Survival knives have been around in one form or another since the dawn of man. From sharp rocks to man made steels and polymers knives have come a long way. The survival knives being manufactured today are without a doubt the best knives ever built in history, but are any of them being built by Gerber?

There are several knives produced by Gerber that fall into the survival category. I am going to focus on a few of the fixed blade knives currently available on the market. I will show you what’s out there, point out some things to watch out for, and give you some insight on how these knives have performed.

The first knife I’d like to tell you about is the brand new Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife. This knife was out of stock everywhere I could find it when it first hit the market so it is definitely a popular knife, but the press on it is mixed right now. It hasn’t been out long enough to get any real hard practical use (although it did come out right at deer season) and I think there are some out there that just don’t like Bear Grylls. Knocking his products seems to be in fashion at the moment.

I personally don’t have a problem with Bear. I know he’s not from the U.S. and he probably doesn’t care that the knife isn’t made here. However, I probably would have done a more thorough job of checking out the product that was going to carry my initials. No, I don’t own the knife, I did get the chance to check one out pretty well, and I have done some extensive research on this knife.

I guess the deal breaker for me was the review I read of the guy who was batoning a small limb and the plastic handle broke and the metal pommel went flying. That being said, I think it’s fine for someone who is hiking or bike riding and doesn’t want to carry a larger survival knife with them. Since this knife is “feature rich” I’m going to list them for you here, you can also pick up the Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife Here.

Knife Features:

* 1/2 Serrated High Carbon Stainless Steel Drop Point Blade – Ideal for edge retention and cutting rope
* Full Tang Blade Construction- For maximum durability
* Ergonomic Textured Rubber Grip – Maximizes comfort and reduces slippage
* Stainless Steel Pommel – At base of handle for hammering
* Emergency Whistle – Integrated into lanyard cord

Sheath Features:
* Fire Starter – Ferrocerium rod locks into sheath, striker notch incorporated into back of knife blade
* Nylon Sheath – Lightweight, military-grade, mildew resistant
* Land to air rescue instructions
* Diamond Sharpener – Integrated into sheath for on-the-go sharpening
* Priorities of Survival – Pocket guide outlining survival essentials

Tech Specs:
* Overall Length: 10-Inch
* Blade Length: 4.75-Inch
* Weight: 11.2-Ounce alone, 14.72-Ounce with sheath

If you would like a different option to the Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife, you could use a Gerber LMF II or a Gerber Prodigy and the whistle or signalling mirror A-Poc writes about.

Right now at the top of the food chain for a Gerber Survival Knife, in my opinion, is the Gerber LMF II. This knife has proven itself in battle and is gaining a reputation as being one of the toughest knives on the market today. This top rated survival knife comes in three different versions. The ASEK, the Survival, and the Infantry. The differences in these versions is strictly in color and accessories, the knife itself being the same in all three flavors. I’m going to break these down for you so you can see the differences. You can also read more about these in my blog post here.

The Gerber LMF II ASEK only comes in foliage green, it is infra red (IR) resistant and comes with a sheath, 2 leg straps, and a safety knife w/sheath.

The Gerber LMF II Survivalonly comes in camel brown. It is NOT infra red resistant and comes with the exact same accessories as the ASEK but in the camel brown color.

The Gerber LMF II Infantry comes in (IR) resistant Foliage Green, Camel Brown,and Black. This knife only comes with a sheath and one leg strap.

Next up is the Gerber Prodigy. This knife is like the little brother of the LMF II.  There’s lots of information out there about this knife so I’m just going to cut to the chase and tell you what I DON’T like about it.  This knife seems to be blade heavy, unlike the LMF II which is more balanced. I’m not a fan of the sheath on this knife, the LMF II sheath is MUCH better, but I do like the fact that it is MOLLE compatible.  I haven’t decided if I like the overmolded grip yet, it seems to have a thin coating of rubber over a hard plastic handle.  I haven’t had a problem with this yet (I don’t use this knife much) but I’ve had a knife like it and the handle eventually peeled on it.  Granted it was a cheap knife but for me it’s a potential problem on the Prodigy.

