But There Is A Catch! Gerber Scout 

You've convinced me to buy this. Cuz I've been looking at some of the comments and I can already tell you that I'm not that knowledgeable about knife steels at all. However if the knife is good and is pretty useful, and also easy to sharpen I could care less what steel is in there. And so far I'm digging this knife.

Never underestimate the ability of Gerber/Fiskers to mess up a design by going with substandard steel.

Well done Gerber! I really like the design...hopefully it’s popular enough for an upgraded version in the future...

I have to say I think the 440a was a great idea. I have made many post about the fact that I think the budget steels that are easier to sharpen are the best way to go. These knives typically that have that kind of Steel are the knives that we will actually use. The ones that have the higher grades the ones that we paid too much for them and are afraid to use because they cost too much. Also I have to say sharpening a budget steel is much much easier and less time-consuming than having the other steel get dull and having to try to put an edge back on it overtime. I don't mind taking a few swaps across the sharpener after I use it and it takes no effort and I have a super sharp blade for the next time I use it. At the same time I'm not afraid to use it cuz I haven't put every dime I've got into something. I just think budget steels make more sense. And again for most of the things that most of us use our knives for like opening a box or taken it camping 440 is going to do a fine job. I would say about 90% of the people that are buying a pocket knife want one that they are going to use as a beater and could care less about a lot of the things us knife snobs tend to care about. I think Gerber is using common sense.

According to Knifesteelnerds chart 440a has better edge retention than 14c28n, aeb-l, 8cr13mov, lc200n, nitro-v. I would still prefer d2 tho

My Benchmades, Cold Steel, Ganzo Firebirds, and Gerber Sedulo, and dozens of knives riding on bearings, I fine-tuned, and they all lock up like a bank vault but have excellent action. I'm a retired master mechanic and sometimes imperceptible adjustment makes all the difference. It takes a little patience and experience but side to side play can be adjusted out, without adversely effecting the action. Whether phosphorbronze or bearings, it makes no difference. And blue Loctite is your friend.

Gerber is taking a leaf out of CRKT's book. Great, innovative, exciting designs, with absolutely terrible steel, execution, and pricing. At this price, AUS10 or 154CM would be ideal, D2 or 14C28N would be okay, 440C or 8CR13MoV would be bearable...but _440A?_ Are you kidding me?

I was super excited about this knife until the end. Even 440c would be a better steel. That said I 100% agree that the design with another steel would be amazing.

Great demonstration and video Aaron! You nailed it. I hope Gerber listens to you

The last two Gerber blades you have reviewed are the first Gerbers to really catch my eye. But in our world of super steels it should at the very least have D2.

Totally agree here. I feel like Gerber has some of the most beautiful designs and have great designers but poor materials. On the flipside, Benchmade has poor designs, ugly colors, cheap looking shells but excellent steel and excellent ergonomics and action. Cold Steel is sort of the opposite too, tacticool designs but excellent steel. If Gerber designers melded with the 'people who know knives' at Benchmade it would be a really great knife.

I must admit gerber has been making some nice knives compared to 5-10 years ago. But with great materials on the rest of the knife, the steel is kind of a bummer. I appreciate the hard use test you did. A very practical example to test the blades.

I completely agree about the bronze washer part. I’ve been looking for a dedicated work knife with a good-looking and robust design at a low price that doesn’t run on bearings. I work around pools, so I’m constantly ripping open bags of material and scraping things, so I couldn’t care less about the steel. I really like the look of this one. Thanks for helping me find the one!

Excellent folder I purchased one this last Christmas it’s now my EDC anytime I go out!!

Hey Aaron, here's a pro tip. If you replace one of those bronze washers with a nylon one you can take out all of the lateral play by preloading the pivot slightly because nylon will compress and still give you that slick swinging action. As for blade steel on a daily working tool I prefer something that is easy to touch up and keep razor sharp with a strop and some polishing compound. Super steel is a pain to maintain like this, I honestly prefer good old 440C or high carbon like on my Mora's for a working knife. Greetings from NZ!

