[Mavrick12]

So...I was at The SMKW today....got into some trouble, but got a load of good knives. :D

Here are some I got today:
Kershaw Chive
Victorinox Spartan
SOG twitch
And then I picked up a Gerber Firestorm....It seems to be good, locks up tight....but does anyone know anything about it?
I have heard some bad things from Gerber....any difference now?
And what do you think of Gerber Knives?

[ssjones]

I've had my Gerber Chive since '02 and try to not leave home without it. Great carry knives at very reasonable prices (check your local Walmart).

[exoduster18]

Umm...The Chive is made by Kershaw...It is a Ken Onion Design.

Anyhow, the Gerber Firestorm is, IMHO, a good general use EDC type knife.

I have owned a couple of Gerbers (Gave them away to those that needed an EDC knife and it gave me an excuse to go buy another!! LOL). I have never had to resharpen them not have I had any problems with them. I think that it will serve you well.

[7X57chilmau]

Never had to resharpen them???? Don't use your knives?

[exoduster18]

I have used them extensively for the times that I had them. But, mine always held the factory edge or close to it.

The point of my comment was to state that my experience is that they held their edge well.

[thunder173]

My "hunter's" have always been Case XXX blades or Bucks. My fighters,...since proabaly 1970,... have always been,...and still are,...Gerber's...

[duvalhunter]

If a knife is used extensively it will not hold factory edge, unless the factory edge is dull...

A knife's edge is kinda like your car's shocks, it slowly gets worse and don't realize how big of difference you can make until you fix it. A good used knife will need a little touch up whether it is made from S30V or a cheap Chinese steel.

As for the OP, the Gerber Firestorm is a very cool looking knife and that is pretty much the only reason I would buy it. The tanto style blade will be a downside in a such a short blade, plus for a knife that only has a little over 3 in blade it is very heavy at over 5 ounces. The pocket clip is mounted in a good location so it would probably carry nice and deep. It is a liner lock which is adequate, I've just never been a huge fan of them.

[Big Bill]

Could someone please tell me about that "mystery steel" Gerber uses? They sure don't talk much about it.

[Carl Levitian]

As of a few years ago, they were using 440A heat treated to 57-58Rc. They may have switched to 420HC witch is also a decent steel. All the 420HC and 440A, seem to be a good everyday steel. Holds a decent edge for a decent amount of time. It's no miracle steel, but holds up well to abuse, and is easy to re-sharpen on a pocket hone. Case true sharp, Gerber, Vitorinox and Wenger sak's, are all about the same.

The blade steel snobbery tends to get carried away in a urination contest as to what is the latest, greatest miracle since the iron age. What steel can you dress out 300 deer with and not have to sharpen. Oh wait, theres a new steel that can do 304 deer, we have to have it.

All through the 1980's, and half of the 1990's, I worked at the Watkins-Johnson company as a machinist. Most of the guys I worked with were not knife knuts like us. But they needed a knife for the job. There was bundles of 10 foot round stock to be cut free of dirt and grime impregnated tape, boxes of parts to be opened so as to be machined and modified, fiber re-enforced tape to be cut and wrapped around bundles of parts from the lathes. Since there was a Gallyans in the nieghborhood that had the Gerber LST's for 12.99, they were a popular knife in the shop. I saw them abused beyond what was resonable. Not only did they hold up to the abuse that only a non knife person can dish out, but they cut well with a touch up now and then on a Norton india stone that everyone had to touch up lathe tools. I recently bought a new LST to replace the one that took 20 years to wear out. So far I've broke down cardboard boxes for recycle, Open bags of dog food, cut alot of things, and I touch it up on a pocket hone about once a month.

For 17.95 I'm more than happy with Gerbers mystery steel. But then I don't care about urination contests. I just want a pocket knife that cuts stuff. I find Gerber mystery steel good enough for a edc knife. If it gets dull, I touch it up on the little diamond hone in my wallet. I can forgive a knife for getting dull if used a resonable amount. I'd rather have to touch up a knife than have one thats hard to sharpen or chips when pushed a bit hard, let alone break. Steel is a comromise, you have to make up your own mind which way you want it.

