Indians For Guns

Hi IFG,

Recently there have been a lot of buzz on the internet that Gerber's BG line of equipments are not up to the mark. Since I'll be going for trekking I'm gonna buy the BG ultimate PRO survival knife & review it here. The item isn't released yet but from what I read on the internet it should be available in april. Note that I'm talking about the PRO version of the previous BG knife. At knifecenter it is up on pre-order for about $77 or so. Not gonna pre order it though, going to buy when the knife is released. If you guys own a BG product feel free to post your experience here & let others know.

P.S.- I'm halting the plan to buy ka-bar tanto for now but soon....

Don't go for it, Trust me Brother you are better off with an esee 6 knife, it although is a little expensive but trust me from what i have read you are just going to love it..

seedha.admi wrote:Hi IFG,

Recently there have been a lot of buzz on the internet that Gerber's BG line of equipments are not up to the mark. Since I'll be going for trekking I'm gonna buy the BG ultimate PRO survival knife & review it here. The item isn't released yet but from what I read on the internet it should be available in april. Note that I'm talking about the PRO version of the previous BG knife. At knifecenter it is up on pre-order for about $77 or so. Not gonna pre order it though, going to buy when the knife is released. If you guys own a BG product feel free to post your experience here & let others know.

P.S.- I'm halting the plan to buy ka-bar tanto for now but soon....

I have seen these products in the store there ..they are poorly made ..not for tough use ..many of them have had recalls there in the USA. My suggestion to you would be to go for local makes which are much cheaper and modify them ..our handles are not well made ..otherwise local makes even though arent attractive are best for utility.

Yes I know that gerber gears don't have what it takes. I'm buying it just to test and review it with my own hands. Since, I'll be going for trekking it's a good chance for me to test the knife in real life scenarios.

fingers are crossed

Let's just say I'm curious and want to put an end to this debate.

Hi Seedha Admi, curious why you say that Gerber knives don't have what it takes, or what this is based on? Over the years, I have used multiple Gerber knives and related gear. My first introduction to Gerber knives was through a river knife (Gerber Shorty) that has remained on my PFD for last 9-10 years. Hasn't rusted. Has served me well, whether it is to sharpen twigs for marshmellows or to apply butter:) Now this was never meant for heavy duty stuff.

Since then, I have acquired/used,
- Gerber Machete which was gifted to a friend, this was before the recall, but still solidly built and an effective chopper of firewood for me.
- BG Ultimate Knife, which I think is a superb versatile knife for backcountry. It is long and solid enough for some good back country use. I am yet to make fire using the firesteel with this knife, but have used it for most other things (also exception of killing and skinning any animal - inshallah, won't have to do it:)
- A Gerber paraframe multi-tool, that just belies it's size.

What I love about Gerber is that they make pretty decent knives and gear at incredibly good prices. Good prices, ofcourse are relative to US, because by the time they get to India, with all the middle men and duties, they are bloated up in prices. For example, a BG ultimate knife retails for $40 to 60 in US, and sells for Rs. 5.5 to 6 k in India. If your review is in relation to that, meh, blame it on the Indian market dynamics.

quick_draw wrote:Hi Seedha Admi, curious why you say that Gerber knives don't have what it takes, or what this is based on? Over the years, I have used multiple Gerber knives and related gear. My first introduction to Gerber knives was through a river knife (Gerber Shorty) that has remained on my PFD for last 9-10 years. Hasn't rusted. Has served me well, whether it is to sharpen twigs for marshmellows or to apply butter:) Now this was never meant for heavy duty stuff.

Since then, I have acquired/used,
- Gerber Machete which was gifted to a friend, this was before the recall, but still solidly built and an effective chopper of firewood for me.
- BG Ultimate Knife, which I think is a superb versatile knife for backcountry. It is long and solid enough for some good back country use. I am yet to make fire using the firesteel with this knife, but have used it for most other things (also exception of killing and skinning any animal - inshallah, won't have to do it:)
- A Gerber paraframe multi-tool, that just belies it's size.

What I love about Gerber is that they make pretty decent knives and gear at incredibly good prices. Good prices, ofcourse are relative to US, because by the time they get to India, with all the middle men and duties, they are bloated up in prices. For example, a BG ultimate knife retails for $40 to 60 in US, and sells for Rs. 5.5 to 6 k in India. If your review is in relation to that, meh, blame it on the Indian market dynamics.

Actually Gerber has declined in quality over the last few years, as more and more production has moved to China. As a result there is no consistency in the quality anymore - for eg., a Gerber that I used about 15 yrs. ago still goes strong, while the new versions are pure junk. They are good at marketing, as the BG line of knives has showed, and the "common man" (non knife nut) know only these knives. Heck, they work well most of the times, which is pretty much what a common man requires a tool for. They are also very good gifts -- your cousin will appreciate the BG knife more than a Spyderco Native, for eg.

If budget is a constraint, I'd say take a look at the Spyderco Byrd series of knives. They are good tools, and the best bang for the buck for budget conscious people. Cold Steel makes some really good ones in AUS-8.