I’ll be honest that I double tap my way through a lot of TH-cam videos to get to the meat and potatoes, but I never find myself doing that on a GT video. Your videos are very captivating and highly informative. No BS! Keep it up!
I bought my Principle about 10 months ago and I think it's great. It is everything I was looking for in a decent size bushcraft knife. I like the different mounting options, the handle ergonomics and that it's FULL tang. I like Mora ( I own a few), but they are not full tang. They can only take a certain amount of abuse in outdoor situations. Long story short, no company is ever going to please every type of customer all the time.
Great review as always. Two weeks ago, I would have leaned towards some of the alternatives. Considering current events now buying American made products is more important than its ever been.
I picked up the Gerber Principle because some of the places I camp don't allow a knife with a blade over 3 3/4" long. I own a couple of Moras and was surprised to find that I like the Principle a lot more. The shape of the blade gives a point that is sharper and more useful that my Mora and other knives. Very fun to carve with, does food prep just fine, batons small stuff well, and strikes a ferro rod okay. I really wasn't expecting a whole lot out of the Principle due to its size but I find the knife so dang useful it has quickly become a go to tool. Out of the packaging the knife was reasonable sharp, but dulled pretty quickly after about 30 minutes of doing some test cuts with it. Now that I've sharpened the knife a few times I find it holds an edge as well as most of my other knives made out of 420HC, 1095, or 1075. This isn't new to me. It's fairly common for a new knife to have a skin of softer steel at the cutting edge due to carbon loss during heat treating and tempering. After a couple of sharpenings you get rid of that and into the good steel where the metal's structure is sound and the knife holds an edge much longer. I'm not a big fan of the sheath, wish it was more like the one that comes with the Strongarm knife, but it does the job. Is it worth sixty bucks? For me yes, wish I had one of these 50 years ago.
It's crazy that you can't carry a 4" blade in a camp. Could be worse though. I live in Massachusetts. I thought CA had some absurd laws that it can't be over 2", until I read our laws and found that 1.5" is the limit. No one follows that of course, but it's insane..
I like the Strongarm as a knock around knife but I can't get behind a Bushcraft knife that won't get 'hair poppin sharp' as Aaron put it. Same design in a better steel would sell me on it, though.
Agreed. I suspect the Sandvik steels he mentioned, which I love, would be within a few pennies of that 420HC. Also wish the blade was just a whisker longer too. Kind of a pocket-knife length right now which really makes one ponder if this has a role as a primary knife.
Well the Strongarm’s 420HC is legendary for toughness, it’s just not great at edge retention. You can search for the Strongarm Gauntlet test from about five years ago. That toughness is what got so many people hyping that knife. So now I guess we’re headed into a discussion about use cases. And I’m not going to tell anyone they’re wrong with their thinking, no matter where they come down on toughness/edge retention/geometry. But I would encourage someone to get away from the “single tool” thought process. You open up so many possibilities when you get away from that short-sighted, game show, romantic thinking. Carry whatever you need! Stop making up BS fantasy scenarios about losing your pack in a river while you’re free soloing Half Dome and running from zombie clown donkeys.
Been buying gerber knives for years. They actually to a really good job with 420HC. They do really good heat treats on it. Dont mind having the 420hc options because it keeps the price down. However i would like to see them take there popular knives like this or the strongarm and have a 154cm or S30v options
I just bought this knife. I found that it fit my small hands very comfortably--and it seemed like it would do what I needed it to do. Buying American was also very important to me.
I love the size of this knife. I do not know if I would want it as a primary but perfect for a secondary to a bigger knife or hatchet. I see myself keeping it in my bag for edc purposes. Very nice video helped start my day right. Thanks for the review.
I’ve owned my Principle for 2 years and it remains my primary belt knife when camping and fishing. Easy to sharpen, strops well. No corrosion as of yet. I have average hand size and it fits in the hand well. Great for carving and lite batoning.
Gideon's Tactical is the standard as far as quality video reviews of cutlery and gear. Years long consistency of testing and evaluation presented in a professional, informative format.
Very nice review. I really like that knife! I’ve been on a SS & 420HC kick lately, simply for rust resistance in the field. I realized that I don’t mind giving a knife a couple strokes on a sharpener if it needs it! I like 1095 & carbon steel for edge retention, but there are few things worse than finding your knife in your pack with rust spots on it.
Haven't been happy with Gerber for a long time the only knives I love is the strong arm . I'm liking that scandi blade you showed love your channel keep up the awsomeness
My wife got me a Gerber knife for my birthday. I love Gerber products. I have alot more Gerber stuff than Leatherman stuff. Good video have a good day and be safe.
*Also I've noticed edges rolling on blades fresh off the line but I've never had any re-roll after the touch up. Of course I'm not talking about cheap pos knives... but tops, bark river and benchmade. Things like that. I guess its just the equipment they use to sharpen their product compared to my work sharp and ceramic rods.*
I have had this knife for two weeks and the rubber handle it starting to peel and come apart not worth sending back to Gerber probably gonna just wrap it with paracord. I feel like the handle should have be made of a more durable material. Thanks for all the great reviews!
