** PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU COMMENT** Just a friendly reminder. This is a family friendly channel and children read these comments. Please refrain from using even mild profanity as it will cause your comment to be blocked and we will not be able to engage in a dialogue. Thanks for you help! - Bryan
Here in 2023, and the two BG knives I bought before this video was made, are still going strong. I’ve done everything to mine that you did to yours in this video, over and over again. People who hate on these knives are either knife-snobs, never used one, or are Gerber-haters. The BG knives can’t be beat for what you get at the price you pay.
+Massacrebeatz mine too. Of course, I don't use it every day because I have so many knives to review. But I have used it a pretty good bit and it still does fine
I have used and still carry Gerber knives. Thank you for a honest review of the knife. I do get tired of the crap people give me for using Gerber knives. But I do love it when theirs fail and my Gerber keeps going.
I think all the hate on this knife came early on when it was first introduced. The early knives had problems with the pommel breaking off the handle. I've never personally owned one, but as far as I can see, it seems that Gerber worked out the bugs and fixed the problems. For anyone that's still worried about durability problems, I hear the Ultimate Pro version of this knife is pretty good. It has a full tang with the pommel also being part on the one of piece steel design.
I brought this knife 7 years ago , used it ever since , never owned a different knife for this purpose and it’s served me well enough. I just wanted to see if I was putting work into a bad blade I didn’t realise there was this much controversy!
I bought this knife from Wal-mart in 2014. It is my primary camping and my primary bugout knife (along with my EDC BenchMade Griptillian). I used it the way you demonstrated and it has not failed me in 2yrs Great review, forward and honest! I look foward to viewing the rest of your reviews. Thank you!
I'm watching here in 2020. I have the serrated version of this knife. Had it ever since it came out. I still use it till this day. I use it hunting fishing and walking in the woods. The knife hold up very well at least for me. Iv feild preped many deer with this knife and it's still going strong.
Thanks for the review. I've had mine for three years and I carry it on my pack and use it all the time at work and outdoor activities. This year I butchered three deer with it and had no problems.
I agree with your assessment. I bought one several years ago and have had no problems with it. I cannot imagine any 10-12 year old boy who would be disappointed on Christmas morning with this as a gift. I would have no problem with this being my only knife in the old "survival situation". The better your knife skills, the better the knife will perform.
I’ve purchased two of these BG knives, one for myself, and one for my son. Also have his survival hatchet (2), and parang (2). Figured we’d get a chance to try these out in the future, as he comes of age. Felt they would be good choices for beginners, and glad to find out that they (at least the knife) seem to be very reliable. Thanks for the review.
I own the serrated version , I appreciate this video a TON ! Thanks for the review! I absolutely love mine ! It has not failed me the least bit. I am out in the woods daily and find many many uses for it. Thanks again , really ! You're right about it being hated , seems to me like some may have encountered problems , are completely against the make , etc ... I don't know. But thank you for putting it to rest with this testing. I hope the haters are silenced. The fire starter is beyond handy , and on a side note. I've trained my dog in the whistle for when he goes too far in the woods !
I've owned this knife since the day it came out. Big fan of Bear Grylls. Bought the knife cuz I thought it was cool. I have used it for commercial and Industrial HVAC, hunting and fishing, and everyday use. This is my everyday carry. Only issue I've ever had with it is that the sheath is made out of plastic. I still have the original sheet I just happened to broke off the static lock. I absolutely love this knife. I have batons every type of wood with it and used it from everything from whittling to a spear.
You did a fair review. I have one, and it's never failed me. I guess the only other test is to see how it would hold up over time. I did not realize the knife was stainless. I thought I read once it was high carbon steel, with a protective coating. Maybe I read wrong. I would have to say, that would be the only draw back for me. Because we all know stainless isn't as hard, and cannot be sharpened to a fine of an edge as high carbon. But all in all, people have all sorts of motives for promoting a knife, or downing one. It's not alwayts because of the knife it self. Some folks could just hate Bear, or some other silly reason. Some don't like products backed by celebrities, period. And they may have good reason, as most feel what sells the product is the celebrity, not the quality. You and me know that's not always the case. One may make the point that because it's backed by Bear himself, that they can charge extra for it, and that may be the case. But I agree with you, it's a decent knife. I too love the grip. It feels like it has less of a chance of slipping. I like the weight, because it's good when you use it to chop. One thing I know, it isn't nearly as bad as most make it out to be. I know that, because I have used one myself. But for an everyday carry, I love my cheap Mora's. Great and honest review.
Ya I just got one a few days ago, and so far I really love it, it's a decent knife and can do a real good job at just about anything. I find it very durable.
I consider myself a student of survival and I love the Pocket guide. Keeping a level head and thinking clearly can be quite difficult in a true survival experience. I personally always have one with me. It addresses "priorities" when you can't think straight. Great video Bryan.
I have two of these BG knives. The second generation (upgraded pummel design) of the Ultimate Knife (serrated version), and the BG Ultimate Pro Knife. Each will serve their purposes. I like them both. Looking forward to your future videos using the Ultimate knife. Thanks.
Great Video Brian! - I have had a BG Scout Folder for 9yrs now and I have put that thing through hell and back. Still goes on every trip I go on. Holds its edge extremely well too. Cheers - Skorp - Western Australia.
This morning was a fantastic pre Spring day. Perfect for a test run of this particular knife that you reviewed only mine has the serrated blade. I am not a fan of serrated blades, but that is what I was dealt. I did the same tests as you and this knife impressed me at how easily it made a nice feather stick, easily batoning through hard wood and its knots, even broke my baton on the front part of the blade. Starting a fire with the included steel was a snap with the very sharp spine it was effortless. Chopping anything over 2.5-3" is a no go unless your super desperate. But through 3 or less inches and as-long-as you've got a sharp blade it does the job very well. I cannot say it would be my go to camp knife but it going to stay in my emergency pack for sure. Other than easily scuffing up the finish on the blade, I like the look of a well used blade, it cleaned up perfectly and I sharpened up the blade and now it looks hungry for more. Thanks Brian.
I got one of these, and I found that the "Scout 2.0 Light My Fire Firesteel" fits perfectly into the slot on the front, but I want to find a way to further secure it, perhaps with bright orange thin bungee cord into something I super glue up top for the purpose.
Brian I been following you since you started your channel, I have been using Gerber products for 20 years and everything I purchased from them is still in tact and still in use. It might be the most hated knife but it has some features you don’t get on the expensive ones. Also whoever hates on Bear Grylls hasn’t seen his shows. He give excellent advice on how to survive in the wilderness. I live in SOCAL my wilderness here is a lot different, so you have to pack for your environment. Enough said thanks for your great videos.
I don't care for the color scheme of it, but it looks like it does what it's supposed to. Was actually looking at one the other day. I also like that you're picking the most hated on knife in the world as your primary blade. That's cool I think.
I kind of like the color scheme for a survival knife because it is a little easier to find if you drop it in the woods, (or just leave it laying somewhere by mistake).
I was given this knife as a gift from a friend. The only thing I don't like are the serrations but other than that I use it as a general purpose camp knife. I've never had any problems with it. Thanks for a good review. atb
I just got one as a gift for Xmas and I'm an avid fishermen and outdoorsman, I absolutely love it, I'm glad you gave it a great review!!! by the way I'm also a bear gryll fan, his knife just makes me feel like im a part of being a part of nature and enjoying it more
I had this knife myself and I could do anything with it, just make a fire on dry leaves with the fire stick, was also a good throwing knife, nice to cut with, and thanks to the built-in sharpener always sharp and then the instructions about how signals to give and how to handle cords and knots. I found this knife very useful and I cannot understand why this would be the most hated knife now, I am hearing this for the first time and I am very surprised about this, because this is a great knife this together with everything useful to it and is included.
Great hands on review. Just to let everyone know as why the reviewer was putting a bit more pressure when making the fire starter sparks was due to him sliding the tool on the edge of the fire starting section of the knife at the top of thd blade. I did the same thing when I first purchased this knife then I slide the tool across the whole flat part of the knife fire starter and I barely needed any pressure and sparks come flyin like the 4th of July. Land of the free home of brave.
