A big thanks to Gerber for sending us this item to review. There are a lot of good things to say about the Gerber Strong Arm Fixed Blade knife. So let’s just get that out of the way. Many knives are priced well above an Army private’s weekly paycheck yet worth little when it comes to being used for tactical, survival and military applications. One of the first things to look for in a good knife is simple yet solid construction.

A knife should hold up using when doing the basics: food prepping or wood cutting. When looking for a good knife think about how you might use it for camping, backpacking or fishing trips. Prepping trout, whittling wood and cutting rope come to mind for me. 

Gerber has introduced to the market something that has a lot of versatility and comes well under the affordable market; at less than a hundred dollars this knife has a lot of pluses. The Gerber Strong Arm runs in at the MSRP of $86. The Strong Arm is made in Portland, Oregon.

Those looking for a good Everyday Carry (EDC) knife, particularly budget minded buyers, should look at the Gerber StrongArm Fixed Blade as a very sensible option. It comes in a killer looking Black color or a nice, flat colored Coyote Brown. It is available in fine-edge and serrated models and is easy to sharpen. It really is a good value in a fixed-blade knife and should serve you for years to come.

The blade:

The 420 HC, ceramic-coated steel blade is 4.8” inches long, and as a knife is 9.8″ in overall length. The knife weighs 7.2 oz or 10.9 oz with the sheath and MOLLE strap. It has a full tang construction. The blade can cut rope, paper, wood and even thin metal (cuts soda cans to hold tinder easily) but you’ll have to sharpen it from time to time after really aggresive usage.

The handle:

The handle has a nice wedge-shaped pommel and can be used to break glass in case of an emergency, or hammer down various types of protrusions. I like the little hole to place a lanyard. The diamond-textured, rubberized handle is a great feature of this knife. It is non-slip and can be held well even when it is wet. The roughly equal proportions between the blade and handle make it ergonomic and comfortable to hold. The blade is well-balanced and not overly long or large (thick); those with small hands can put this to good use as much as someone with larger paws.

The sheath:

One of the features I like the most is the sheath’s versatile MOLLE carry. The knife can be carried horizontally or vertically, on your person, or on your rucksack. Because of the holes I could mount it on my body armor, belt or backpack if I wanted to.

This is not a costly knife. It is dependable, good looking, well-balanced, and multi-purpose and all for under $86.00. Great price for something that will help you on your adventures. Go here to check out their website.

PRODUCT SCORES

Functionality: 5/5

Weight: 5/5

Durability: 4/5

Cost: 5/5

Comfort: N/A

Overall 19/20

PROS & CONS

Pros

• Extremely functional
• Affordable
• Lightweight

Cons

• Needs to be sharpened for aggressive use.

Material Disclosure: Tony received this product via Spotter Up. He was not required to give a postive review. The opinions in this video are his own.

Gerber StrongArm Fixed Blade

“Gerber has been making survival knives for the US Military since 1968. The StrongArm Fixed Blade carries on our legacy of tough-as-hell fixed blae knives for combat and survival applications. With a sheath that can be mounted in a variety of ways, this knife offers reliable use whether on-duty or off.

SOLID GRIP FOR CONFIDENT APPLICATION

Featuring a serrated edge, full tang 420HC blade with black ceramic coating, the StrongArm was designed around the fundamentals of military survival training. Obtain a solid grip on the knife in all conditions with its diamond-texture rubberized handle. The striking pommel positioned at the base of the handle functions to break through hard surfaces for effective rescue operations, and ceramic coating on the blade offers subtle use through low visual profile, as well as preventing corrosion for long life of the blade.

SMART MULTI-USE MODULAR SHEATH SYSTEM

The StrongArm’s modular sheath system is as important as the knife itself. With the sheath’s snap-together components, the operator can mount the knife vertically on MOLLE, horizontally on a standard 1.75” tactical belt, or in a traditional drop-leg belt mount fashion. The StrongArm Fixed Blade is designed and built in Portland, Oregon.”