rayestrella1
2005-11-01 01:14:48 UTC
Hey guys, here is another OR. I have a copy with pics in the test OR
folder.
Ray
Gerber Guardian Back Up, fixed blade knife
Owner Review
Tester Information
Name: Raymond Estrella
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Height: 6' 3" (187.5 cm)
Weight: 200 lbs (90 kg)
Email address: rayestrella-***@public.gmane.org
City: Huntington Beach
State: California
Country: USA
Date: October 31, 2005
Backpacking Background:
I have been backpacking since I was 14 years old. My style of hiking
is to get up early, and hike hard for most the day. I put the miles
on, usually 15-18 miles a day.(24-29 k) I like to get to my days
destination early enough to enjoy the afternoon. Most of my hiking
is in the Sierras. I hike year `round, in all weather. I am making a
concerted effort to lighten weight everywhere I can. So far in 2005
I have logged 500 miles (800 km) with a pack on.
The product
Manufacturer: Gerber Legendary Blades (A division of Fiskar)
Web site: http://www.gerbergear.com/index.php?flash=1
Product: Guardian Back Up, fixed blade knife
Year made: 2005.
MSRP: Not listed on web site.
Weight listed: 3 oz (84 g) Actual weight 3.1 oz (87 g)
Overall length listed: 7.28" (182 mm) Actual length: 7.32" (183 mm)
Blade length listed: 3.41" (85 mm) Actual length: 3.45" (87 mm)
Knife alone weight: 1.8 oz (50.4 g)
Sheath alone weight: 1.3 oz (36.4 g)
It comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty
Field Conditions
I got the Guardian on April 20, 2005 Since receiving it I have taken
it on every hike except a trip to Mount Shasta. I have logged 373
miles (597 km) with this knife on my backpack. I have hiked from
400' (120 m) to over 14000' (4200 m) elevations, in temps ranging
from over 100F (38C) by the Kern River, and down to 17F (-8C) on the
John Muir Trail. I have encountered extreme desert conditions, snow
and rain in the Sierra's, and beautiful days in Southern California.
I have been from as far south as Palm Springs, to as far north as
Tuolumne Meadows, in California.
Product description
The Guardian Back Up (hereafter referred to as the Guardian, or the
knife) is a double sided fixed blade knife. Here is a picture of the
knife and sheath.
The blade is made of High Carbon Stainless steel, and has been
blackened to make it non-reflective. Indeed the only shiny part of
the knife is the sharpened edges on either side of the blade. It is
a "3/4 tang blade", meaning that the blade continues three quarters
of the way to the end of the handle. With the use of a magnet I was
able to verify that this is the case. On one side of the blade is
the Gerber logo, and the words Portland OR beneath it. All are in
gold lettering.
The blade came in a very sharp state. And I have not had to sharpen
it yet. I have cut freeze-dried food packages, cheese, salami,
summer sausage, and moleskin with it. I have made tinder, and shaved
wood with it. I have cut rope, accessory cord, and webbing with it.
A couple of times I threw it into a tree trunk. (We were bored) It
has held up very well.
The black handle is constructed of "glass filled nylon" covered
with "Santoprene". It feels to be almost as soft as rubber, but more
durable. It does not get slippery, even with wet hands. It has held
up very well also. There are some scratches in the sheath, but no
marks of any kind on the handle.
The sheath is constructed from black molded plastic. It has the
Gerber logo molded into the front of it, and a metal clip on the
back. The clip can be used as a traditional belt loop, a boot
sheath, or an inverted hanging sheath. (More on that later.) On
either side of the sheath are two sliding tabs. The tabs lock onto
grooves on the side of the sheath. By sliding the tabs up towards
the open end of the sheath, it tightens the hold of the sheath on
the knife blade. This holds it more securely and necessitates more
force to pull the knife out of the sheath. By sliding the tabs down
towards the closed end of the sheath, it loosens the hold on the
blade, allowing it to come out easier.
At the very end of the sheath is a small lanyard hole measuring
3/16" (4 mm) across.
