Bear Grylls Knife

This small survival knife would not be effective when pounding wood. It also appears to a stainless blade, which limits its ability to make a spark for fire.

Bear Grylls uses knives of several types in his videos, and very rarely actually uses his "brand" knife. It is also horrrendously overpriced, being not a one of a kind knife, but a production knife.

I have only seen about 5 Of the "Man vs Wild" shows.  In what appeared as earlier episodes it seems the knife Bear Grylls was using was the Gerber Gator folder. The Kimberly ( Australia) and Scotland episodes.

In the Florida everglades Bear Grylls knife was a Buck Vanguard with Gut hook. I haven't seen him use the blade you mention here.

I took the link to the makers site. I could get a really good knife and a lot of other top end gear for $Aud800 and have change.

Reply for Brian from Alberta:

Mate, good stainless Knives ie; Fallkniven, Ka-bar and Frost knives will all throw sparks from my firesteel. I did have to square up the spine of the Frost knife with a file first though.

I cant believe they are trying to sell this knife for $700!

Firstly this knife is horrifically over priced!!! Secondly, after seeing some of Bear's programs and hearing some of the stuff that has come to light since, I'm not actually sure I'd trust anything he'd recommend any way.

Brian - I've struck sparks from a ferro rod with a piece of glass before. The material doesn't matter, the important bit is having a sharp edge.

I think the SOG seal pup elite is a splendid knife or the Fallkniven f1 and there is no need to have a 700 dollar knife when you can buy these tough knives.

In my opinion a 7 inch blade is already too big when walking in rough wild terrain to survive. For example the SOG seal team elite is too large.  I think it's smaller brother the SOG pup elite does all it needs to do.

The Fallkniven A1 is too large when the smaller F1 does what it needs to do.  The small knives nice tough blades.

but the Bear Grylls knife is beautiful blade!

I think i saw one of the locking victorinox SAKs in the Bear Grylls in the alps episode.

I too saw a folding knife on the televison show. I think it was knife with a lock back and a black handle. It could have been a a Gerber or a Buck knife.

When trying to survive in the wilderness before returning to civilization, the folding blade knife does a fine job. You can hide it in your pocket for easy carrying and there are tough folding knives available. For example the SOG tomcat of the third line, the knife with and axis lock. and the Cold Steel Recon 1 folding knife; both are very tough, sharp blades.

I have seen him use the Gerber Gator Serrater, the same knife I have used for 3 years in the Royal Danish Army and 6 months in Iraq.

the Gerber Gator Serrater knife can also be used together with Light-My-Fire firesteel for producing a lot of sparks, but beware: cracks can and will form in the blade during use! A superb knife and super durable!!

Gerber Gator Serrater, yes that is the knife I wanted to mention with the black handle. Thanks Brian.

But for making fire ,isn't a couple of gaslighters not easier to make a fire? Take care and be safe.

Why buy a $700 dollar Knife when you can buy a good knife on ebay? My dads uncle can make knives just as good as a Bear Grylls Knife!

After watching a bear Grylls episode last night i think that the knives he uses are seriously over priced.

Please review the Tom Brown Jr  survival tracker knife. I've heard a lot of good about it but also heard it was a gimmick.

I think that he should use a symitor or a 50 inch longsword.

Survival Topics - This would certainly give Bear Grylls special notoriety in the knife world. 

I also agrre with Jon from England - the Bear Grylls knife is more expensive than my house!  Not to mention his dangerous stunts.

This is overpriced, $700 for a knife!  I bought similar walmart knife for $7 and it's awesome! A knife will not save you but the skill to use it.

Survival Topics - Good point Daniel, the user's knife skills play a large part in the effectiveness of the blade! 

I just purchaed a knife made by Outdoor Edge. Its the Hybrid Hunter, and it looks almost exactly the same as the Bear Grylls knife. The size is the same too, and it's a lot cheaper. Its blade is AUS-8 stainless steel and it is a fantastic knife foor almost any situation

After Watching Bear Grylls i`ve come to realize in a couple of his shows he uses the Gerber Gator Fixed Blade Knife with Serrated Edge Drop Point which is different from the folding knife. It's a good knife that looks like his so he gets away with not using his overpriced kinfe.

Bear Grylls knife is very expensive. The price buys you the "cool factor" like with the Tracker survival knife. A good thick carbon blade with flat grind is perfect for survival and bushcraft. Knives with special blades are hard to sharpen.

I love the Bear Grylls show and I love the knife but can't afford it. I work around hunters and fisherman and would do my best to show and promote this beautiful knife and sheath if you would send me one.