Nice review but I think you have overlooked one very neat feature of this knife. Those divots/holes in the handle make perfect bearing blocks for a bow drill set. you can sheath the knife, carve the top end of your spindle to fit in the divot and use the whole knife in your hand to push down and stabilise and secure your spindle. I'm not 100% sure that Gerber put these in there for that purpose but I have a very personalised bush craft knife, I did a similar thing to mine except I have a captured ball bearing in my micarta handle that allows me almost frictionless spindle action. Needless to say I LOVE this design from Gerber, I'm a fan of short bladed Scandi knives, I find the Moras to be too long, its not needed in my opinion and puts unnecessary strain on the wrists when doing prolonged periods of whittling and cutting, I really do think Gerber once again have hit the nail on the head with this one.
Thinking about picking one of these up, because of the utility applications. 420HC is a great steel. Buck has been using it for years and its easy to retain and maintain a razor sharp edge.
Thank you for another very informative video. Ever since you showed us the Gerber Strongarm, I’ve become more and more impressed with Gerber. This one seems to be a nice companion to the strongarm but at $60 I’m a bit hesitant considering what’s out there, like the Garner or the Condor. Thanks again and God bless you and yours.
Love this knife. In Europa €100 euros.. but for Usa made no problem love USA made knives. Greetings from Scandinavia and great reviews as always 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I love the Morakniv option you offered. Btw, 3 minutes with a dremel will get you the perfect fire steel strike spine. I generally grind a 1" section on about a 10° angle about 1/2" from the handle. I do this with many knives in various steels and it always provides good results. The 10° angle makes a big difference but does tend to really eat up the ferro rod. Ive also found this technique useful on the tang of the handle. Just relieve the G-10 or whatever handle material you have a little and grind a small notch into the steel maintaining that 10° angle.
1:54 It’s rust resistan because 420HC is a stainless steel. This HC confuses people because it’s only 0,4% carbon so it’s located rather within medium carbon content steels.
I purchased one a while back and have been satisfied with it. I do not care for the sheath though. For those complaining about the 420HC steel, my question to you is what does it NOT do that makes you dislike it? For me, Made in USA for a quality blade is worth a few $$$ more.
Like the design, just wish the blade was as long as the handle or at the 4” length. Blade shape is very functional especially for sharpening. The upswept portion of all my moras always suck to hand sharpen, at lest for me. Great vid as always.
I have this and a Esee 4 and really prefer this handle by far. The only issue i have is the sheath doesn’t stay on my belt as well as I would like. Just fits loose even on a leather belt
I was thinking about it, until you showed the competition (one of which I own). Now i'm less inclined-- can't really justify the purchase when my Moras are so similar. Great review though - your reviews over the years have been informative and entertaining!
Guys I just picked up this knife and let me tell you it is extremely impressive. I am ecstatic with everything about it. Aaron fantastic review and thanks for all of your hard work brother. I'm just so happy to hold and own this thing.
Thanks, Aaron. I'd looked at the Vertebrae and Spine models they came out with last year. Didn't pass muster when I got them in my hands though. This one looks like it may be a better fit. Now, to find one somewhere I can physically handle it...
I wanted to buy it the minute I saw it, but for me the right hand only is a deal breaker. I wish they had designed the sheath to go both ways or given me some to carry cross draw on a slant. The knife is very impressive. Thank you for the review.
I have a Mora Black, Brisa enZo Tracker, and am hoping this will be my final addition to my scnadi collection. I love this grind. It's easy to sharpen for someone with only a moderate level of experience with blades and it's great for bushcraft/firemaking. I think I'm going to love this knife primarily because of its smaller form factor and versatile sheath. The enZo trapper and Mora are large. They get in the way when I'm backpacking and their size is felt when they're on my belt clip and flexing my hip a lot climbing up hills etc.. I think this smaller form factor paired with the full-tang construction and versatile mounting options offered by thee sheath are what make it so appealing. Can't wait to get it!
Gerber Gator basic fixed blade gets no media attention, but is a great knife for the 29 dollars I paid. Might make more sense than the Principal as it is 420 hc and full tang. Wish GT would review.
I just ordered this knife with the 20% member discount coupon at REI. Looking forward to putting it through some abuse when I get it. Great review, thanks for giving us an introduction to this USA made knife.
That's a nice little knife. Good to see it's American made. Agree with some other comments: love the hands on demo stuff! I love my scandi grind knives.
Great vid . Awesome knife ! I have had my eye on it for awhile . I think it's worth it . Been enjoying Gerbers for about 40 years , they did a good job on this one . Be safe .
Really like this knife. Moras are great utility but I’ve just never been drawn to buy one. This one just makes me want it. And I am a strongarm fan so maybe Gerber just “gets me”. 😁
I see it on sale for $49.99 right now and I'm very tempted. The knife itself is similar in performance to the other similar ones you listed. In this case you're deciding if you want to pay a little more/similar to get USA made and more robust sheath and carry options which is what makes it stand out from the crowd.