I totally agree with you, 14c28n, 440c/aus10 or even 9cr18mov would have been a better choice for the same price. For a little more, maybe 154cm or Nitro-v could be a good choice...I don't understand Gerber. I see what Civivi/Sencut, Cjrb and more are doing and that's the right way for me... Cheers from Italy.

This looks like one of a good number of great budget knives and designs out there that would be hard to beat with a simple steel upgrade. Or maybe some other singular modification. Gerber, CRKT, Kershaw, SOG, and even Spyderco, etc.

I speak with the utmost hesitance, but at least they are moving in the right direction finally, albeit slowly. This is one of the few Gerber's I've ever seen with the blade steel even marked on the knife. Here in a year IF THEY ARE LISTENING TO THE KNIFE COMMUNITY, they will do runs in d2 at least and then s35 or 20cv.

Such a shame. 440A is an obsolete blade steel now. Give us something like S30V and bump the price to $100 - given how good it is otherwise that would still be 100% worth the money.

Thoroughly impressed with this one given the price tag. On a side note, I've never understood why people hate on 440a,420hc ect. These cheap stainless steels are leagues ahead of just about any carbon steel in terms of edge retention, toughness and the obvious corrosion resistance. If this knife was released in 14c28n, AEB-L or Nitro-V people would be doing backflips, even though CATRA and knifesteel nerds measurements rate all 3 of those steels lower than 440a in terms of edge retention. I guarantee if I gave someone a 440a knife and told them it was 14C28N and they actually used it they would'nt know the difference. It has to be the name...

Thanks for the review. Just ordered one . Looks like a good deal. I don’t put much into blade steel anymore. I’ve had Benchmades with S30V that aren’t worth crap and dull easy. Decent budget folders are where I look nowadays.

Oh man, I was hoping more for this knife. However training a bunch of Boy Scouts that is this could be a knife that teaches them the meaning of good Steel and taking care of a proper knife. Thank you for the review. I hope they come out with the 2.0 version

For a work knife, I care more about how easy/quick it is to put an edge back on it than I do about edge retention, and I care even more about how the knife is designed. Every knife dulls, it just depends on how quickly, and while I don't mind occasionally taking time out of a rainy day to run it through the stones and put a factory edge back on it, most of the time I'm taking 60 seconds to run a few passes on a rod that I keep in the glovebox and getting back to work. What I've found in real-world use is, as long as they are durable (no edge rolling, chipping, etc), cheaper steels are better for people who actually use their knives...more expensive steels are great for people who like showing their knives to their buddies or opening their new 'EDC' trinkets from Amazon. Now, I'm not in disagreement that D2 would be subjectively "better," but at the price-point, I'm fine with 440a....D2 would probably add another $10-15 onto the cost, and from the other knives in the price range that I have personal experience with, this is the best DESIGNED knife at this price-point. A $50-60 knife is priced there for a reason...that's the price people who work for a living are willing to pay for something that's probably eventually gonna get lost or damaged or just worn from use. You won't find many people with calloused hands carrying a $100+ knife on a job site. Knives like this are designed to be used, and part of that use is being able to put an edge back on it in the field.

Man I ain't gonna lie. You sold me on this, but that steel 😫😫😫😫 I'm not a huge Gerber fan but I own a ton of their USA made stuff. I would pay an extra $60-$80 for at least some cpm154 like kershaw offers in their launch series. It's not impossible, but I'm hoping Gerber makes a version with better steel and I would buy one so quick.

Function should be one of the priorities for any pocket edc knife. All edc knives should have bronze washers. Made properly they will all have a superior functionality.

I finally ordered one of these, Fathers Day sale from Gerber for $45. I personally like good budget steels, easy to sharpen and hold an edge just long enough.

I wanna know who the guy is, sitting in his office cubicle, that thought that 440a was a good choice for this knife! It’s such a let down!! I was so excited for his but now I just don’t know. Thank you for such a quality review!

Nice review, 440a is definitely a no-go. You might wanna check out the new Böker Kihon with crossbar lock - similar diesign, but with D2 and also fairly cheap.

