Review of the Gerber Bear Grylls Grandfather Knife - a switchable “survival knife”

For fans of the hero of the show “ Survive at all costs ” Bear Grylls , who experience the adventures of a former special forces soldier not only while sitting on the couch with a bottle of beer in hand, but also from time to time go out into the wild wilderness, the Gerber company has released a monstrous survival kit Bear Grylls Ultimate Pack . It includes all the products from the Survival line, developed by the company together with Grylls, and these are a dozen knives, a flint, an ax, large and small parang cleavers, a pair of multitools, a paracord bracelet, a special survival cape, a saw, a sharpener, a compass, an ultra-light bottle and other things useful in the wild. All of them are packed into a 60-liter Commando 60 . You put together such a backpack, put it in the closet and you are ready for the zombie apocalypse.

This set is produced in limited editions and is immediately sold out by fans, despite the high price of $950.

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However, you won't need all of Bear's pieces, so it's more practical to order them separately. Read about the most interesting ones below. And at the end there will be a comic .

The history of Bear Grylls knife

The Gerber Legendary Blades company, founded in the 40s of the last century, produces many products for outdoor activities and tourism.
All products are of excellent quality: sportswear, knives, tools, survival equipment and other accessories. Founder Joseph Gerber won the market with reliability from the very beginning. The Bear Grylls knife is no exception. It was developed by the former military man and then the famous host of the TV show “Survive at any Cost” Bear Grylls. Thanks to his experience in the special forces, he became interested in the topic of survival. In Great Britain he was given the nickname - chief scout. There is no point in doubting the functionality of his inventions.

Very rare Bayley S4 knife, but there is a solution

During the filming of Survive at All Costs, Bear Grylls used eight types of knives. The most rare model is Bayley S4 , made under the leadership of British master Robert Bayley. Since 2009, this knife has not been openly sold, because the stop list of those interested has stretched for several years ahead.

It is distinguished from the above-mentioned Gerber models by handmade work and the “fultang” design - an all-metal knife with applied handle dies. The original costs $700 and there are few places where you can get it.

The Chinese picked up the baton. To their credit, the analogue turned out to be so successful that it also quickly disappeared from the shelves of eBay and Amazon. The handle is made from textured G10 fiberglass. ATS-34 steel , which in its characteristics surpasses the well-known AUS-8 . The total length of the Bear Grylls knife is 205 mm. But there is a smaller copy: so that the knife does not fall under the definition of edged weapons, the blade is reduced to the length recommended by Russian GOST - from 100 to 88.9 mm with the attached certificate of conformity. This is a good fix for the city and outdoors.

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Survival knife

Bear's best creation was the Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate knife. A convenient and reliable product is made of 7Cr17MoV stainless steel. Steel has high anti-corrosion properties and is little susceptible to external damage. Multifunctional plastic sheath will help a person in a difficult situation.

The handle of the Gerber survival knife is made of thermoplastic with notches - it fits perfectly in the palm. The cost of the original product was initially quite high - 700 US dollars.

Due to high demand, even at such a high price, fakes immediately appeared. Which cost less, and this captivates people.

about the author

Many Discovery fans are familiar with the main character of the show “Survive at Any Cost,” Bear Grylls. This man has extensive experience of surviving in the harshest and most extreme conditions. From 1994 to 1997 he served in the British Special Forces SAS, where he received excellent training and survival skills. Today he shares his acquired knowledge with television viewers. In addition, Bear Grylls uses the experience gained to create various cutting accessories. Despite the fact that most of Grylls' designer knives are small in size, they are multifunctional, which is very useful in the wild. According to many owners of such blades, the Gerber Bear Grylls knife is indispensable when relaxing outside the city.

Characteristics of Gerber Bear

Having studied many online stores, today the original costs between 12-14 thousand rubles. Chinese replicas range from 2 to 5 thousand, the range is large, it’s hard to say why. The Gerber Bear knife has rightfully been recognized as one of the best survival products. A successful package with high functionality is the key to the success of the blade.

Knife blade

An example with a serrator.
To make the wedge, high-quality stainless steel 7Cr17MoV is used. It has excellent corrosion resistance. With a spine of 4.5 mm, it withstands lateral loads perfectly.

The cutting edge from the handle, in some models, has a serrated sharpening for half the blade. It prevents coloring of the cutting surface.

The blade will remain sharp for a long time. The cutting edge is sharpened according to the plain type. The blade has a concave blade. It starts 1/3 from the butt. The anti-glare is not of very high quality and wears out over time. The butt has a groove for a chair, the edges are sharp, the inside is wavy.