I just ordered this knife from SMKW on sale for $49.95. I like the Principle because of it's size, it's blade shape, scandi grind, width of blade, full tang, ergo grip, price, Made in the U.S. ! and of course the Sheath options are great. Wish Gerber would offer this blade in D2 or S30Vn or AUS10A though. 420HC just doesn't hold an edge very long. Thanks for making all your videos.
David your knife was the best looking one on the table and the one I would choose, after having the springs brake on one of your exclusive buyouts I definitely wouldn't want to rely on a bench made.
I own this knife among many other high priced knifes. There is just something about this knife that says "I can do anything". I wish it had better steel but, their 420hc seems to be really well made. I think this and the Strongarm are like big and young brother. They are great knifes for such a good price. This and the strongarm were my first start to collecting knifes. I own many benchmades, moras, winklers, etc. These two, especially the Principle, hold their own and go to knives if I want to beat up. I wish it had better steel but, thats what keeps the price down. I put a small edge on it too but, this thing is so easy to keep sharp. Good knife to have and beat up.
I personally like 420HC steel because it will hold an edge long enough, but mainly because I can field sharpen it so easily, especially being a scandi. Looks like a winner.
This is going to be my next knife, in the mail right now. To me the price point seems fair. USA made, better sheath than a mora offering more carry options. You can have the best knife in the world, and a crappy sheath will make you never carry it. Let's be honest 95% of a knifes life is in the sheath. I thought about the garberg by mora then again I would be spending another 25 to 40 for a kydex sheath to offer my preferred horizontal carry option. Same with the condor terrasaur seems like a good option also, but had that dame plastic tube sheath. Which if you belt dangle your blades is fine. I just prefer a cross draw, out of the way til I need it.
Thank you so much for all of the time that you take to give us great reviews!! Very informative and answer a ton of questions!! Stay safe and healthy from your NM fans!!
I have several knives of 1095 and several of 420HC. I've gotta say for me the 420HC out performs the 1095 across the board. The 420HC seems to be finer grained and takes just as sharp an edge as 1095 but holds it longer. Maybe it's because Buck and Gerber know what they're doing in terms of heat treating the 420HC as opposed to Essee and OKC heat treating the 1095. I consider 1095 to be a lower end steel.
GT: Thanks for the super review. Since I’ve been watching your videos, I’ve bought StrongArms for my 2 sons (Truck knives), Moras for their girlfriends (camp site blades), and a Tops Fieldcraft BOB for myself. I cannot leave out my 2 x Becker BK2 for our 2 vehicle knives. Ha ha ha. Stay strong, stay safe my Murican cousins!! Cheers
Good video I like how u show urself actually using the knife.... Thanks for being honest about the price I like the knife I would buy at 40 bucks definitely
I've been eyeing this and was hoping you would do a review on this knife. I mostly carry Benchmade and Leatherman, but I like the look of this knife and I could just throw it in my backpack. Price isn't bad for an all Made USA knife. Thank you.
Great video. I wish some of the others had scout carry options. I recently got the Prodigy. Love the knife, but wish it had that carry option. Would like to see scout carry demo of this one. I'm looking to experiment with that option for edc.
Its a full tang knife. A $20 mora isn't. Bought my first one right after they released them. I liked it enough that about 3-4 months later I bought a second one. I own a stainless Garberg. With my edges on all three I have to say I can't tell any difference in edge retention. Regardless go with what works for you.
Looks like a great little knife seems like a great alternative to the BM puukko ($$$) or backpacking knife or trouble free strict knife law region knife! Could be $10 less IMO...FYI I'm not getting notifications of your vids as well as others I follow.
Fantastic review! I was looking for a small fixed blade I could backpack with and I think you convinced me to purchase this one. Thank you for going so in-depth with every detail. Much appreciated!
Thanks GT I want one because I like knives🤦♂️. But I won’t purchase one. I have a couple of scandi knives, one is the Garberg & I don’t use any of them. They don’t slice very well when it comes to food prep. I know it’s not designed for that but I do find other knives that perform well in buschcraft and food prep. For those reasons I don’t have use for a scandi
Thanks Aaron been waiting to see this one! Looks really nice. $50 would be great but the price isn’t a deal breaker. Will def pick this up when it hits the stores
Sad to say , like most love the American made , but when mora is 15$ shipped to the door I bought mora , however I did buy the strongarm to abuse while camping / bushcrafting, cheap small knife for small camp chores , lil pricier gerber for rough use , just saying , I’m just being honest
Real strength is scout carry the black blends with a black belt to be practically invisible, but always there, for day hikes/climbs/fishin. Black electrical tape silences the sheath! As said overpriced but an excellent one stop minimalist package to cover every eventuality.
I jam a couple cotton balls with oil into the sheath, it'll keep the knife from rattling around. I like the knife. I love that bag you have strapped on you. What is it? I use a little diamond compound on a strop, I find it to help hold an edge longer.
Bought this off of your word like i have a few knives. Love this knife. Will be making something similar with some different handles materials. Micarta, Dymalux maybe.