It's really the same as always for Gerber. Except for a few of their premium knives, they consistently use underwhelming steel. Cool handle design, fun lock, mediocre steel. They often make it hard to even find out what the alloy really is. So I stick with the few exceptions like the Gator Folding Drop Point in 154CM. Most of the other Gator models are 420HC or less. They make one premium version of the Gator fixed blade that is a good steel, but charge a lot more for it. In the Strongarm and Prodigy models, they make the 420HC work well as a tough beater knife, partially by having a really good heat treat in a U.S. factory that also fulfills the very similar military LMF2 knife. Not so much on the Chinese produced folding knives. I'm pleasantly surprised to see Kershaw succeed with a Chinese D2 on the Heist. That shows Kershaw's ability to maintain quality and consistency in China. Taiwan generally has the best cost-effective D2.

Sometimes you can’t find your perfect knife because it hasn’t been made yet. I waited about 10 years until I found my perfect belt knife: the bark river bravo LT in magnacut and the ext1 LT also magnacut too both light enough to make me indifferent about my folders 👍

A over built knife that can't hold a edge makes no sense.

D2, 154cm, s30v would be great of course. The immediate hate for the 440 series, why? No one would say anything bad about aus 8, aus 10. If this was 440c at a high Rockwell it would be quite good in edge retention. 440a not being my favorite by any means should be pretty dang tough. Another example would be many entry level knives using 420hc. 440a is actually the next step in upping the carbon.

About the only knives I know in 440A anymore are Rough Ryder. And those are like $12. Go up to $17, and even they will sell you VG10. I feel sorry for the folk that know the name Gerber, and trust them to be selling decent equipment.

That’s an excellent design. I can tell I would like this one. Thanks for the video. 440A is ok with me. Gerber had served me with with my other models.

I picked up one of these at Bass Pro on a recent business trip, it's a great budget EDC that I don't mind abusing slightly. It's also very easy to sharpen so I don't mind too much if it goes dull after some hard use. Plus, if I damage or lose it I'm only out $60. Gerber has always used their proprietary 440 steels and they've always been pretty good. If it was D2 or S35VN...or even 14C28N would it be better? Sure, but it would almost certainly add cost.

I've never tried 440a but my steel snob days are long gone. I've done plenty of my own testing using actual real world uses rather than just cutting a single material like rope or cardboard and I can't tell any difference between any steel I have tried so far. Maybe s30v and k390 come to mind as being a but better but barely noticeable. Plus the simple steels sharpen quickly and effortlessly which I'll need to do no matter what steel I bring to work.

Pete would be proud.

The thing that I don’t like about large handles in crossbar locks is if you hit the bottom of the knife on anything it’s coming down and cutting your finger. The smaller or medium size handles disappear in the hand and don’t have this issue. So I look for medium to smaller handles on cross bar lock knives

Thanks for the review, Aaron. Disappointment, it is said, is the distance between expectation and reality. Therefore, I am not disappointed. I EXPECT Gerber to ruin a great knife design with 💩steel. This, unfortunately, is completely on-brand.

I really like that design. I agree with you about the 14c28n. If gerber used it and sold the knife for $70 id buy it.

On the flip side, maybe 440a is good for in the field because it gets sharper and is quick and easy to resharpen in the field? I just got a scout and I’m LOVING it. Favorite knife I’ve ever owned so far(it’s only been one day LOL but I’m really loving it for all the reasons you mentioned lol).

Cheers for the updates.

One of my current EDC's is in k-390. Another one is in magna cut. They have cut a lot of cardboard and plastic and have not lost their edge. My H8CRs are in group therapy now. They sit around and talk about being victimized I never seeing the dark of pocket.

C mon now Gerber! Why ?? Just get this blade with sandvik 14c28n, to deliver a seller product. As for me Sandvik is preferred than D2. Easier to sharpen, more corrosion resistance, and tougher, doesn't chip so easy. Great review Aaron!

I'll gladly take anything over D2 what is most important to me in a edc is the steel's ability to be serviced stropping, sharping and how hard is it to get chips rolls out of it.