I bought the Bear Grylls Parang , which had some pretty bad reviews, but after a year of service it has yet to fail, just cutting trails mostly in the north-east woodlands. I will say the steel doesn't hold an edge all that great but due to its soft nature its easy to sharpen in the field. I've beat on it pretty good, not worrying too much 'cause it wasn't very expensive and it's held up just fine.
I think its a great knife, you just proved it. Thanks Bryan. Very cool video. I have the Serrated version my family bought me years ago. I was over the moon, being a Bear fan and all. I was actually kind of shocked to hear it was hated. I only wish I could use it more often, life gets in the way, Cheers.
great video. I grew up in a gerber knife household and have always been a fan of them. I have this knife, I have abused it and seen have seen nothing wrong with it. it seems like the majority of the videos that have people breaking this knife are doing something the knife was not intended to do. so thanks for not putting the cart before the horse and keep making informative videos.
They even made masive improvements with the newer pro version of this knife. I dont own one yet but ive seen it enough and plan on getting several knives i cluding the ultimate pro. I do agree putting bears name all over the damn thing is pretty cheesey but i see nothing wrong with this knife, comsidering it comes with the guide, whistle, firesteel, and sharpener. Seems like a decent deal to me.
Its nothing wrong with this knife. As you say, people just talk shit about it but dont realy know what they saying. There is alot of armchair survival guys out there sitting on a 10.000 dollar collection of expensive knifes and for them this is a child toy. I guess many people who think they are expert (or are experts) dont dear to use this knife coz then people may think they are begginers.
Man, what a clear point you made. That is an awesome comment. I agree with your those internet "commandos" who don't really get out in woods much always seem to bash this knife. ESEE's are toys to those kinds of people. I personally wouldn't mind using it at all.This knife can do anything all the other knives on the market can. I am no survival expert, but I view things in a non-biast way. I bet most people who criticize this knife haven't used or owned one.
I think that's true of a lot of things people criticize on the internet. Magnus got it right, they hear others say something is junk and don't want people to think they are an amateur, so they jump on the bandwagon. Of course, some stuff is junk, but so far this knife is holding it's own for me.
Survival On Purpose I don't really like the term bandwagon. But in the knife community there are what I call "Inner Circles" in the forums and TH-cam, which are made up of people who decide which knives people will like and which knives people will hate on. I honestly don't care how people view me, as an expert or amateur. If I pass by someone one the trail that looks like a survivalist, and I am wearing the BG knife, I wouldn't try to hide it. I am the kind of person that forms his own opinion. I sometimes may agree with "the crowd", but most times, I don't. I will observe a piece of gear or a knife very carefully before I call it great, or horrible.
I have had one of these knives for over a year and put it through equally tough tests have been very impressed with the package! I also have the compact version and it performs equally well. I would echo the steel comment as I have gotten a day of normal "woods" stuff like chopping, whittling, cutting rope then it is back to the stone again to hone the edge again! But it has been a great knife and I will be upgrading to a 1095 grade steel knife (BK2). Love the review! Thanks
A very good review and demonstration. I see many people who buy knives, and attempt to baton the poor thing through something about the size of a telephone pole, and then cannot understand why the knife won't do the job. It far exceeds the ability of the knife. Then they want to cast a bad review of the knife, unfairly. I think this Gerber Grylls knife was very well thought out, and it does a reasonably good job. I bought a Hawke knife, and that thing is indeed junk, and was so dull out of the box you couldn't cut paracord with it, probably. It took numerous honings with a Work Sharp to even get it serviceable. Not so with the Grylls knife. It was good and sharp out of the box, and has met every expectation. I agree with you, whoever calls this knife "junk", probably hasn't been out in the field with it yet. For what you pay for it, it's a bargain. Thanks for an honest, objective review. - C.J.
I have the gut hook version of that gerber and I’ve put it through absolute he ll for probably 4 years, including busting 3 inches of slate while digging a hole, I assumed the blade would be a little bit brittle and I see I was right, it takes a good edge though, by now the handle material is destroyed and it could be replaced if I could find someone who does that job
I'm glad I watched this. I got my 12 yo boy this knife for his birthday last year and told him if he wanted to get into survival stuff ,that he would have start building his tools slowly. I'm happy that his first tool was a good one according to your review and proof. So thanks for this video.
Great video and totally agree. I bought one, when I saw on the package it was made in China I was horrified!. However, it is a good knife and can stand up to whatever you throw at it.
I got the serrated version on sale 30 bucks a couple years ago. I don't use it a lot but it is a fine knife no doubt. Many have complained that the sheath dulls the edge and this is true with mine... I wonder if yours will do the same or maybe Gerber fixed this by now. Although, If I am careful when taking it in and out of the sheath dulling the edge can be avoided. Some Russian dude who destroys knives tried to kill this one but it survived... and he did terrible things to it much worse than you. Nice job Brian!
I have seen a few of your vids. Just subscribed and glad I did. Good, honest review. Gerbers have a hard use history with soldiers going back to the vietmam war. Bear Grylls, love him or hate him, is ex Special Air Service. That is a pretty good combination for producing good products. My Ultimate Survival Knife has it's down sides, as you pointed out but for the price it is a very good knife which I can rely on to keep me alive. That's why it is in my bug out bag.
meddice I think it as probably at least better than the razor blade found in a lot of micro survival kits. Just don't be stupid and it should serve you OK.
I would not call them a bad knife really... BUT I do think that they are not worth the money if you really are going to use it. Let me use the Ultimate Pro as the example. You can get it for $70. It is made of 9Cr19Mov, which I think is a massive down grade from 1095 or 1075 and other carbon steels. If they were to make it out of 420c or 1095 or 1075 I would start to take it more seriously. Also I just hate the fact that they use plasitic in the handle, with a knife over $50 you should be looking for wood, micarta, G-10, rubbery maybe, and other more durable materials. For $70 I would say the Cold Steel SRK is much better and better proven. Also a lot of Schrade knives that are made in china and only cost $40, are much more capable than the BG stuff. So my biggest problem with them is how they are over priced by a very large margin for what you get, and to me it comes off as a marketing scam using Bear Grylls name to sell to people who are non the wiser.
I have their 60 dollar hunter knife and a 20 dollar little survival knife. Take both of them when I go camping but I also take another knife with me for backup which should probably be my main.
@@danmartin4552 No, 9Cr19MoV is like 440B or Aus8 stainless steel. Alloyed stainless steel is always much more expensive to buy and produce than simple carbon steel. A better comparison is the Sog seal pup.
i love your honesty, god bless and mary x mas and happy new 2023, second time i watch this vid along with the 1 year later review. i own the ultimate pro and love it, betoninng cutting fish fire making and and and oysters hammered of of the rocks. still going strong
This is a function over form knife. For wilderness canoeing inCanada, it fits the bill. The sheath features provide the striker and sharpener all in one.
I personally own both the original ultimate survival knife, and the ultimate pro survival knife. I've never had any issues with either of them. I own many gerber products, and they're some of the best knives I own!
I agree. So far this one is holding up well. I spent a little time throwing it tonight. (I know that's probably not covered by the warranty, but it's fun).
Thanks for this review. It looks like a solid knife to me. I don't like it when people are hating on a knife and they don't even own one, nor have they ever used it. I think this knife is like any other out there. There's gonna be a few out there with a tempering fault. That's just the nature of knife making, but that's gonna be few and far between. That's why reputable companies will include a warranty.
Like you said most people go with the crowd but i have this knife and its still in very good condition. Batoning, hammering, some throwing and hacking - this knife survived every "test" I probably need to do in a survival situation. After a long time of use I think I can say that I would be pretty happy with this knife in a survival situation but of course there are better knives out there. Great video !
Thanks. It's good to hear that you have beat this knife up and it is still OK. Sure there are better knives but you can always say that about almost anything.
This is not a bad knife NOW, after Gerber fixed some of the earlier issues with it. It's still a lower-end knife, the blade is still not as good as some of the tougher steels, but the risk of it failing on you is considerably lower than it was. I agree that a lot of the criticisms on this knife were amplified by social media and TH-cam videos. Gerber took a much bigger hit on the fails of introductory model and they didn't get nearly the credit due for fixing those issues.