After doing some thinking, if you want a great knife that works great, go ahead and buy the Gerber LMF Infantry II knife. its a great knife with great features.

I used to be like many of the people making comments here. I've been a 'gun guy' all my life but just became a 'knife guy' a couple years ago. Yes Bear Grylls knife may be overpriced, I think it should cost about $350 not $700 but remember, part of that is because the dollar is so weak right now.

I'm sure your uncles can make fine knives, but this steel, (either VG-10 supersteel or G3 laminates, look them up on wikipedia) are made from steel that only comes from Sweeden and a process that is only done in Japan (Samurai sword) and this knife could be pounded right through all your (and my) Gerber LMF II's and homemade knives and would barely leave a dull spot on the edge.

A real survival knife is all about field and bushcraft.  Making a spoon, spear, or a delicate trigger for a small game trap. You have to forget the 'Rambo knife' factor. The knife needs a full tang, be thick enough for battoning (hammering with a piece of wood) and have a single bevel edge so it's easy to sharpen, even with a piece of sandstone, it should be made of high carbon steel (easy to sharpen, holds an edge better) or a VERY high grade stainless like VG-10. The knife blade should be slightly shorter than the handle for ultimate control. A great survival knife is the Fallkniven F1 and you can find it on the web for about $135 it's made of VG-10 or you can get it in G3 for about twice the price.

What's with all the hype about survival knives specifically the overpriced at 700+ buck Bear Grylls knife?

There is a myriad of equally solid, well made knives out there that will not come close to the 700 dollar price tag of this so-called survival knife! A solid, equally as suitable knife can be purchased for under 100 bucks and if you're willing to spend just a tad more than 100 bucks you can get incredibbly solid survival tools just as good if not better than Bears knife.

Two easily maintained and rugged knives are the Finnish Puukko and Swedish Fallkniven F1 pilot's survival knife. Both are reasonably priced knives and of sufficient quality to last several generations if they are taken care of. Keeping in mind that Bear's shows are designed for entertainment and not serious instruction, anyone thinking that simply owning a particuar brand-name knife or other piece of expensive gear is any substitute for quality training and thorough preparation could find themselves in a serious jam.

I just purchased a Gerber Profile Drop Point knife and i really like it.  The grip is perfect if your hands become wet or bloody.

John, i agree the gerber lmf II is a great knife. i bought one a while back and its one of my personal favorites,

Larry, the knife is'nt expensive because the dollars is weak, it's expensive because it's a ripoff for a knife. my kershaw tanto blur will outperform and hold an edge longer and sharper than bears knife that costs 13 times more than mine. 54 dollars at walmart and you get a nice open-assist knife MADE IN USA knife with a lifetime warrenty.

"Teddy" Bear probably uses this knife to open the snacks in the hotel room he stays in, when he's supposed to be out in the wilderness

Bear Grylls may be a bit of a tosser but he's certanly good for a laugh.  I just brought an Sog Recon model.  Tough, sharp and only $300 that will do just fine as a knife.

i love him and his knife no matter how much it cost

Leave the pretty street cruiser knives at home.  Get yourself a SP4 or SP24 or even a SP9 Ontario Survival knife, save yourself about 660 bucks.

You can dig with these knives, climb on them and chop with them, and the knives resharpen quickly in the field.  No special knife sharpening systems or kits needed.

The SP9 can also be used as a throwing knife as well as a spear blade, and can very easily kill any animal you may come in contact with.

Numerous custom survival knife makers knives are knock offs of the SP9 design.  I think Gil Hibben designed the Sp9 over 35 years ago and its still in service today.

I have seen him beat on his knife with a stone but I do not know which knife Bear Grylls used.

Does he even use that knife?  What knife did survivor man use?

I am admittedly a fan of Man vs Wild Born Survivor. Bear has had an interesting and adventurous life and I admire his dedication and persistence. I am aware of the tales about the shows, but I am watching them primarily for entertainment, and occasionally see a new idea. Having served in the Army and having a strong interest in outdoor survival, he does a good job of demonstrating what he can in a limited amount of time.

Survivorman Les Stroud is also skilled as an outdoorsman and I enjoy his show too, though he usually strikes me as not wanting to be doing what he's doing. Demonstrating Survival techniques is not always easy and you have to really like what it means and doing it personally to teach them well.

I agree that the Bear Grylls knife is very nice and very un-reasonably priced (especially to the American Market), and I like a knife strapped to my harness/vest and on my belt-preferably horizontally. The sheath is also great with the firesteel loop, but for $700+ USD I would hope so!!

