REVIEW: Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife

It's hard to ignore Bear Grylls. The showman is omnipresent and polarizing, that's for sure. And we're not even talking about the British man's television show, but about his number one flagship knife, the Ultimate Survival Knife from Gerber. Is it the little orange brother of the LMF II? Almost...

The resemblance to the LMF II is the first thing an expert notices. The Gerber LMF II, the heavy duty knife from the same manufacturer, is already a legend itself. The BG Ultimate is slightly lighter and has unmistakable branding. It's not exactly tactical, but that's not its purpose. The orange color also has a significant advantage: it's harder to lose in the woods. And if you do, it's easier to find again.
The blade is black anodized, and of course, has a Grylls logo on it.

Just under half of the blade is serrated, which comes in handy when cutting through a rope. There's also a neat detail: a 1 cm long grind on the spine of the blade which "sharpen" the edges of the knife. This allows you to effectively use a fire starter without damaging the blade. The blade itself is 5 mm thick and made of sturdy carbon steel.

The rubber handle is ergonomically shaped, suitable for larger hands as well. It feels very comfortable, although smaller than the LMFII. There are three holes present, intended by Gerber for spear building. We tried it out, and within 5 minutes of knotting and wrapping, you have a weapon with piercing power in your hand. Whether a spear is the right hunting weapon in an emergency situation is debatable. At the back end, there is a hammer head attached. Driving nails, cracking coconuts – no problem.

The sheath is partly made of plastic and partly of Cordura. A fire starter and a sharpening stone are well integrated. The fire starter is reliable, but there could have been better options for the sharpening stone. The sheath can be attached vertically and horizontally, looks very sturdy, and fits well.
Weight: 417 grams with sheath
Weight without sheath: 318 grams
Blade thickness: 5 mm
Overall length: 25 cm

The bonus in the set is emergency signaling signs on the back of the sheath plus a folder with survival tips. A nice addition to the knife, but not entirely necessary.

CONCLUSION: At this price, it's hard to find a better knife. The design is time-tested, the durability is there, and the features are above average. If the branding and the fluorescent color don't bother you, you'll surely enjoy this knife.

The Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife can be found at very different prices starting from 39.90 euros.