This is the first Gerber knife I've purchased in many years, and they really knocked it out of the park. It's not my favorite knife. It's not even in the top three. And yet, it's probably the one I'd grab when I want something dependable, that'll perform in just about every imaginable application, or that I can afford to abuse or lose. It looks and feels more like a combat knife design than a survival knife. Though, it works great for both. There are lots of videos online of people putting the Strongarm through its paces, extolling its virtues and virtually proving it performs admirably at just about anything. For all it's simplicity the design is remarkably unwanting of anything. It's few perceived weaknesses in bushcraft applications and other select areas, are in fact strengths of the design for other applications, particularly military ones - which, if I was serving and didn't want to invest several hundred bucks in a knife destined to get abused or lost, this is probably what I'd want.Being a Gerber, it's a knife that's still made in the US, yet it can routinely be found for near Chinese or Taiwan made prices. Many, rightfully so, ascribe additional worth for items that can still claim "Made in the USA" labels, like this Gerber. Personally, I care more about getting a reliable, expertly designed product for my money, which just so happens to coincide with being American made it so often seems. And such description fits this blade perfectly. But some of my favorite knife designs are Taiwan made Schrades, like the SCHF42. But, the SCHF42 costs over twice as much once you pair it with a well designed and made sheath, like what already comes with this Gerber from the factory.The Strongarm is a very lightweight, yet amazingly durable fixed blade design. You can find well qualified video proof of that online, among volumes of rather silly examples of stabbing through hollow-core doors (which even a case knife could do), or more absurd tests like striking the blade against masonry to test edge retention (roll-eyes). I was instantly taken with how comfortable this knife felt to hold. While this analogy should be viewed as an obvious exaggeration, the weight felt almost toy-like - extremely light and well balanced. You wouldn't know it's full tang by the handle design, which completely encases the handle in a very grippy rubber reminiscent of dive knives. The grip also flails out to help prevent your hand from sliding down the blade - again an extremely desirable feature for a combat knife, less so for wood processing. A pointed tail-end further exemplifies the designs purpose being optimized more for combat, which also makes a decent glass breaker for rescue applications. The handle doesn't fill your palm quite as well as most knives designed more for bushcraft. This no doubt helps with balance, grip retention and lower profile of the knife. But for carving activities, like making feathersticks, it might feel a tad awkward, especially for those with larger hands.The Strongarm's use of 420 steel makes it more resistant to rust than the 1095 steel, popular with with bushcraft blades. Again, making it more ideal out in environments where you might not be able to keep the blade clean, dry or oiled as much as may be ideal. Being more appropriate in or around water is one of the reasons I bought this knife. Not only would the steel be better to take in the water than 1095, but the sheath can easily be attached to the webbing on a lifejacket. You still don't want to stick a wet knife in the sheath and forget about it, but with the Gerber it should be able to withstand such for a considerably longer time than 1095 steel can. Another upside to 420 is the blade hardness helps hold it's edge longer. Of course the downside to that, and possibly the main reason bushcrafters usually prefer 1095, is that it's easier to re-hone the blade back to razors edge, as any steel is going to dull with use.Another example of the Strongarm's combat design: where bushcraft knife spines tend to remain flat all the way to the point, the tip of the Strongarm, while not dual-edged, is tapered at the end for better stabbing penetration. So between the flailed grip and the tapered tip, there's only about 3 inches of flat spine, which isn't going to be as ideal for wood processing chores like batoning firewood. It's more than enough for striking a ferro rod though, and Gerber made the spine angle a sharp 90 degrees, even with it's ceramic coating. So the spine sparks great without needing any modifications, unlike Kabar blades, which must be striped and/or filed and sanded before they'll throw good sparks from a rod.The Strongarm comes with one of, if not THE best designed sheathes I've seen from the factory. It's a hard plastic sheath, or whatever exotic name they may be calling it, but it's still essentially molded plastic. It doesn't have the fit of custom Kydex and probably isn't as durable. And's going to make more noise than Kydex, fabric, or leather will. But it's the most versatile design I've seen, accommodating all manner of both vertical and horizontal carry, including inverted. The sheath comes set up for vertical drop leg carry, but is easily converted to scout-style belt carry. And, while not as snuggly fitted as Kydex, it securely holds the