Product handle

In the Gerber Bear Grylls knife, the plastic handle is firmly attached to the blade tang. Cast installation with two rivets according to the overlay principle.

Rubber coating over plastic has a relief structure. This gives the handle good grip in the palm, regardless of moisture or grease on it.

The handle size is universal, suitable for gripping with large and medium palms. Ergonomics allows you to work with the knife for a long time. The finger rest, which turns into the guard, will prevent the hand from slipping. A mounted lanyard in the hole will make this quality more reliable.

Comfortable handle from Bear.

The holes on the guard and on the pommel of the handle are useful for attaching the knife to a stick. Having split the handle, it becomes clear that the glass breaker is fixed separately from the shank. It can be used as a hammer, but it is not very effective. Crack nuts or knock out a nail – that’s it, nothing more. The bright orange color scheme will save the product from being lost in the grass.

Bear Grylls knife sheath

Double fixation of the cutter in the sheath is carried out using a plastic latch and a Velcro strap. The product fits tightly in place. You can hang the cutter in any position. But this is also a disadvantage - you won’t be able to quickly grab the knife with one hand. The quality of the Velcro is questionable; after using the knife for two weeks, the properties of the hook have faded a little.

The plastic sheath is secured to durable nylon with Velcro. A sharpening stone is attached to the back with screws. In fact, it turned out to be rough - you can’t get the edge down to a razor. The drainage hole is located at the base of the sheath.

Flint and whistle.

Abrasive.

Scheme.

Latch.

The outer side has a fastener for the chair. A whistle is attached to it with a cord. On the inside there is a rubberized orange insert on the nylon lining. It depicts international signs for help. In addition to this tag, there are loops for attaching the product to ammunition and a backpack. The quality of the firmware is excellent.

Specifications

There is a lot of controversy going around online around whether a knife is a bladed weapon. Today, original sellers provide modified and certified versions for the Russian market. It is easy to distinguish them by the letter “R” engraved on the blade in front of Bear’s signature. The Gerber Bear Grylls knife comes with a certificate of non-cold weed. Parameters of our product:

• total length of the product – 251 mm;
• blade length – 122 mm;
• steel grade – stainless 7Cr17MoV;
• wedge profile type – Drop Point;
• cutting edge – Plain;
• steel hardness – 57-59 HRC;
• blade coating – Black Finish;
• butt thickness – 4.5 mm;
• combined handle – GRN thermoplastic and rubber;
• sheath – nylon, plastic and rubber;
• scabbard set - flint, whistle, whetstone;
• purpose - tourist knife;
• product weight without sheath – 220 grams;
• total weight – 323 grams;
• country of origin – China.

The “R” sign on the blade means an adapted version for Russia.
The diversity of the Gerber Bear Grylls line of knives is something to consider. There are slight differences in various modifications. But in general terms the products are almost the same.

Knives Gerber Bear Grylls

The name and imprint of one product says a lot of good and different things - “Legendary blades Gerber”, Portland, Fiskars, made in China, Ultimate and so on, so on, so on... In another attack of knife philia, I bought this knife and not only it. I saw a small fixie with a large handle made of rubber and plastic in two colors - gray and orange - in a kiosk window in a subway passage. Perhaps it was the eye color that got me hooked. I took the box to read - I was interested in the material of the blade, the design seemed reliable - the tail is through, the handle is molded, rubberized plastic. The seller was not aware of the steel; it says on the packaging that it is high-carbon. Having doubts about the high-carbon content of the blade, I decided to surf the net to understand - what do they at least declare it was made of? It turned out to be approximately 0.7% carbon, which is quite acceptable for a knife that needs to be sharpened on a stone. In addition to coal, steel contains chromium, molybdenum and vanadium. It is possible that the properties of the steel are close to our 65x13, theoretically slightly exceeding it in hardness. I read about the knife already at home, it was on Friday and by the evening I was already itching to buy it, I was even afraid whether it would last until Monday, because I went out of town for the weekend, and returning to Moscow on Saturday and then going back was not a pleasure at all. Just in case, I monitored prices from different sellers. They swam from 2300 to 4500 rubles. Where it is expensive, they wrote that the most original and warned against buying cheap fakes. Interestingly, all the originals, as it turned out, were made in China. Remembering the common phrase that if all women are the same, then why pay more, I decided not to worry and take a cheap fake if I don’t worry about the quality of workmanship. As a result, I bought 3 knives - 2 fixed knives and a folding knife. Moreover, a smaller fix with a folding blade in the same blade size. I’ll hang up the photos later - I’m writing from a tablet, I haven’t learned how to hang up photos from it yet. Yes, and so far only the larger fixed and folding ones are available, the smaller one remains in the city. The tablet has already taken out all my brains with the automatic selection of words, I’ll probably stop writing from it for now, I don’t have the nerves to correct his art several times. I'll go take a photo of the knives. And on the fraternal resource, knowledgeable people compared the versions and found a lot of differences. My knife is positioned exactly like a stick.