I don't see why this is such a heavily criticized knife. To be fully honest I probably wouldn't let my life rely on this knife (i'd probably go with a much more expensive, venerable knife), but if it's all you've got out in the wilderness, it'll definitely make your life a lot easier- and possibly, save it.
I've seem one $100 and one nearly $200 knife fail at battoning. I carry a small hatchet, it doesn't weigh much and does the job. Heck once I forgot my paddles for my inflatable boat. I quickly made a hand axe out of a cobble and split some drift wood for my paddles. Thanks for the video though.
I own a couple thousand dollars in my blades, including this one.... I wanted to see for myself how good this knife really was, so I purchased one a fine Edge 5 years ago,and still have it today. I've buttoned a truckload of wood with this blade with no issues at all....... I've seen a lot of blades break that cost 3 times as much as the Gerber blade....... I had the serrated model and broke two tips off of them Gerber replaced both blades without question......Most tips would have broken under that kind of stress. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences on this blade with me, I appreciate it sir.
I never understood the controversy to be honest. It’s the best $52 I ever spent. It’s never failed me with regular household and maintenance chores. Right now, my knife is a bit beat up. But no rust or breakage at all.
Have you sharpened the knife using the diamond sharpener that comes with the sheath? By the way, this is a very good demonstration showing the utility of the knife. I think you might just have opened some people's eyes. Go GERBER!
I wanted this knife but it wasn’t on Amazon uk. I ended up with the mora Garberg and the strong arm and Kansbol and Eldris and companion and HD and wood crafting outdoor knife by mora.
I watched your more recent review on this knife, then came back to this older video following the link in the description... Why, thank you, sir! Liked, Subscribed & had all bells and whistles turned on!
I like Gerber knifes and have no problem with them , but I think some of the problem is the name Bear Grylls. His survival show he was in showed some good stuff but he took far to many chances that were not necessarily good even to people who do not have that much knowledge of survival. It's something he might be trained for but for common man he took far risk for showmen ship. Which were done for network ratings.
Survival On Purpose I fully understand that and I agree with you on that, but some people don't and there in is the problem. Keep up the videos I like seeing new stuff and different points of view. Thanks
A good and fair review, nice and clear. Didn't like the color scheme as looks a bit gimmicky, but, easier to find if dropped I suppose. That handle looks good, very practical. You've a new subscriber from the uk 👍
I hope it is better quality than the Gerber Bear Grylls multi-tool I got. The scales on it disintegrated after only a couple weeks of use. The tools and blades, were difficult to ope, then ended up so loose, I had to tighten them down several times. To it's defense, it is still functional, though it has been assigned to one of my tool boxes.
I paid 32 dollars for the fine edge version and have battoned a truck load of wood with it with 0 problems, none..Haters hate everything including themselves. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and suggestions with me today, I appreciate it sir Brian
Good review Bryan ! Mine is in my pack as a back up. I like the knife. Wish I had gotten the non serrated version but, that was in my bush craft beginning days when I got it.
I'm not one to run with the crowd, and I like an honest opinion, especially when it goes against what everyone else is saying. From what I just saw, I can find no fault with it either. Great Review. Looking forward to seeing how it holds up long term.
Thanks for the honest review of a much reviled piece of kit. My wife, knowing that I am a huge knife fan, bought me one of the serrated models for christmas a few years ago, and the only real complaints I had with it was the Bear Gryll's billboard all over the knife and the serrations. The ferro rod that came with it snapped my second time using it, but that was my own stupidity. It's not my go to, that is either one of my Beckers or my Gerber Strongarm.
Craig Wildfeuer I actually like the ferro rod because it is a softer one. And, hey, Bear's gotta eat too. I think if most of us had a chance to plaster our initials all over a bunch of stuff and get paid we would do it.
Good point. The main issue that I had with the ferro rod was me. I wasn't too well verse in its proper use. All my fault that it broke. I ended up picking up one of their larger rods and it works great with most of my kit.
Nice video. I own the trio LMF II Prodigy & the BG. I actually like the BG best. The ergonomics are just better to me. There really is nothing wrong with the knife. It's a purpose built knife and fits the role well.
I’m x army and we’re always buying knives for the field, people seem to ignore the sheath which I evaluate along with the blade, I can’t use a knife that’s not there 😂I live in Tennessee so I can carry a fixed blade about anywhere except a school,
You stressed the knife more than adequatly. The metal did its job. Seems to be 440 instead of the cheaper 220 stainless. The grind looks like a hollow grind. For the money and the grind it looks like a good heat treat. Good review and the knfe showed itself to be a good buy for the money. Keep up the good work enjoyed the review.
Hey there Chief! So I got the knife today. Got its for 39.99 at target. I gotta admit that it is a nice knife, Feels great in hand and is sharp out of the box. Another thing that I liked is the width of the blade, Gonna play with it tomorrow and practice fire starting. The only difference from the one in the video is that its the serrated version. As soon as I took it out of the packaging I secured the feril rod with the whistle the way you did.
Recently bought a gerber strongarm....really solid knife. Mine was ridiculously dull out of the box, but after some edge work it seems to be more than capable. Ive had thousands of dollars in high end knives, and I honestly believe that the strongarm can holds its own. It wont hold an edge as long as cmp 3v, but that is understandable. For typical and expected use the strongarm is more than sufficient. So much so that it is in my emergency go bag now, along with a mora kansbol for fine detail work and food prep.
I have the folding sheath BG knife and it came pretty sharp and I made a ton of feather sticks with it. It's strange to see the sorta big brother of my knife come not as sharp.
I had the serrated version in 2011, which broke at the point where the serrations met the fine edge. I got the full fine edge as a replacement which is a much better knife IMO, but just over a year later the tang came dislodged from handle. Since 2014 I have been using the TOPS Silent Hero & never looked back, even thought it is 4x the price of the Gerber BG USK.
you can rarely find a fair review on this knife. thank you, i mean controversy surrounds it on all sides it is a decent knife.(although nothing incredible.
Blake Williams depends on the knifes application. If you need to filet fish, the standard would be different for that than someone who’s primary usage would be in hacking down small trees. Since this is meant to be a jack of all trades knife, we would judge it based on its ability to execute “survival” type tasks.
Good review. I think the early versions were poor design to get the price point and to get BG his kick back. I have several Gerber knives and I am a big fan of the lmf II. I think they tweaked that early design of the BG and came up on a good knife.
I have just started watching your TH-cam channel and you have some great reviews and useful information on your page. I appreciate the work that you put in to teach us all some useful skills. I use this very knife and I can honestly say I would buy another. Keep up the good videos!
Well, I'm sold. I'm by no means a knife guy, I know a little about bayonets but when I see all these different name brand knives with different sized blades using different tempers of steel and all that crazy stuff, I still just see a knife. This Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife looks pretty awesome with all the different things it comes with. Sheath, sharpener, steel pommel to use as a hammer, the handle looks like it fits the hand well, whistle, instructions on calling for help from an aircraft, all for around or under $50? Seems like a decent buy to me, I certainly want one. Negative opinions have always been popular on the internet it seems. How many times have you heard people say that .22lr can't kill, 9mm is underpowered, the AK design isn't accurate, the AR design isn't reliable, the M91/30 is a bad rifle, the Type 99 Arisaka is a piece of junk, .30 Carbine has no penetration, etc. People like to bash things, whether or not they've any experience on the matter. It's popular, you'll find yourself a niche of people who will join you in the bashing, and with lots of people they just find it feels GOOD to say "That thing sucks." Makes em feel smart, like their opinion has weight, and that they're getting a sense of superiority over people who LIKE the thing they're bashing because they think they're unintelligent for liking it. You have to watch out when you hear things on the internet. Taking it as fact without experience or proper research and spreading this thing that's taken as fact can lead to spreading misinformation, and although the bashers think they LOOK smart, they're ultimately just looking ill informed as well as arrogant to make assumptions. Are there better blades than this Gerber Grylls thing? Probably. Like I said, I'm very ignorant when it comes to fancy name brand knives, but is this knife BAD? Sure as Hell doesn't look like it, and I'd like to hear how it stood up after that year of use. This vid is very nearly 1.5 years old, perhaps there's an update vid on it? If not, I think it'd be interesting to hear about how it performed, various tasks it's served well in, tasks that it DIDN'T serve well in if the experience with it was lack lustre, and details like if the edge of the blade kept its sharpness well or if it perhaps needed constant sharpening. Anyways, interesting stuff, liking the vids I've been seeing today, only just discovered Survival On Purpose, definitely subscribing.