I don’t have an issue with the steel if the heat treat is right. Wish it were in the twenty dollar range though. Nothing is cheap anymore though. You’re spot on with the steel upgrade. Hope they’re listening. ATB Sean

This a major redesign of the Scout because I have the old grey and orange model sold under the Bear Grylls line. I have been using it daily and carrying it around for over 10 years. I do have other knives from Kershaw and CRKT like the Leek, the Hammond, and one of the custom Buck 110's, but it's light, just long enough for a full grip and I can quickly strop the knife and sharpen it up and it stays sharp enough to break down boxes, cut cordage and open packages. I have fixed blades too, my folders are just so I can carry knives, so I don't require super tough, high dollar folders. I shy away from many of their newer models because in the last 5 years maybe, I have noticed the trend to use 5Cr17MoV steel and I think 8Cr18MoV is good as well as AUS 7, but why pay the same prices for softer steels. I'd love to have another scout, but more durable and more of the goodness of the original.

It would be more interesting to compare this Gerber 440A against Spyderco or Byrd 8Cr13, since for China sourced knives that’s a real common entry level steel and I trust Spyderco’s supply line integrity (if they say it’s 8Cr13, it is). I’ve had good results with CS 4116, which is comparable in terms of availability and I believe cost.

It's like a lot of knives I see coming out today.. I just wish it was made _anywhere_ else out of _anything_ else.

I don't see why they can't do this in D2. They use D2 on their new Slimsada folder which I have. Great knife!

Brilliant - was gonna message you earlier and ask what you thought of the Scout as an alternative to the Assert. Can't decide between the two.

I see them releasing a s30v or s35vn version if it sells well. Hope it does. Looks like a winner.

Gerber is one of many Big known companies that don't really listen to consumers regarding suggestions or what we want, maybe they're too Big... because companies like Work Tuff are Killin it. Imo Gerber, Sog, and Cold Steel need to listen to people and figure it out if they care about growth in sales and reputation. Just my opinion of course. There's reputable small companies coming up and getting Bigger.

I just got this knife today and I agree with chive said, I’m a huge comfort and micarta guy and I love the way it feels in the hand. I’m disappointed in the steel choice but I guess the ceo of gerber doesn’t want to give up his millions a year bonus, the only comfort is that I bet it strops back super easy, I’m planning on taking the coating off of the grinds and do as close to mirror polish as I can and put a convex in it. Ever since I put a mirror polish on one of my knives it’s such a better cutter. I use stones and then the Dutch bushcraft knives mirror polish compound on a strip am d and the .25 micron for the final edge, that compound they made is seriously the easiest way to out a mirror edge or even a mirror grind on a knife.

I gotta be honest Ive beaten the crap out of crappier knives with pot steel and made it work (hated them however). 440a for me and a nice design seems worthwhile for me but 440c seems to me it would have been better, d2 even, etc. tons of other knives cheaper at better value but this seems like a nice edc knife imo. Wish it was better steel. Gerber can do good and we’ve seen it before. We need to push them to do so again. That bear grylls era is far behind now.

If it holds an edge, and is easy to sharpen, and it works. Whats the problem?

Why, Why, Why? Such a well designed and implemented knife with washers and..... 440a?

I just don't know why they decided on 440A instead or 8Cr. I love mine though, micarta could be grippier but I love the multiple opening options, the ergonomics are amazing as it feels like part if your hand instead of something in your hand, and the blade actually holds up better than any other 440 blade I've ever had

So how many cuts of rope is good enough for your needs ?

Awesome video as always brother! 👊🏽🔪

I really like your videos, every video help a lot, thank you very much

This had great potential to bring them back to their former front runner brand status.

The biggest offender of this is southern grind. Awesome knives but cheap blade steel. I know they're a charity organization practically, so it seems to be for a good cause, but they really need to step up their materials. Emerson knives is the same thing. 154CM since the 1990's and very fragile titanium liners

So much of the design is so good imo, but it kinda bugs me that they put traction milling on the scales and it’s ONLY under where the clip lands. Lol I mean that’s exactly where I *don’t* want extra traction! However those studs on the crossbar look so awesome I may have to buy it just to experience those. 😂

Cmon Gerber. Havent heard of d2? Aus 10? Vg10? 154cm? Any of the sandovik steels? All of those are solid budget steels. Please pair your excellent knife designs with a matching quality steel. It doesn't have to be some fancy supersteel, just something that's better than gas station knockoff knives quality steel.

