Gerber Bear Grylls Paracord Fixed Blade
MSRP: $37.00
Overall Length: 7.75“ (19.7cm)
Blade Length: 3.25“ (8.3cm)
Weight: 3.5 oz. (99g)
Weigh with Sheath: 5.75 oz. (163g)
Steel Type: 5Cr15MoV
Handle Material: Paracord
When I first started testing this knife I put a picture of it up on one of the social media forums. I got some slack from an individual for it. Maybe if Gerber doubled their prices and only sold their equipment at high end retail stores it would be a different story. My experience with Gerber Gear is this, they make reliable equipment at an affordable price that gets the job done. To add to that let's be realistic if it's good enough for Bear Grylls to use and put his name on, it's going to be more than enough knife for the most of us. End rant, let's get to the blade.
"The Paracord Fixed Blade is meant for those seeking the minimum in bulk and weight but not a sacrifice in functionality. With an extremely thin side profile, the paracord wrapped, full tang knife and slim sheath combine the best of both worlds. The paracord wrap can be removed and customized, if desired, and can be used for many other survival tasks if needed. The sheath allows for tip up/down carry with a removable/adjustable belt loop."
-Gerber Gear
Those are Gerbers words not mine, but I have no argument. This is a bad ass little knife. It's slim but sturdy and feels strong in the hand while at use. For its size it has a good weight ratio and a good balance. It carries light and comfortable horizontally fastened against the belt and doesn't get in the way. The access and pull from the sheath are smooth, but secure. I had no troubles with it working itself loose during carry. The fully wrapped paracrod tang is a great fit in the hand. Handle size felt fine for me and it will probably feel the same for the averaged size person. Sorry Stacy Bare (for those who don't know him, he's like 7' million" tall!!!) you might need to order a special make.
The Gerber steel type on this one is 5Cr15MoV, which might not be the fanciest out there by any means, but it's strong and dependable. This is more than enough knife for the average person. Believe it or not you don't need John Rambo's military style survival knife to go backpacking. The paracord supplied is 60 inches in length. Five feet is a pretty decent amount of cordage, but if you need more you can easily switch it out and fix a squirrel tail or trick your cord out in your own style lanyard or what have you. The orange is a bit loud for me, but it's designed and sold that way for a reason. It's a survival knife. If you ever have to use the p-cord it's bright color will be noticeable. I recently wrote a little blurb on contrast in the wild and its importance for survival. Not to mention it keeps the blade noticeable. You might not think much of this now but if you've ever set down a tool in the brush and lost sight of it this makes a lot of sense to you now. That's a crappy feeling to have and a little contrast goes a long way in preventing the loss.
As far as the sheath goes, it's my least favorite part of this package. It's plastic and it adds a little bulk to this otherwise thin blade. But it's a sheath! If there was anywhere to go wrong with it, this is it. But in reality it's not wrong. It carries the blade securely and safely, job done. It doesn't need to be fancy. Most Bushcrafters would probably replace this with their own personally designed sheath anyway. They're easily replaced and easily remade with a little canvas or leather.
The Gerber Bear Grylls Paracord Fixed Blade is a reliable and affordable piece of essential gear. There is absolutely no reason to think twice about owning this knife. It's a solid blade made for situations we don't want to ever be in, survival. However, if you find yourself in such a case this isn't a bad blade to have. Until then and hopefully that "then" is never, this a great knife to have and gives you a sense of security in carrying without it being over kill.
Menikmati,
Bunny