knife even with the strap removed. Violently shaking the knife by the sheath did not dislodge it. There is a little more play (rattle) in the sheath than many plastic knife sheaths, which isn't completely correctible just by sticking a piece of foam inside, as part of the rattle is between the belt attachment and the sheath itself. But, I've never understood some people's hangup with sheath rattle - even if you're in the military, odds are you're already carrying something that rattles a lot louder than this. But, once again, it's less of a flaw than a necessity of the sheaths ambidextrous, absolute utility. Unlike most knife sheaths, the blade can be inserted edge up or down, which makes it easier to switch to different mounts without having to unscrew or flip anything, as well as making it a little quicker to insert the blade under pressure.One of the best designed and made combat knives you'll find. This thing offers a very well rounded package in terms of durability and versatility. It's an extremely functional knife that often sells at budget prices of fifty bucks or less. Gerber really put some thought into this one. Even if it's not your very favorite, it's hard not to be a little wowed by the utter utility of the design. Definitely a knife worth keeping around.Literally the knife is amazing haven't tested it out yet but I use another of knives and it seems sturdy the grip is great kinda silicon/rubber textured grip at first I was like I don't want that but after grabbing it I really like it the sheath is probably the best I've seen for a knife you can wear it however you want it has so many ways to mount it 10 outta 10 especially it was only like 60 bucksI’ve been to sea with this knife across the Pacific Ocean to Japan- and I have put it through the most vigors tasks of cutting- and it has held up to its name , design and craftsmanship 100% look no further. Buy it!Great knive, sharp out of the box and seems very durableBEST! Knife definitely worth it.I really liked this knife. The balance feels good and the grip is very good and comfortable. The handle is made out of a harder rubber like material and is textured in a way which makes holding the knife in the thick red sticky slippery stuff a definite possibility. The blade was very sharp and feels substantial. It is a good thickness and weight for a combat knife. I liked the sheath in that it could be configured in several carry styles. I only had two negative remarks…there is no sharpening stone or pocket for one and I could not release the safety release with my thumb…I needed to unsnap the retaining strap and pull the knife straight out of the sheath. It holds the knife well but seems that will eventually wear so that it will not retain the knife in the sheath.Best of all…it’s “Made in the USA”…way to go GerberI received this knife as a Father's Day gift, and all I can say is WOW!I normally don't expect very much from Gerber ever since they came out with all the lousy Bear Grylls knives that virtually break if you breath on them too hard! But after watching all of the very positive YouTube reviews on this knife, I decided I would add it to my wish list and see what all the hype was about. I must say, after using this knife for a while, I'm very pleasantly surprised! I think my opinion of Gerber may finally be changing!The knife:This knife is extremely solid in the hand! I would put it up against my ESEE4 and ESEE6 everyday of the week as far as durability goes! The diamond textured rubber overmolded grip is fantastic! Wet or dry, there is no way this knife is slipping out of your hands! The pommel of the knife sports a nice glass-breaker/attitude adjuster, that can be used for a multitude of tasks and is a handy feature to have. The black ceramic blade coating is not overly rough like the Becker and ESEE knives, which is a plus in my book! The blade looks as though it's about 3/16" thick, but Gerber did a very nice job with the saber grind and as a result, this knife cuts like a beast! Despite what some people have said in their YouTube reviews, this knife is PERFECTLY capable of making some beautiful feather sticks (as you can see by my pictures!). The grip shape is very neutral and extremely comfortable in the hand! It easily allows for a multitude of grip options which is awesome! Just a very well thought out grip! Nice job Gerber! The blade is constructed from 420HC stainless steel and holds a great edge! Gerber did an excellent job with the heat treat. The blade also came from the factory with a beautifully, symmetrically ground and very sharp edge! I'm also really happy to see that this knife was made right here in Oregon, USA! The folks over at Gerber did a very nice job finishing and sharpening this knife!The drop point blade does have an unsharpened swedge for combat and piercing applications. Sure, it will be a bit harder on your baton for bushcrafting purposes, but by no means a deal-breaker! Besides, it's nice to know that I have a knife that can handle combat and self defense roles as well! You never know when you might have to fend off a wild animal. The spine of the blade also comes ground to a very nice 90 degree angle suitable for striking a ferro rod! Another welcomed bonus! Finally, and probably the most awesome feature about the knife....NO