I personally think most people who say they “need a better steel than 440a” really don’t, and are more than likely the people who buy knives to fidget with them and open the occasional amazon package. I have knives in 20cv and have owned spydercos in s110v and still use budget knives with steel like this happily. In addition, I also work on a farm and use my knife all the time and can confidently say that you don’t need a super steel to get the job done. With that said, I think the money went more into the handle with this knife, and if they did offer it in d2 for even a few bucks more, would please a lot more people.

Even 440C or 420HC would be acceptable with a good heat treat. You can get knives at this price that have Nitro V, 14C28N, and 154CM.

After the 50 cuts each knife, which one was the more comfortable one?

The thing is these companies are in the business of making Fidget Toys for people who don’t use the edge for anything other than open an occasional Amazon box. The Fidget Toy buyers just don’t seem to care about edge retention and companies, CIvivi chief among them, rake in the highest margin they can get. You are an honest reviewer. Most others (KK) just want to be in the Fidget Toy Club.

I think ive read that 440A is actually closer to AUS6 (as opposed to AUS8). I owned an AUS6 blade, and though i liked the knife's functional design, I had to find something else to carry. It just lost its edge SO quickly. So the 440A would keep me away from this.

Good morning. some say that the steel of this blade in 440 is the worst steel so the knife is bad. what do you think please?

It's a lifted truck with 13in rims. Why just why? D2 or 154cm should have been used

With all due respect to the commenters, one simply cannot claim that a particular steel, made of the same components in slightly different proportions, is obsolete. There are trade-offs, not superiority, between 440A, S30V, and D2. Both D2 and S30V hold an edge longer because they have high hardness, thanks to the slightly more carbon doze. However, that hardness also makes them easier to chip and harder to sharpen. On the other hand, 440A is much faster and easier to sharpen and is less prone to chipping. Additionally, 440A has slightly more chromium, which means better corrosion resistance. In my opinion, there’s a good reason to have a softer steel for a field knife. You don’t always have access to a set of diamond stones, and maintaining the correct angle while sharpening can be challenging without experience. If you never resharpen your knives yourself, go for S110V, S90V, or M390, Maxamet, Elmax. These highest HRC steels hold their edge the longest. However, they are not ideal for heavy use unless you live near a professional sharpening service.

Hair goes IN the hat

As a knifemaker, I'm a bit surprised at the steel choice. So many better choices, without the financial burden of modern super steels.

День добрый. Подскажи, что за часы на руке. Спасибо

I just heard that blue ridge knives will still produce Ontario knife company in the USA

440a isn't really outdated, in that it wasn't considered good in the past either. Even back then, 440c was the "good steel". At least 440b is somewhat analogous to aus8.

Aaron test the besttechman ronin vs these two ..thick handled crossbar lock with 14c spear/drop point for 52$

I honestly like this blade and I don’t care I can handle the 440 steel because of ease of sharpening. I handled this and the heist in my local Cabelas and I love the feeling of this blade better than the heist.

Which folding knife would you recommend then?

That’s too bad, it seems Gerber has some really good designs but cripples them with mediocre steel.

Its a shame my slimsada has been my every day cary for almost a year now and its a great knife. But i like the cross bar lock better....Oh well

I’m with you if it was Aus 8 or d2 it would be slam dunk.

Great review. Gerber continues to make themselves the meme of the knife world. Tryly a shame.

For me Gerber made a great knife,when they made the Gerber gator in154cm steel. Great knife design with great blade steel and cheap price.

I carry and daily use 3 knives at the moment. A no name fixed blade with a no name stainless steel blade, keeps a fair edge. A 40 plus year old Shefield made stockman, carbon blades, holds its edge well. A Honeybadger, D2 blade. D2 is D2. They work hard, from EDC, veggie gardening and farming through to gutting and skinning small and large animals. Sure I sharpen twice a month and hone regular, but they are all good enough for government work. Don't see the point of buying a single knife that costs more than all three mine together just because I can get a bit more performance out of it. Maybe I am just old fashioned, but I did grow up a knife user and not an enthusiast.

