gerber knives

The Gerber StrongArm Review | An American Tradition

The Gerber StrongArm has been a companion on most of my adventuring for the last few weeks. It’s walked with me through the woods, setting up tree stands, hunting, and ultimately being unsuccessful so far. However, the knife has served me quite well.

The Gerber StrongArm Blade

Strong and sharp are the first two words to describe the Gerber StrongArm’s blade. It’s quite capable, nice and thick, and very easy to sharpen. The finish on the blade is actually Cerakote. Real, licensed cerakote, this is a nice touch, and cerakote has a proven record for strength and durability. It hasn’t flaked or scratched under my watch.

The Gerber StrongArm has a full tang blade, that ends with a striking pommel. The pommel is also cut for a lanyard which is a nice touch The pommel is quite strong, although I don’t keep glass around the house to break. I did strike the poles in m barn several times, and it dug in deep and hard. What’s also nice is that my hand never slipped during these blows. Which leads me to the grip.

The Grip

The grip of the Gerber StrongArm has is soft and rubberized and fills the hand nicely. It certainly aids in preventing fatigue during heavy use. The grip is also textured with rubber diamonds to make sure there isn’t any slips or failures. The grip is certainly a high point with the design. It’s quite comfortable and makes it easy to do hard work with the knife over an extended period of time.

The Sheath

As we covered in the first look the sheath is what really helps set this knife apart. It’s incredibly modular and easy to carry. Strap it to your belt, your backpack, or to your plate carrier. You carry vertically or horizontally, openly or concealed. Carrying concealed is difficult and uncomfortable to me. It’s a big knife and you have to carry it horizontally. The only place I could conceal it was on my bag. This made it uncomfortable to you know sit down. Plus I would be afraid of being knocked backward on it and hurting my lower back permanently.

The sheath is extremely well made and is kydex. It has holes for lashing is necessary, and a slot for a strap to secure it to the thigh. It uses a passive retention system and when carried MOLLE or on the belt has a thumb snap retention device. There are two panels that allow the user to push-off the weapon out of the sheath when carried horizontally.

Pros – Easy To carry, versatile, and well made. MADE IN AMERICA

Cons – Horizontal carry is possible, but not an easy everyday carry.

Weight 7.2 oz

Blade Length 4.8 inches

Overall Length 9.8 inches

Blade Material 420HC

Handle Material Glass Filled Nylon

Gerber Turns to Minimalistic | The Ghoststrike Fixed Blade

It seems like the gear industry as a whole is turning to a minimalistic design. Everything from plate carriers, to belts, to weaponry. Lighter pieces of gear that hold up to the field is the goal of most companies and Gerber Gear is no exception. In fact they are taking the challenge in stride.

The Gerber Ghoststrike Fixed Blade has a skeletal design that weighs in at only 3.6 oz, and that’s with the sheath. Overall it measures 6.9 inches with a 3.3 inch blade. The handle is a small skeletal design with over molded rubber. I was at first concerned with the grip becoming slippery but even with a sweaty hand the texture keeps it firmly in your palm.

The small stature and skeletal design of the weapon doesn’t play much of a factor on this knife, I have been using the Gerber Ghoststrike every day for a while now and I’m not seeing any signs of weakness or wear as of yet.

The best part of this knife in my opinion is the sheath, it allows for use on a belt up to 1.75 inches and can be configured to carry vertically or horizontally. The plastic sheath keeps the knife secured nicely by use of two clips on the side that slid into the blade of the knife smoothly.

I’ve carried this knife on the hip vertically and in the small of the back horizontally and it virtually disappears when your shirt is over it. This knife is sharp, strong, and very concealable and I definitely recommend adding this to your EDC. Gerber also offers an ankle wrap that the sheath can affix to which allows it to be carried as a boot knife. With a price of $59.00 direct from Gerber you can’t find a better knife.

Author – Wes Nanny did 8 years as a grunt in the Marine Corps being a team leader and squad leader. I deployed to sangin, Afghanistan in 2010-2011 with 3rd battalion 5th Marine Regiment. After that I stayed with that unit and went on the 15th and 31st MEU’s. Iv attended numerous schools like CLS, TCCC, Assault climbers course, combat hunter trainer course, HRST masters course, infantry squad leaders course, raid leaders course and some others I cant think of. In my spare time when im not with my family I like to climb, shoot, and hike. I stay very current on firearms and fear of all sorts. I also did some side work with custom kydex for the last two years.

Gerber Launches G1 Series with Super-Premium Propel Automatic

Gerber is providing KnifeNews readers with an exclusive first look at their brand new G1 Series of limited edition, high-end knives. The Portland, OR company envisions the G1 lineup as an annual limited release series. As the series evolves, there may line-exclusive models but for now the plan is to elevate existing designs with top-shelf materials and hand-crafted finishes. The pilot for the new line is the G1-001, a premium version of the company’s popular Propel automatic knife.

Each American-made G1-001 is built by Gerber’s Prototype Team, made up of four skilled artisans with many years of knife making experience. For the 3.5-inch spear point blade Gerber implemented a laminated steel configuration developed exclusively for this knife. A Hitachi Blue core sandwiched between 410 stainless steel cladding allows for high cutting performance at the edge and better stain resistance and toughness on the outside. “We thought it was really important to step into a different type of steel,” says Karrson Koivisto, Product Manager at Gerber. This is the company’s first ever laminated steel offering. “Going into a bi-metal steel was exciting for us.” The G-10 handle scales have been replaced by milled and chamfered titanium ones. “Putting out this caliber of knife we wanted to make sure we looked after every detail,” Koivisto says.