Love the design of this knife. I really like that the carry options are so versatile! I love scout carry and am stoked that they offer that! BTW- don’t forget that Gerber is owned by a Northern European (Scandinavian) company- Fiskars! For the money I’d take it over a BM Pukko
Another great GT review. Like the looks of this knife. I have several Gerber Strongarm knives that are my go to knives for my EDC and Get Home bags. At $60 for both the Strongarm and Principle I would stick with tje Strongarm. But if GT likes it......
How would you compare to a Kansbol? The Principle seems to not be a decent food knife because the short, thick blade. Great for feathers it seems and handling of small wood. Great Sheath Gerber!! Smart!! Definitely a Mora killer!
Enjoy your vids. Thanks. I was watching the Boker auto (before this one) and it reminded me of an auto I have with one big problem: ATS 34-GT. I like its weight in hand, but the action button can easily deploy while in pocket... NOT good! Is there a 'slip over' product or some other way to 'safety' it? Hope you can send me an answer. Does that happen? Thanks again.
Warning : If you decide to set it up for belt carry but on the lower setting those 2 things you have to pinch to get it out become completely covered and it's really hard to get out without scratching the plastic by sticking something in there to squeeze them together. You'll see what I mean if you configure it like that.
Just picked up mine today. Liking it so far but the retention on the sheath is terribly tight. I cant wear it on my belt because the retention is so tight o have to firmly hold the sheath in my left hand and YANK the knife as hard as i can to get it to disengage the retention bump in the sheath. I wish it was 0.5-1 inch longer and the sheath had. Mounting option for a ferro rod. Surprised they didnt include a built in sharpener like the LMF and the Bear Grylls fixed blades. Great review as usual Aaron!
Thanks for the review. This knife will fill an important niche as a compact multiuse edc/survival scout carry fixed blade. Love my Moras but can't edc 'em. The Principle sheath sets it apart. The 420hc works very well on my Strong Arm. But can't edc that great knife either. Your vid confirmed my hunch about this knife. And U.S. made, I'll be ordering one. Thanks!
The performance maybe comparable to Mora knives but nothing beats full tang knives. Wish they used a better steel for this one though. But over all a good knife. Thanks for the review!
Question for ya... I know you love your bk16... what about the bk17..? I own one (modified) That sucker does all I ask of it and it would take a hell of lot more I’m sure..! Bullet proof, easy to sharpen, good thickness etc.. just curious on your thoughts of the bk17, and would love a vid on it..! Maybe a comparison of the 2...
Hey, FWIW - The BK17 was discontinued, years ago. I think if you check his channel he did a tweener series BK15, 16, 17? I own several, both stamped and etched Name on blade. They are expensive now. I like the looks better than the BK16. The 17 did not sell as well because of the clip point. People like to baton their blades? Great blade for sure. They caught some heat for stamping the name in the blade causing weakness? I never had a problem. The Becker scales are very comfortable due to their shape. I upgraded to micarta and after market sheath both leather and kydex. I'm using Esee PR4 and AGK now more than Beckers. It"s funny, I had to pull out the 17 just to look at it - Love that knife!
I’ll be honest that I double tap my way through a lot of TH-cam videos to get to the meat and potatoes, but I never find myself doing that on a GT video. Your videos are very captivating and highly informative. No BS! Keep it up!
Merican Freedom thanks so much, that means a lot!
I bought my Principle about 10 months ago and I think it's great. It is everything I was looking for in a decent size bushcraft knife. I like the different mounting options, the handle ergonomics and that it's FULL tang. I like Mora ( I own a few), but they are not full tang. They can only take a certain amount of abuse in outdoor situations. Long story short, no company is ever going to please every type of customer all the time.
have you checked out the more Garberg? it's their full tang bushcrafter and it's well tested to handle pretty heavy abuse
You need to be really trying if you manage to brake the bushcraft!
Man, I really like this review style. The majority of youtubers are talking knives over a table and quoting specs. Great job, thanks!
Jordan Genovski thanks so much I really work at taking you with me through the testing process and making it entertaining along the way.
GT reviews are consistant and have relied on presentation over the years👍
Great review as always. Two weeks ago, I would have leaned towards some of the alternatives. Considering current events now buying American made products is more important than its ever been.
Totally agree with you!
American made - agreed.
I picked up the Gerber Principle because some of the places I camp don't allow a knife with a blade over 3 3/4" long. I own a couple of Moras and was surprised to find that I like the Principle a lot more. The shape of the blade gives a point that is sharper and more useful that my Mora and other knives. Very fun to carve with, does food prep just fine, batons small stuff well, and strikes a ferro rod okay. I really wasn't expecting a whole lot out of the Principle due to its size but I find the knife so dang useful it has quickly become a go to tool. Out of the packaging the knife was reasonable sharp, but dulled pretty quickly after about 30 minutes of doing some test cuts with it. Now that I've sharpened the knife a few times I find it holds an edge as well as most of my other knives made out of 420HC, 1095, or 1075. This isn't new to me. It's fairly common for a new knife to have a skin of softer steel at the cutting edge due to carbon loss during heat treating and tempering. After a couple of sharpenings you get rid of that and into the good steel where the metal's structure is sound and the knife holds an edge much longer. I'm not a big fan of the sheath, wish it was more like the one that comes with the Strongarm knife, but it does the job. Is it worth sixty bucks? For me yes, wish I had one of these 50 years ago.