Conclusions
I started using this knife for a couple of reasons. First was it's
low weight. It is a lot of knife for such a light package. But my
main reason was the carrying options. While I am not afraid of our
California animals, a couple of mountain lion attacks caught my
attention this year because the animals attacked adults, and did not
want to break off the attack even when hit with rocks and sticks by
other people. I always carry a knife. Usually a Gerber EZ Out
Skeleton. But I started thinking about the Tekna whitewater knife
that I use when rafting or kayaking. It hangs with the handle down ,
from my whitewater vest. Allowing it to be drawn with either hand.
And because it is double edged, it is always ready to cut no matter
how you draw it. But it is heavy, and is hard to sharpen, and to
keep sharp.
When I saw that the Guardian could hang inverted and be adjusted to
easily draw with either hand, I figured my search was over. I slide
the sheath clip on to the cross strap on my backpack's left shoulder
strap. This allows me to remove it with no difficulty what so ever.
Here is a picture of it on a Mountainsmith pack.
It has never come out inadvertently. I have used it on 4 different
backpacks, all with the same good results. It stays on the pack most
of the time, and therefore takes its share of scrapes when I lean it
against rocks or it falls on the ground. It stays out when it rains,
and once took a dunking in a river. The blade shows no sign of rust.
But the clip on the sheath is showing some slight discoloration
where it touches my shoulder strap. I am sure that is from my sweat
soaking through the strap.
I am very happy with this knife. It will continue be my main knife
unless I have to use another as part of a gear test. In fact I would
probably carry both just to have the "any handed" capability of the
Guardian. Here is a picture of it in use in the Sierra's
Pros: Light weight, very good blade, multiple carrying options.
Cons: care must be taken to remember that it is double edged. Not as
safe as a single edged knife.
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page
http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/V4TolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
To read our reviews, please visit http://www.backpackgeartest.org/
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BackpackGearTest/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
BackpackGearTest-unsubscribe-***@public.gmane.org
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
folder.
Ray
Gerber Guardian Back Up, fixed blade knife
Owner Review
Tester Information
Name: Raymond Estrella
Age: 44
Gender: Male
Height: 6' 3" (187.5 cm)
Weight: 200 lbs (90 kg)
Email address: rayestrella-***@public.gmane.org
City: Huntington Beach
State: California
Country: USA
Date: October 31, 2005
Backpacking Background:
I have been backpacking since I was 14 years old. My style of hiking
is to get up early, and hike hard for most the day. I put the miles
on, usually 15-18 miles a day.(24-29 k) I like to get to my days
destination early enough to enjoy the afternoon. Most of my hiking
is in the Sierras. I hike year `round, in all weather. I am making a
concerted effort to lighten weight everywhere I can. So far in 2005
I have logged 500 miles (800 km) with a pack on.
The product
Manufacturer: Gerber Legendary Blades (A division of Fiskar)
Web site: http://www.gerbergear.com/index.php?flash=1
Product: Guardian Back Up, fixed blade knife
Year made: 2005.
MSRP: Not listed on web site.
Weight listed: 3 oz (84 g) Actual weight 3.1 oz (87 g)
Overall length listed: 7.28" (182 mm) Actual length: 7.32" (183 mm)
Blade length listed: 3.41" (85 mm) Actual length: 3.45" (87 mm)
Knife alone weight: 1.8 oz (50.4 g)
Sheath alone weight: 1.3 oz (36.4 g)
It comes with a Limited Lifetime Warranty
Field Conditions
I got the Guardian on April 20, 2005 Since receiving it I have taken
it on every hike except a trip to Mount Shasta. I have logged 373
miles (597 km) with this knife on my backpack. I have hiked from
400' (120 m) to over 14000' (4200 m) elevations, in temps ranging
from over 100F (38C) by the Kern River, and down to 17F (-8C) on the
John Muir Trail. I have encountered extreme desert conditions, snow
and rain in the Sierra's, and beautiful days in Southern California.
I have been from as far south as Palm Springs, to as far north as
Tuolumne Meadows, in California.
