Just Received This Gerber Recall Notice via CPSC

valvestem125 · **on:** August 17, 2012, 12:56:49 PM

1. NEWS from CPSC and HC

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission
www.cpsc.gov

Health Canada
www.hc-sc.gc.ca

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 16, 2012
Release #12-248

Firm's Recall Hotline: (877) 314-9130
CPSC Recall Hotline: (800) 638-2772
CPSC Media Contact: (301) 504-7908
HC Media Contact: (613) 957-2983

Gerber Recalls Machetes Due to Laceration Hazard

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Health Canada, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. It is illegal to resell or attempt to resell a recalled consumer product.

Name of Product: Gerber(r) Bear Grylls Parang Machetes

Units: About 119,000

Importer: Gerber Legendary Blades, of Portland, Ore.

Hazard: A weakness in the area where the handle meets the blade can cause the handle or the blade to break during use, posing a laceration hazard.

Incidents/Injuries: The firm received 24 reports of breakages, including one report of a laceration injury in Canada, which did not involve stitches.

Description: The recalled product is a curved blade machete with an overall length of 19.5 inches and a blade length of 13.5 inches. The handle is a dark gray textured rubber grip with wrist lanyard, orange trim and a stylized "BG" on it. The blade is marked with the "GERBER(r)" trademark and a stylized Bear Grylls trademark. The machete comes in a black nylon sheath with orange and gray trim. The machetes were sold separately or as one of the products in Gerber's Apocalypse Survival Kit. The model numbers are on the package. Model numbers are: 31-000698, which has "Survival Series" printed on the package; and 31-001507, which was sold only at Walmart. Model number 30-0006010 is for the Apocalypse Survival Kit, which includes a Parang machete among other items in a foldable black cloth case with "GERBER" printed in orange on the inside right.

Sold at: Sporting goods stores nationwide and online from January 2011 through June 2012 for about $43 for the individual Parang machetes and $349 for the Apocalypse Survival Kits.

Manufactured in: China

Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Parang machetes and contact Gerber Legendary Blades to receive a free replacement.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Gerber Legendary Blades toll-free at (877) 314-9130 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, or visit the firm's website at www.gerbergear.com

Note: Health Canada's press release is available at http://cpsr-rspc.hc-sc.gc.ca/PR-RP/recall-retrait-eng.jsp?re_id=1665

To see this recall on CPSC's web site, including pictures of the recalled product, please go to: http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml12/12248.html

Grant Lamontagne · **Reply #1 on:** August 17, 2012, 06:14:59 PM

Out of the hundreds (if not thousands) of these sold there have been 24 incidents and they are recalling the whole mess of them. Good show Gerber!

I like it when companies admit there is a mistake and deal with it head on rather than saying "Well, 24 out of 50,000 units isn't really significant..."

An error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.
Orlando A. Battista

Def

Syph007 · **Reply #2 on:** August 17, 2012, 06:56:46 PM

Before I knew about steel or became a steel snob I had a gerber gator that broke the same way at the handle. Nothing worse then about to brain some zombie and snap! Dont get caught in world war z with inferior machetes people!

AimlessWanderer · **Reply #3 on:** August 17, 2012, 07:14:41 PM

Quote from: Syph007 on August 17, 2012, 06:56:46 PM

Before I knew about steel or became a steel snob I had a gerber gator that broke the same way at the handle. Nothing worse then about to brain some zombie and snap! Dont get caught in world war z with inferior machetes people!

Mine's hand made in Sheffield from 5mm plate ... I'm ready

Gerber appear to have put an effort into building a better reputation lately with their products, and addressing issues like this shows they're serious about that

powerring · **Reply #4 on:** August 17, 2012, 07:42:38 PM

I think this is the second recall they've done recently on a machete. The earlier one was to add a hand guard to the Gerber Gator and Gator Jr. handle so your hand couldn't slip on to the saw bladed spine. That was a design error and it affected 150,000 units with 5 injuries. This one sounds like a production or materials issue. If you have one of the earlier Gators, you may want to check the recalls as well.

Mr. Whippy · **Reply #5 on:** August 18, 2012, 01:13:07 PM

I have to check the numbers on my Gerber chopper!

Stormdrane · **Reply #6 on:** August 18, 2012, 01:39:45 PM

Bummer for everyone that bought an Apocalypse Kit, and all the others that bought the machete and will probably never hear of the recall. I wonder if the prop master on the 'Walking Dead' has been notified, or even if they used a real machete or just a blunt prop?...