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Pros: Weight, Sheath/Scabbard
Cons: Overall Quality, Finish
So Close!
Love the size, weight, blade profile, stonewashed finish, sheath, jimping and the front half of the choil-- the back half is too tapered for me to feel really locked in--just by a hair, though. The steel holds its edge acceptably well and is easy to touch up in the field. Knife is at its best when working high and tight on the blade, with either the forefinger or thumb riding the jimping. When using it more as a utility blade--when the end of the handle is still in your palm--that's when the poor fit and finish is evident. The plastic handle piece does nothing for the knife, except to provide color. It adds nothing to the grip in any position, and doesn't protect the hand from the sharp edges of the exposed tang. As such, there are several hot spots, especially on the top back corner of the tang, where it digs mercilessly into the hand. They should do away with the plastic and better finish the steel, or extend the plastic up to the full size of the tang to more fill the hand and protect against poor finish work. This is so like Gerber to stop just short of making a good knife a great knife. It wouldn't have taken much more effort or cost. I sanded down the edges of the tang to make it suitable for both hunting and utility use.