Customer Reviews

Gerber 30-000176 Serrated Edge Epic Knife

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

As with other Gerber knives, the Gerber 30-000176 Epic Knife, Serrated Edge arrives very sharp and has an easy edge to maintain. The weighting is handle biased and when held there is a thumb grip just in front of the handle which is well placed. This knife does not fall into the category of a large fixed blade, rather it is the size of a non-folding pocket knife (see photo comparison with the Gerber 22-01589 Big Rock Camp Knife). The sheath allows for mounting on either side (lefties or righties) and smartly secures the blade within.

One weak point is the "sheath" due to the difficulty of pushing the blade into it without cutting blade-side of the sheath. I would guess that after 6 months to a year of use the blade-side of the sheath will be weakened because the blade nicks it as it is pushed in. This is the reason it is 4 out of 5 stars.

Overall, it is a good introductory knife for those who wish to have a small fixed blade, however do not be fooled as to its size. The Big Rock Camp Knife is a good alternative for those who wish for a larger cutting area.

Even after reading some fairly negative reviews on this Gerber knife, I couldn't resist the appeal of the knife and ordered it anyway. Right out of the box the knife was sharp. The knife has a very pleasant and well balanced feel, has a slim handle with two lashing holes for affixing as a spear and fits my large hand very well. I'm 6 feet tall and 220 pounds. The blade appears to be titanium coated and is one eighth inch thick at the tang. It looks and feels very durable.

The sheath is a hard plastic or polycarbonate and actually is very innovative with the way it snaps and locks the blade in the sheath to prevent loss. It is easy to draw the knife using the thumb of the drawing hand to push up the locking tab while drawing the knife. The problem is the sheath clip. This is NOT a belt clip. If anything it is a boot clip. The clip holds well on a boot with a padded collar, but on everything else I've tried you're just asking to loose the whole thing at the slightest bump, snag or even just bending over if it's on your belt. The two small screws that hold the clip on the sheath are marginal at best. Gerber would have had a real winning five star sheath/knife combo if they had incorporated a closed loop instead of a clip and attached the loop more securely. Put this knife and sheath in a pocket or use a carabiner if you want to keep it.

I am Very happy with this knife. Sharp and will last forever, Blade Material: Hard chrome-molybdenum stainless steel Handle Material: Textured, glass-filled nylon. Bottle opener integrated into handle Reversible pocket clip for right or left carry, and the sheath converts to a tip-up or tipdown carry for even more versatility.
Update 11/30/11 After reading all of the reviews saying the sheath is Hard to release the knife. I don't think they know how to use the Knife. All you have to do is simply push with your thumb and the knife pops out. A knife that attach tip-up you don't want the knife to just slide out! This is a great knife for a bug bag or as a EDC.

Gerber Epic Knife with Serrated Edge

Its a compact, multiple use, fixed blade knife. A deep thumb and finger notch between the blade and handle makes multiple uses and holding techniques possible. Gerber even made the end of the handle a bottle opener and the sheath converts to a tip-up or tip-down carry for even more versatility. Product Features * Blade Material: Hard chrome-molybdenum stainless steel * Handle Material: Textured, glass-filled nylon * Lock Mechanism: None * Blade Style: Drop-point * Handle Length: 3.85in (9.8cm) * Closed Length: * Blade Length: 3.45in (8.8cm) * Finish: * Sheath Included: Yes/No * Weight: 5.12oz (145g) * Recommended Use: Camping, backpacking, hiking * Manufacturer Warranty: Limited lifetime.

Above is an overall write up. It is all it claims. A very stout fixed blade knife to use when my camp knife is just over kill for the job at hand. I like the sheath design, but wish the clip held a little stronger for more security of the knife.

Overall I have been very happy with the purchase and I would recommend the knife to my friends.

Peace

I have no problem with the knife itself. It has a unique shape, and seems well designed for utility type role it is intended. The knife came sharp and seems to hold an edge well. I would like a more grippy material for the handle,and the lower finger ridges don't seem to do much for grip, but all in all, it is an adequate general purpose knife. I give the knife 3 stars. The whole package is dragged down to one star by the cruel joke of a sheath.
As others have observed, the clip is beyond terrible. If you rely on the clip to retain the sheath to your belt or pack, you will quickly find yourself without a knife. If you attempt to draw the knife with one hand, the sheath comes off the belt. The knife can be difficult to return to the sheath with one hand as well. The locking mechanism (which is simply a plastic tab) requires one to resheath the blade with a significant of force, which can be difficult accomplish smoothly, and can tug uncomfortable on the belt. When resheathed, the knife is poorly held, which is unexpected given the force needed to put the knife into the sheath. Never the less, the knife comes easily out the sheath unintentionally. I definitely would not mount this knife handle down on gear. The plastic feels chintzy and the sheath seems designed more like a toy than a tool. The screws holding the clip are simply seated into the plastic, instead of a threaded insert, and loosen easily. I think the sheath is too thin, making the threading for the screws too shallow, so much so, that thread locker likely would not be much help. I lost one screw quickly, and I don't even carry the knife using the clip! The size of the sheath is minimal, which is bad in this case because removing and returning the knife to the sheath usually requires two hands. One hand must grip the sheath, and since the sheath is so small, there is a real risk of injury to the finger closest to the opening. The unique shape of the knife also could make finding a replacement sheath difficult. Additionally, a replacement sheath would likely cost as much as the knife, making this package a poor value.
"Gerber quality" and the phrase (now appropriately missing on many new Gerber knives)"Legendary Blades" sadly do not apply to many of Gerber recent offerings. The company now targets blue light special hunters, and not serious in-the-field users. Many knives are sold only in blister packs, with no display model in-store to be handled. This is perhaps done on purpose, as I don't think I would have bought this knife if I could have handled it first. I'll probably keep it in the tool box or truck, as a "just-in-case" beater, to open beers, or in the event I need a tent stake or something to weigh down a fishing line. I still own and use several older Gerber models, but will think twice before purchasing another from this manufacturer, and never without examination in person.