https://forum.guns.ru/forummessage/64/1075229.html

To be honest, it never bothers me - I don’t mind ruining it, but I don’t see the point in buying it through Ebay - well, it’s a lottery in terms of customs and other things, especially since I still don’t understand how he manages his life, in the service there's some kind of blizzard brewing.

Sincerely

Gerber Ultimate knife test and results

It is unlikely that it will be possible to test the blade in the spirit of Bear himself. But it is possible to carry out small standard checks. The cut of a sheet of paper straight from the box corresponds to the declared sharpness. Let's try the blade next:

1. Cutting a chicken carcass at home. The test is also useful for extreme conditions. The broken blade cuts the skin well. The point sticks into the carcass perfectly. The cutting of bones is not satisfactory. Where necessary, we lean on the butt with our other hand - a crunch, a crack and the bones are broken.
2. Flint, sharpener and whistle. It is necessary to check the functionality of additional accessories. The abrasive stone is rough, but quickly correcting the edge is quite possible. The whistle whistles weakly, at a distance of 300-350 meters it is inaudible. The flint works perfectly, dry moss sets with 3-4 times of striking a spark.
3. Planing wood. Due to its geometry, the blade does not grip the surface very well. This is common in many survival products. Bear Grylls knife turned out to be no exception. The cutting edge remains unchanged, the anti-reflective coating begins to noticeably scratch.
4. Wood cutting. A 5x5 piece of wood cuts perfectly. The chips fly in different directions, there are no problems with the cutting edge. For further testing, we take an aluminum tube with a diameter of 1.5 cm. We make chopping blows, turning it around its axis. At the 15-17th beat, a slot appears on the tube. The edge wrinkles a little, but not critical.
5. Checking the tip. We make piercing blows into the wood, followed by bending the knife to the side to split the material. When making movements to the side, the load on the tip is colossal. After 11-12 blows, look at the tip of the knife. It’s sad – but he bent, and a lot.
6. Checking the cutting edge. It was decided to test it as follows. A piece of wood is taken, the blade is set perpendicularly and driven into the material with hammer blows. Pulled out by hand. The same steps, only the blade is placed at an angle. After several times, one tooth on the serrator became bent. But the cutting edge holds up against all adversity - excellently.

It was decided to finish the product by testing it on a 1.5 mm stainless plate. By piercing blows on it, we achieve complete crushing of the tip. But the first three hits pierced the plate. This proves the amazing durability of the blade. Bear Grylls' knife performed well.

The product has proven its worth to amateur tourists and professional extreme sports enthusiasts.

Such famous survivalists as Dave Canterbury, Cody Lundeen, Ed Stafford and others preferred this cutter. These people know the value of a reliable knife at hand in difficult situations.

Chinese equivalent

What sells well haunts the Chinese. Replicas appeared after a short time. The cost of the product ranges around 3-4 thousand rubles, but there are examples of 1.5 thousand. I should immediately warn you that the knife turned out to be exceptionally good. On the wedge we have AUS-8 steel. The differences from the original are minor. A short review of the Gerber Bear Grylls knife from the Chinese:

1. Knife blade. It has good corrosion resistance; additional spraying helps improve this quality. The strength of the wedge is due to the correct processing of the steel. The cutting edge maintains its sharpness for a long time. It’s easy to open a can for them without consequences.
2. Handle. It is made of plastic and rubberized. Ergonomics copied from the original. But the quality of the product is excellent. There are no errors or irregularities. It’s difficult to say about the brand of plastic and rubber, but the material is definitely good, not much inferior to the original version.
3. Sheath. It is necessary to pay tribute to the high-quality processing of the nylon base. The plastic sheath fits in it without any complaints. The flint works decently, the whistle does not whistle - defective. The abrasive block is very rough, which is typical for diamond stones from the Chinese.

Price list from the Internet for a Chinese product.
This is not a mistake, the product described above is from the Chinese. Yes, in a particular case - a fake, not much inferior to the original! But the cost of the knife is 3-4 times cheaper.

A strange trend over the last couple of years, Chinese clones have been disappearing from Internet sites. The reason for this is unknown. Advice: if you find it on sale, grab it without hesitation.

