The Gerber LMF II Infantry Knife was designed by Jeff Freeman as a versatile workhorse that would be able to cut firewood or build a shelter for the camper while also being able to take on the heavier work of cutting through an airplane fuselage or Plexiglas. With claims like that it should be a knife able to take on almost anything that a survivalist can throw at it. Made in Portland, Oregon the Gerber company is known to produce reliable equipment and stand behind it with great customer service.
The LMF has a 420 high-carbon stainless blade that has serration for half of its length. The blade length is 4.84 inches with an overall knife length of just over ten and a half inches. Weighing in at three-quarters of a pound, this is a knife with some heft to it. The blade is 3/16 of an inch thick which is about average for knives intended for survivalist adventures.
The blade on the Gerber LMF II Infantry Knife has a ¾ tang and is secured inside the hollow composite handle with one screw. In some instances of heavy use, this method of attachment can be troublesome and cause the blade to become unstable. The black blade coating on the blade of the knife also wears off over time as it is a coating and not an integrated part of the metal. If you desire a blade that remains black, this one won’t be looking like it did out of the box after you’ve used it regularly.
The Gerber LMF II Infantry Knife has three holes positioned to allow you to lash it to a pole to be used as a spear. In addition, it can be used as a hammer if the need arises. The sheath, with its integrated sharpener, is very well thought out with multiple attachment points allowing you to strap the knife and sheath on in a way that suits your preference and use. The friction method used to keep the knife in the sheath is very strong and can cause a bit of a struggle getting the knife out of the sheath the first few times you pull it out but it is easily modified to allow you to create a secure fit that meets your needs.
Cons
The one major complaint is the rubberized grip that covers the composite handle damages easily and, once it starts to separate from the handle, looks bad and affects the ability for a good hand grip. The damage to this rubberized coating can come from regular use of the knife as intended or simply from inserting and removing the knife from the sheath which should have been something discovered and corrected during the knife’s design.
Conclusion
All in all the Gerber LMF II Infantry Knife is a great knife for the person who wants to carry one knife that does many different tasks well. It is not the lightest knife in its class and the handle may not suit everyone’s preference but Gerber has made a real jack-of-all-trades knife that would be perfect for the weekend warrior to the die-hard survivalist.
If you are thinking about picking one of these bad boys up they have a great price over here on Amazon. While you are there make sure you check out the other reviews as well.