GERBER Gator Machete - Black w/ Nylon Sheath [31-000758]

I want to start by saying that I happen to own quite a few machetes such as Tramontina, Imacasa, Condor, Ontario, Ka-bar, and Cold Steel. So I have quite a bit of experience when it comes to machetes in general. Upon receiving this machete, I immediately took note of a few things. First, I was rather impressed with the quality of the sheath that comes with this machete. It's a sturdy quality nylon sheath that is a rigid construction. Usually, most machetes either come with no sheath at all, or a rather lousy one at best, so this was a pleasant surprise, especially considering this machete sells for under $20! The next thing I noticed about this machete in comparison to my other, more traditional, machetes is that this machete is rather heavy and slightly awkwardly weighted due to the rather modern styled handle design. However the handle is very comfortable and the "Gator Grip" is textured very nicely and provides lots of traction. One downside to this machete though, is that it's not full tang which presents some concerns due to the fact that it's used primarily as a chopping tool. Unfortunately, only time will tell as to how sturdy this machete will prove to be. I will be sure to include an update in the event of any type of failure. The machete comes with a decent grind out of the box that will save you from having to worry about spending time doing any type of heavy grinding, however, it does not come quite sharp enough right out of the box to take into the woods. I spent some time putting about as sharp of an edge as I could on this machete, which was kind of hard due to the fact that Gerber tends to impart a very soft temper on their steel. I was however able to get a sharp enough edge to where it cuts very well in the woods. The saw on the machete works surprisingly better than I thought it would. I was impressed and happy that this saw will actually serve me well when it comes to notching wood for different common bushcraft tasks. Lastly, I wanted to touch upon something rather important when it comes to machete use. I noticed a number of people complaining about braking their machetes and putting rather obscene chips in the blade and so forth. Anyone looking to buy a machete needs to keep in mind that machetes are not designed to take down redwoods! They are made from thin spring temper steel and are designed to primarily cut green (living) vegetation and underbrush. If your looking to fell hug-sized trees, then buy an axe. If your looking to have a tool to help clear camp sites, or help carve your path through the woods, than a machete is probably a good option. I would not push a machete to do anything more than a hatchet could comfortably handle. Also, I notice that the vast majority of North Americans generally don't know which area of the machete to strike with either. I've found that most people that are unfamiliar with machete use, tend to strike with the middle section of the blade. This is bad. When striking with the middle portion of the blade, this puts the machete at high risk of bending or breaking in the event that the machete glances off of the medium being struck, and can cause extreme lateral pressure and flex. Striking with the middle portion of the blade does not offer the most speed and power for your swing either. The ideal portion of the blade to strike with is roughly the final 1/3 of the blade (generally the flat portion of the blade directly before the rounded belly of the blade). The closer to the tip of the machete that you strike with, the more head speed and power will be generated. Likewise, in the event that the blade glances off of the intended target, the blade will not experience large amounts of flex that could permanently bend, chip, or break the blade. For those who would like to learn more about machetes and their use, check out Joe Flowers or Colhane on youtube. In conclusion, I think this machete is proving to be a good tool thus far. If I experience any changes in performance, I will amend this review and post an update below.

Wow! For the less than $20 price point this machete seriously impresses. I was almost dissuade by the few negative reviews, as I’d prefer not to be fleeced. However, the outweighing by positive reviews reinforced my feeling that this looks like a quality blade at an amazing price. Let me reassure you, this blade does not disappoint! I got the FULL SIZE 18” saw-back ‘Gator’ machete and not the ‘Junior’ as some reviewers suggest, personally I’d steer clear of any machete as small as the ‘Junior’ model for my personal use, I mean unless I was providing it to boy scouts. Whoever these crazy people were that had bad things to say about this blade; They obviously were either extremely intoxicated during their use of this blade or had never before in their entire lives wielded a machete therefore tried to use it in the manner of a different tool? Honestly idk and I could care less. Imho this is a fantastic blade and makes an excellent machete! It hacked through fresh pine branches with precision utilising the fine edged blade, and I hadn’t even sharpened it yet by that point. So that was purely out-of-box sharpness which is always a bit dulled down from the full potential metal-hardened sharpness which could be attained when purchasing inexpensive blades. What I’m saying is that it comes sharp enough to do a robust job and can be easily sharpened further, I haven’t sharpened it to a beard shaving razor blade but the metallurgy holds an increased edge extremely well. The saw-back is no gimmick either, it is truly a rough-cut tooth rip saw blade. I easily sawed through a 6in diametre pine using traditional handheld wood saw methods. As for the blade stability, it is the absolute perfect balance for a dual-edge machete. The blade thickness doesn’t allow too much flex during hacking with the fine edge blade and holds up well against opposition. Meanwhile it provides the flex necessary to properly use the saw-back to avoid the blade become lodged in deep cuts. Extremely impressive! The handle is very nicely shaped and is comfortable to hold. The handle provides a half-tang relationship with the blade, obviously full-tang would generally be preferred but half-tang is plenty robust for what this machete is designed to do. It isn’t an axe, it’s a machete... Look up a YouTube video if you don’t know how to use a machete. And if you never used a hand rip saw before look up a video on that too! If you know what you’re doing this blade is an incredible quality at an incredible value! I almost don’t believe it, buy it now! I promise you will not be disappointed. Well, the sheath is a let down... But then again who has ever provided a decent sheath for a blade under $100? If you seriously need to sheath your machete I would just look for an 18” leather machete sheath as this blade ergonomic is nearly identical to a classic machete and the saw-back is low-profile enough to use with a standard sheath. Happy hunting! 🤙🏼