Differences between a fake and an original

Original Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate are manufactured in China. The company itself provoked a wave of counterfeit products. Why did you give your brainchild to the cloning den? Clearly, to reduce the cost of production. But the risk of data leakage about dimensions and materials used into the hands of attackers is too high. This is what we are seeing today. Comparison of products in the table:

There is a version of the Bear Grylls knife adapted for the Russian market. In all respects, the cutter matches the parameters of the original. There is a slight difference in the blade, it is 1 mm smaller and has an engraving in the form of the letter “R”. It has a certificate of compliance with household appliances, but that’s where the differences end.

Collection of knives from the company GERBER

The Gerber company produces several versions of Bear Grylls knives for every taste, with additional functionality and even folding. Types of cutters:

1. Gerber Bear Grylls Strongarm Fixed Blade. Fixed blade survival knife. The ergonomic handle and sheath with clip perfectly complement the cutter. The blade of the StrongArm knife is anodized during manufacturing. Indelible film protects against rust and damage. Equipped with a full tang design - the blade and handle form a single unit. The product copes well with cutting branches.
2. Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Model #31-000751 NR. The knife has a black blade. There is a ribbed guard with two holes to enhance user safety. The fixed blade has an increased size. The weight of the knife is greater than that of the classic model. The cost per copy is higher.
3. Gerber Bear Grylls Folding Sheath Knife Model #31-000752. The folding bag is easy to carry in your pocket. The knife comes with a sheath that can be easily attached to a belt or backpack. The cutter has an excellent rubber textured handle. The weight of the knife is only 122 grams.
4. Gerber Bear Grylls Ultimate Model #31-000749. The cutter has increased functionality. Additional functionality in the form of: pliers, pliers, various screwdrivers, scissors, saws and can openers. The model is more expensive, it has the ability to lock the blade, a case of increased strength and aesthetics.

The collection is worthy of the attention of any knife lover. Not all products from the line are listed. They are reliable with high quality production. All have rubberized handles with a common color scheme. The knife stands out from the crowd of other products.

Bear Grylls knife from Gerber Knives

Edward "Bear" Grylls and his television show Man vs Wild, now in its sixth season on the Discovery Channel, are an incredibly popular television show. Viewers watch how Grylls literally survives in a variety of extreme situations and places on the planet with the help of primitive improvised means and knives. In deserts, jungles, mountains, Grylls encounters many animals and insects that can clearly harm him - grizzly bears, mosquitoes, tigers, rattlesnakes, alligators, rhinoceroses and many others. “Bear” successfully copes with all the difficulties and troubles along the way. In his show, Grylls proves that if he can do it, then everyone can do it.

One of the latest knives Edward uses on his show is the Gerber's Bear Grylls Survival Series. This series includes a fixed blade knife, several folding knives, two multi-tools and one parang. Grylls always carries two survival kits and a lighter with him. All these attributes were presented to him by the head of the Scout Association of Great Britain - an organization built on the principle of the Boy Scouts of the United States of America. It is precisely these devices that scouts, as well as enthusiastic travelers, use when going on all kinds of hikes. Grylls is the youngest climber to ever reach the summit of Mount Everest. Edward also served for three years in the British intelligence services and the elite air force intelligence units. His wealth of professional experience speaks for itself.

How did this man manage to gain such a large audience - 1.2 billion viewers around the world and what Gerber knives will he use in the new season? While Grylls was looking for a company to create a line of products for him personally, Gerber Knives received numerous requests from professional hikers, hunters and military personnel to develop a line of products for them. The Grylls team approached Gerber with a proposal to create a complete outfit that would be incredibly useful. The cooperation turned out to be beneficial for both parties.

