Bear Grylls Knife Review – Is It the Ultimate Survival Knife?

When talking about wilderness survival, no modern figure jumps to mind quicker than Bear Grylls.  The star of Man vs. Wild has shown TV audiences what it takes to make it in some of the roughest environments around the world with little more than a few tools and ingenuity.

Two of the things that are essential in outdoor survival is a sharp blade and the ability to make fire. In this review of this insanely popular Bear Grylls knife model, you will see how this single tool provides you with both of these things and a whole lot more.

Key Features:

The Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife is designed for most survival situations. It uses a high carbon, stainless steel blade, which ensures the knife will keep a sharp edge, while still maintaining a high degree of resistance to corrosion. The blade is a combination edge, with a fine edge toward the drop point, and a serrated edge closer to the handle.

It uses 3/4 tang construction, which is important in a survival knife as it gives a lot of strength to the overall design.  With the longer tang, the blade is far more likely to stand up to the abuses of cutting, prying and hammering one might do in an emergency situation.

Stainless Steel Blade

The pommel is made of stainless steel and is specifically designed to stand up to abusive treatment.  Early production knives from 2010 had some reported problems with the durability of the pommel.  Gerber quickly responded to those concerns and beefed up the pommel.

Since that time, the current pommel has proven itself to be a capable performer.  Whether pounding nails or breaking open nuts, the stainless steel pommel is up to the task.

The knife handle is injection molded polymer with a rubber overcoat.  The rubber feels very good in the hand and is more than sufficient in providing enough adhesion to the hand for use in adverse conditions.

When stuck in a survival situation, your hands will likely be sweaty and non-rubberized handles can slip from your grip.  If you are bleeding or it is raining, the problem is compounded.  A good rubber handle like this one can make a big difference.

The handle has three holes in it:  one near the pommel and two near the blade.  As it ships, a lanyard is threaded through the hole near the pommel.  If you remove the lanyard, you can thread paracord or your own cordage through the holes to lash the knife to another object.  For example, you could attach the knife to the end of a long stick to make a spear for fishing in a stream.

Related: How to Sharpen a Pocket Knife Properly

Knife Accessories:

While the Bear Grylls Ultimate Survival Knife is a solid performer on its own, it is actually just the centerpiece of a survival kit.  There are several other items that come with it to extend functionality and improve your odds of survival.

As with many fixed blade knives (like the ones seen here), this one comes with a sheath.  The sheath is made of nylon, which is both durable and resistant to the elements.  The knife snaps into the sheath and has a very functional lock that prevents the knife from accidentally coming out.  Additionally, the sheath has a small nylon strap at the top which holds the pommel end of the knife close to the body.

In the wild, a knife can dull quickly with use in harsh conditions. Fortunately, Gerber thought ahead and built a sharpening stone into the sheath.  This will allow the user to keep the fine edge of the blade sharp for a long time.

Also built into the sheath is a fire starting rod.  This rod locks into the sheath and helps ensure you will be able to start a fire wherever you might be.  To use it, you pull it free and scrape the knife down the rod, which produces sparks that can help you get a fire going.  Built into the top of the knife blade is a notch designed just for scraping the rod.

Finally, a whistle is built into the lanyard.  If lost or injured, having a loud whistle can help searchers find you.

Wrap Up & Final Thoughts:

In this Bear Grylls knife review, I have attempted to show that this fixed blade knife stands apart from other survival knives in many ways.  It is built like a tank, holds an edge like a champ, and offers a variety of additional features and accessories not typically found on an edged weapon.

This knife was clearly designed by survival experts for survivalist enthusiasts of all ranks and colors. And with such a budget friendly price, it offers a value that is hard to beat.