I ordered this machette with the goal of using it primarily to prume off the sucker branches/shoots that are so numerous on flowering crab appple trees in my shelter belt. It will also be used for pruning other trees and overgrowth as needed. I received it earlier this fall when it arrived in a huge, 12"x24" box! Seems like a little overkill on the packaging as a 2"x2"x24" box would've been all that was needed. As far as the blade itself, it arrived with a good edge on it already. It wasn't razor sharp, but you wouldn't want a real thin, fragile edge on something that is going to be chopping at branches an inch thick as that fine edge would get bent and folded over too easily. I used it for about two hours straight while cleaning up 30+ flower crab apples trees and a few other wayward branches in the shelter belt. The blade sliced through them easily and when I ran into some thicker branches or branches at odd angles that I couldn't chop easily the saw came in very handy! I just reversed the blade and a few saw strokes later the branch was cut through, nice and cleanly. Some of the other reviews mention that the handle is weak, separated easily, etc. Granted I haven't used mine a ton yet, but so far the handle is still perfectly attached, is not loose or wobbly and I have no worries that the blade will go flying out of the handle and hit anything other than what I'm aiming at. If in the future I notice mine loosening up I will post an update. When all was said and done, after the two + hours of pruning crab apple trees, the machette still had a nice sharp edge on it. I did have one spot where I got in between the trunk and a thicker branch that did bend the blade in one spot just slightly. I considered returning it, but figured it was more my fault/technigque on that branch that caused the problem, than a weakness of the blade. It still works just fine and is barely noticeable unless you are running a gloved hand down the blade feeling for such imperfections. All in all, I am satisfied with this machette. It certainly made the job easier (and more fun) than working away at all those shoots with a bypass pruners or loppers!

I have yet to do some major testing on it, but wanted to give a quick review for others interested in purchasing this. Blade is sharp enough to be a real tool, and the saw blade on back is indeed fully functional. Handle is great, in that it is slightly rubberized and will be slip free. It includes a rope on the back of it so if you hand does slip when sawing, you will minimize the risks of cutting yourself (which is a very nice feature to have included -- most do not). The grip is just long enough to get two hands on it for proper utilization of swings or sawing. The one issue I have with it (why one star has been removed) is that the blade/handle is slightly loose. Now it is not enough play that would make me fear using it, however a slight rattle in it means that when hitting branches with this, you will be losing a little of that power, and that somewhere within it, the lower part of the metal blade will be smacking against the retaining bolts. It should never be this way out of the package, and after some basic use I will definitely attempt to tighten this up. As for being a useful tool, it does seem that this is constructed to be a useful tool, and not something that you purchase and store in a closet. I will definitely be revising this review and let everyone know what happens! In the meantime, please enjoy the pictures, and feel free to ask any questions you have!