Now, with all that being said, this is still a great knife.  Most people want a light hiking knife that could get them out of any trouble they happen to stumble upon.  This knife is perfect in that application.  It is well made, it is a good solid fixed blade knife, and it also gets great reviews.

Gerber is a great company that makes excellent knives. I personally wish all of their knives were made here in the USA but global economics being what they are that’s just not possible. To be able to compete they need to be able to appeal to all economic classes of people.  Consumers who live outside the U.S. are only concerned with the quality of the knife they buy not where it’s made. That being said, several of Gerber’s knives ARE made right here in the good ole U.S. of A. which means they are keeping lots of people working. For the money I think Gerber knives are an excellent value. You can spend more on a knife, and if you’re a hard core survivalist you probably should, but for the average person building a bug out bag or getting a camping knife you can’t go wrong with a Gerber fixed blade.

By the way, you can find the Gerber 22-01400 LMF II Survival Knife – Coyote Brown knife here.

Hi Caddotx,

Thank you for contacting Gerber Blades.

***NOTE*** January 2006 – December 2007 this steel type was comprised of Sandvik 12C27 SS.

***NOTE*** January 2008 – April 2008 the steel type was temporarily changed from the Sandvik 12C27 SS to 440A U.S. SS.

***NOTE*** May 2008 – current: Production had not resumed with the Sandvik 12C27 SS due to complications with material availability, but switched to a more closely matching steel, the US 420HC.

Carbon

: Present in all steels, it is the most important hardening element. Also increases the strength of the steel but, added in isolation, decreases toughness. We usually want knife-grade steel to have >.5% carbon, which makes it “high-carbon” steel.

Chromium

: Added for wear resistance, harden-ability, and (most importantly) for corrosion resistance. A steel with at least 13% chromium is typically deemed “stainless” steel, though another definition says the steel must have at least 11.5% *free* chromium (as opposed to being tied up in carbides) to be considered “stainless”. Despite the name, all steel can rust if not maintained properly. Adding chromium in high amounts decreases toughness. Chromium is a carbide-former, which is why it increases wear resistance.

Manganese

: An important element, manganese aids the grain structure, and contributes to harden-ability. Also strength & wear resistance. Improves the steel (e.g., deoxidizes) during the steel’s manufacturing (hot working and rolling). Present in most cutlery steel except for A2, L-6, and CPM 420V.

Molybdenum

: A carbide former, prevents brittleness & maintains the steel’s strength at high temperatures. Present in many steels, and air-hardening steels (e.g., A2, ATS-34) always have 1% or more molybdenum — molybdenum is what gives those steels the ability to harden in air.

Phosphorus

: Present in small amounts in most steels, phosphorus is a essentially a contaminant which reduces toughness.

Silicon

: Contributes to strength. Like manganese, it makes the steel more sound while it’s being manufactured.

Sulfur

: Typically not desirable in cutlery steel, sulfur increases machine-ability but decreases toughness.

Vanadium

: Contributes to wear resistance and harden ability, and as a carbide former (in fact, vanadium carbides are the hardest carbides) it contribute to wear resistance. It also refines the grain of the steel, which contributes to toughness and allows the blade to take a very sharp edge. A number of steels have vanadium, but M2, Vascowear, and CPM T440V and 420V (in order of increasing amounts) have high amounts of vanadium. BG-42′s biggest difference with ATS-34 is the addition of vanadium.

Due to inconsistencies with the Sandvik 12C27 and quality concerns; the decision to move forward with the U.S. 420HC was determined to be the best choice and closest match to the Sandvik 12C27 SS. The U.S. 420HC not only exceeded overall performance but also met our high volume and quality production requirements.

Please note that the blades are not stamped or etched as such. The product specifications will be specifically marked on the accompanying packages. The differences between all the steels used, are so closely matched, we believe you will be sincerely challenged to find any performance differences at all.

Unfortunately however, the only way to tell which steel your LMF might be comprised from is the packaging. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Sincerely,

Donda Burnett

Customer Service Representative

Fiskars Outdoor – Americas

Gerber | Brunton

I’ve been wanting to post an update on the Gerber LMF II knives. These are some of the best survival knives available and if you take a look around this site you’ll see several pages and articles we’ve dedicated to this great knife. I personally own the Gerber LMF II Survival version of this knife and since there are a couple of features to this knife that don’t get much recognition, I thought I’d show them to you.

