
The Ultimate Knife (suggested retail: $60), the first product representing Bear Grylls' collaboration with Gerber, comes with a firestarter, sharpener and emergency whistle packed in the sheath. On its own, the knife is a solid hunk of a blade. The drop point, 4.8-inch blade is nearly a ¼ inch thick at the spine, hollow ground, and made from 440A steel with a Rockwell score of 55-59 (57+/-2), making for good strength and easy sharpening. The handle has a great ergonomic shape that fits well in the hand with a double guard to prevent slippage and a textured rubber grip that's pretty sticky, even in wet conditions. Some will gripe about the fact that a full half of the edge is serrated. It's a personal preference and a full smooth blade option is not currently available on this knife. During my tests the serrations didn't impede the tool in any way, so take from that what you will. Madeleine Maccar

