It's crazy that you can't carry a 4" blade in a camp. Could be worse though. I live in Massachusetts. I thought CA had some absurd laws that it can't be over 2", until I read our laws and found that 1.5" is the limit. No one follows that of course, but it's insane..
Not a gerber fan but I like this design wish they went just a little higher end on the steel though.
I like the Strongarm as a knock around knife but I can't get behind a Bushcraft knife that won't get 'hair poppin sharp' as Aaron put it. Same design in a better steel would sell me on it, though.
Agreed. I suspect the Sandvik steels he mentioned, which I love, would be within a few pennies of that 420HC. Also wish the blade was just a whisker longer too. Kind of a pocket-knife length right now which really makes one ponder if this has a role as a primary knife.
Buck does 420 right, Gerber? not so sure
Well the Strongarm’s 420HC is legendary for toughness, it’s just not great at edge retention. You can search for the Strongarm Gauntlet test from about five years ago. That toughness is what got so many people hyping that knife. So now I guess we’re headed into a discussion about use cases. And I’m not going to tell anyone they’re wrong with their thinking, no matter where they come down on toughness/edge retention/geometry. But I would encourage someone to get away from the “single tool” thought process. You open up so many possibilities when you get away from that short-sighted, game show, romantic thinking. Carry whatever you need! Stop making up BS fantasy scenarios about losing your pack in a river while you’re free soloing Half Dome and running from zombie clown donkeys.
Been buying gerber knives for years. They actually to a really good job with 420HC. They do really good heat treats on it. Dont mind having the 420hc options because it keeps the price down. However i would like to see them take there popular knives like this or the strongarm and have a 154cm or S30v options
I just bought this knife. I found that it fit my small hands very comfortably--and it seemed like it would do what I needed it to do. Buying American was also very important to me.
Same steel as the Strongarm in a more compact version plus a great sheath? In my opinion you can't go wrong. Great demo as always.
I love the size of this knife. I do not know if I would want it as a primary but perfect for a secondary to a bigger knife or hatchet. I see myself keeping it in my bag for edc purposes. Very nice video helped start my day right. Thanks for the review.
I’ve owned my Principle for 2 years and it remains my primary belt knife when camping and fishing. Easy to sharpen, strops well. No corrosion as of yet. I have average hand size and it fits in the hand well. Great for carving and lite batoning.
Grabbed one a couple of days ago and took it straight out so far so good I did get a little roll too tho but I love it. USA made all day
Gideon's Tactical is the standard as far as quality video reviews of cutlery and gear. Years long consistency of testing and evaluation presented in a professional, informative format.
Thanks so much that means a lot Cody
I haven't seen alot of knives destroyed on youtube. The Metallurgy of todays knives is pretty good.
Well you said you wanted to see them expand on the Gerber Spine... here you go. Im very excited to see how they continue with this line.
Very nice review. I really like that knife! I’ve been on a SS & 420HC kick lately, simply for rust resistance in the field. I realized that I don’t mind giving a knife a couple strokes on a sharpener if it needs it! I like 1095 & carbon steel for edge retention, but there are few things worse than finding your knife in your pack with rust spots on it.
Haven't been happy with Gerber for a long time the only knives I love is the strong arm . I'm liking that scandi blade you showed love your channel keep up the awsomeness
Great review. I like it. I have the TOPS SCANDI TREKKER, but that’s like $100. So, for US made quality, I think they’ve done pretty well.
My wife got me a Gerber knife for my birthday. I love Gerber products. I have alot more Gerber stuff than Leatherman stuff. Good video have a good day and be safe.
*Also I've noticed edges rolling on blades fresh off the line but I've never had any re-roll after the touch up. Of course I'm not talking about cheap pos knives... but tops, bark river and benchmade. Things like that. I guess its just the equipment they use to sharpen their product compared to my work sharp and ceramic rods.*
I have had this knife for two weeks and the rubber handle it starting to peel and come apart not worth sending back to Gerber probably gonna just wrap it with paracord. I feel like the handle should have be made of a more durable material. Thanks for all the great reviews!
Nice review but I think you have overlooked one very neat feature of this knife.
Those divots/holes in the handle make perfect bearing blocks for a bow drill set. you can sheath the knife, carve the top end of your spindle to fit in the divot and use the whole knife in your hand to push down and stabilise and secure your spindle.
I'm not 100% sure that Gerber put these in there for that purpose but I have a very personalised bush craft knife, I did a similar thing to mine except I have a captured ball bearing in my micarta handle that allows me almost frictionless spindle action.
Needless to say I LOVE this design from Gerber, I'm a fan of short bladed Scandi knives, I find the Moras to be too long, its not needed in my opinion and puts unnecessary strain on the wrists when doing prolonged periods of whittling and cutting, I really do think Gerber once again have hit the nail on the head with this one.
Thinking about picking one of these up, because of the utility applications. 420HC is a great steel. Buck has been using it for years and its easy to retain and maintain a razor sharp edge.