440c would be fine for this knife ..it's very similar to 154cm n690 these are just like 14c nitrov aebl to me unless it's a custom makers heat treat on aebl..I would prefer all of these over d2..d2 sucks for me unless it's silver stag or dozier or even BM everyone else's d2 is barely a upgrade from 8cr..edge retention isn't the only thing..if you depend on a knife you have to know how to sharpen/strop..if this had s30 it would be over 100..also I am newly like combo edge on knives that I edc..any material I don't really want my edge to cut the serations can handle it..real world tool users know

I love overbuilt crossbars, but $60+ for 440 steel is a bit disappointing. However, if they can consistently heat-treat it well and everything else about this knife is as good as you say, I may give it a chance, albeit those Kershaw Duralocks have been tempting as well.

If this had AUS8 or 8cr I would buy it I own the sumo in 7cr and ya I sharpen it more then my D2 knives I really like the design

Honestly I think it’s a fine steel for people who treat their knives like they treat their screwdrivers, who beat them up and don’t think of them as fine cutting tools. Guys like that (not me lol but I know many) don’t even know what a sharp edge really is but they are very hard on their knives. You hand them a truly sharp knife and they will probably just slice their finger open. And like it or not, considering Gerber mainly sells on the shelves of big box sporting goods stores, those guys are their primary market. I don’t like it any more than you do, but I think that’s the explanation for their thinking on this. As for me, 440A is fine on my Rough Ryders because I always have one in my back pocket, and I’m not too demanding on those for performance; I just need them as a backup just in case, a loaner, something that can ride in my pocket forever and I don’t have to worry about it rusting or breaking. But I wouldn’t want it on my primary knife. I sure would like to see this knife with a 154CM blade. You can keep your D2 though-I live in the hot humid south and I don’t need a knife that rusts within a couple of hours in my pocket while just taking a walk around the neighborhood lol.

The side lock studs (or whatever you want to call those... Sorry I forgot how Aaron called them) are nice for once for a Gerber... If I compare thay with my Gerber Hinderer those with that tyres look and rounded edges on that kew knife look much better. On the Hinderer their edges are so sharp, it's actually unconfortable to use. It's very sharp on the thumb and I would not use them with gloves at it would damage the gloves over time. At least those studs on that new Gerber knife look decent and more comfortable... Overall the knife looks nice and I like the window breaker. That makes it a bit of a rescue knife wannabe. Overall if I compare to the Hinderer CLS, it misses a belt cuter and a mixed blade with teeth at the base and a smooth edge on the second half. That being said, I agree it needs a blade made of a higher grade steel. 440A is totally outdated...

Really nice design….almost still worth buying as a beater knife

Sadly Gerber has been using 440A it was the Chinese version aka 7CR17 and I agreed with your assessment of the Gerber Sumo. Why Gerber? Great Engineering and Really Bad Execution.

I am going for it. 440 is ok for me 🙂

Gerber has somewhat of a tradition of using underperforming steel in their knives, look at the Sumo with its 7Cr.

MacGyver got away with it using a victorinox. Proof that super steel isn't necessary. It depends how you use it.

Just a thought,,, the knife ISN'T overbuilt if it can't hold an edge. Once I realizied there were knife makers out there that used good steel,, I'd be happy to pay 10x what that Gerber cost to NOT have to sharpen my knife every 15 minutes. And yes, I still might have to sharpen M390/20cv every day, but not 4-5 times an hour like Every CRKT I've owned. There are times when money isn't everything.

I like it. I just wish it was d2. It would be cool if they came out with a US made version in s30v and put it in their custom shop.

G'day Aaron, ignoring the great whopping hole in the blade, hehehe, I'm with ya, the basic design is compelling and good to see a robust lock bar and proper washers. I often wonder how certain companies think about what appeals to the market in terms of bang for buck. I can only conclude this one's a show pony targeted at folks not up with steel evolution. I've only got a couple to go by, but even a well done 440-"C" is far, far more desirable in my experience. Cheers Duke.