Gerber LMF II Survival Review 2011/02/24
The Gerber LMF II Survival is at home in the toughest of situations.
It has so many functions that could save your life it simply boggles
the mind! This knife is actually a single bladed multitool! Gerber
have managed to include so many different features into a single knife
that it becomes equipped for almost any job. If you are venturing into
the remote wilderness or just parts unknown then this may be the knife
for you.
Introduction
This is a ‘survival’ knife more than a pure bushcraft knife. Hang on,
isn’t bushcraft all about surviving? Well, yes of course it is but it’s
also about learning more about your surroundings and the subtle ways to
get tasks completed. The Gerber LMF II Survival is not a subtle knife.
Above all it's a tough design that wants to be used in a more urgent
blunt manner. It’s blade has a fine and serrated edge, push tang
construction and is very thick.
Use
The Gerber LMF II Survival is less suited for parting natural fibres
which are some of the most important tasks in bushcraft, such as feather
sticking, delicate cutting or carving. On the other hand it’s not aiming
to be a pure bushcraft knife. Instead it’s at home being put to a number
of different uses, some of which we would never find in the world of
bushcraft (such as breaking a glass window). Making feather sticks with
the Gerber LMF II Survival is not an easy task as it has serrations next
to the handle.
Features
- Push tang (stops just before the butt to prevent electric shocks
and also absorb shocks from hammering)
- Serrated and fine edge
- Butt can be used as a window punch and as a hammer
- Three lashing holes and a groove can be used to construct a spear
using the knife
- In built v-sharpener contained in the low profile sheath.
- The sheath itself helps stop noise, and allows you to move easily,
works if you are parachuting and can be attached to a belt or Molle
equipment
- Leg straps with rubber grip rings to firmly attach the sheath to
your leg
- hard so instead I tend to use the serrated part to create a mass
of shavings instead of feathers but it’s not easy. The spine can
easily create a shower of sparks from a firesteel however you can’t
get them concentrated enough for my liking as the spine of the blade
tapers out and loses its edge.
Blade
Gerber uses a low carbon content steel for the LMF II Survival
which comes in around 0.05%-0.15%. This is so the knife can flex without
breaking which makes it a very tough knife. However it will lose its
edge quickly so good thing there’s an inbuilt sharpener on the sheath!
If you wanted to sharpen the serrations then you would have to bring
another rod sharpener for that part of the blade.
The Gerber LMF II Survival is very
tough and can be applied for a very wide range of tasks. It is not a
bushcraft knife but more of a multifunctional survival knife. Everything
in the outdoor world is ‘fit for purpose’ and the purpose here is to be
a jack of all trades, which it excels at. I would like to see a larger
palm swell on the handle and if you know you’re going to be making
feather sticks all the time, go for something else.
I would recommend the knife for anyone looking for a ‘survival knife’.
Its quality and rugged nature are very easy to see from as soon as you
open the packet. The knife can make the best of a bad situation almost
anywhere.