Thank you for another very informative video. Ever since you showed us the Gerber Strongarm, I’ve become more and more impressed with Gerber. This one seems to be a nice companion to the strongarm but at $60 I’m a bit hesitant considering what’s out there, like the Garner or the Condor. Thanks again and God bless you and yours.
Love this knife. In Europa €100 euros.. but for Usa made no problem love USA made knives. Greetings from Scandinavia and great reviews as always 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I love the Morakniv option you offered.
Btw, 3 minutes with a dremel will get you the perfect fire steel strike spine.
I generally grind a 1" section on about a 10° angle about 1/2" from the handle. I do this with many knives in various steels and it always provides good results. The 10° angle makes a big difference but does tend to really eat up the ferro rod.
Ive also found this technique useful on the tang of the handle. Just relieve the G-10 or whatever handle material you have a little and grind a small notch into the steel maintaining that 10° angle.
Nice review Aaron. 420HC is a good steel as we saw in the Strongarm. Let's see if the Principle lives up to the mark.
1:54 It’s rust resistan because 420HC is a stainless steel. This HC confuses people because it’s only 0,4% carbon so it’s located rather within medium carbon content steels.
I purchased one a while back and have been satisfied with it. I do not care for the sheath though. For those complaining about the 420HC steel, my question to you is what does it NOT do that makes you dislike it? For me, Made in USA for a quality blade is worth a few $$$ more.
Like the design, just wish the blade was as long as the handle or at the 4” length. Blade shape is very functional especially for sharpening. The upswept portion of all my moras always suck to hand sharpen, at lest for me. Great vid as always.
I have this and a Esee 4 and really prefer this handle by far. The only issue i have is the sheath doesn’t stay on my belt as well as I would like. Just fits loose even on a leather belt
I was thinking about it, until you showed the competition (one of which I own). Now i'm less inclined-- can't really justify the purchase when my Moras are so similar. Great review though - your reviews over the years have been informative and entertaining!
Yeah the price is IMHO way to much $40 maybe 60 no way.
This knife is full tang. The only comparable Mora is a Garberg at $80. 60s a pretty good deal when you compare apples to apples.
Guys I just picked up this knife and let me tell you it is extremely impressive. I am ecstatic with everything about it. Aaron fantastic review and thanks for all of your hard work brother. I'm just so happy to hold and own this thing.
Me too man I love it
Thanks, Aaron. I'd looked at the Vertebrae and Spine models they came out with last year. Didn't pass muster when I got them in my hands though. This one looks like it may be a better fit. Now, to find one somewhere I can physically handle it...
Great review. People complain about price yet want things made in America. Can’t have it both ways. Love this knife.
3 inch blade is legal in most states for EDC. Cool little knife.
I wanted to buy it the minute I saw it, but for me the right hand only is a deal breaker. I wish they had designed the sheath to go both ways or given me some to carry cross draw on a slant. The knife is very impressive. Thank you for the review.
I have a Mora Black, Brisa enZo Tracker, and am hoping this will be my final addition to my scnadi collection. I love this grind. It's easy to sharpen for someone with only a moderate level of experience with blades and it's great for bushcraft/firemaking. I think I'm going to love this knife primarily because of its smaller form factor and versatile sheath. The enZo trapper and Mora are large. They get in the way when I'm backpacking and their size is felt when they're on my belt clip and flexing my hip a lot climbing up hills etc.. I think this smaller form factor paired with the full-tang construction and versatile mounting options offered by thee sheath are what make it so appealing. Can't wait to get it!
Gerber Gator basic fixed blade gets no media attention, but is a great knife for the 29 dollars I paid. Might make more sense than the Principal as it is 420 hc and full tang. Wish GT would review.
I just ordered this knife with the 20% member discount coupon at REI. Looking forward to putting it through some abuse when I get it. Great review, thanks for giving us an introduction to this USA made knife.
That's a nice little knife. Good to see it's American made. Agree with some other comments: love the hands on demo stuff! I love my scandi grind knives.
Aaron, nice design but steel is old. They could already use an M390 steel and leather sheath (obvious for another price) greetings...
Great vid . Awesome knife ! I have had my eye on it for awhile . I think it's worth it . Been enjoying Gerbers for about 40 years , they did a good job on this one . Be safe .
Really like this knife. Moras are great utility but I’ve just never been drawn to buy one. This one just makes me want it. And I am a strongarm fan so maybe Gerber just “gets me”. 😁
I've had mine over a year best knife so far
I see it on sale for $49.99 right now and I'm very tempted. The knife itself is similar in performance to the other similar ones you listed. In this case you're deciding if you want to pay a little more/similar to get USA made and more robust sheath and carry options which is what makes it stand out from the crowd.
I just ordered this knife from SMKW on sale for $49.95. I like the Principle because of it's size, it's blade shape, scandi grind, width of blade, full tang, ergo grip, price, Made in the U.S. ! and of course the Sheath options are great. Wish Gerber would offer this blade in D2 or S30Vn or AUS10A though. 420HC just doesn't hold an edge very long. Thanks for making all your videos.
David your knife was the best looking one on the table and the one I would choose, after having the springs brake on one of your exclusive buyouts I definitely wouldn't want to rely on a bench made.
