Gerber 31-000588 Freeman Guide Fixed Blade Knife

The Gerber Freeman is one of the better knives from Gerber when it comes to design features. The handle fits nicely in the hand, and the rubber scales are tacky and comfortable. I like the blade design but the thin blade suits it as only a light duty skinning and utility knife.

Gerber typically uses marginal steel on their blades in general, and the Freeman is no different (unless you purchase this same knife in the S30V steel, but who knows what kind of heat treat they gave it, if any). So, no heavy duty chores for this knife, and be prepared to sharpen it on a regular basis.

Also, as is typical for most knife manufacturers, the sheath is simply pathetic. If you are puchasing this knife, be prepared to double the cost of the knife because you will want to have a sheath made for it if you are planning on regularly carrying it on a belt. If you purchase this knife with the intent of using it on rare occasions or to carry in a backpack, then the original sheath might last a little while longer.

This knife gets three stars because of the poor sheath, marginal steel choice, and thin blade, making it useful for low impact tasks only. Excellent ergonimics and good utility blade shape are hindered by Gerber's standard sub par material choices.

I own several knives and this one is one of my favorites. This knife is very easy to use, sharpen and control. The gimping is very well placed around the handle and no matter how you hold it you have a firm grip. The scales are very grippy and comfortable as well. There are some issues with this knife first the lanyard hole the edges feel a little sharp and it is hard to get paracord through it could be a little wider and rounder edges, Second I honestly do not know what type of steel it is made of it would be a better if it were carbon but the edge is easily sharpened and the blade shape is very nice. I own a BK - 2 and I think these two knives are a great combination for camping, hunting and fishing.

Excellent camp and bushcraft knife. Bought three of these for the kids to learn some basic outdoor skills. The sheaths offer very good retention and have a plastic cut proof liner to protect the blade and wearer when the knife is not in use. The belt loop is a little light for true survival use but should be just fine around the camp or if thown in a back pack. The knife itself is very well made and is well balanced. The stainless material runs a cm or so past the back of the handle and has an attachment point for a wrist lanyard if desired. The handle is of a synthetic material with adequate checkering for a secure grip even when wet or bloody. The thickness of the blade is good and the drop point keeps it beefy enough to handle some light batoning through kindling sized wood. The handle material is rather low profile so it is nice for smaller hands though not to small as to make it unwieldy, especialy when doing fine work like trap mechanisms. The size and shape of the blade is also nice for game processing as it makes short work of skinning and fleshing and the small size is beneficial in the thorax when cutting the trachea, eophagus, and bringing down the diaphragm. Being stainless, the knife has excellent corrosion resistance but sacrafices blade sharpness retention as compared to a high carbon tool steel blades. All in all, an excellent knife at under $30 including shipping and handling.