First up is the safety knife. The ASEK and the Survival versions both come with a safety knife. This is a separate knife that comes with it’s own sheath and the first picture below is the safety knife. You may not see much of a need for this knife but I’ll tell you that I reach for it more often than my LMF II. I’m constantly doing something with paracord or rope around the camp and this knife is EXCELLENT for the job of cutting some type of cord. You can certainly do it with the LMF II but it’s a little overkill for paracord. Because of the design you can lay it on your leg as you kneel down to tie something, or shove it quickly into a pocket. It even has extra blades in the handle, although mine are still sharp and I haven’t had to use them yet. I highly recommend getting the ASEK or Survival versions over the Infantry due to the fact that the Infantry version does NOT come with a safety knife.

The other feature I’d like to point out is on the leg straps. If you look closely at the picture you’ll see what looks like gray stitching. That is actually rubber that is stitched into the strap to help keep it fixed on your leg. This works great when I have my LMF II strapped to my calf. And remember, the Infantry version only comes with ONE leg strap, not TWO. Here’s a couple of pics for clarification.

You can find the Foliage Green Gerber LMF II ASEK Knife By Clicking Here and the Gerber LMF II Survival Knife Here.

I’ve been looking around the internet for the Foliage Green ASEK LMF II and I haven’t been able to find any for sale. Lots of the INFANTRY style out there but if you see an ASEK you may want to jump on it if that’s what you’re looking for.

Model #’s Available:
22-01627 Foliage Green LMFII ASEK (IR)
22-01626 Foliage Green LMFII Infantry
22-01117 Foliage Green LMFII Knife only(no sheath included)
22-01118 Foliage Green LMFII Sheath only(no knife included)*
22-01400 Camel Brown LMFII Survival
22-01463 Camel Brown LMF II Infantry
22-01629 Black LMF II Infantry

*I haven’t been able to find just a sheath for sale yet.

Here we will be shining some light on the mystery of the three different variations of the Gerber LMF II Series of knives.  Basically what this boils down to is that the knife itself is exactly the same in all its variations.  What changes the model number is the color and accessories this knife comes with.  I have seen this knife listed as an ASEK but rarely is that true.  There is no such thing as a camel brown or black ASEK knife.  The ASEK only comes in foliage green.

The LMF II Infantry version of the knife includes the initial sheath, knife and one leg strap. The Infantry version is available in Camel Brown, Black and Foliage Green.

The ASEK version (Aviation Support Element, Kaneohe) of the same knife is the identical product but does include the initial sheath, knife, TWO leg straps, Safety Knife and Safety Knife Sheath (extra blades are found inside the handle of the safety knife itself.) The ASEK is available in the Foliage Green color and has Infra Red resistance.

The SURVIVAL version is much like the ASEK in that it includes the Knife, Initial Sheath, TWO leg straps, Safety Knife and Safety Knife Sheath (extra blades are found inside the handle of the safety Knife itself.) The SURVIVAL is available in Camel Brown only.

All versions include the following specifications:
Overall Length: 10.59”
Blade Length: 4.84”
Blade Steel: 12C27 Stainless Steel (Swedish)
Blade Style: Drop Point
Blade Thickness: .185”
Rockwell: Rc 55-57
Handle: Glass-Filled Nylon with TPV Overmold
Weight: 11.4 oz
Origin Portland, OR, USA

Inserted in the primary sheath is a knife sharpener for on the spot sharpening set at a 35 degree inclusive angle. Please note that this sharpener will not sharpen your serrations but only the fine edge of your blade.

***NOTE*** January 2008 – April 2008 the steel type was temporarily changed from the Sandvik 12C27 SS to 440A US SS. As of May 2008 production has resumed with the Sandvik 12C27 SS. The temporary change was due to material unavailability and the 440A US SS was most closely matched to that of the 12C27 SS.

UPDATE!!! I have a new Gerber LMF II Blade Steel post where you can read more information on the type of steel used in these knives.