GERBER Gator PREMIUM SERIES Knife Review

GERBER Gator PREMIUM SERIES

Editor: Cory McLaughlin

Gerber Gator Premium Series knife Facts:
FEATURES
• Fine edge, full tang CPM-S30V blade steel
• Machine polished blades and bolsters
• Rubberized Gator Grip
• Polished cast steel bolster
• Premium leather sheath – USA
• Made in USA
TECH SPECS
• Blade steel: CPM-S30V steel
• Handle material: glass-filled nylon w/ rubber overmold
• Blade length: 4.0″ (10.2 cm)
• Overall length: 9.0″ (22.9 cm)
• Knife weight: 8.0 oz (249 g)
• Overall weight: 10.4 oz (295 g)

My Story:
When I received my GERBER Gator fixed blade knife I was super excited! I had a need for a strong fixed blade knife to replace my grandfather’s Marbles knife that I recently retired. Being that I live in the PNW and love American made steel I was ready to look past the issues that have plagued GERBER in the past. Like many others I am guilty of falling into the newer replaceable blade knives that are available today. In fact, I own and love the GERBER VITAL POCKET FOLDER, but no matter how hard I try I can’t get away from having a good sturdy fixed blade knife. There are limitations with the replaceable blade knives that do not exist with the fixed blades. Sometimes it’s nice to have a piece of steel in your hand that you know is not going to break or bend.
Sure fixed blades have to be sharpened once in a while but with the infinite options of hand sharpening tool out there today this should not really be a concern. Skill with a sharpening stone is something to admire for sure but it is not necessary with products like the GERBER MYTH FIELD SHARPENER. In fairness I do not have experience with this sharpener but it is an example of one of the many options available to us knife wielders.
The GERBER GATOR is a very sturdy knife that feels great in the hand. This knife is made in America by hard working Americans. You can almost hear the freedom call when you pop the button on the all leather sheath, and you can see it in the shimmering reflection on the CPM-S30V steel blade. The GATOR GRIP handle feels tough and yet comfortable, almost like it’s actually holding your hand. When you hold this knife It’s easy to see why the GATOR line has had such great success for the past 25 years.

The blade of this knife is a perfect 4’’. This means that it has enough length to work on even the largest of animals but is still manageable for the little guys. From Bison to Bass you have a tool that can handle the job. An overall length of 9’’ makes this knife an easy to carry option for any trip. The CPM-S30V steel sure sounds fancy but what does that really mean? It means that you have a knife made with some of the best blade steel on earth. This stuff is designed to be tough and stay sharp. Honestly, we could write a whole review on the steel alone. Trust me when I tell you this is some great stuff.
I used this knife on several fishing trips and tested it with a few fire starters. I even used it to split some wood. I wanted to really put it to the test and abuse it a little bit. As the hunting season is over I had to find new ways to test the meat cutting ability. So, the GATOR became my go to kitchen knife. It has cut everything from bread to beast and never baulked. After all was said and done I came to the conclusion that I had a great knife. If you are in the market for an affordable knife that is American made and built to last you have found it. As with all GERBER knives you can have peace of mind with their lifetime warranty. Fine Job GERBER!

Find it here:
http://www.gerbergear.com/Activity/Hunt/Knives/Gator-Premium-Fixed-Drop-Point_30-001083

What could be done better?
For me I cannot find anything that I would change in this knife. It feels great, it looks great, and it preforms great. When the time comes for you to have a strong fixed blade knife you will be happy to have this in your pack or on your hip.