OK I am writing this mostly just to clear up some stuff about the blade quality, I ordered this "Gerber 31-000758 Gator Machete with Sheath" and then immediately felt horrible because of all the bad reviews and pictures of the chipped up blades. I almost cancelled my order, but after doing my home work, I found out that the ones that chipped and broke in half are actually older models that had been recalled. The old ones were hardened carbon steel, which was very hard but very brittle. The newer models are just carbon steel which is softer, but it wont snap in half now. That being said, the blade is more likely to bend then chip. THE BEST WAY TO NOT BEND THE BLADE UP IS TO JUST BE MINDFUL AND NOT GO CRAZY WITH IT. I bought two of these and with the first one, I bent the cutting edge of the blade by not controlling my chopping (a.k.a. my bad) but my new one is awesome. I chopped down an 7 1/2 inch hickory tree with it and made some cross cuts on it. I have also chopped some pretty big pieces of dried oak firewood!! If your mindful, you can take very powerful chops and do crazy things with it and never bend the blade........I would rate the blade quality 4/5 every time. All the cheaper no name and cold steel machetes have the same carbon steel blade. Now that I'm done about the blade, I'll break down the the handle...first off this is not a full tang machete meaning the steel blade does not go all the way to the bottom of the handle. My response to that is "who cares" the handle is solid I have done a ton of hard powerful chopping with it and it has just a bit of play, I just tightened up the top screw in the handle and it fixed the blade play. Now It's as solid as when I got it. Last thoughts, the blade came pretty sharp, the saw is pretty nice to have, and the sheath is the best, stiffest machete sheath I've ever seen! Over all rating 5/5 stars, and for the price it's a must buy. Thanks, Ben

Real happy about this purchase. It does come dull, but luckily I had a fine steel file and a sharpening wet-stone in my toolbox, so that was a non-issue for me. The first time I took it out I was a little weary at what it wouldn't cut, and careful as I noticed the 3-part-break review on here. It actually just needed to be fully sharpened. It kind of should come sharpened I suppose, though, it does bring you closer to your tool working on it a little. It says right on a sticker on the blade that this machete is not made for brush thicker than 1", so there's a warning about what to swing at. However, upon throwing a true edge on my friend here, I have taken down 4-5" TREES. Softwood of course but, a little sawing on one side, and a few swipes(horizontal and slanted, as an ax is used)and you're talking about falling a 16' tree in 20 seconds. What a tool, great handle and a beautiful, quality sheath. Even if I do end up breaking the machete, I will be happy to know the next one I purchase won't require a sheath with it standard. In my opinion way worth it, though you will need a good 20-30 minutes with proper sharpening tools to put a fine edge on it, but as my title states, when was the last time you bought a quality pocket knife for less than $20?

After researching and reading the good and the bad reviews, I was hesitant. It arrived and I immediately put it through the test. I am currently on a framing project in my home and a few 2 x 4's need to come out. I decided to hack away, chopping it as I wood a tree. It performed well at this was done two times. I tried the back side and, as anticipated, the saw also worked well. In short, having two cutting tools in one, a fabulous rubber grip and a blade that really holds an edge makes this machete a winner. The only bad is the blade came dull. Get a good stone and sharpening is a breeze. For anyone considering this tool, a must for me as I wanted a machete and a saw in one tool, please understanding what you are buying. For those whom have played baseball with wooden bats, yes - I am dating myself, hit the sweet spot and the ball will fly; hit near the handle and the bat will break. My guess, this is also true with this machete. With the saw on the back side, by design, will cause weak points within the blade. Combined a full force chop on the thinner part of the blade, my assumption is the blade could be prone to breakage as noted by one reviewer. Many have experience the bolts loosening after extensive use. Upon receipt, I checked the torque of the two allen screws and yes, they were not very tight. Add lock washer and this bad boy should stay solid. Other negatives include the grade of steel or pot metal. I question the pot metal theory as pot metal cannot hold an edge. Truthfully, it performed like high-carbon, but not sure. As for the multi tool, this also makes a good home defense weapon :-)

Gerber knives has always carried a great deal of respect in the knife/cutlery business, but I cannot believe the cheap, piece of crap Chinese made product they associated their name and reputation with. The blade is attractive, it's cool looking from the first glance. It has an easy to grip, comfortable handle and a well enough made sheath for the price. But wow, what a cheap piece of steel this blade is. It's Mickey Mouse, it can't even cut through thick shrubs, let alone branches without immediate indentations being made in the blade. My family lives on a 5 acre plot of land with a huge, fully stocked man-made pond and forest all around so there's alot of camping, fishing and hunting during duck and deer season. I'm use to using a machete my mother brought back from Puerto Rico decades ago that was used to easily cut through sugar cane. I didn't even bother using the Gator to cut any average size branches for firewood or path clearing because I was scared the blade would snap and hit me or someone close to me in the face. Do not order this blade unless you just want a cheap, cool looking blade to chop tall grass, weeds and other tall weak plants. For shame Gerber! How could you put your name on this junk???