Gerber Gator Axe Combo II, Gerber Junior Machete, Gerber Exchange-A-Blade Saw

Long before we saw Gerber’s poster boy, Bear Grylls, freefalling out of helicopters, crossing snake-infested rivers and hacking through jungles, the company had its long-established ‘Fend for Yourself’ ethos and a large range of ‘outdoor tools’ to back it up.

Here I’ve cherry picked through Gerber’s ‘outdoor range’ of tools, designed to help you survive in the outdoors whether you’re hunting, shooting fishing or trekking and camping. I chose both award-winning Gerber Gator Combo Axes, the Gator Machete Jnr, and the Exchange–A-Blade Saw. In my opinion, a nice round-up of heavy-duty tools you’ll need while out living where your quarry does.

Gator Axe Combo

First up is the Gator Axe Combo, ideal for small chopping tasks, particularly as Gerber has applied its proprietary Gator textured- rubber to the grip on the 61⁄2-inch long handle which gives an unprecedented level of comfort and control. Beneath that tactile rubber surface is a virtually indestructible glass-filled nylon handle. The axe head is engineered from forged steel, which does an outstanding job of keeping its 2.7-inch long chopping edge. The handle base also houses a fine edge modified drop point knife, held in place by a magnet concealed in the 8.75-inch axe haft.

The knife has a Gator Grip handle and a useful 2.8-inch modified drop point blade. It has thumb-ridging on the spine for fine cutting work. The knife/axe combo only weighs 23.6oz and is a very useful addition to your general hunting kit.

Gator Combo Axe II

In comparison, the Gator Combo Axe II, measures 15-inches long with a full yet quite slim handle length of 12.75-inches. The head is forged steel while the Gator textured rubber gives superb grip on the handle. Housed inside the handle is a 10 1/8-inch fixed wood saw with a uniquely styled 4 1/8-inch slim rubber ergonomic handle. High Grade Steel is used for the full tang saw and the teeth are very aggressive and set to cut on the forward and backward stroke. When slipped inside the handle it’s held in place by strong magnets and close tolerance friction.

Gerber Machete and Gerber Machete Jnr There are two sizes of machete, the 25.7- inch full-length version and the much more manageable and generally useful, Gerber Machete Jnr. Measuring 18.75-inches overall, it’s built just as tough as its larger relative, yet more packable. The two-sided 10.75-inch blade has both a fine edge for hacking brush and vines and a rough cut saw edge for cutting branches, limbs and small dead trees. It’s high-carbon steel shaft and head has the now obligatory Gator- Grip handle. Only weighing 14.3oz means it’s less strenuous to wield if doing lengthy path clearances or cutting back brush.

Gator Exchange- A-Blade Saw

The perfect companion for camping, carcass-prepping or natural hide building is this Gator Exchange-A-Blade Saw. The large folder design ‘saw’ comes supplied in a generous size Ballistic Nylon sheath with wide belt loop and Velcro fasten overflap. Remove the tool and you discover a substantial folding saw with a further saw blade in an internal sheath. It measures 8.78-inches in the closed position, 15.5-inches when the saw is fully deployed, and weighs 10.8oz. The high-carbon stainless steel saw blades are sharp and durable, whether you’re using the coarse blade on wood or the fine blade on hardwoods or bones. They’re designed to cut with a third of the effort so are more efficient than typical handsaws. To deploy the saw from the handle, simply press down on the large rocker lock catch at the upper top and draw the 6.65-inch blade out. When not needed and for ease of storage and transportation, depress the rear of the lock mechanism and the saw can be folded back into the textured non-slip composite handle again to be stored safe in its compact sheath.

To ‘change’ blades open out the folder approximately half way, then unscrew the generous size ABS knob from the self-sealing ABS covered lock screw on the other side of the pivot/ head of the unit. Carefully pull the blade down and away. Reverse this procedure to exchange or replace a blade. Blade choices are fine or coarse.

Conclusion

All these tools are very well-built, safe to use, tough and robust with many uses and a place in most hunters’ kit.

PRICES:
Gerber Gator Axe Combo: RRP£39.99
Gerber Gator Axe Combo II: RRP£49.99
Gerber Junior Machete: RRP£19.99
Gerber Exchange-A-Blade Saw (Folding): RRP£29.99

CONTACT: 01506 406277 www.gerbergear.com