+NormanMatchem +NormanMatchem Here is the one year follow up. th-cam.com/video/Ck7a5V02-CE/w-d-xo.html I have to tell you though, I would buy the Strongarm instead. It is around the same price. Although it doesn't come with the add-ons, is US made and full tang. survivalonpurpose.com/Gerber-Strongarm
+Survival On Purpose I like Bear Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife. Maybe Strongarm has a better steel, but it's more expensive and doesn't have fire starter, sharpener and whistle. I like the orange design too and the handle (it's not made of soft rubber, like some Schrade knives). I wanted to buy Schrade (too rubbery, too black, too pointy, not pointy enough, some strange powder coating), but I bought this instead. The blade is also a good size and shape.
NormanMatchem it’s pricey though, you could have gotten a schrade SCHF36 in 1095 which is more durable and holds an edge longer, but with a crappier sheath and a ferro rod, and a sharpening stone. It also has a great handle.
Bryan (sp?) I really appreciate your straight-from-the-hip, no-b.s. reviews. I'm still not a Gerber/Bear Grylls fan, but I respect the honest assessment of the tool.
Spelling is correct ;-) Thanks. As uncool as it may be, I actually respect Bear for a lot of stuff. As far as I know, he really was in the SAS and that is no cake walk. Just the selection process is more than tough. His show went south pretty quick, but he did kind of bring the whole survival thing into the mainstream. As for the show, I know from experience that "reality TV" is usually about as far from reality as you can get. And, like I said, I like Gerber.
I have many cheap knives, especially since I abuse them alot. To my surprise most of them last! This includes chopping,prying,stabbing,and throwing. Most were like a $10 or so. I do have a TOPS Intercepter that I keep with my hunting gear. I do have the BY Gerber that I intend on bringing as well, since two knives are better than one. Good review! Only knives I stay away from are the hollow handle ones since those are the ones that don't last me for more than a week!
Speaking of hollow handle knives, stay tuned for my review of the Schrade SCHF1 and SCHF2SM. These things are rock solid, forged from a single piece of high carbon steel with a waterproof, hollow handle. It will be a few weeks before I get the videos finished but the knives are great.
½ Serrated High Carbon Stainless Steel Drop Point Blade is the one that was given to me as a present. It will be going out for a test drive in the next few weeks and after watching your video, I'm feeling pretty good about this becoming a go to camp knife. I normally wouldn't buy a celebrity knife, but fate I believe has dealt me a kindness. I also don't like blades under 7" I can use a 10" knife in camp and as protection against any attacker be it beast or man.
It seems fine for what it is. I think most of the folks that hate this knife, hate it because of how they feel about Mr. Grills. Bear is very knowledgeable and has great skills, but, as for me, I didn’t agree with some (a lot) of the things he would demonstrate on his survival show. Now, he did have another show where he had couples, a man and a woman, learn a skill and then go out and do it in the field, competing against each other. Then, at the end of the day, he would evaluate the couples and make one couple leave. I thought that was worthwhile. As always, a great review! 👍🏻👍🏻 🇺🇸
Brian that's the nicest thing anybody has said to me in a good long while. I do have a video request if you haven't already done it. One about fixed blade knives that are not expencive but still good solid tools you could rely on especially day for instance a Boy Scout? I also was a Scout back when I was about ten years old and it was rip roaring fun! Anyhow I talk too much but thanks. Garry
I think my little brothers BG Ultimate was a first gen cause the retention piece was orange not gray, but the faults we found were the plastic retention piece lost retention and the hammer plate thing came unglued and falls off all the time.
Well that actual does make me happy because I never thought about getting one after that, but now that I know the revised it I might consider it again. I love how the handle feels in the hand.
It's a decent knife. Ultimate knife? probably not, but it's OK for a $50 price range. I certainly don't think it deserves the level of hate it seems to generate on the internet.
This is the best review of this knife i have seen. Having owned it and taken mine out camping on plenty of occasions-for the price (i got the machete and knife for £70 quid delivered UK), i don't think i could have got luckier. Yes, there are better knives, but for what it has i didn't see i wasted a penny. Additional. I took the knife off the sheath (black thingy), and the velcro and fixed it to my main backpack (sowing the velcro onto bag), allowing you to reach behind your head, flick the velcro safety off easily and access is swift (in case of zombie attack ;-). I feel this received bad review due to first production and the wrong glue, honestly i beat mine up using all the features (though have left the striker for emergency only and use old faithful), sharpener works a treat-yes sometimes you need a good stone as with any knife but i have one. Great review, liked, subbed, will check out your other videos as i get time, but i like your honesty, and i know you have experience. All the best with your channel, from acroos the pond (in UK), respect to you, kudos, whatever you Americans say lol. P.S. I think some people complain because they are easily manipulated sheep, and spent a hell of a lot more for lesser the knife for price comparison. Did i say sheep? way to go labelling people i don't know......kind of like ragging the knife without using it ever ;-) Well done Brian.
Stu M Thanks Stu. BTW, I just recorded a follow up to this video after having the knife for over a year. It will be posted sometime in the next few weeks.
Survival On Purpose Quality stuff Brian. Gives me a chance to watch some more of your work ;-) With so many people on the take, showing you new stuff every wk they say they love and don't live without it, i like your honesty by admitting you get a smidge back from the sales......but at least with you i can hear the truth/some decent testing-and not just someone spout to get more sales. Best wishes to you and family.
** PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU COMMENT**
Just a friendly reminder. This is a family friendly channel and children read these comments. Please refrain from using even mild profanity as it will cause your comment to be blocked and we will not be able to engage in a dialogue. Thanks for you help! - Bryan
Great review! Much more in depth than I thought it would be. Keep up the good work.
This is friggin' youtube. If you don't want even 'mild profanity' get off. Lemme block this channel instead. Wouldn't want to offend anyone.
It's his channel. Like they always say, if you don't like the channel, move on elsewhere.
Heck.
If you want to use mild profanity get off the channel.
Best review that I've seen on this knife. Great job!
BudgetBugout Thanks!
Here in 2023, and the two BG knives I bought before this video was made, are still going strong. I’ve done everything to mine that you did to yours in this video, over and over again.
People who hate on these knives are either knife-snobs, never used one, or are Gerber-haters. The BG knives can’t be beat for what you get at the price you pay.
I've had this knife for almost a year and it's still great and held up
+Massacrebeatz mine too. Of course, I don't use it every day because I have so many knives to review. But I have used it a pretty good bit and it still does fine
I have used and still carry Gerber knives. Thank you for a honest review of the knife. I do get tired of the crap people give me for using Gerber knives. But I do love it when theirs fail and my Gerber keeps going.
I think all the hate on this knife came early on when it was first introduced. The early knives had problems with the pommel breaking off the handle. I've never personally owned one, but as far as I can see, it seems that Gerber worked out the bugs and fixed the problems. For anyone that's still worried about durability problems, I hear the Ultimate Pro version of this knife is pretty good. It has a full tang with the pommel also being part on the one of piece steel design.
I brought this knife 7 years ago , used it ever since , never owned a different knife for this purpose and it’s served me well enough. I just wanted to see if I was putting work into a bad blade I didn’t realise there was this much controversy!
I bought this knife from Wal-mart in 2014. It is my primary camping and my primary bugout knife (along with my EDC BenchMade Griptillian). I used it the way you demonstrated and it has not failed me in 2yrs Great review, forward and honest! I look foward to viewing the rest of your reviews. Thank you!
Thanks for watching.
I'm watching here in 2020. I have the serrated version of this knife. Had it ever since it came out. I still use it till this day. I use it hunting fishing and walking in the woods. The knife hold up very well at least for me. Iv feild preped many deer with this knife and it's still going strong.
