Another knife in the Survival Series produced by Gerber with design input from Bear Grylls, the Scout is a basic, handy, pocket-clip folding lockblade that has proven itself reliable when needed. Just like with a gun, the best knife you can have for a given situation is the one you have at that point in time. It doesn’t matter if another knife or another design could perform the needed function better; what you have is what you work with which quite often means the smaller, more comfortable and convenient to carry blade is the tool at hand. In the case of the GG (Gerber Gear) BG (Bear Grylls) SS (Survival Series) Scout, comfort and convenience of carry are pretty high so you’d be more likely to have it.
Taking a look at the basic specs pulled off the Gerber website:
- Blade Length = 3.63″ (I think this is incorrect: I measure the blade at just over 3″)
- Overall Length = 7.3″
- Closed Length = 4″
- Weight = 2.4 ounces
The GG BG SS Scout looks pretty sharp!
Looking at the comfort and convenience factors, we see the closed length and the weight: 4″ and 2.4 ounces respectively. Four inches fits in the palm of my hand, edge to edge and 2.4 ounces is truly a light knife; so light, in fact, it almost doesn’t feel right in your hand until you actually cut something with it.
Like other GG BG SS knives, the handle is a mix of orange and gray, in this case manufactured from high-impact plastic with textured rubber-feeling inlays. The lockback blade is made from carbon steel and has a drop point tip. The cutting edge incorporates just over an inch of serrated cutting section with the remaining 2″ plain (sharp!) edge. The clip is not reversible and is attached for a tip-down deep-pocket carry. The ambidextrous thumb-stud opening is easy to manipulate and the blade locks open with an authoritative CLICK!. With the knife locked open you can feel the ridges milled into the spine and the grip back (near the pivot point) for thumb placement indexing. Similar grooves are molded into the grips where your pinky sits as you hold the knife. The grips are ergonomically shaped with an obvious curve for your index finger and one longer softer curve for your other three fingers.
When it came to cutting tests, the knife performed as well as could be expected from a knife this size. Rope, nylon webbing, twine, fishing line, clothing (yes, I even had some old jeans I could cut up this time) all fell to the blade with no issues. The knife’s center of balance point is just behind the blade pivot, so even though it’s so light, it still feels balanced when in use.
The Scout, just like every other knife or tool in the GG BG SS series, comes with Bear Grylls’ Priorities of Survival Pocket Guide. This single sheet folded guide offers some good tips and info on survival in wilderness situations.
MSRP on the Gerber website is $29 but I’m sure you can shop around and find one at a slightly lower price. If you’re in the market for a knife this size, I can recommend this one.
Happy Trails!
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