FIXED & FOLDING Gerber AR Multi-Tool & StrongArm Fixed Blade
Gerber StrongArm Fixed Blade Knife
Gerber has been making combat and survival knives for the U.S. military since 1968. T e StrongArm carries on that legacy. Inspired by the Gerber LMF II™ and Gerber Prodigy™, the StrongArm was designed around the fun- damentals of military survival training. T e StrongArm Fixed Blade Knife has a 4.8-inch drop point blade. It is available with your choice of either a partially serrated or plain edge. T e blade is 0.125-inch thick and has full tang construction. With an overall length of 9.8 inches, the knife itself weighs 7.2 ounces, with a weight with sheath of 10.9 ounces. A drop point blade is an outstanding gen- eral, all-purpose blade type that excels at most tasks. It is one of the most popular blade types and the top choice for a duty fi xed blade. T e type of blade profi le slopes on the spine of the blade from the handle of the knife to the tip of the blade.
A drop point blade allows the spine of the
blade to continue forward to the tip of the blade for tip strength while maintaining an upward curve of the edge and placing the
tip-in line with the user’s hand. It’s precise enough for delicate tasks and strong enough to take abuse. A drop point blade is a balanced design. It is comfortable in various grip con- fi gurations and can off er several index points. T e StrongArm Fixed Blade has a 420HC stainless-steel blade. T e HC stands for “high carbon.” T is means it can be brought to a higher hardness than 420. Popular with commercial knife makers, 420HC has good toughness and very good corrosion resistance. It can be sharpened to a very fi ne cut- ting edge, good edge retention, and is easily re-sharpened. Ease of re-sharpening is con- sidered an important feature in a combat or survival knife, which can be subjected to considerable abuse in the fi eld. Even with its lower chromium content, 420HC is much tougher and more corrosion resistant than 440C, the benchmark of a generation ago. T e 420HC alloy is a good general-purpose knife steel with proper heat treating. T e StrongArm has a sabre grind blade. A sabre grind is similar to a fl at grind blade with the exception that the bevel starts at about the middle of the blade, not the spine as is the
case with a fl at grind. It produces a strong, more lasting edge, albeit at the expense of some cutting ability. It is commonly used on tactical and military knives. T e blade has a black ceramic coating, which off ers superior corrosion resistance and minimizes refl ective surfaces. Ceramic coat- ings off er extraordinary wear resistance. Indi- vidual ceramic particles are sub-micron in size and bond directly to the substrate, providing outstanding corrosion protection by creating absolutely dense, pore-free barriers. T e StrongArm features a coyote or black rubberized diamond-texture handle that pro- vides a secure grip in all conditions. T ere is a striking pommel at the base of the handle that functions as a glass breaker for rescue operations. T e pommel is equipped with a lanyard hole. T e StrongArm sheath is made of glass-
fi lled nylon and is fully ambidextrous. T e blade may be put back in either direction. No need to worry about putting it in the right way. T e knife locks into place. T e sheath retains the knife securely, yet allows for an easy draw. T e StrongArm sheath features a multi- mount system. T e sheath is confi gurable to mount the knife vertically on MOLLE/ PALS webbing, horizontally on a standard 1.75-inch (4.44 cm) tactical belt, or for traditional drop-leg belt mount carry. Nylon webbing for drop-leg carry and secondary retention, detachable belt loops for horizontal belt carry, and a snap-in MOLLE strip are included, along with an illustrated instruction sheet. T e hard polymer snap-in MOLLE strip eliminates the tedious weaving of bulky straps and makes repositioning of the sheath on gear an easy task. T e MOLLE strip is also employed to attach the horizontal belt loops. T e sheath is as important to a knife as a holster is to a handgun. We really liked the versatility of the StrongArm’s modu- lar sheath system. It is an exceptionally well-designed system. T e StrongArm Fixed Blade has a MSRP of just $86. T e knife has a lot of value for the money. It deserves defi nite consideration by tactical offi cers looking to purchase a fi xed blade knife for any kind of duty.
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10 Tactical Response Fall 2015
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