Thanks for the review. I've had mine for three years and I carry it on my pack and use it all the time at work and outdoor activities. This year I butchered three deer with it and had no problems.
That's good feedback Jake. Thanks.
With butchering deer, do you fillet fish also? What about stopping or "steeling" out in the wild
Noo not the deers
idk y everyone assumes they can do axe work with a knife and when it fails its a bad knife not a stupid operator
Some people really think that just because they have a good, durable knife, they can keep abusing it until it breaks, and then call it a bad knife.
I agree with your assessment. I bought one several years ago and have had no problems with it. I cannot imagine any 10-12 year old boy who would be disappointed on Christmas morning with this as a gift. I would have no problem with this being my only knife in the old "survival situation". The better your knife skills, the better the knife will perform.
I agree
I’ve purchased two of these BG knives, one for myself, and one for my son. Also have his survival hatchet (2), and parang (2). Figured we’d get a chance to try these out in the future, as he comes of age. Felt they would be good choices for beginners, and glad to find out that they (at least the knife) seem to be very reliable. Thanks for the review.
I own the serrated version , I appreciate this video a TON ! Thanks for the review! I absolutely love mine ! It has not failed me the least bit. I am out in the woods daily and find many many uses for it. Thanks again , really !
You're right about it being hated , seems to me like some may have encountered problems , are completely against the make , etc ... I don't know. But thank you for putting it to rest with this testing. I hope the haters are silenced.
The fire starter is beyond handy , and on a side note. I've trained my dog in the whistle for when he goes too far in the woods !
+twofourish Haters are never silenced. They just keep on hating in spite of any evidence they might be wrong.
I've owned this knife since the day it came out. Big fan of Bear Grylls. Bought the knife cuz I thought it was cool. I have used it for commercial and Industrial HVAC, hunting and fishing, and everyday use. This is my everyday carry. Only issue I've ever had with it is that the sheath is made out of plastic. I still have the original sheet I just happened to broke off the static lock. I absolutely love this knife. I have batons every type of wood with it and used it from everything from whittling to a spear.
It looks like a beautiful blade - just ordered myself one ($90 in the UK)
You did a fair review. I have one, and it's never failed me. I guess the only other test is to see how it would hold up over time. I did not realize the knife was stainless. I thought I read once it was high carbon steel, with a protective coating. Maybe I read wrong. I would have to say, that would be the only draw back for me. Because we all know stainless isn't as hard, and cannot be sharpened to a fine of an edge as high carbon. But all in all, people have all sorts of motives for promoting a knife, or downing one. It's not alwayts because of the knife it self. Some folks could just hate Bear, or some other silly reason. Some don't like products backed by celebrities, period. And they may have good reason, as most feel what sells the product is the celebrity, not the quality. You and me know that's not always the case. One may make the point that because it's backed by Bear himself, that they can charge extra for it, and that may be the case. But I agree with you, it's a decent knife. I too love the grip. It feels like it has less of a chance of slipping. I like the weight, because it's good when you use it to chop. One thing I know, it isn't nearly as bad as most make it out to be. I know that, because I have used one myself. But for an everyday carry, I love my cheap Mora's.
Great and honest review.
+Barry Jordan Thanks Barry
Ya I just got one a few days ago, and so far I really love it, it's a decent knife and can do a real good job at just about anything. I find it very durable.
Thanks for the great review just ordered one can't wait
LuxAndre just got mine and is amazing worth every penny
Barry Jordan me to I like carbon steel blades to I love them stainless steel isn't as good
I consider myself a student of survival and I love the Pocket guide. Keeping a level head and thinking clearly can be quite difficult in a true survival experience. I personally always have one with me. It addresses "priorities" when you can't think straight. Great video Bryan.
+David Barclay that is a very good point.
I have two of these BG knives. The second generation (upgraded pummel design) of the Ultimate Knife (serrated version), and the BG Ultimate Pro Knife. Each will serve their purposes. I like them both. Looking forward to your future videos using the Ultimate knife. Thanks.
It will be on my side for at least the summer and then I'll re-assess. Thanks
Great Video Brian! - I have had a BG Scout Folder for 9yrs now and I have put that thing through hell and back. Still goes on every trip I go on. Holds its edge extremely well too. Cheers - Skorp - Western Australia.
This morning was a fantastic pre Spring day. Perfect for a test run of this particular knife that you reviewed only mine has the serrated blade. I am not a fan of serrated blades, but that is what I was dealt. I did the same tests as you and this knife impressed me at how easily it made a nice feather stick, easily batoning through hard wood and its knots, even broke my baton on the front part of the blade. Starting a fire with the included steel was a snap with the very sharp spine it was effortless. Chopping anything over 2.5-3" is a no go unless your super desperate. But through 3 or less inches and as-long-as you've got a sharp blade it does the job very well. I cannot say it would be my go to camp knife but it going to stay in my emergency pack for sure. Other than easily scuffing up the finish on the blade, I like the look of a well used blade, it cleaned up perfectly and I sharpened up the blade and now it looks hungry for more. Thanks Brian.
+Phill O I had the same opinion. Maybe not the best knife in the world but not bad.
I got one of these, and I found that the "Scout 2.0 Light My Fire Firesteel" fits perfectly into the slot on the front, but I want to find a way to further secure it, perhaps with bright orange thin bungee cord into something I super glue up top for the purpose.
Brian I been following you since you started your channel, I have been using Gerber products for 20 years and everything I purchased from them is still in tact and still in use. It might be the most hated knife but it has some features you don’t get on the expensive ones. Also whoever hates on Bear Grylls hasn’t seen his shows. He give excellent advice on how to survive in the wilderness. I live in SOCAL my wilderness here is a lot different, so you have to pack for your environment. Enough said thanks for your great videos.
I don't care for the color scheme of it, but it looks like it does what it's supposed to. Was actually looking at one the other day. I also like that you're picking the most hated on knife in the world as your primary blade. That's cool I think.
I kind of like the color scheme for a survival knife because it is a little easier to find if you drop it in the woods, (or just leave it laying somewhere by mistake).
Good point, I'm just a wood handle kind of guy. That's all.
I’ve had this knife for a couple years and love it. I have a lot of knives and this one is very handy.
I was given this knife as a gift from a friend. The only thing I don't like are the serrations but other than that I use it as a general purpose camp knife. I've never had any problems with it. Thanks for a good review. atb
Opal Preston Shirley Thanks Opal. I actrually have the non-serrated version but I don't mind serrations.
I just got one as a gift for Xmas and I'm an avid fishermen and outdoorsman, I absolutely love it, I'm glad you gave it a great review!!! by the way I'm also a bear gryll fan, his knife just makes me feel like im a part of being a part of nature and enjoying it more
Thanks for watching.
my brother had this knife until he lost it. It was great considering the price. Definitely a go to knife if you're on a budget.
I had this knife myself and I could do anything with it, just make a fire on dry leaves with the fire stick, was also a good throwing knife, nice to cut with, and thanks to the built-in sharpener always sharp and then the instructions about how signals to give and how to handle cords and knots.
I found this knife very useful and I cannot understand why this would be the most hated knife now, I am hearing this for the first time and I am very surprised about this, because this is a great knife this together with everything useful to it and is included.
Great hands on review. Just to let everyone know as why the reviewer was putting a bit more pressure when making the fire starter sparks was due to him sliding the tool on the edge of the fire starting section of the knife at the top of thd blade. I did the same thing when I first purchased this knife then I slide the tool across the whole flat part of the knife fire starter and I barely needed any pressure and sparks come flyin like the 4th of July. Land of the free home of brave.
I bought the Bear Grylls Parang , which had some pretty bad reviews, but after a year of service it has yet to fail, just cutting trails mostly in the north-east woodlands. I will say the steel doesn't hold an edge all that great but due to its soft nature its easy to sharpen in the field. I've beat on it pretty good, not worrying too much 'cause it wasn't very expensive and it's held up just fine.
There ya go.
About 4 years ago I found mine at a Pawnshop for $20.00 I love it.
