality and better designed knives.

I can thank my Dad for that. He gave me a Fast Draw that I carried for about a year. Not a terrible knife but now it lives in the car as an "emergency knife".
Incidentally, I gave my Dad an ESEE Zancudo for Father's Day and he loves it.
 
Nephron44 said:
I want to hear it from people who have experience with the product, whether good or bad.
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The only Gerber knives that I've owned and used were all garbage. So they ended up where they belong, in the trash. Granted, I bought them when I was new to knives and only recently threw them away. I kept on to them for years until I learned what a good knife was (at least what I consider a good knife).

That's my experience and it's bad.
 
Bobby3326 said:
I've honestly never seen someone so passionately defend gerber before. Gerber does have a decent warranty and will replace there products pretty much no questions asked, they're incredibly slow getting a replacement product sent out. My first strongarm had a slightly bent blade near the tip. I discovered this when I ordered a kydex sheath that was super tight. They replaced it no questions asked but took over 6 weeks to get a new one.

The strongarm does show Gerber can make a decent knife when they want too. They're new gator made in the USA with s30v steel also looks to be a nice knife, but i doubt I'd pay $160 for a any Gerber. Especially for that price you can buy any Becker, many Tops models, benchmades, and are approaching the price range of bark rivers, and second hand survive knives. I'd choose to spend the money on any of those before a Gerber.

I only bought the strongarm because it's cheap enough, and looked like a better prodigy, which I use to really like. I paid $40 for mine and it's worth it .
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"I only bought the strongarm because it's cheap enough"
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Same here, just under $40.00 incl. sh. I agree, it was worth it.
Mine fortunately had no bend issue, my Spydeco PM2 arrived (3 yrs ago) with the grind bevels so drastically off from one another that I sent it back to them and they made them perfect, I had a Benchmade Limited Edition Griptilian 551 that arrived with the Axis lock non functioning, sent it back then sold it when I got it back.
Production things sometimes arrive dysfunctional, most companies make it right though.
I own only that one knife made by Gerber, not interested in anything else they make.
From experience with two of his, Guy Seiferd makes everything perfect the first time and for me exhibits the gold standard when it comes to customer service. :thumbup:
 
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