Bear Grylls Case Study

Gerber 31-000751 Bear Grylls Survival Series Ultimate Knife, Serrated Edge

Introducing the Gerber Bear Grylls Survival Series gear. This collaboration brings together Gerber’s over 70 years of knife and gear expertise with Bear Grylls’ extensive outdoor survival and adventure experience to create a one-of-a-kind line of knives, tools and gear. From his time in the British SAS, to scaling Mount Everest, to hosting his survival television show all over the globe, Bear knows what it takes to be a survivor in extreme situations. Each item in the Survival Series is meticulous designed by Gerber and Bear to offer a multitude of uses in any environment.

The Ultimate Knife is the pinnacle of Gerber’s Bear Grylls Survival Series. Intricately designed
by Gerber and Bear, it’s loaded with innovations that won’t be found in any other fixed blade knife. Like everything in the Survival Series, it also includes Bear’s Priorities of Survival pocket guide. Super useful in the wild, it offers a vital edge to any survivor.

Bear Grylls has been using his Gerber survival knife on his television show on the Discovery Channel called Man vs. Wild. This is the sixth season of the show and in the two episodes that aired so far, Bear has been using the survival knife that he and Gerber created. Here is a three minute video that shows Bear Grylls using the Gerber 31-000751 to create a wetsuit out of a dead seals skin.

Knife Features:

1/2 Serrated High Carbon Stainless Steel Drop Point Blade – Ideal for edge retention and cutting rope Full Tang Blade Construction- For maximum durability Ergonomic Textured Rubber Grip – Maximizes comfort and reduces slippage Stainless Steel Pommel – At base of handle for hammering Emergency Whistle – Integrated into lanyard cord

Sheath Feature:

Fire Starter – Ferrocerium rod locks into sheath, striker notch incorporated into back of knife blade Nylon Sheath – Lightweight, military-grade, mildew resistant Land to air rescue instructions Diamond Sharpener – Integrated into sheath for on-the-go sharpening Priorities of Survival – Pocket guide contains Bear’s survival essentials

Tech Specs:

Overall Length: 10-Inch Blade Length: 4.75-Inch Weight: 11.2-Ounce alone, 14.72-Ounce with sheath

Pros

Many consumers liked the size of the knife and said it was the right size for survival needs. Consumers also commented on how the survival instructions are really useful and well laid out. They also stated that the rubberized handle felt good in their hands.

Cons

A few customers stated that the Gerber 31-000751 does not hold an edge very well.
The serrated portion of the knife became deformed after first use and cannot be sharpened with the sharpener that comes with the survival knife. Many consumers complained of the pommel breaking off with little abuse. This was a very common occurrence to those that purchased this knife.

Conclusion

I am huge fan of the show Man vs. Wild and of Bear Grylls. Unfortunately, at this point in time, I cannot recommend buying the Gerber 31-000751 because there were too many consumers that experienced the pummel breaking. A survival knife should be durable and hold up to some serious abuse. There were many consumers that stated the pummel broke on first use with little abuse. This is not what we look for in a survival knife. Although Bear Grylls has been using the Gerber 31-000751 on his show, he hasn’t used it cut down any small trees and I haven’t really seen him abuse it yet.

A few consumers noted that they had contacted Gerber about the pummel issue and Gerber said that they were due to release a better version of the Gerber 31-000751. This is supposed to happen sometime at the end of February early March. If you are seriously considering purchasing the Bear Grylls survival knife, I would wait until May or June to see if Gerber has worked out the pummel
issue.