I think its a great knife, you just proved it. Thanks Bryan. Very cool video. I have the Serrated version my family bought me years ago. I was over the moon, being a Bear fan and all. I was actually kind of shocked to hear it was hated. I only wish I could use it more often, life gets in the way, Cheers.
great video. I grew up in a gerber knife household and have always been a fan of them. I have this knife, I have abused it and seen have seen nothing wrong with it. it seems like the majority of the videos that have people breaking this knife are doing something the knife was not intended to do. so thanks for not putting the cart before the horse and keep making informative videos.
Thanks for watching. I learned to like Gerber form my Dad too.
They even made masive improvements with the newer pro version of this knife. I dont own one yet but ive seen it enough and plan on getting several knives i cluding the ultimate pro. I do agree putting bears name all over the damn thing is pretty cheesey but i see nothing wrong with this knife, comsidering it comes with the guide, whistle, firesteel, and sharpener. Seems like a decent deal to me.
I think it was a fair review. Let us know in the long run how did it go
Its nothing wrong with this knife. As you say, people just talk shit about it but dont realy know what they saying. There is alot of armchair survival guys out there sitting on a 10.000 dollar collection of expensive knifes and for them this is a child toy. I guess many people who think they are expert (or are experts) dont dear to use this knife coz then people may think they are begginers.
That's exactly why I wanted to review it.
Man, what a clear point you made. That is an awesome comment. I agree with your those internet "commandos" who don't really get out in woods much always seem to bash this knife. ESEE's are toys to those kinds of people. I personally wouldn't mind using it at all.This knife can do anything all the other knives on the market can. I am no survival expert, but I view things in a non-biast way. I bet most people who criticize this knife haven't used or owned one.
I think that's true of a lot of things people criticize on the internet. Magnus got it right, they hear others say something is junk and don't want people to think they are an amateur, so they jump on the bandwagon. Of course, some stuff is junk, but so far this knife is holding it's own for me.
Survival On Purpose I don't really like the term bandwagon. But in the knife community there are what I call "Inner Circles" in the forums and TH-cam, which are made up of people who decide which knives people will like and which knives people will hate on. I honestly don't care how people view me, as an expert or amateur. If I pass by someone one the trail that looks like a survivalist, and I am wearing the BG knife, I wouldn't try to hide it. I am the kind of person that forms his own opinion. I sometimes may agree with "the crowd", but most times, I don't. I will observe a piece of gear or a knife very carefully before I call it great, or horrible.
I think that is a very wise way of looking at things.
I have had one of these knives for over a year and put it through equally tough tests have been very impressed with the package! I also have the compact version and it performs equally well. I would echo the steel comment as I have gotten a day of normal "woods" stuff like chopping, whittling, cutting rope then it is back to the stone again to hone the edge again! But it has been a great knife and I will be upgrading to a 1095 grade steel knife (BK2). Love the review! Thanks
Thanks Brent
A very good review and demonstration. I see many people who buy knives, and attempt to baton the poor thing through something about the size of a telephone pole, and then cannot understand why the knife won't do the job. It far exceeds the ability of the knife. Then they want to cast a bad review of the knife, unfairly. I think this Gerber Grylls knife was very well thought out, and it does a reasonably good job. I bought a Hawke knife, and that thing is indeed junk, and was so dull out of the box you couldn't cut paracord with it, probably. It took numerous honings with a Work Sharp to even get it serviceable. Not so with the Grylls knife. It was good and sharp out of the box, and has met every expectation. I agree with you, whoever calls this knife "junk", probably hasn't been out in the field with it yet. For what you pay for it, it's a bargain. Thanks for an honest, objective review. - C.J.
Thanks for watching CJ
I have the gut hook version of that gerber and I’ve put it through absolute he ll for probably 4 years, including busting 3 inches of slate while digging a hole, I assumed the blade would be a little bit brittle and I see I was right, it takes a good edge though, by now the handle material is destroyed and it could be replaced if I could find someone who does that job
I don't know why people bash this knife so bad. I own all the Bear Grylls knives and have never had an issue with any of them
Me either
I love this knife
I'm glad I watched this. I got my 12 yo boy this knife for his birthday last year and told him if he wanted to get into survival stuff ,that he would have start building his tools slowly. I'm happy that his first tool was a good one according to your review and proof. So thanks for this video.
Thanks for watching.
Great video and totally agree. I bought one, when I saw on the package it was made in China I was horrified!.
However, it is a good knife and can stand up to whatever you throw at it.
I got the serrated version on sale 30 bucks a couple years ago. I don't use it a lot but it is a fine knife no doubt. Many have complained that the sheath dulls the edge and this is true with mine... I wonder if yours will do the same or maybe Gerber fixed this by now. Although, If I am careful when taking it in and out of the sheath dulling the edge can be avoided. Some Russian dude who destroys knives tried to kill this one but it survived... and he did terrible things to it much worse than you. Nice job Brian!
Thanks. I'll pay attention to the edge/sheath thing and we'll see.
I have seen a few of your vids. Just subscribed and glad I did. Good, honest review. Gerbers have a hard use history with soldiers going back to the vietmam war. Bear Grylls, love him or hate him, is ex Special Air Service. That is a pretty good combination for producing good products. My Ultimate Survival Knife has it's down sides, as you pointed out but for the price it is a very good knife which I can rely on to keep me alive. That's why it is in my bug out bag.
meddice I think it as probably at least better than the razor blade found in a lot of micro survival kits. Just don't be stupid and it should serve you OK.
Why exactly is this a bad knife? I have a serated one.
Is it because it has bear written on it? Because I cant find a fault so far...
I would not call them a bad knife really... BUT I do think that they are not worth the money if you really are going to use it.
Let me use the Ultimate Pro as the example. You can get it for $70. It is made of 9Cr19Mov, which I think is a massive down grade from 1095 or 1075 and other carbon steels. If they were to make it out of 420c or 1095 or 1075 I would start to take it more seriously. Also I just hate the fact that they use plasitic in the handle, with a knife over $50 you should be looking for wood, micarta, G-10, rubbery maybe, and other more durable materials.
For $70 I would say the Cold Steel SRK is much better and better proven. Also a lot of Schrade knives that are made in china and only cost $40, are much more capable than the BG stuff.
So my biggest problem with them is how they are over priced by a very large margin for what you get, and to me it comes off as a marketing scam using Bear Grylls name to sell to people who are non the wiser.
Dan Martin Yeah fair points I suppose.
I have their 60 dollar hunter knife and a 20 dollar little survival knife. Take both of them when I go camping but I also take another knife with me for backup which should probably be my main.
@@danmartin4552 No, 9Cr19MoV is like 440B or Aus8 stainless steel. Alloyed stainless steel is always much more expensive to buy and produce than simple carbon steel. A better comparison is the Sog seal pup.
Dan Martin or just buy a mora can’t beat a mora for that price!!!
I have one of those knives, had it for about 12 - 15 years I guess, and buddy it's a tank, tough as nails.
i love your honesty, god bless and mary x mas and happy new 2023, second time i watch this vid along with the 1 year later review. i own the ultimate pro and love it, betoninng cutting fish fire making and and and oysters hammered of of the rocks. still going strong
This is a function over form knife. For wilderness canoeing inCanada, it fits the bill. The sheath features provide the striker and sharpener all in one.
I have one, and it's not a bad knife for messing around in the woods.
I personally own both the original ultimate survival knife, and the ultimate pro survival knife. I've never had any issues with either of them. I own many gerber products, and they're some of the best knives I own!
I agree. So far this one is holding up well. I spent a little time throwing it tonight. (I know that's probably not covered by the warranty, but it's fun).
Thanks for this review. It looks like a solid knife to me. I don't like it when people are hating on a knife and they don't even own one, nor have they ever used it. I think this knife is like any other out there. There's gonna be a few out there with a tempering fault. That's just the nature of knife making, but that's gonna be few and far between. That's why reputable companies will include a warranty.
Yep. Not the best but certainly not the worst either.
Like you said most people go with the crowd but i have this knife and its still in very good condition. Batoning, hammering, some throwing and hacking - this knife survived every "test" I probably need to do in a survival situation. After a long time of use I think I can say that I would be pretty happy with this knife in a survival situation but of course there are better knives out there. Great video !
Thanks. It's good to hear that you have beat this knife up and it is still OK. Sure there are better knives but you can always say that about almost anything.