Gerber makes quality products.. and this knife is no exception. It fits well in even fairly large hands and with a combination standard edge and partial serration it can make short work of any task. I very much like the slightly blunt drop point tip for added strength and holes in the handle / tang for making improvised weapons such a spear or lance. Where they kinda 'blew it' is in the glass filled nylon case and belt clip. It has the nice feature of being able to be carried left / right handed, tip up or tip down and there is little fear of the knife falling out. The problem is in the screws used to attach the clip to the case... they are basically 'eye glass' screws. My clip popped off on my first outing and had to reorder screws to reattach it. Gerber was GREAT and sent me a peck of screws in short course, but then just happened to mention to use "Locktite" or similar product to secure the screws to the case, thereby deafeating the whole variable left / right / up / down thing. Additionally, the clip is unusually long and doesn't have alot of holding strength when fastened to a belt or clothing. It can fall off. Lastly, I bought one for myself and my 73 y.o father, but the thumb lock release can be difficult for the very young, elderly and/or women. I gave it to my teenaged son who loves it.
Don't get me wrong... it's an excellent quality knife... but the case could have been thought out better... and what's with the bottle opener?

I bought this knife fully aware of the problems other users had with the sheath. I hoped that it wouldn't be that bad, and it isn't really. The knife seems pretty secure in there. It is quite a distinctive looking blade and I find people want to see it all the time as it is unusual. When they try to remove it from the sheath, it goes nowhere! It is very secure with no 'rattle' as I feared. In fairness, it may deteriorate over time, we'll have to see. The clip is pretty rubbish and is a little uncomfortable if right next to your skin. I bent the end of mine over to make it a little more comfortable and it seems to work well. The downside is that however you mount this knife, it will always tend to be secure in one direction of pull and critically insecure the other way. As you pull the knife out and push it into the sheath, or vice versa, this is a problem.

The blade is thick and I can see it's use for prying. It seems to hold a reasonable level of sharpness for the low price of the knife.

Interestingly, any military users, this fits really neatly behind a blackhawk serpa leg platform.

This Gerber Knife with a Serrated Edge is just a Great Outdoor Utility fixed blade knife, I just love it. I bought it for my Dive boat, and I'm going to be buying some more for myself and my BUDS.
I have to say that I really like the Thin. Flat Design, even with the plastic sheath, being about 7"1/4 long, weighing only about 5 oz. The Handle also has 2 holes where you can slip a neck chain, or you can use a Carabiner thorough the bottle opener at the end of the handle, and hang it off your belt loop.

Highlights of Note:
* compact, multi-use, fixed-blade, Sharp knife.
* A deep thumb and finger notch between the blade and handle makes multiple uses and holding techniques possible.
* Bottle opener into the end of the handle, and the sheath converts to a tip-up or tip-down carry for even more versatility.
* Blade Material: Hard chrome-molybdenum stainless steel
* Recommended Use: Camping, backpacking, hiking, and I would add Boats & Diving Zodiacs, Survival and Military.
* Manufacturer Warranty: Limited lifetime

i bought my gerber knife because i lost my pocket knife. i needed a carry knife for work, but i got tired of reaching in my pocket every couple minutes and unfolding a knife. so i searched for a sturdy but small fixed blade knife that wouldnt stick out to much. the gerber epic is comfortable in the hand, the thumb grooves on the back of the handle make for a good leverage point on the knife. this thing is sharp as sin. the sheath is more like a concealed carry holster held high on the belt, right side up or upside down. no straps just click it in and its there. i did loose a screw off the shealth after about a week of continuous use but i found it. all in all im exstatic with the purchase, its a great product and im probably gonna buy on for my bro for christmas cause he was impressed with it the sturdiness and feel as well.

This knife was purchased for me as a gift and I haven't been able to take my hands off it. This knife is a modified sheep's foot blade that is sturdy, durable and seemed capable of handling any cutting task I could come up with. It was sharp out of the box but a couple passes on the stone made it wickedely so. Notably, Gerber asserts that you can also do some prying with this knife; I tested that almost immediately and was satisfied with the results. I'm confident that I could even baton this knife through some firewood, maybe even cross grain, though I haven't been able to test that yet. Also, the bottle opener works effortlessly, unlike some. Now, there are a couple of cons. First, the handle of the knife feels like hard plastic and is a little uncomfortable in the hand. Also the pocket clip feels less than secure and I would worry that it could slip out if it snagged on something.

Update: I was able to baton the epic, crossgrain, through one inch diameter oak and much larger pieces of firewood, mostly apple. The knife sustained a minimal amount of cosmetic damage and minor damage to the serrations. I've also used the knife to pry up roofing nails with no ill effects. Of course, your experiences may vary