In April 2016, I was one of about 60 guests who attended Gerber’s VIP ‘Day of Adventure.’ at Wroxhall Abbey in Warwickshire. I reported on this event in issue 62 (May/Jun) of Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine, but I didn't get to expound much about Gerber itself as both a company and about all the great kit they make.

For this reason, I am choosing to showcase Gerber as they not only make multi-tools which most bushcrafters own, but they also make so much more and actually have six different ranges of gear. My intention is to raise our readers’ awareness about the company, its history, the ranges they offer and to provide an endorsement on behalf of Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine that Gerber (gerbergear.com) is a reliable brand with kit that bushcrafters can trust.

IJoseph R. Gerber was the founder and owner of the Gerber Advertising agency and in the late 1930s he commissioned a Portland knife maker named David Murphy to make some carving knife sets for Christmas gifts. These knife sets were exceptional and people clamoured for more, inspiring Gerber to get David Murphy to produce knives in greater quantities, and in 1939 Joseph Gerber founded a new business called ‘Gerber Legendary Blades’. Abercrombie & Fitch in New York were the first customers demanding knives to sell as well as some other retailers. In the 1950s Gerber was then sold to Pete Gerber

who added to the range by producing hunting knives in the 1960s and tactical knives during the ‘Vietnam War’ era. In the 1970s Gerber diversified the range to include fillet knives and everyday carry knives and in the 1990s Gerber introduced their now famous multi-plier or ‘multi-tool’.

In 1987 Gerber joined the Fiskars group, a famous Finnish manufacturer and a leading consumer goods company with globally recognised brands including, Iittala, Wedgwood and Waterford.

Gerber is based in Portland, Oregon, USA where they employ over 200 people in the design and manufacture of their ranges of kit.

James Karanicolas, the National Account Manager for Gerber UK kindly offered a quote for this article. “Backwoodsmanship, as the Scout movement has called it for many years, now has the trendy new name of Bushcraft. Gerber has been producing a range of saws, axes, knives, shovels and other tools to help not just the extreme expert, but all who enjoy trying their skills at the survival techniques now all over our TV screens. Since 1939, our Gerber experts, along with the help of our partners such as Bear Grylls, have been creating the highest quality outdoor products to keep you alive”.

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Grant NealeBorn and bred in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Grant recently retired from serving as a British Police Officer for over 20 years, with duties that included being an authorised firearms officer on Armed Response Vehicles, and a National Rifle Officer (Sniper). Grant more than enjoys the outdoors and is very interested in emergency preparedness and living life to the full. His motto is ‘it’s better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it’. 

AUTHOR PROFILE:

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The Freescape folding sheath knife is great too for any and all camp/bushcrafting tasks and has a sturdy nylon sheath.

The ‘Essentials’ range which as its name suggests is designed with everyday indoor/outdoor activities in mind. This range includes 13 folding knives including the legendary Paraframe knife and 14 multi-tools including keychain ones like the ‘Dime’. The Gerber ‘Industrial’ range includes 2 craft knives and 6 multi tools, including my personal favourite of the MP600 basic. These as with the other Gerber multi-tools are ideal for bushcrafters and all come with nylon pouches. The MP600 basic is also included in the ‘Tactical’ range but in black. The ‘Tactical’ range also carries a further array of black multi-tools, knives and other great gear that might be a bit too ‘Rambo’ for most bushcrafters. That said my new favourite bushcraft knife, the LMFII Infantry knife is included in this category.

The ‘Hunting’ range has some really great gear suitable for the bushcrafter’s tool kit some of which is use-specific such as the ‘Vital Series’ of gear for skinning/game preparation. The Gator fixed/folding knives are really impressive and are of high quality. The Gator premium fixed drop point knife in my opinion is certainly on par with top production knives like those from Helle & Buck. The ‘Hunting’ range also has fixed /folding knives from their ‘Moment’ series which are some say are the economy range compared to the ‘Gator’ but are still exceptional and great value for money with some real bargains online.

Seeing the way Gerber operates, I wouldn't be surprised if in the future they create a new specific ‘bushcraft’ activity category of kit. One thing that Gerber has never compromised on is quality and reliability, both of which are essential to “keep you alive”. A more comprehensive review of some of the Gerber gear from their ‘Activity’ ranges will be featured in issue 65 (Nov/Dec 2016) of Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine, ready to help our readers with their Christmas shopping.

Most bushcrafters are familiar with Gerber’s ‘Essentials’, ‘Outdoor’ and ‘Survival’ ranges, which have now been added to most recently to include the new Freescape and Gator gear. The ‘Hunting’ and ‘Tactical’ ranges are equally relevant and should be considered by bushcrafters, particularly the LMF II Infantry knife which I think is a great bushcraft knife and this is now my personal favourite bit of kit. I baulked at the rather bizarre description given about it on the gerbergear.com website:

‘Caught alone in the land of the undead? Let’s hope you’ve got your LMF II. This walker-tested 10" survival knife is an absolute beast. It boasts a durable, partially serrated blade and, if needed, a blunt pommel for crushing the heads and spines of oncoming walkers. For a longer reach the LMF II has two holes where the handle meets the blade for lashing to a pole to create a spear. Ideal for attacking walkers from higher ground’.

I am guessing this description has to do with it being featured as some kind of ‘zombie slayer tool’ on The Walking Dead TV series just as the BG Parang was back in 2011. The LMF II Infantry knife sells for £99 from heinnie.com who also provide a more suitable description.

I first introduced readers to the BG Gerber Survival series range in issue 32 (May/Jun 2011) of Bushcraft & Survival Skills Magazine, and since then I have featured more BG/Gerber gear in issues 36, 37, 39, 57 and 58.

The collaboration/partnership of Gerber with Bear Grylls to develop the BG Survival range has been really successful and continues to grow with new additions such as the Ultra Compact Fixed Blade Knife. The BG Survival range has 7 fixed blade knives, 5 folding clip/sheath knives, 5 pocket/multi-tool knives, 2 parangs/machetes, a hatchet, 2 handy survival kits, 2 fires starters, field sharpener, LED head torch, bottle/canteen with cup, whistle, compass and paracord bracelet. I have been able to trial most of the gear in this range and it is all great, suitable for use by the novice through to the experienced bushcrafter and the gear is made to last and perform reliably.

The Gerber ‘Outdoor’ category is designed with the activities of ‘Hiking, Biking, Camping and Fishing’ in mind. The Freescape range with its distinguishing green colour is a recent and exciting addition which includes all the outdoor essentials such as 2 lanterns, a flashlight/torch & a really useful/practical collapsible camp saw. The 2 fixed blade knives are designed with the camp kitchen in mind and they are even available in an ingenious cary box with cutting board and knife sharpener included.

Gerber Freescape folding sheath knife

Gerber LMFII Knife 2

Gerber Fixed Blade Compact Knife

Freescape Paring Knife in Sheath