As part of the look at two similar endorsed product lines, that of Gerber's Bear Grylls and Camillus's Les Stroud line. I am going to start with the Machetes. Of course, because both celebrities have survival shows on television, or had, this stuff is geared towards the outdoor survivalist market segment.
In this short visual romp through the Machetes of both lines, I am also going to throw in a Gerber Gator Machete that I also own. Sadly enough, Machete didn't use any of these 3 machetes.
Gerber Gator Machete • Overall Length: 25.7"
• Blade Length: 18"
• Weight: 18 0z.
• Head: High Carbon Steel
• Handle: Gator-Grip
The Gator Machete from Gerber is a nice simple design. The sheath is made from mildew resistant nylon, and its shape fits the machetes nicely. There is a single large Velcro retainer that does a great job of holding the machete in its sheath. Simply unfasten the Velcro strap and slide the tool out. The belt loop is high meaning the machete rides low. The sheath design really aids in tool retrieval...and I being a creature of convenience, really enjoy how easy it is to take out and put back in.
The machete itself is light. It is the lightest of the 3 in this small opinion review . The handle is held in place via 2 bolts. The fact that they are close to the blade and not at the base of the handle does give me some cause for concern that the blade tang may not go all the way to the base of the handle. Mind you, I am only conjecturing here and it is probably that it does contain a full tang for sturdiness.
As can be see, the blade features a nice saw on the back, and a hole for storage or other uses that your mind can come up (example...attach a rope to it so you can saw bigger limbs). The blade does come factory sharp, with a very nice hollow ground edge. The stiffness of the blade is good for its price point
Pros:
- Saw on backside comes in handy.
- That hole can come in handy for all sorts of creative uses.
- Gator grip design is ok...if a bit more stylish and functional.
- Blade stiffness for the price.
-sheath design that allows easy access to your machete.
Cons:
- Weight. I find this a bit light weight for a machete.
- Handle design although comfortable, doesn't give you a very positive grip. I feel a few finger indentations would have helped.
- Safety lanyard is a bit tight. I have big hands, and using it squashes my fingers onto the handle. I gather this might loosen up with usage and time.
Overall, the Gerber Gator machete is a good product for the price.
Gerber Bear Grylls Parang• Overall Length: 19.5’’
• Blade Length: 13.5’’
• Weight (with sheath): 25.4 oz.
• Weight (no sheath): 19.4 oz.
Based on a Parang that Bear was given as a gift, this is Gerber and his modern interpretation on that gift. The Parang is nicely done overall but the design itself leads to a few shortcomings that I will describe later.
The sheath is well made and does fit the Parang nicely. The backside of the sheath features a pouch with some air emergency gestures. The pouch contains Bear's standard mini survival pamphlet. My problem with this, the mini guide is thick and does not slide in or out easily. I also get a feeling that with extended use, that little pouch might rip. Another issue that I have with the sheath, and it is necessitated by the Parang's design, there are two swivel snaps and a velcro strap. Unfortunately, you have to unsnap the two snaps and the retainer strap to get the tool out of the sheath. That bend gets caught on the snaps every time. Since I like an easy to access machete, this one was a major downer for me. Mind you, you will never lose the machete in its sheath. I am thinking this was a design feature since Bear likes to spend a lot of time climbing trees and hanging upside down from them.
The Parang blade has a nice weight, and I do love that shape. It is very functional in shopping limbs, etc. The nice thing, the blade is forward of the grip which should result in less hand banging than on some other machete designs.
The blade comes factory sharp, and also features a hollow ground bevel.
The handle is very comfortable. It is a mixture of hard plastic (orange) and soft textured rubber (gray). It also features Gerber's security strap. Much like the Gator machete, the strap is a little too short for my big paws. The following photo shows the problem.
It doesn't make much difference if I loop it to the end like this or on the handle side of that upper thumb protector knob. That texture does make for a secure grip however, and is probably my favorite feature in the whole Gerber Bear Grylls series.
Here is a close up of one of the retaining screws, and also the handle end cap. Note that it is of hard plastic. Interestingly, there is a recall on these machetes.
http://www.gerbergear.com/Outdoor/Gear/Gator-Machete_31-000758So I gather the tang is not all that great on these. I would think it narrows down extensively inside the handle. A shame that. I am sure Gerber is/has fixed this problem by now. Come to think of it, I should probably send mine in sometime soon.
