Gerber Prodigy, by Pat Cascio

I’m always on the lookout for knife bargains and knives to test for our readers. This time around Amazon led me to the Gerber Prodigy, a fixed blade survival knife, and we’ll give you a run down on it in this article.

Writers Who Test Firearms and Knives

Many readers believe that writers, especially those of us who test firearms and knives, make a lot of money doing this for a living. Nothing could be further from the truth. Most of us hold or have held other jobs while pursuing the testing/writing of products. As for me, I worked as a police officer and also did private K-9 security work, was a martial arts instructor, as well as offered firearms classes. I did whatever else I had to do to help make ends meet. These days, I’m semi-retired and only test products that I believe would be of interest to our SurvivalBlog readers.

On a Limited Budget

Some knife companies send me their latest products for testing. Other times, I purchase knives out of my own funds, and I’m extremely careful how I spend my money these days since I’m on a limited budget with my fixed income. My wife still works full time. However, in another year or two, she’ll retire and our income will be extremely limited. So, we budget now, and we’ll have to budget even more when that time comes.

Amazon Has Knives Advertised For Sale

Whenever I’m looking at the possibility of purchasing knives with my own funds, I turn to www.amazon.com for the best deals. You’d be totally blown away by all the knives that are advertised for sale on Amazon’s website. I just happened to run across some knives manufactured by Gerber Legendary Blades during one of my knife searches. This time around, I wanted an average sized, fixed blade, “survival-type” knife to attach to my BOB (Bug Out Bag) rather than a blade that I wanted to wear on my belt, although the Gerber Prodigy can be worn on a belt.

Gerber Prodigy Overview

The Gerber Prodigy is made in the USA, actually in Portland, OR, and it says so on the blade. So, this is not imported or made in another county. The 4.75-inch, full tang 420HC stainless steel blade is black powder coated for a nice subdued look, and this also helps protest the “stainless” steel blade.

Meaning of Stainless Steel

Most folks don’t understand that “stainless” steel blades can still, and do, rust. The “stain-less” means that they can still rust but at a much slower pace than carbon steel blades do.

Survival Knife

The Prodigy is advertised on the Gerber website as a “Survival/Combat” knife. I would prefer a longer blade for combat myself. This is also a full tang blade, and the handle is covered in over-molded rubber, for a sure hold on the knife in all weather conditions.

Partially Serrated Blade

On the blade itself, we have partial serrations. About 50% of the blade is serrated. I like this in a survival knife. It makes many cutting chores easier to handle.

The Tang

The tang extends beyond the butt of the blade, and you have a lanyard there. Additionally, the tang itself can be used in self defense as a striking weapon. It’s a bit less lethal, if you don’t actually need to use the blade in self defense.

Blade Design

There is an aluminum guard between the blade and handle, and it is perfectly shaped for proper thumb placement in the fencing hold position or even in the ice pick hold. The blade itself is a drop point design, which is one of the most produced and useful blade shapes for all kinds of chores.

MOLLE Compatible Sheath

I really like the MOLLE compatible sheath, as already mentioned. It can be worn on a belt, and there is even an additional leg strap for added security. The sheath itself is molded polymer, and there is a very secure friction fit that keeps the knife in the sheath. However, there are also two additional straps that wrap around the handle, for an even more secure hold of the knife in the sheath. There is no way this knife is going to fall out of the sheath once it is locked in, using the friction lock and the two straps. It’s just not going to fall out of the sheath, period! The sheath is also all-black, adding to that stealth look. The back of the sheath has straps that allow the knife/sheath to be attached to military MOLLE gear. This is how mine is set up on my BOB. Of course, there is a belt loop on the back of the sheath, for attaching it to your belt. The knife only weighs 8 oz, so it’s not heavy to wear.

Feels Good in My Hand

I know that bigger knives can usually, not always, handle more chores than a smaller knife can handle, and while I like big, fixed blade knives, I don’t always see the need to carry the extra weight these days. The Prodigy, with its 4.75-inch blade, is about perfect for most camp and survival chores. The Prodigy balances nicely in the hand, and it just plain ol’ feels good in my hand, to my way of thinking.

Testing

During my testing, the Prodigy was used to cut open some FedEx and UPS boxes, which is always a good thing. The best test in my neck of the woods are slicing blackberry vines. One, simple, effortless slice with the Gerber and it cleanly cut through the biggest blackberry vines. The blade was also used to “baton” through some large fire wood, which is always a good test. Cutting hemp rope was no problem at all. One good test is cutting through poly rope since this stuff is slick and many knife blades simply slide right off. The serrations on the Prodigy sawed right through this tough, plastic rope.

This knife was used in the kitchen for different cutting chores, and it easily sliced through chicken bones and all manner of veggies as well. When dinner was ready, it cut cleanly though the cooked meat on my plate.

Every Day Carry Knife For Rancher or Farmer

If I were a rancher or farmer, I could see myself carrying the Prodigy every day on my belt. It would be my “every day carry” knife. A fixed blade knife is always going to be stronger than a folding knife. I have helped my brother-in-law a few times on his 2,000 ranch/farm with some chores, and a good knife is needed, each and every day.

Shopping on Amazon

One of the best things about shopping on Amazon is you can compare prices on the same product, which is being offered for sale from different vendors. The full retail price on the Gerber Prodigy is $63. When I purchased my sample from Amazon, I found one for $45 brand new in the blister pack. However, it would still have been a good deal if full retail were paid.

A Lot of Knife For Little Money

If you’re in the market for a new fixed blade knife, and one that isn’t too small, or too big – but is “just right” for your camping/survival/ranch chores, then take a close look at the Gerber Prodigy. It’s a lot of knife for very little money. I think you’ll really like it.