The criteria for gear that goes into your loadout seems to be constantly changing. In recent years there has been a call to provide the equipment that has the same capabilities and similar characteristics as existing gear only smaller and lighter. Based on the larger Gerber LMF II that I carried on my kit for a number of years is the Gerber Prodigy.
The Gerber Prodigy is a perfectly sized fixed blade that offers all the essentials in a nice 9.75” fixed blade knife. The blade itself is designed out of a beefy 420HC stainless steel and is about 5mm thick, so it has some weight behind it. With a heavy blade that is ceramic coated and a rubber molded grip this knife is very capable of a variety of tasks like taking down brush or fighting techniques without losing your grip. Protruding from the handle is a small pommel type area that can be used for glass breaking or soft tissue muscle gouging techniques.
With a partially serrated blade the Gerber Prodigy gives more versatility with what it can cut through, but the most versatile part of the Gerber Prodigy is the Sheath. It can be mounted on MOLLE, on a belt with a leg strap or even zip tied to any surface you deem fit. The only downfall is that you can fully remove the nylon portion from the friction sheath like you could with the LMF II.
From the Gerber Gear website:
Design cues for the new Prodigy were inspired by the award-winning LMF II, another knife engineered by Gerber’s Jeff Freeman. The Prodigy is much smaller (9.75″ overall length), but it certainly packs as much punch as its predecessor. The full tang, U.S. 420HC Stainless Steel blade is beefy, and coated with ceramic for improved corrosion resistance and reduced visual signature. The ergonomic over-molded rubber handles ensures a soft, comfortable, but secure grip in all conditions. Its also MIRS compliant. Much like the knife, the sheath is designed to live up to the task with a friction-release thumb lock for security and a list of non-detection features. Noise is dampened thanks to a molded softgrip coating which, like the ballistic nylon material, is MIRS compliant. It’s also MOLLE compatible and comes with a leg strap.
Let us know what you think of your Gerber Prodigy fixed blade knife.
Get the Gerber Prodigy on Amazon for around $50
Originally published on the Crate Club Knowledgebase and written by Wes