A close up of the Velcro retainer strap.
A close up of the end of the sheath. Note the rivets used to close the tip up.
A close up of the backside pouch with emergency air signals.
Pros:
- Parang style blade has great geometry to make short work of branches, zombies, etc.
- Sheath fit and construction is excellent.
-Weight is much better than that of the Gator machete. This feels solid in the hands thanks also to that grip.
- Blade forward design means less mashed fingers.
Cons:
- To take it out, you have to unsnap two snaps and pull a Velcro strap.
- Back pocket does not feel durable, especially once you put that thick mini guide inside.
- Gerber safety strap is too small for big hands.
Camillus Les Stroud Jungle Survival Machete • Survival Fire Starter & Nylon Sheath.
• Titanium Bonded 440 Stainless Steel, Non-Stick Curved Machete Blade.
• Ballistic Nylon Sheath.
• Fire Starter.
• Knurled Steel Pommel.
• Trail Map Mesh Pocket.
The Camillus Les Stroud Jungle Survival Machete is a product that will invariable be compared to that of the Bear Grylls Parang. Instead of the bright orange, you get a bright yellow/green trim. Both colours stand out either way.
The sheath is very well made and is mildew resistant. It also has two snaps on the side. However, you don't have to unsnap them to remove the machete. To me, this is a big plus as I value ease of access. The single Velcro snap does a good job of holding the machete in place.
The big feature of the sheath is the included fire starter. There is even a fire starter cut out on the back of the blade to help you out as shown in the following photo.
The blade itself is a revers to that of the Parang in shape. The tip is not sharpened, and can be used as a pry bar. This blade is also the thickest of the 3 mentioned here. I like the shape and weight of this blade. It isn't large enough that it might get hung up when swung. Its thickness gives you a sense that it should be very durable in the field.
The handle is excellent as well. I really like the metal in the grip. The pommel is knurled and would be perfect to use it as a hammer. The balance of the whole machete is good enough to use that pommel with accuracy. There is no included lanyard, but there is a hole to include one if you need it.
The backside of the sheath contains a map pouch. Inside that map pouch are two slips of paper. One is the Camillus care instructions, and the other is Les Strouds survival guide. I like that the guide itself is made of high visibility reflective paper.
Les Strouds's mini survival guide is more general than Bear Grylls. Where Bear does into some details. Les is more concerned about the whole frame of mind of the person in an emergency situation. He does give great advice as well...but the two guys are polar opposites of each other. Both are good when the feces hits the fan.
This photo shows the upper back side of the sheath where the belt loop resides.
A close up of one of the sheath snaps. I guess it could allow you to carry the sheath in a different fashion.
A close up of the tip of the sheath. I like the rounded edges over one that is sharp. Less to dig into a leg over a long trek, or get caught up in brush.
One issue I did have with the sheath, it didn't fit the machete all that well. See that gap, albeit minor, it bothered me somewhat.
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Pros:
- Fire starter included in a well designed sheath.
- Machete has a very nice weight, and thick backbone.
- Shape of machete much like the Parang on cutting surface.
- Grip is well made with pommel hammer.
- Map pocket on underside. More durable and larger than that of Bear Parang.
- One Velcro strap and the machete comes straight out.
Cons:
- Sheath doesn't butt up tight to handle on machete. Not sure why this bothers me somewhat.
- You have to include your own lanyard. I think this is better than those safety lanyards found on the Gerbers. I guess that it a nitpick as you can cut those off and add your own as well.
- You can bang your fingers easier if not careful as it is a hand forward design.
[b}Overall[/b]
All 3 machetes have nice features, but with all designs, th ere are compromises. The Gator has a nice saw on the backbone, however, it also has the thinnest and lightes blade. The Bear Parang is an excellent wood chopper let down by tang/handle recalls. The Les Stroud Jungle machete is the nicest overall I think, and in my opinion wins this small comparison. Its blade is thick and heavy. The small concave edge geometry does a great job slicing through limbs. Don't get me wrong, the Parang is a great cutter also, but the edge goes to the Les Stroud for overall package and utility.
Showing blade thickness. From left to right: Bear Parang, Stroud Jungle, Gerber Gator.
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