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Crate Club Review | Gerber Evo Folding Knife

The SOFREP Crate Club operates a little differently than most other subscription based gear clubs. The question we get asked a-lot is ‘what type of gear do you get each month?’ We have done a previous article highlighting what has been sent out in the first quarter this year to give you an idea of the type of gear. Each month is a surprise as to what you’re going to get. All you need to know is that the gear guys behind the scenes are working to get you the best piece of gear for what you pay each month.

For the month of August the item was a folding knife by Gerber. More specifically the Gerber Evo. The Gerber Evo is a lightweight folder that disappears in your pocket. The knife does have a deep carry pocket clip, but I personally prefer to just drop it in my pocket. By carrying a concealed fixed blade and then dropping the Evo into my pocket gives me a great low-vis option. Due to the extreme lightweight of the Evo and it’s slim design, it sits nice inside the pocket.

The blade has a nice clean profile and should be easy to hone and sharpen. There is some confusion with the type of steel used, so I’m not going to get into that debate here. From what I can tell it’s a teflon coated stainless steel blade. I will tell you this; I carried a Gerber folding knife during my active duty days in the Marine Corps and never had an issue with the integrity of the blade steel or keeping it sharp. The bottom line is, if you take care of your gear it will take care of you.

What I like best about this knife is the handle. The handle is an anodized aluminum with cut-outs that honestly give you a decent grip on the handle. Over time the aluminum will start to wear giving the knife a used/distressed look (kinda cool in my opinion).

In a pinch you could use this knife as a self defense weapon due to the blade length and handle design. I would not consider this knife a hard-use folder for tactical use, but if you want a reliable everyday carry knife for utility tasks that is easy to carry, the Evo may be the answer for you.

Specifications courtesy of gerbergear.com

Overall Length: 7.95″
Blade Length: 3.43″
Closed Length: 4.61″
Weight: 2.8 oz.

Gerber Says Knife Enthusiasts Back on Their Radar

Gerber is rolling out two new folders they say live up to the high standards that core knife buyers have come to expect. According to the Portland, Oregon-based company, the made in the USA SharkBelly and the stylish Pocket Square demonstrate that they’re once again including knife enthusiasts in their scope of concern.

Gerber incorporated trendy features into the SharkBelly, including a 3.25” sheepsfoot blade, available in a plain or combo edge, and a deep carry wire pocket clip.“It’s an interesting, innovative knife that’s comfortable to carry every day and checks a lot of boxes,” says Gerber spokesperson Matt Aboussie. “It adds features for those who are more ‘into’ knives.” 420HC steel and a GFN handle keep the cost at an MSRP of $35.

In the same price range, the liner lock Pocket Square (shown below) places an emphasis on style, catering to city-dwellers with its modern, angular look. Its 2.9” drop-point blade of 7Cr17MoV steel nestles completely inside the handle, which comes in GFN or aluminum variations.

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Gerber StrongArm Fixed Blade | First Look

Gerber is associated with two things in my world. A cute baby on everything my son had when he was a baby, and it’s often a universal term for multi-tools. In fact, if you’ve spent any time in the military you have heard the term Gerber used for any and every multi-tool. Gerber makes more than multi-tools. In fact, they produce a line of nice fixed blade knives. I actually carried a Gerber Infantry during Afghanistan that I may or may not have liberated after an admin Marine left it in a chow hall on Leatherneck. When I received the Gerber StrongArm I couldn’t help but remember my old Infantry.

The StrongArm

I’m not dense and spelling Strong Arm wrong, the knife is branded StrongArm. Once I received it I was reminded of my old Gerber Infantry. The knives are similar in a lot of respects, but the StrongArm is more carry friendly than the Infantry and a bit shorter, and almost 4 ounces lighter. Overall the blades are nearly identical, with the StrongArm having a 4.8-inch blade.

The blade is a full tang that’s covered with a rubberized grip. The blade has the option to be partially serrated for those heavy duty tasks, or a simple straight blade. I prefer a straight blade if I was carrying the knife as a dedicated weapon. The handguard is less aggressive than the infantry. The StrongArm is sleek and smooth, with just enough handguard to prevent any unfortunate slips of the hand.

Mounting

What sets the StrongArm apart from other knives is how versatile the mounting options are. From the factory, the Gerber StrongArm comes with an option to mount the blade and sheath to a MOLLE/PALS system, to a belt in a vertical orientation or in a horizontal orientation. The horizontal orientation seems to be an excellent option for concealed carry.

Get a Grip

The StrongArm has a grip to die for. It really stands out in terms of comfort and grip. The grip is rubberized and fits very nicely in the hand. The rubber material has some give to it that flexes when gripped tight. It just fits like a glove. The grip is diamond textured and it’s an aggressive pattern. It certainly keeps the weapon in your hand.

I’m impressed with this knife, and as a fan of the Infantry I’m smitten. In a lot of ways, the StrongArm is the perfect civilian companion to the Infantry. The StrongArm is a little lighter, a little smaller, but seems just as tough. Only time will tell, but watch this space for a full review.