So Gerber sent its leading knife and equipment experts to the UK. The innovation manager, designers and marketing department came to the homeland of the famous “Bear” to get acquainted with the equipment that Grylls used every day. Together they created sketches of the product line and created for a whole year. The group worked directly with Grylls, step by step. Edward Grylls kindly agreed to answer a few questions from Blade magazine. Blade: In the first season of the show Survive at All Costs, you used a variety of knives, including items from Buck, Wenger and many other famous manufacturers. In the second season, you used exclusively knives from Gerber. And already in the third and fourth seasons we noticed you had a knife from the S4 Survival series from Rob Bailey. And now you're back to Gerber. What is the reason? EG: As soon as the show started, in the very first episodes I tried to try out as many different types of knives as possible. This was a real test for me, and through trial and error I learned very quickly how each knife works in a certain situation, and which one will be absolutely useless. I made many mistakes, but now I am absolutely convinced that I have come full circle and the experience I received in the intelligence services played into my hands. After all, I went through all this with a talented knife maker who was always willing to listen to me. We now have a great team and I'm sure people love the knives I use. Blade: When you decided on Gerber knives, what characteristics of the knives became fundamentally important to you? What did those knives that already existed on the market at that moment not have? EG: A strong, reliable blade, a good grip on the handle, additional accessories - a sharpening machine, a flint, survival instructions, a whistle - this can be very useful and even save a life at a certain moment. Blade: Most of the viewers who watch your show Survive at All Costs have never experienced a life-or-death situation in their lives. They are much more likely to face the dangers that await them in the “urban jungle.” What knife would you recommend to your viewers? EG: Gerber's Folding Sheath Knife, of course. This knife is multifunctional, and therefore it is my absolute favorite. It is easy to use and stylish, but at the same time it is particularly functional, durable and easy to use. This knife will come in handy in many life situations. Blade: Many viewers are critical of your show Survive at All Costs. They believe that the situations in which you find yourself are absolutely incredible and impossible to believe. What could you say in response to these people? EG: The show “Survive at All Costs” is designed to show television viewers how the skills that I have acquired throughout my life can really help in extreme situations. This show is about how you can get out of the most difficult troubles if you have certain skills. Because this is a show, there are bound to be some impressive moments. But some things go perfectly, and some things don’t quite work out, but this is real life, and not everything in it always goes perfectly smoothly. There are many shows that focus on survival in extreme conditions, but in them everything happens too smoothly and without incident - which is why over time they become boring and lose their audience. I try to show in my show what to do in a specific situation when you come face to face with danger, and it seems that there is no way out. I love what I do! Blade: Your new show “Worst Case Scenario” tells the viewer how to competently behave during emergencies that a person might encounter in real life. For example, anyone can get stuck in an elevator, experience a break-in in their home, or an earthquake. No one is immune from this. What role do knives play in this show? And what types of knives do you prefer to use in your new show? EG: Most knives that are recommended for daily use by city residents are designed to perform all the necessary tasks that confront them. For example, you can cut a seat belt and break a car window with any quality knife. Most of the time I improvise my use of knives. Blade: Throughout your life, you have visited many amazing places on our planet. You have undertaken many extreme expeditions as part of your television show, including Mount Everest, Antarctica and many other impressive places. Tell us if using a knife helped in critical situations. Grylls. Of course, all the time. As part of many extreme expeditions, including to Mount Everest, and to Antarctica, and in many other places, the knife has always been my faithful traveling companion. It’s easy to see this by watching just a few episodes of my project. Blade: You head the Scout Association. How do you think the law banning bladed weapons in the UK might affect Scout education? Grylls. A knife is always a huge responsibility. Young people need to develop a deep sense of responsibility and to do this they must wield the knife under supervision and guidance. A knife is just a tool that serves to complete the numerous tasks that you put before it. While working, try to focus on the object, but not on the knife. Blade: Why do you think there is such an urgent need for so-called survival kits today, including knives, when only a few adhere to the lifestyle of “Bear” Grylls? EG: People tend to ask questions: “What if...?”, “What if something like this happens to me?”, “Will I be able to cope with this?”, “Will I survive?” and so on. And in the end, they begin to live by the motto: “Know more and worry less.” Blade: What kind of knives do you prefer - fixed blade, folding, and why? EG: With a lifestyle like mine, I use a fixed blade knife. In general, I think that the ideal option is a small folding knife that can quickly and efficiently cope with the tasks assigned to it. Blade: What do you recommend in cases where unexpected troubles or breakdowns occur with a knife? For example, the tip of the blade breaks, the handle cracks, the locking mechanism on a folding knife breaks, and so on? EG: Such a nuisance can cost you dearly. Sometimes your life may depend on a knife, and therefore the choice of a knife must be approached with the utmost seriousness. If a knife breaks in extreme situations, you have no other choice but to simply improvise, adapt to the situation and try to get out of it at all costs. In general, everything always depends on the person, and not on the knife. Blade: And the last question, not related to knives. In one episode of your amazing show, you ate a giant rhinoceros beetle larva that you dug up from under an acacia tree. Not only did this larva look disgusting, it was covered in slime. This was perhaps the most disgusting episode in which you had the opportunity to act. Tell me, what was it like? EG: For another day spent in the office. PS. According to Gerber management, sales of this type of knives grew rapidly after the knives were featured on the Edward Grylls show in 2011.

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