Gerber Gear Ultimate Survival Knife - High Carbon Stainless Steel Blade, Ergonomic Grip for Outdoor Adventures, Camping, Hunting & Emergency Preparedness

Check out my full Gerber Prodigy vs Prodigy Tanto vs Gerber LMF 2 VIDEO Review on YouTube. Go to YouTube and search "prodigy tanto lmf 2"Let's take an indepth look at the Original Gerber Prodigy and the Newer Gerber Prodigy Tanto. Along the way we're also going to compare the Prodigy line with the Gerber LMF II....Okay... so let's get started...The Gerber Prodigy survival knife was inspired by the Gerber LMF II line of survival knives, was designed to military specs and is MIRS compliant. This means that the Prodigy meets the requirements to be purchased and used by the military.The Gerber Prodigy knife comes in two versions... the original Prodigy and the newer Prodigy Tanto. Both are made in the USA.The Original Prodigy comes in all black and the Prodigy Tanto comes in back with a green handle.Both versions are Full Tang construction. This means that the knife is one solid piece and the two handle halves are pinned onto the blade, one on each side. This is the strongest of the tang types.SizeThe overall length of the Original Gerber Prodigy knife is 9.75 inches with a 4.75 inch straight to serration blade. The Prodigy Tanto is 9.5 inches in length.WeightBoth knives weight in at around 7.25 ounces and 12.5 ounces with sheath, compared to the LMF II knife which without sheath weights nearly this much.BladeThe full tang U.S. made blade is meaty and tough. Coated with black oxide, the knife benefits from greater corrosion resistance and reduces the potential for reflection in covert situations.The Original Gerber Prodigy knife blade is made of the same material as the Gerber LMF...420 HC stainless steel and has a standard rounded blade point.The Prodigy Tanto has a Tanto point. Tanto blade knives are often used for tactical applications due to their high strength and ability to penetrate easily. This blade is offered in Sandvick 12C27 stainless steel blade. Many blade aficionados swear by the Sandvick stainless steel for strength and edge holding.As with the LMF II, the Gerber Prodigy is reported to hold an edge well and sharpen easily.Nearly half of the knife blade is serrated toward the handle. Serration is nearly standard in any good survival knives today because of the versatility and added cutting power that is added to the knife.The handleThe Gerber Prodigy handle is overmolded with very grippy rubber that owners report makes the knife feel very comfortable when held. This knife is designed for a secure grip in any weather condition. This objective is aided by a raised dot pattern on the handle to ensure that the knife does not slip out of the hand.Although the Prodigy survival knife does not have a butt-end hammer (like the LMF II), it does retain a very solid and useful window punch or pommel. The pommel is designed to break glass and could come in handy in hand to hand combat.The Prodigy Tanto handle is a quarter inch shorter than the original prodigy which could be an issue if you have large hands.SheathThe sheath and knife are designed for stealth use and are made out of strong, low-noise ballistic nylon. The knife is held in place by high-qualty, low-noise snaps.The Prodigy Tanto sheath. It is also made of low noise nylon and comes in a military spec digital camo pattern. The sheath can hold the knife facing in either direction for righties or lefties and the knife is held firmly in the sheath with snap restraint. The strap has some elastic properties so the knife is not hard to secure.The sheath of both Prodigy versions ships with one leg strap. IF you have really thick thighs you may find it difficult to use this strap and my need to come up with an alternative.Overall the sheath of both knifes is very versatile, offering nearly unlimited carrying options. It's MOLLE compatible and can strap onto your leg, belt or pack.Cost:Both the Original Gerber Prodigy and the Prodigy Tanto can usually be purchased online for between $40 and $50 dollars. The Prodigy Tanto is usually a few bucks more than the original, but for my money it's worth every penny. if you like Tanto blade knives.The Gerber Prodigy survival knife is around $20 to $30 cheaper than the Gerber LMF II knife which normally runs around $60 to $70 bucks.Gerber Prodigy vs. Gerber LMF IIThe main differences between the Gerber Prodigy knife and the Gerber LMF II are:- Prodigy is smaller in size- Prodigy weighs less- Prodigy has no holes lashing holes- Prodigy has no sharpener built into the sheath- Prodigy has no hammer butt-end but the Prodigy does have a sufficient pommel.- Prodigy costs $20 to $30 less than the LMF IIThese differences aside, the Gerber Prodigy is a hefty, rugged and fairly remarkable knife that has proven it's ability to stand up to any tactical, military, emergency, disaster, or survival situation in an easy-to-carry package.So who is this knife for...The Gerber Prodigy survival knife is a great knife for: hiking, camping, hunting, backpacking, extreme adventure trips, military uses, emergency preparedness, home security or general peace of mind knowing that you have a kick-butt knife that you can rely on when you need it.If you want to save some cash, weight and size, and want a knife that you can easily carry all day go for the Original Prodigy. If you don't mind spending a few more pennies go for the Prodigy Tanto.If the butt-end hammer, upgraded sheath with sharpener and lashing holes are important to you, go with the LMF II.If you can't decide, just go for broke. For a little over $100 bucks you can have both the Gerber LMF II and the Gerber Prodigy survival knives.Check out my full Gerber Prodigy vs Prodigy Tanto vs Gerber LMF 2 VIDEO Review on YouTube. Go to YouTube and search "prodigy tanto lmf 2"