Gerber is a pretty well-known knife company that made some of the first fixed blade knives I ever got. It is a bit nostalgic, but it’s been quite some time since I first got my Gerber fixed blade. So… how good are they really?
Here is the short answer:
Gerber makes knives in a wide price range. They are known to have high-quality knives made with tough steel and durable paint finishes. Generally, their knives tend towards the $50 area, but they have a whole bunch of different kinds. You’re likely to find one that suits your needs with Gerber.
If that’s all you’re looking for, then you’re good. But if you’d like to go deeper into seeing what makes Gerber and its knives good, then let’s march right on.
History of Gerber Gear
Gerber was founded in 1939 by Joseph R Gerber, who wanted to make his own kitchen cutlery. He soon gave knives to his friends and family, and the knives gained popularity among friends and family.
After that, he started to design more and more knives and tools and started to sell them to the public. Over 70 years, the company grew to be one of the biggest knife companies in the industry.
What is Gerber Gear Known For?
Gerber has a wide price range with its knives, but they usually tend towards the mid-tier of price–and are really good for their price.
Their knives are made with high-quality steel and are very durable. And they’ve got good paint finishes that are rust-resistant.
Gerber is also known for making multi-tools, axes, machetes, saws, assisted opening knives, automatic knives, fixed blade knives, folding knives, and hunting knives. Like I said, they’ve got a wide range of knives.
They don’t quite fill the super budget-friendly role of Kershaw, nor do they fill the premium role of something like Benchmade, but they do serve as a happy medium between the two. If you’re looking for a nice bridge between quality and price, that’s where Gerber comes in.
Are Gerber Knives Any Good?
As I’ve said earlier: Yes, Gerber makes pretty good knives for the price range. It usually hovers around the $50 mark, but they have a wide range of prices, materials, and products. So, you’re likely to find something you like–and just about all of it will be high quality.
I’ve taken the knives I own and batoned them through logs, thrown them, broken rocks with them, and stabbed them into metal, and they’ve kept on kicking. The only thing that happened was a little bit of edge loss and some scratches on the finish.
All in all, they’re worth the money you’re going to spend on them.
Recommended Gerber Knives
With such a wide range of knives, though, which ones are the best? Well, here are some of my favorites.
The Strongarm
The Gerber Strongarm is a fixed blade knife that has made its way to being one of my favorite fixed blades.
The Gerber Strongarm uses 420HC steel and a ceramic coating. The coating makes the blade rust-resistant but it will come off with heavy use. The 420HC blade is done very well, because I haven’t had any troubles with it yet–and I’ve been using it quite a bit.
The Strongarm has a rubber, texturized grip that will not slip out of your hand. If you’re going to use it for a long time, it’ll probably cause blisters–like just about everything else. But if you’re going to use it for long periods of time, you should probably use a glove.
If you’d like to check it out, just click here (link to Amazon).
The Prodigy
The Prodigy is a fixed blade knife that is one of the overall best knives I have used. I took the knife and stabbed it into metal, batoned it through wood, threw it, and it’s still holding up the same–though with some scratches.
The Prodigy has a 420HC blade with a ceramic finish, similar to the Strongarm. It’s also full tang, meaning there’s less chance of the blade snapping off at the handle, so it’s a lot more durable. On the bottom, there’s a glass breaker that also works pretty well for breaking apart rocks.
Similar to the Strongarm, the grip grip on the Prodigy is rubber and textured. It fits well in the hand but it can hurt after a while of use. So, again, wear a glove for long periods of use.
To check it out, just click here (link to Amazon).
The Remix Tactical
The Remix Tactical (which we have a full review on here) is an EDC (everyday carry) knife that has a beefy blade and an interesting design with a hole through the pivot to allow for more grip.
The Remix Tactical has a tanto blade style with a half-serration. It’s got a liner lock with a thumb lift that allows for ambidextrous opening, though the opening can be a little stiff sometimes.
As I alluded to earlier, the knife has an interesting handle design with a hole through the pivot to allow for extra grip. The finger hole isn’t always that comfortable because it puts your index finger behind the rest of your fingers, which can be somewhat of an awkward grip. But the peculiar design definitely does offer more stability than a regular knife design. So, it’s a bit of a tradeoff between comfort for stability and grip.
Here’s the link to check the knife out (link to Amazon).
Conclusion
Overall, Gerber makes some pretty good knives for their various price ranges. Their knives are tough and can take some serious punishment and keep going. If you want a high-quality knife that can go through more than you can, then I would definitely look at Gerber Gear.