This is not a bad knife NOW, after Gerber fixed some of the earlier issues with it. It's still a lower-end knife, the blade is still not as good as some of the tougher steels, but the risk of it failing on you is considerably lower than it was. I agree that a lot of the criticisms on this knife were amplified by social media and TH-cam videos. Gerber took a much bigger hit on the fails of introductory model and they didn't get nearly the credit due for fixing those issues.
I don't see why this is such a heavily criticized knife. To be fully honest I probably wouldn't let my life rely on this knife (i'd probably go with a much more expensive, venerable knife), but if it's all you've got out in the wilderness, it'll definitely make your life a lot easier- and possibly, save it.
I've seem one $100 and one nearly $200 knife fail at battoning. I carry a small hatchet, it doesn't weigh much and does the job. Heck once I forgot my paddles for my inflatable boat. I quickly made a hand axe out of a cobble and split some drift wood for my paddles. Thanks for the video though.
I own a couple thousand dollars in my blades, including this one.... I wanted to see for myself how good this knife really was, so I purchased one a fine Edge 5 years ago,and still have it today. I've buttoned a truckload of wood with this blade with no issues at all....... I've seen a lot of blades break that cost 3 times as much as the Gerber blade....... I had the serrated model and broke two tips off of them Gerber replaced both blades without question......Most tips would have broken under that kind of stress. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and experiences on this blade with me, I appreciate it sir.
It is a decent knife
I never understood the controversy to be honest. It’s the best $52 I ever spent. It’s never failed me with regular household and maintenance chores. Right now, my knife is a bit beat up. But no rust or breakage at all.
Have you sharpened the knife using the diamond sharpener that comes with the sheath? By the way, this is a very good demonstration showing the utility of the knife. I think you might just have opened some people's eyes. Go GERBER!
I mention some thought about the sharpening stone in this follow up video th-cam.com/video/Ck7a5V02-CE/w-d-xo.html
I wanted this knife but it wasn’t on Amazon uk. I ended up with the mora Garberg and the strong arm and Kansbol and Eldris and companion and HD and wood crafting outdoor knife by mora.
I watched your more recent review on this knife, then came back to this older video following the link in the description... Why, thank you, sir! Liked, Subscribed & had all bells and whistles turned on!
Thanks
I like Gerber knifes and have no problem with them , but I think some of the problem is the name Bear Grylls. His survival show he was in showed some good stuff but he took far to many chances that were not necessarily good even to people who do not have that much knowledge of survival. It's something he might be trained for but for common man he took far risk for showmen ship. Which were done for network ratings.
It is entertainment, not education. I enjoyed the shows for a while
Survival On Purpose I fully understand that and I agree with you on that, but some people don't and there in is the problem.
Keep up the videos I like seeing new stuff and different points of view. Thanks
Your right
A good and fair review, nice and clear. Didn't like the color scheme as looks a bit gimmicky, but, easier to find if dropped I suppose. That handle looks good, very practical. You've a new subscriber from the uk 👍
I hope it is better quality than the Gerber Bear Grylls multi-tool I got. The scales on it disintegrated after only a couple weeks of use. The tools and blades, were difficult to ope, then ended up so loose, I had to tighten them down several times. To it's defense, it is still functional, though it has been assigned to one of my tool boxes.
I paid 32 dollars for the fine edge version and have battoned a truck load of wood with it with 0 problems, none..Haters hate everything including themselves. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and suggestions with me today, I appreciate it sir Brian
Dude I love your channel and all your videos I love that you’re still humble even though you have a ton of subs keep it up dude
Good review Bryan ! Mine is in my pack as a back up. I like the knife. Wish I had gotten the non serrated version but, that was in my bush craft beginning days when I got it.
Me too, I don't really have any complaints about it
I'm not one to run with the crowd, and I like an honest opinion, especially when it goes against what everyone else is saying. From what I just saw, I can find no fault with it either. Great Review. Looking forward to seeing how it holds up long term.
Thanks. So am I.
Thanks for the honest review of a much reviled piece of kit.
My wife, knowing that I am a huge knife fan, bought me one of the serrated models for christmas a few years ago, and the only real complaints I had with it was the Bear Gryll's billboard all over the knife and the serrations. The ferro rod that came with it snapped my second time using it, but that was my own stupidity. It's not my go to, that is either one of my Beckers or my Gerber Strongarm.
Craig Wildfeuer I actually like the ferro rod because it is a softer one. And, hey, Bear's gotta eat too. I think if most of us had a chance to plaster our initials all over a bunch of stuff and get paid we would do it.
Good point. The main issue that I had with the ferro rod was me. I wasn't too well verse in its proper use. All my fault that it broke. I ended up picking up one of their larger rods and it works great with most of my kit.
Yeah, I try to be careful with smaller rods.
Nice video. I own the trio LMF II Prodigy & the BG. I actually like the BG best. The ergonomics are just better to me. There really is nothing wrong with the knife. It's a purpose built knife and fits the role well.
I just got a Prodigy and, so far, I like it.
I’m x army and we’re always buying knives for the field, people seem to ignore the sheath which I evaluate along with the blade, I can’t use a knife that’s not there 😂I live in Tennessee so I can carry a fixed blade about anywhere except a school,
Great video. I have not seen this knife for several years but I love most Gerber knives and will now be on the lookout . thanks.
You stressed the knife more than adequatly. The metal did its job. Seems to be 440 instead of the cheaper 220 stainless. The grind looks like a hollow grind. For the money and the grind it looks like a good heat treat. Good review and the knfe showed itself to be a good buy for the money. Keep up the good work enjoyed the review.
Hey there Chief! So I got the knife today. Got its for 39.99 at target. I gotta admit that it is a nice knife, Feels great in hand and is sharp out of the box. Another thing that I liked is the width of the blade, Gonna play with it tomorrow and practice fire starting. The only difference from the one in the video is that its the serrated version. As soon as I took it out of the packaging I secured the feril rod with the whistle the way you did.
Flavio Correa Cool. Have fun!
Recently bought a gerber strongarm....really solid knife. Mine was ridiculously dull out of the box, but after some edge work it seems to be more than capable. Ive had thousands of dollars in high end knives, and I honestly believe that the strongarm can holds its own. It wont hold an edge as long as cmp 3v, but that is understandable. For typical and expected use the strongarm is more than sufficient. So much so that it is in my emergency go bag now, along with a mora kansbol for fine detail work and food prep.
I have the folding sheath BG knife and it came pretty sharp and I made a ton of feather sticks with it. It's strange to see the sorta big brother of my knife come not as sharp.
I had the serrated version in 2011, which broke at the point where the serrations met the fine edge. I got the full fine edge as a replacement which is a much better knife IMO, but just over a year later the tang came dislodged from handle. Since 2014 I have been using the TOPS Silent Hero & never looked back, even thought it is 4x the price of the Gerber BG USK.
+Jacques Nowell I would say the TOPS is definitely a better knife
What steel is this cool knife made out of? 🗡
you can rarely find a fair review on this knife. thank you, i mean controversy surrounds it on all sides it is a decent knife.(although nothing incredible.
What is an incredible knife? Lol
Blake Williams depends on the knifes application. If you need to filet fish, the standard would be different for that than someone who’s primary usage would be in hacking down small trees. Since this is meant to be a jack of all trades knife, we would judge it based on its ability to execute “survival” type tasks.
@@nashwilliams5852 I meant what brand
Blake Williams in what price range?
got mine yesterday, i love this knife, throws well, love the grip, sheath everything
Throws well? You mean you would throw a knife? Who in the world would do that?
Good to see that thing holds up. I'm glad that it doesn't trash the Berber name
+Josiah Manion Not for me anyway
Good review. I think the early versions were poor design to get the price point and to get BG his kick back. I have several Gerber knives and I am a big fan of the lmf II. I think they tweaked that early design of the BG and came up on a good knife.
I agree.
Fair and honest review. Look forward to the long term testing.
Thanks, me too.
I have just started watching your TH-cam channel and you have some great reviews and useful information on your page. I appreciate the work that you put in to teach us all some useful skills. I use this very knife and I can honestly say I would buy another. Keep up the good videos!
Kaalab Bratcher I appreciate it!
