While preparing another go bag, I reached for a knife and ended up grabbing my Gerber Strong-arm and loved the feel. Mentally, I was reaching for my Cutco Ka-Bar Outdoorsman. Both of these knives are great on their own but I wanted to do a side-by-side comparison.
Gerber Strong-arm
Gerber has been around for a long time and claim that their Strong-arm is tough-as-hell for any application. It is a full tang blade made form 420HC with a black ceramic coating.
What I love about this blade how light it is even though it has a fairly thick blade. The ceramic coating works like it should. The blade itself feels sturdy.
Cutco Outdoorsman
The Outdoorman has a similar thickness to the blade but is much more heavy. That’s probably because of the blade width. The blade seems more like a kitchen tool. Oh, Cutco. I get it now. Cutco is known for kitchen knives with lifetime warranties. This blade comes in a 9.52 oz which is about 2 oz heavier than the Strong-arm.
The full tang blade is made from 440A steel and is about 5.5” long. This length and width do not make sense when it comes to balance. You’d think that the blade is blade heavy but it has a better balance than the Strong-arm.
With the two, I was drawn more towards the rubber grip of the Gerber but loved the balance of the Cutco.
Sheaths and MOLLE systems…I’m not into them. If you’re a real survival type person, you’ll make anything work.
| Manufacturer | Gerber Legendary Blades | Cutco |
| Part Number | G1038 | 5726 |
| Item Weight | 7.2 oz | 9.52 oz |
| Color | Black | Black |
| Handle Material | Rubberized diamond-texture grip | Glass-reinforced nylon |
| Overall Length | 9.8″ | 10.5″ |
| Blade Length | 4.8″ | 5.5″ |
| Blade Edge | Fine | Fine |
| Steel | 420HC | 440A |
| Pommel | Yes | Yes |
Scenario 1
You’re at the beach and need a knife for saltwater.
Answer: If I had to choose, I’d go Strong-arm because wet hands-on glass-reinforced nylon gets slippery.
Scenario 2
You’re in the forest and will do some chopping and cooking.
Answer: Outdoorsman because my feelings aren’t hurt when using the knife to chop wood. Also, there’s a lifetime warranty with it.
Scenario 3
EDC?
Answer: Strong-arm because it’s lighter.
Conclusion
I’d probably carry the Strong-arm and take the Outdoorsman camping.