JRE Industries makes Great Quality sheaths at a decent rate with a good turn around time(4-8 wks) that can be worn this way for any knife you want to send them. Also, Bark River Knives are nice, similar to Bear Grylls knife-"Bravo-1" search and rescue Bark River is worth checking out though a little pricey, it is very similar minus the serrations.

Also, using a baton on a knife should not be done on a regular basis as is often shown, and then only on a knife with a full profile tang would I consider it. Maybe the EU economy is really doing that well, as Americans know the money isn't. A good knife is a plus, as is any good equipment; but your survival is in your head! Good Attitude + Open Minded = Good Chances of Survival.

Bear Grylls I see on discovery channel "Ultimate Survival" and I enjoy it very much.

I have a knife that's the spitting image of Bear Grylls knife. Thing is I've had it for two years, so I don't buy the hype about Bear Grylls My knife is of Spanish manufacture "Venado" a very good quality knife. You can get it in Buenos Aires for U$S 30. In any case, knives this small are useless in South America, unless used to complement a large knife with blades of at least 8 inches.

A knife this small is useless in the jungle unless you carry it as a secondary tool, the number one choice of all jungle trekkers and jungle dwellers is the very inexpensive machete that costs about $5.00 US Dollars in this country. A $700.00 dollar knife is best kept in your living room in a display case for your friends to see. A machete is best kept doing it's job in the outdoors. Small knives are for military pilots who cannot carry the long machete,

Cool Knife; I am a Knife collector and the sharp knives come from U.S.A, Germany, Switzerland and others but the lesser made knives are made in China, Taiwan and Pakistan.

In the episode in the everglades he used a buck zipper with guthook fixed blade with kryton handle.

On 'deep south' episode you can see Bear Grylls name is printed on the blade.

Bear has used several knives before he finally settled with his over priced knife.  I recently purchased a benchmade n690 mel pardue model which resembles Bears knife,  very sharp and solid, and cost only sixty dollars.

My SOG field pup is a good knife but the bear grylls knife is overpriced

The bravo-1 knife is excellent and a lot less expensive than bear's knife.

I have to say, I like the Bear Grylls knife, but who in their right mind is going to pay $700.00 for a knife and actually use it? I agreed with most reasonable people, you don't have to spend alot to get a good survival knife. The best knife is one that is durable, has a good edge and keeps it.  A knife made with quality carbon steel and not stainless!

My personal favorite knife is the Sog SEAL knife. For under $100.00 you have all the knife you need. Everything about it is quality and durability. And if you think the 7-inch blade is too much for you, go with the SEAL Pup version.

I like the compact Bayley Raven and had a local knife maker make a one for me, the only differences are that my knife has no metal guard and has a full flat grind.

The steel is D2 which is extremely tough and takes a very fine edge and is not hard to sharpen.  The custom made Raven type knife cost me $185 and I made the sheath.

The point is you can probably find someone to make a good copy of any overpriced knife.

I love Bear Grylls show, but have often wondered at the knives.  Every time I see Bear pound one of his small skinner size knives through a pine log using a stick or rock, and complain about using up calories and protien, I recall many times I have chopped through much bigger tree limbs with my old Blackjack Anaconda II with 10 inch blade. I think I paid a whopping $80 for it. Rolled point edge, still sharp enough to shave the hair on your face or arm with it.

150 years ago when the wilderness was full of hunters and trappers and native americans who lived off the land, they had a special knife that is still the best for such rough work - the Bowie Knife!

Survivorman comes across too much like "what can I endure" man rather than a teacher of skills, but at least he does use a decent size knife from time to time.

I have seen bear grylls use the knife mentioned here when he went into sahara desert.

I would like to treat myself with this knife for christmas but where do I get one in the UK?

Just finished reading all the comments and the article itself; (Sigh); the issue of steel itself can be resolved with this, " How hard do you all think a tree branch or rope is"?; Stainless steel is the lazy persons steel; as for size i'd love to see anyone drop a 1" sapling or fend off the occasional human or animal crazy with a 3.5" knife.

The blade should be around 8-10" respectivly, if you think this is too heavy "Get some muscle", carbon steel sharpens faster than stainless, very important in a survival situation. I'd rather be caught with more blade than neccessary than with not enough.

Why would you want to buy Bear Grylls knife paying $700,when you can get a Fallkniven F1 for $127?