Product description
The Guardian Back Up (hereafter referred to as the Guardian, or the
knife) is a double sided fixed blade knife. Here is a picture of the
knife and sheath.
The blade is made of High Carbon Stainless steel, and has been
blackened to make it non-reflective. Indeed the only shiny part of
the knife is the sharpened edges on either side of the blade. It is
a "3/4 tang blade", meaning that the blade continues three quarters
of the way to the end of the handle. With the use of a magnet I was
able to verify that this is the case. On one side of the blade is
the Gerber logo, and the words Portland OR beneath it. All are in
gold lettering.
The blade came in a very sharp state. And I have not had to sharpen
it yet. I have cut freeze-dried food packages, cheese, salami,
summer sausage, and moleskin with it. I have made tinder, and shaved
wood with it. I have cut rope, accessory cord, and webbing with it.
A couple of times I threw it into a tree trunk. (We were bored) It
has held up very well.
The black handle is constructed of "glass filled nylon" covered
with "Santoprene". It feels to be almost as soft as rubber, but more
durable. It does not get slippery, even with wet hands. It has held
up very well also. There are some scratches in the sheath, but no
marks of any kind on the handle.
The sheath is constructed from black molded plastic. It has the
Gerber logo molded into the front of it, and a metal clip on the
back. The clip can be used as a traditional belt loop, a boot
sheath, or an inverted hanging sheath. (More on that later.) On
either side of the sheath are two sliding tabs. The tabs lock onto
grooves on the side of the sheath. By sliding the tabs up towards
the open end of the sheath, it tightens the hold of the sheath on
the knife blade. This holds it more securely and necessitates more
force to pull the knife out of the sheath. By sliding the tabs down
towards the closed end of the sheath, it loosens the hold on the
blade, allowing it to come out easier.
At the very end of the sheath is a small lanyard hole measuring
3/16" (4 mm) across.
Conclusions
I started using this knife for a couple of reasons. First was it's
low weight. It is a lot of knife for such a light package. But my
main reason was the carrying options. While I am not afraid of our
California animals, a couple of mountain lion attacks caught my
attention this year because the animals attacked adults, and did not
want to break off the attack even when hit with rocks and sticks by
other people. I always carry a knife. Usually a Gerber EZ Out
Skeleton. But I started thinking about the Tekna whitewater knife
that I use when rafting or kayaking. It hangs with the handle down ,
from my whitewater vest. Allowing it to be drawn with either hand.
And because it is double edged, it is always ready to cut no matter
how you draw it. But it is heavy, and is hard to sharpen, and to
keep sharp.
When I saw that the Guardian could hang inverted and be adjusted to
easily draw with either hand, I figured my search was over. I slide
the sheath clip on to the cross strap on my backpack's left shoulder
strap. This allows me to remove it with no difficulty what so ever.
Here is a picture of it on a Mountainsmith pack.
It has never come out inadvertently. I have used it on 4 different
backpacks, all with the same good results. It stays on the pack most
of the time, and therefore takes its share of scrapes when I lean it
against rocks or it falls on the ground. It stays out when it rains,
and once took a dunking in a river. The blade shows no sign of rust.
But the clip on the sheath is showing some slight discoloration
where it touches my shoulder strap. I am sure that is from my sweat
soaking through the strap.
I am very happy with this knife. It will continue be my main knife
unless I have to use another as part of a gear test. In fact I would
probably carry both just to have the "any handed" capability of the
Guardian. Here is a picture of it in use in the Sierra's
Pros: Light weight, very good blade, multiple carrying options.
Cons: care must be taken to remember that it is double edged. Not as
safe as a single edged knife.
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Get fast access to your favorite Yahoo! Groups. Make Yahoo! your home page
http://us.click.yahoo.com/dpRU5A/wUILAA/yQLSAA/V4TolB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->
To read our reviews, please visit http://www.backpackgeartest.org/
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/BackpackGearTest/
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
BackpackGearTest-unsubscribe-***@public.gmane.org
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/