Like a sak, Gerber is a good steel for day to day use in the real world where you're opening mail, UPS boxes, plastic blister packages, and mundane stuff like that. For wholesale zombi warfare, or fighting off 250 pound crack addicts that look like Conan the barbarian, maybe something elso would do.:D

[TimboKhan]

I have had a couple of Gerbers that I really like, but for the most part they fall flat with me. Other than the age-old Gerber boot knife (The Guardian), which very much falls into my "like" category (or did. I have no particular use for a boot knife anymore.), my favorite Gerber is this little knife they call the Ridge. Mine is a non-serrated blade, and I find that it is the perfect knife to carry when my dress or situation require a low-profile knife. Frankly, I am surprised I haven't lost it yet! Oh, and I also like the Applegate knives. My biggest problem with them is that at this point, I just prefer a larger knife. I certainly like the looks of them, and I own two, but they just aren't as useful to me on a daily basis as my others knives are.

I also have some hypothetical interest in the LMF. If I were still an active Marine, I would consider one. They seem like a well built field knife that represents a better tool than the standard Kabar, though I never had any particular issues with my Kabar. Again, I don't need a field knife, and while it seems like a better tool than my Kabar, my Kabar hasn't seen duty much rougher than being used as a backscratcher in years. Thus, I cannot justify purchasing one.

On the negative side, I am just not impressed with a lot of the other offerings, either from a looks standpoint, or I just don't care for the feel of them. Frankly, I can say the same thing about Buck. I would love for Gerber or Buck to make knives (outside of a couple of classics like the ones I mentioned) that I would be interested in, but they do not. Spyderco, and to a somewhat lesser degree Benchmade and Boker, do make interesting knives. It's obviously a matter of personal taste, but Gerber is kind of far down on my list of companies that make products I would buy.

[bikerdoc]

I stopped counting my knives at 4 dozen - not one gerber, dont know why, have no opinion of them. Now i got to go look at the LST because of Carl! Doubt it will make in to EDC. But who knows?

[Rupestris]

BikerDoc, Try the LST Magnum Jr.
Mine is somewhere around 10 or 12 years old and still ticking. The handle shape is a bit more secure in the hand and it offers a little more blade than the standard LST.
I think you'll be surprised at how user-friendly they are. They don't hold an edge like S30V or D2 by any means but they take a nice edge with very little effort.

Because of the LST and Bucks 420HC, I've kinda turned away from 440C when it comes to stainless. I know 420HC requires a little more attention but with the proper heat treat, its some forgiving yet tough stuff.

[JR47]

I was given a Gerber LST 300 that was found on the side of the road in the early 1980s. I carried it in my pocket for over 20 years. One Christmas, my daughter's fiance was visiting, and I gave him a pocketknife as a gift. My daughter responded with "hey where's MY knife", so the Gerber went to her. That was in 2006, and she still uses it in her business, working with horses. It gets used HARD, too. She touches it up on ceramic sticks.

I have several Gerber Harsey collaborations, a BMF and LMF, a Yari, and an older Patriot. They are all useful working knives, and hold an edge well.;)

[bikerdoc]

Gentlemen,
did some research for you gerber fanatics:
On the bladematrx site
LST Jr in black 19.95
Magnum in camo 25.25
Lst 2 19.09
Ya i ordered it
Thanks
Doc

[Rupestris]

Way to go Doc!
Just to be clear, I'm not a Gerber fanatic. I think Gerber, like a lot of companies, offer products that are substandard or just don't suit my tastes. Every once in a while they come up with an item that they just knock out of the park.

My only Gerber items are an LST, LST Magnum Jr., A Fiskars/Gerber 14" hatchet and an early Multi Tool. All of them are outstanding and get rave reviews.

Most of their other stuff, especially their Chinese offerings, are terrible IMO. Some are even knock-offs of other brands like the CRKT M16. An obvious forgery.

That said, they are getting back in the game lately. Cabelas offers a Gerber Gator fixed blade with a Bell and Carlson handle and an S30V blade that is a great package for a stellar price. Its on my short list.

Congrats on the new LST's and thanks for keeping an open mind. You'll be sharpening them a bit more often than some of your Spyderco's but I think you'll appreciate the simplicity and value of the LST.

[bikerdoc]

Update
The gerber LSTmodel G 69444 at 25.25 is llisted in 154CM steel - thats the one whoop de do, cant go wrong

[bikerdoc]

bump secondary to important info

[ssjones]

Many knives have the pocket clip now, but I think the clip is the main reason I still own my Chive. During the same time frame, I lost so many Case slim pocketknives that I was broke from replacing them. They just don't stay in the pockets of the dress slacks that I wear for work.

[TimboKhan]

Speaking only for me, I find pocketclips to be a necessity for me. Outside of my SAK, which rides perfectly fine in my jacket or bag, every single knife I carry has a pocket clip.