SERRATIONS!!! FINALLY! It's about time Gerber finally produce an outdoor fixed blade knife without serrations! So enjoy this one folks because it may be a while before Gerber makes anymore plain edged knives! LolThe sheath:This sheath is probably one of the most well thought out and well executed sheaths I've ever received on a production knife! I definitely prefer this sheath to the over-praised ESEE sheaths! The sheath is constructed from a high quality thermo-plastic with plenty of rivets and lashing points for molle and paracord lashing options. The sheath also sports a detachable clip for scout-carry and can also be adjusted for another molle type carry on the back side of the sheath using a removable clip. If this weren't enough, the sheath also comes standard with high quality and well finished, thick nylon webbing for standard drop-leg belt carry options. The button snaps are very strong and quality made! I don't see this sheath having any issues whatsoever, but in the event that you ever do, Gerber has a sterling reputation as far as their customer service and warranty goes, so I don't think you'll have any worries! And for the lefties out there, this sheath is also designed to allow the user to insert the knife into the sheath in either left or right handed orientation. Great job Gerber! It's excellent to see a company finally showing us lefties some attention!Bottom line:Buy this knife! I'd certainly buy this knife again in a heart beat! This knife is certainly worth it's exceptional price point of $47 as of June, 2016. For that price, I would pick up two and put one away as a backup! I'm a strong believer of the "two is one, and one is none" motto! Highly recommended! Hopefully this knife will change a lot of people's minds about Gerber!Penso sia il coltello di taglia media con il rapporto qualità/prezzo migliore che ci sia attualmente in commercio. Davvero robusto ed è un tutto fare, anche se l'acciaio 420HC è un acciaio economico e non tiene benissimo il filo come gli acciai più pregiati, ma ben più costosi. Insomma, se si vuole uno strumento che non si ha paura di usare e rovinare, che faccia egregiamente il suo lavoro, questo coltello/attrezzo fa al caso vostro.Nada más abrir el paquete, entendí por qué este cuchillo es tan altamente valorado por los militares de medio mundo: es, sencillamente, el cuchillo táctico por antonomasia.Su tamaño es perfecto. Ni tan pequeño que resulte ineficaz, ni tan grande que resulte molesto de llevar, aparte de que es ideal para manos de tamaño medio. El acero es de buena calidad y de un grosor respetable, con lo que no se romperá fácilmente, y encima es "full tang", vamos, enterizo. En la parte posterior tiene un saliente que sirve como "rompecocos", aunque está claro que los cocos que rompe no son los que dan las palmeras cocoteras, eso seguro...El afilado también es perfecto para un cuchillo de este tipo. Corta muy bien, pero no es excesivo, como sería el de una navaja, ya que en ese caso duraría poco.Lo que ya no me gustó tanto es la funda. Es de buena calidad, pero un tanto complicada de usar, ya que se puede usar de varias maneras variando ciertas correas y componentes que trae. Hubiera preferido algo más sencillo y funcional, aunque, obviamente, esto es una cuestión de gustos personales.Resumiendo: si alguien desea un cuchillo táctico de primera calidad, pocos habrá (si es que hay alguno) que mejoren este, y encima aparecen ofertas de vez en cuando, con lo que es fácil conseguirlo a buen precio. Para mi, que llevo años coleccionando armas blancas, es una de las mejores compras de este tipo que se pueden hacer.Tra i coltelli combat-survival migliore della scena..Un acciaio robusto e indistruttibile studiato per lavori gravosi in ogni ambiente, dal freddo estremo al caldo estremo..ma al tempo stesso con un filo morbido che si puó ripristinare facilmente in ogni situazione.Le miriadi di test che si trovano sul web dicono tutto.. assolutamente il più versatile e resistente, anche il fodero in polimeri modulare ottimo, installabile su tutto e in ogni angolazione.Affidatevi a questo attrezzo!In many ways, the perfect knife. In one way, a disappointment: the hand-finished grind. It was done so poorly and unevenly that you have to suspect the person either hates their job at Gerber or was looking at the stars. I've never had a knife have such a dramatically mismatched bevel.We deserve better quality for a premium knife marketed as a premium US-produced item. Turns out all my Chinese made knives put the grind on this to shame, and I've spend a morning fixing what should have been done right out of the factory. I know it's common, but I'm talking EXTREME here, not a few degrees.This Knife is absolutely the perfect all around mid sized survival knife!!!!. The steel is 420hc which may not have the best edge retention but is easily sharpened in the field. It is also highly rust resistant and strong especially with that near 1/4" spine it packs!. It's got a perfectly sized profile for a knife that i would consider to be universal for most task. The sheath is just as perfect and universal as the knife packing molle options, belt options and rigging options. All in all id give this product 5 stars and am recommending it as a must have for all your indoor and outdoor needs. -jonnyg