I own this knife among many other high priced knifes. There is just something about this knife that says "I can do anything". I wish it had better steel but, their 420hc seems to be really well made. I think this and the Strongarm are like big and young brother. They are great knifes for such a good price. This and the strongarm were my first start to collecting knifes. I own many benchmades, moras, winklers, etc. These two, especially the Principle, hold their own and go to knives if I want to beat up. I wish it had better steel but, thats what keeps the price down. I put a small edge on it too but, this thing is so easy to keep sharp. Good knife to have and beat up.
Looks like a great knife. I’m happy to see gerber coming out with some quality knives!
I personally like 420HC steel because it will hold an edge long enough, but mainly because I can field sharpen it so easily, especially being a scandi. Looks like a winner.
This is going to be my next knife, in the mail right now. To me the price point seems fair. USA made, better sheath than a mora offering more carry options. You can have the best knife in the world, and a crappy sheath will make you never carry it. Let's be honest 95% of a knifes life is in the sheath. I thought about the garberg by mora then again I would be spending another 25 to 40 for a kydex sheath to offer my preferred horizontal carry option. Same with the condor terrasaur seems like a good option also, but had that dame plastic tube sheath. Which if you belt dangle your blades is fine. I just prefer a cross draw, out of the way til I need it.
Great review. I will have to pick one up for EDC. I don't like pocket knives and would rather carry something like this in my EDC bag or on my belt.
Thank you so much for all of the time that you take to give us great reviews!! Very informative and answer a ton of questions!! Stay safe and healthy from your NM fans!!
Sweet looking knife. I'd like to get a little leather sheath for it.
I have a Gerber prodigy and love it also a mora companion, l will be getting this..
I have several knives of 1095 and several of 420HC. I've gotta say for me the 420HC out performs the 1095 across the board. The 420HC seems to be finer grained and takes just as sharp an edge as 1095 but holds it longer. Maybe it's because Buck and Gerber know what they're doing in terms of heat treating the 420HC as opposed to Essee and OKC heat treating the 1095. I consider 1095 to be a lower end steel.
I’ve said this before in other forums and videos and get chewed out by the knife steel gods. LOL!
GT: Thanks for the super review. Since I’ve been watching your videos, I’ve bought StrongArms for my 2 sons (Truck knives), Moras for their girlfriends (camp site blades), and a Tops Fieldcraft BOB for myself. I cannot leave out my 2 x Becker BK2 for our 2 vehicle knives. Ha ha ha. Stay strong, stay safe my Murican cousins!! Cheers
Great review. Just subscribed. Just picked mine up on sale for $50. It doesn’t rattle in the sheath at all.
Glad to hear it and welcome to the Gt family
I appreciate Gerbers thoughts but not enough knife for the cost. I'll be sticking with what I have.
Thank you for another good vidio
60 bucks for a US made fixed blade. Not bad.
Good video I like how u show urself actually using the knife.... Thanks for being honest about the price I like the knife I would buy at 40 bucks definitely
Thanks Aaron! I agree.... for $50 I would buy it for sure. Still looks nice and seems to be very capable.
I've been eyeing this and was hoping you would do a review on this knife. I mostly carry Benchmade and Leatherman, but I like the look of this knife and I could just throw it in my backpack. Price isn't bad for an all Made USA knife. Thank you.
Would this possibly make a good EDC knife as well?
Great video. I wish some of the others had scout carry options. I recently got the Prodigy. Love the knife, but wish it had that carry option. Would like to see scout carry demo of this one. I'm looking to experiment with that option for edc.
Vence McAdams yes, I wish for more scout cary options as well.
Could you do a comparison video on the Cold Steel Prolite and Airlite
Looks nice and I like it a lot actually but I think it’s just a hair over priced. 30-45 bucks would be more reasonable.
Agreed
Its a full tang knife. A $20 mora isn't. Bought my first one right after they released them. I liked it enough that about 3-4 months later I bought a second one. I own a stainless Garberg. With my edges on all three I have to say I can't tell any difference in edge retention. Regardless go with what works for you.
Looks like a great little knife seems like a great alternative to the BM puukko ($$$) or backpacking knife or trouble free strict knife law region knife! Could be $10 less IMO...FYI I'm not getting notifications of your vids as well as others I follow.
Just got one. I drive truck and now carry scout right side. Have a mora too but love the gerber
Fantastic review! I was looking for a small fixed blade I could backpack with and I think you convinced me to purchase this one. Thank you for going so in-depth with every detail. Much appreciated!
Thanks GT
I want one because I like knives🤦♂️. But I won’t purchase one. I have a couple of scandi knives, one is the Garberg & I don’t use any of them. They don’t slice very well when it comes to food prep. I know it’s not designed for that but I do find other knives that perform well in buschcraft and food prep. For those reasons I don’t have use for a scandi
Thanks Aaron been waiting to see this one! Looks really nice. $50 would be great but the price isn’t a deal breaker. Will def pick this up when it hits the stores
The price stands out the most.
I would consider this as a good backpacking bushcraft knife. Great review!