[alaskanativeson]

I have several Gerber Harsey collaborations, a BMF and LMF, a Yari, and an older Patriot. They are all useful working knives, and hold an edge well.
I finally found another Yari owner! I really like the design of that knife. I'm glad there are some others who can appreciate it.

[MCgunner]

I have used a Gator Serrator for 20 years as a field knife for gutting game and have skinned more'n a few with it. Now, I my EDC is a simple multitool. Used to carry a Leatherman supertool, still have it, but now I have this cheap POS that does the job and is light on my belt. It cuts what I need cutting, but the blades don't hold much of an edge for very long, but I use the pliers all the time on multitools and the screw driver blades. I've gotten to the point I'm lost without one.

Anyway, back to Gerber knives, I think they offer a LOT for the money. I simply LOVE that Gator for field dressing game. I recently bought a Gerber fixed blade at Wallyworld. It wasn't, but 25 bucks and the thing has a drop point I like and large curved skinning edge. It gets and holds a GREAT edge and it's all I've been using lately for skinning hogs and deer, mostly hogs since I trap them. I forgot the model designation, but here's a pic of it. Again, I'm no knife snob, just use 'em to clean game and cut boxes because my 9mm isn't too good at those jobs. Fighting, well, that's another story.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=65419&d=1192220509

[Kansan]

I carry the Gerber lightweight LST everyday to my office job or whenever I wear slacks and can't use a pocket clip. I love the knife and Gerber and will probably use their products happily for the rest of my life. I got my first Gerber 14 years ago (it was the full size LST) and have always appreciated its quality.

Another must-have Gerber is the LMFII for when the zombies attack :)

[Big Bill]

Carl - I just wish Gerber would be more forthcoming about what steel/steels they are using in various models. Whenever I read a retail ad for a Gerber knife, it very seldom describes the knife steel.

I don't think it's snobbery to want to know exactly what I'm buying when purchasing a knife. If Gerber isn't anxious to fully describe their product; then I'm not anxious to buy it!

[alaskanativeson]

Bill, you're in luck. I was looking at the Gerber site (http://www.gerbergear.com/index.php/products/knives) which gave a lot of information about their knives including which steel is used in many cases. At the bottom of the pages there are two tabs: Key features and tech specs. If you click on tech specs it usually gives the type of steel used.

[sm]

Gerber used to make some knives using M2 steel that were excellent!

Dang it, I was given a replacement knife about a year ago, and I'll be darned if I cannot find it, after moving.

This one was a aluminum handled, fixed blade, that was sorta a cross between a utiity knife and fillet knife.
If that makes any sense...

This was such a handy knife for cleaning fish, food prep, general duty and all.

M2 is what is used to make high speed hacksaw blades to cut railroad track , for one use.

Good stuff!!

[JR47]

For about ten years, in the 1990's, the Gercer Gator, and Gator-Mate rode the hips of a lot of Fire/EMS personnel. They weren't too expensive to use hard, or lose, held an edge against lots of supposedly non-knife use, and could be sharpened even after that. Light, they just seemed to "be there" when they were needed.

Lately, with the abundance of "Rescue knives", many of which are far less versatile, it looks like you'll have to spend upwards of $100 to be "correctly outfitted".:scrutiny:

[Carl Levitian]

"BikerDoc, Try the LST Magnum Jr.
Mine is somewhere around 10 or 12 years old and still ticking. The handle shape is a bit more secure in the hand and it offers a little more blade than the standard LST.
I think you'll be surprised at how user-friendly they are. They don't hold an edge like S30V or D2 by any means but they take a nice edge with very little effort. "

I had one of those knives, and liked it very much. A bit wider blade, and chunkier handle. My better half took it over with the proclamation that it made a good purse knife.

It lives there to this day. Once in a while she has me sharpen it when it won't cut even cream cheese anymore. I ask her what she's doing with it, and she tells me, "Its a knife, I cut all sorts of things with it!" (shudders at the thought.):D

[sixgunner455]

My father in law has carried an LST for as long as I've known him. I sharpen it for him whenever we get together, once or twice a year. (I got him a much prettier Case for Christmas, which he admired a lot, but we don't live in the same state anymore, so I don't know if he's carrying it).

I had one, and liked it. It lives in my sister in law's backpack now. And I had one of those Gatormates. Good little knife, mother in law has it now. :D

Gerber Gators -- I've sharpened a lot of them for soldiers. They seem to like them.

[Big Bill]

Thanks for the tip alaska! I'm excited to know it.