The F1 is as good or even better than Bears knife.

the SOG northwestern looks almost exactly like the bear grylls knife from the siberia episode and it is $90 from smokey mountain knife works. i have seen him use a buck zipper guthook, and a fixed gerber gator drop point partially serrated blade.

If I were to pay $700 for a survival knife, then it would certainly get a lot of use -- mainly because I would be broke forced to forage for sustinance in the woods.

I also have had a hard time taking Bear Grylls seriously ever since it was revealed that some of his practices were "fraudulent". For the life of me I can't figure out what he is thinking sometimes. Although I do suppose he takes a lot of unecessary risks to make his show more exciting.

When I'm in the bush I have always used a standard black Ka-Bar w/serrated edge, Kraton G handle, and Kydex sheath. I picked it up at a trade show years ago for about $50. I realize that it is actually a fighting knife, not survival, but it has worked wonders for me for over ten years now.

"The best Survival knife has not been made yet"...I thought Tom Brown jr said that.  Oh well, I still think a EDGE, any edge is better than any high dollar hyped up TV/movie knife.  The time spent doing side by side comparasons could be spent learning to identify tools and improvised edges, blades, saws that are all around you.

I admire Bear Grylls service but not the way he handles a knife.

Brian From alberta, I know what you mean - REAL DEAL FLINT AND STEEL.

bear grylls is a fake and the should shut down his show and the knife is way to expensive just for a cheap knife

The Gerber LMF 2 is a much better knife and it costs under 100.00.

Guys, I'm sorry, I can't see $700 for a knife. I don't care what it's made of, what it does, what it looks like, or who made it. If Mr. Grylls can afford this knife, I can only say I'd like to see the bar in his house!

Bear is now using a new knife.  It looks like his Bayely knife, but seems to be about one or two inches longer, wedge ground with a serrated edge that takes up about 1/3 of the blade, sort of the safe as the gerber gater with a serrated edge. It has markings on it but I have never been able to see it long enough to make it out.

Any ideas on this new knife of Bear Grylls?

I'm a soldier in the Army stationed at FT Bragg NC and an avid outdoorsman. I would not purchase nor recommend that knife to anyone. A Kabar would make a much better survival knife at a fraction of the cost

I am almost %100 sure I have seen him in at least three episodes using the SOG Northwest Ranger.

Bear Grylls admits to consulting locals and being presented opportunities to demonstrate survival techniques.  However I assure you threre are no "hotels" on everest and none during sas selection or training. I can't imagine Les Stroud even attempting what Grylls does, he is just miserable and playing a harmonica in the bush.

Brian from Alberta, he uses his own custom knife on all the newer episodes. He used different knives on the older ones.

I know some of you would differ with me, but I think I'll just stick with my KBar. It didn't cost me as much as a new rifle and I've put it through its paces and it's still going strong. I'm definitely a Bear Grylls fan, I just don't want to pay that much money so I can have the same knife.

bear also has a Gerber Gator - Clip Point Serrated i know this because i see him use it on man vs wild

I think Bear Grylls used a gerber gator fixed blade with gut hook on the everglades in florida.

I have a sog pup and a gerber LMF infantry that I think would out perform Bear's knife and both could be purchased and save the buyer about $515.00.

I have owned a TOPS Tracker for over 4 years now and have no complaints with it, except the Kydex sheath wasn't for me so I made my own leather Scout Style sheath. Growing up with First Blood then Rambo, through in Predator I was all about those kind of knives as a kid but in the Army I found out a large knife can be too large.

My advice is get the right knife for you and not what TV or experts suggest. Maybe make your own or shop around until one feels right to you. You may need 2 fixed blades. Maybe a small sword, machete or axe would be a good back up for self defense or heavy chopping. Cold Steel has some of the best prices around for the their level of quality and selection. I have a G.I. Tanto that is great and will get more use than my Tracker, as I wont be upset if I break or loose it. It was $25, not the $300 my Tracker was.

I have seen Bear use a Buck 692 Zipper (the guthook version) in the Everglades episode from season 1.

i've been researching survival knives lately. i have read a lot of good stuff about the sog seal but i also have heard and seen pretty convincing demonstrations of the cold steel srk. thought i would check with you guys before purchasing one of the two. any opinions? i want something that can handle daily use and still keep a good strong dependable blade.

I think that Bears knife might be an excellent field knife. However I will never know until the price comes down considerably. The price on this knife seems more to reflect the hopes of the maker to get rich on the popularity of man v. wild.

The blade does appear small and made of stainless steel and the knife is overpriced!