Sad to say , like most love the American made , but when mora is 15$ shipped to the door I bought mora , however I did buy the strongarm to abuse while camping / bushcrafting, cheap small knife for small camp chores , lil pricier gerber for rough use , just saying , I’m just being honest
Thank you for the review! Stay healthy and god bless you and your family!
LMAO...4 years later and your stay healthy comment kills me...covid fears form all the CNN watchers...everyone fell for the covid BS.
Great little knife for around camp , thanks Aaron enjoy your weekend and god bless your house. Beans rice and Jesus Christ
Real strength is scout carry the black blends with a black belt to be practically invisible, but always there, for day hikes/climbs/fishin.
Black electrical tape silences the sheath!
As said overpriced but an excellent one stop minimalist package to cover every eventuality.
I jam a couple cotton balls with oil into the sheath, it'll keep the knife from rattling around. I like the knife. I love that bag you have strapped on you. What is it?
I use a little diamond compound on a strop, I find it to help hold an edge longer.
Bought this off of your word like i have a few knives. Love this knife. Will be making something similar with some different handles materials. Micarta, Dymalux maybe.
Great review! Thanks for showing the other similar knives for comparison.
That is one sweet knife. I did a quick review on the OKC RAT3 at about the same price but that Gerber is something else.
Great video. I really like the looks, love that it is American made. Wish they would have used a little better Steele.
Love the design of this knife. I really like that the carry options are so versatile! I love scout carry and am stoked that they offer that! BTW- don’t forget that Gerber is owned by a Northern European (Scandinavian) company- Fiskars! For the money I’d take it over a BM Pukko
Another great GT review. Like the looks of this knife.
I have several Gerber Strongarm knives that are my go to knives for my EDC and Get Home bags.
At $60 for both the Strongarm and Principle I would stick with tje Strongarm.
But if GT likes it......
How would you compare to a Kansbol? The Principle seems to not be a decent food knife because the short, thick blade. Great for feathers it seems and handling of small wood. Great Sheath Gerber!! Smart!! Definitely a Mora killer!
I've been waiting for your review on this man, great knife by the looks and sounds of it I'll be picking one up in the near future, great vid too!
Enjoy your vids. Thanks. I was watching the Boker auto (before this one) and it reminded me of an auto I have with one big problem:
ATS 34-GT. I like its weight in hand, but the action button can easily deploy while in pocket... NOT good! Is there a 'slip over' product or some other way to 'safety' it? Hope you can send me an answer. Does that happen?
Thanks again.
Glad you enjoy the videos. Not sure
What you are asking can you elaborate?
Have Gerber principle and strongarm. These are my go-to knives
Really powerful for its size! Strong and sharp.
Nice to see Gerber making an effort to release some good products here and there. Also, can we expect a video on the Cold Steel SRK-C?
Karl der Große yes I hope so
Warning : If you decide to set it up for belt carry but on the lower setting those 2 things you have to pinch to get it out become completely covered and it's really hard to get out without scratching the plastic by sticking something in there to squeeze them together. You'll see what I mean if you configure it like that.
Thanks Brudah! I went out and picked up this knife and seriously love this knife.
Just picked up mine today. Liking it so far but the retention on the sheath is terribly tight. I cant wear it on my belt because the retention is so tight o have to firmly hold the sheath in my left hand and YANK the knife as hard as i can to get it to disengage the retention bump in the sheath. I wish it was 0.5-1 inch longer and the sheath had. Mounting option for a ferro rod. Surprised they didnt include a built in sharpener like the LMF and the Bear Grylls fixed blades. Great review as usual Aaron!
Thanks for the review. This knife will fill an important niche as a compact multiuse edc/survival scout carry fixed blade. Love my Moras but can't edc 'em. The Principle sheath sets it apart. The 420hc works very well on my Strong Arm. But can't edc that great knife either. Your vid confirmed my hunch about this knife. And U.S. made, I'll be ordering one. Thanks!
The performance maybe comparable to Mora knives but nothing beats full tang knives. Wish they used a better steel for this one though. But over all a good knife. Thanks for the review!
Nice review, but I was hoping for more detail on the different mounting options.
Great review. May have to pick one up! Thanks.
Question for ya... I know you love your bk16... what about the bk17..? I own one (modified) That sucker does all I ask of it and it would take a hell of lot more I’m sure..! Bullet proof, easy to sharpen, good thickness etc.. just curious on your thoughts of the bk17, and would love a vid on it..! Maybe a comparison of the 2...
Hey, FWIW - The BK17 was discontinued, years ago. I think if you check his channel he did a tweener series BK15, 16, 17? I own several, both stamped and etched Name on blade. They are expensive now. I like the looks better than the BK16. The 17 did not sell as well because of the clip point. People like to baton their blades? Great blade for sure. They caught some heat for stamping the name in the blade causing weakness? I never had a problem. The Becker scales are very comfortable due to their shape. I upgraded to micarta and after market sheath both leather and kydex. I'm using Esee PR4 and AGK now more than Beckers. It"s funny, I had to pull out the 17 just to look at it - Love that knife!
Just picked mine up today and I feel in love with the handle but the sheath kinda sucks 🤔😞