Well, I'm sold. I'm by no means a knife guy, I know a little about bayonets but when I see all these different name brand knives with different sized blades using different tempers of steel and all that crazy stuff, I still just see a knife. This Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife looks pretty awesome with all the different things it comes with. Sheath, sharpener, steel pommel to use as a hammer, the handle looks like it fits the hand well, whistle, instructions on calling for help from an aircraft, all for around or under $50? Seems like a decent buy to me, I certainly want one.
Negative opinions have always been popular on the internet it seems. How many times have you heard people say that .22lr can't kill, 9mm is underpowered, the AK design isn't accurate, the AR design isn't reliable, the M91/30 is a bad rifle, the Type 99 Arisaka is a piece of junk, .30 Carbine has no penetration, etc. People like to bash things, whether or not they've any experience on the matter. It's popular, you'll find yourself a niche of people who will join you in the bashing, and with lots of people they just find it feels GOOD to say "That thing sucks." Makes em feel smart, like their opinion has weight, and that they're getting a sense of superiority over people who LIKE the thing they're bashing because they think they're unintelligent for liking it.
You have to watch out when you hear things on the internet. Taking it as fact without experience or proper research and spreading this thing that's taken as fact can lead to spreading misinformation, and although the bashers think they LOOK smart, they're ultimately just looking ill informed as well as arrogant to make assumptions. Are there better blades than this Gerber Grylls thing? Probably. Like I said, I'm very ignorant when it comes to fancy name brand knives, but is this knife BAD? Sure as Hell doesn't look like it, and I'd like to hear how it stood up after that year of use. This vid is very nearly 1.5 years old, perhaps there's an update vid on it? If not, I think it'd be interesting to hear about how it performed, various tasks it's served well in, tasks that it DIDN'T serve well in if the experience with it was lack lustre, and details like if the edge of the blade kept its sharpness well or if it perhaps needed constant sharpening.
Anyways, interesting stuff, liking the vids I've been seeing today, only just discovered Survival On Purpose, definitely subscribing.
+NormanMatchem +NormanMatchem Here is the one year follow up. th-cam.com/video/Ck7a5V02-CE/w-d-xo.html I have to tell you though, I would buy the Strongarm instead. It is around the same price. Although it doesn't come with the add-ons, is US made and full tang. survivalonpurpose.com/Gerber-Strongarm
+Survival On Purpose I like Bear Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife. Maybe Strongarm has a better steel, but it's more expensive and doesn't have fire starter, sharpener and whistle. I like the orange design too and the handle (it's not made of soft rubber, like some Schrade knives). I wanted to buy Schrade (too rubbery, too black, too pointy, not pointy enough, some strange powder coating), but I bought this instead. The blade is also a good size and shape.
vertik7
I'm not knocking it. Just sharing my honest opinion. I think the Strongarm is a better knife.
NormanMatchem it’s pricey though, you could have gotten a schrade SCHF36 in 1095 which is more durable and holds an edge longer, but with a crappier sheath and a ferro rod, and a sharpening stone. It also has a great handle.
I've used the knife about 5 times a week in a half year now and I can't find any junk in it. It hold up good so far
Olle Larsson That's great feedback Olle.Thanks.
I use the Gerber my self all the time in the northern Swedish wildernes. But have upgraded to an LMF
I have and love this knive. It has never failed me. I give this knive a 10.
Fair review good job.
Thanks Jon.
I think the issue with most people is they cant tell which one is the bigger tool...bear or his knife...none the less good fair review
Bryan (sp?) I really appreciate your straight-from-the-hip, no-b.s. reviews. I'm still not a Gerber/Bear Grylls fan, but I respect the honest assessment of the tool.
Spelling is correct ;-) Thanks. As uncool as it may be, I actually respect Bear for a lot of stuff. As far as I know, he really was in the SAS and that is no cake walk. Just the selection process is more than tough. His show went south pretty quick, but he did kind of bring the whole survival thing into the mainstream. As for the show, I know from experience that "reality TV" is usually about as far from reality as you can get. And, like I said, I like Gerber.
I agree I have one and have used it good knife for the money !
I have many cheap knives, especially since I abuse them alot. To my surprise most of them last! This includes chopping,prying,stabbing,and throwing. Most were like a $10 or so. I do have a TOPS Intercepter that I keep with my hunting gear. I do have the BY Gerber that I intend on bringing as well, since two knives are better than one. Good review! Only knives I stay away from are the hollow handle ones since those are the ones that don't last me for more than a week!
Speaking of hollow handle knives, stay tuned for my review of the Schrade SCHF1 and SCHF2SM. These things are rock solid, forged from a single piece of high carbon steel with a waterproof, hollow handle. It will be a few weeks before I get the videos finished but the knives are great.
½ Serrated High Carbon Stainless Steel Drop Point Blade is the one that was given to me as a present. It will be going out for a test drive in the next few weeks and after watching your video, I'm feeling pretty good about this becoming a go to camp knife. I normally wouldn't buy a celebrity knife, but fate I believe has dealt me a kindness. I also don't like blades under 7" I can use a 10" knife in camp and as protection against any attacker be it beast or man.
+Phill O I think it will be a good knife for you. At least mine has been
It seems fine for what it is.
I think most of the folks that hate this knife, hate it because of how they feel about Mr. Grills.
Bear is very knowledgeable and has great skills, but, as for me, I didn’t agree with some (a lot) of the things he would demonstrate on his survival show.
Now, he did have another show where he had couples, a man and a woman, learn a skill and then go out and do it in the field, competing against each other. Then, at the end of the day, he would evaluate the couples and make one couple leave. I thought that was worthwhile.
As always, a great review! 👍🏻👍🏻
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Brian that's the nicest thing anybody has said to me in a good long while. I do have a video request if you haven't already done it. One about fixed blade knives that are not expencive but still good solid tools you could rely on especially day for instance a Boy Scout? I also was a Scout back when I was about ten years old and it was rip roaring fun! Anyhow I talk too much but thanks. Garry
seems pretty badass to me...shame the grylls name jumps the price up
"Bare Girls" knifes? What could be wrong with that?
I think my little brothers BG Ultimate was a first gen cause the retention piece was orange not gray, but the faults we found were the plastic retention piece lost retention and the hammer plate thing came unglued and falls off all the time.
Sam Buffington That's what I heard. Mine is still doing OK.
Well that actual does make me happy because I never thought about getting one after that, but now that I know the revised it I might consider it again. I love how the handle feels in the hand.
It's a decent knife. Ultimate knife? probably not, but it's OK for a $50 price range. I certainly don't think it deserves the level of hate it seems to generate on the internet.
This is the best review of this knife i have seen. Having owned it and taken mine out camping on plenty of occasions-for the price (i got the machete and knife for £70 quid delivered UK), i don't think i could have got luckier. Yes, there are better knives, but for what it has i didn't see i wasted a penny.
Additional. I took the knife off the sheath (black thingy), and the velcro and fixed it to my main backpack (sowing the velcro onto bag), allowing you to reach behind your head, flick the velcro safety off easily and access is swift (in case of zombie attack ;-).
I feel this received bad review due to first production and the wrong glue, honestly i beat mine up using all the features (though have left the striker for emergency only and use old faithful), sharpener works a treat-yes sometimes you need a good stone as with any knife but i have one. Great review, liked, subbed, will check out your other videos as i get time, but i like your honesty, and i know you have experience. All the best with your channel, from acroos the pond (in UK), respect to you, kudos, whatever you Americans say lol.
P.S. I think some people complain because they are easily manipulated sheep, and spent a hell of a lot more for lesser the knife for price comparison. Did i say sheep? way to go labelling people i don't know......kind of like ragging the knife without using it ever ;-) Well done Brian.
Stu M Thanks Stu. BTW, I just recorded a follow up to this video after having the knife for over a year. It will be posted sometime in the next few weeks.
Survival On Purpose Quality stuff Brian. Gives me a chance to watch some more of your work ;-)
With so many people on the take, showing you new stuff every wk they say they love and don't live without it, i like your honesty by admitting you get a smidge back from the sales......but at least with you i can hear the truth/some decent testing-and not just someone spout to get more sales. Best wishes to you and family.