Welcome to my blog! If you are into knives, then you have definitely heard the name Gerber. They make the toughest knife in the USA. From so many top-notch knives from their line, today we will put two of the Gerber’s best knives in a battle. gerber’s strongarm and Gerber prodigy. Both are ultra hardy and beefy sort of knives. Known for their versatility. These two knives are so similar, not only in how they look but performance-wise they are both A class.
Made in the USA, these knives have received incredible reception by general survivalists, backpackers, the EDCers basically everybody.
But which one to go for is a tough question. So in this article, we will give an in-depth review of both of these knives and put them against each other. Hope at the end of this, you will know which of these Gerber’s is the one for you.
What’s the difference between Gerber Prodigy vs Gerber Strongarm?
The hand-to-hand comparison comes down to the basics- the overall length of the Gerber Prodigy is 9.75 inches and weighs 7.2 oz, with 4.5 inches blade length which is made of 420HC Carbon steel, and blade style is the drop point. And the overall length of Gerber Strongarm is 9.72 inches and weighs 7.2 oz with 4.2 inches blade length made of 420HC carbon steel and the blade style is drop point for detailed performance.
Gerber Prodigy vs Gerber Strongarm – Key Comparisons
The strongarm and the prodigy are really close. To untrained eyes, they might seem like the same knife. The blade size is about the same, the dimension, the contoured I,e everything about the blade is really close.
Both these knives have an about five inches blade of ceramic black coated made of 420HC steel. They are both full tang construction with an over-molded handle. The strongarm has a rubberized diamond texture overmold. It also features a striking pommel.
The overall length of strongarm is 9.8 inches and the overall length of the prodigy is 9.7 inches. No difference. Both the knives weigh 7.2 oz. The strongarm comes in two versions- a serrated model and a fine plain edge model. Whereas the blade on prodigy is half serrated and half plain cutting edge.
Both the blade style is sort of a semi-clip point/ drop point blade which is a very useful style blade.
One of the things about the strongarm is it has diamond texturing. It feels really good in your hand. This thing is super comfortable and provides a very strong grip.
Whereas the Prodigy Handle is a little bit different. Not quite as aggressive at texturing on it. It has more of a smoother grip and has these swells that come out.
Both the knives have jimping all around the handle to give a little more purchase on the blade. They are both made in the USA and features Gerber’s lifetime warranty.
Gerber offers 25 years of warranty if your knife has material or manufacturing defects. I once broke my knife and they sent me a new one within about two weeks which is fantastic.
Side by Side comparison- Gerber Prodigy Vs Gerber Strongarm
| SPECS
| Gerber Prodigy
| Gerber Strongarm
|
| Overall Length
| 9.88”
| 9.72”
|
| Blade Length
| 4.75”
| 4.8”
|
| Blade Steel
| 420HC carbon Steel
| 420HC carbon Steel
|
| Knife Weight
| 7.2 Oz | 7.2 Oz
|
| Blade Style
| Drop Point
| Drop Point
|
Gerber Prodigy vs Buck 119 – Some Key Similarities
- Steel: Both the knives’ blades are made of 420hc high carbon stainless steel. This steel offers great edge retention, wear resistance, and durability.
- Blade Style: Both the knives have a hollow grind blade style with a drop point. Both the tip are extremely sharp.
- Weight: Both the knives weigh 7.2 oz without the sheath. Both of them feel tough in hands
- Sheath: Both the knives come with a ballistic nylon sheath, which is molle compatible and can be attached to your backpack. It has a clasp to keep the blade in place.
Gerber Prodigy vs Buck 119 – Some Key Differences
- Overall Length: The strongarm is only 0.1 inches more length than the Gerber Prodigy. Which is really not a difference.
- Handle: The strongarm is it has diamond texturing. It feels really good in your hand. This thing is super comfortable and provides a very strong grip.
Whereas the Prodigy Handle is a little bit different. Not quite as aggressive at texturing on it. It has more of a smoother grip
Gerber Prodigy
Gerber Prodigy is a knife that was originally made with a serrated partial blade. It came out in the early 2011’s as a basic survival knife. Made in the USA, this knife has received incredible reception by general survivalists, backpackers, the EDCers basically everybody. This knife is an endangered species.
This knife comes in two types- the clamshell packaging where the knife is on display and in a box, which is more like a collector packaging, where the knife is pre-assembled in the sheath.
Right off the bat I’d like to say this is one of the best truck car knives I have ever seen for a fixed blade and we are gonna get to it and you will know why. But particularly if you are looking for a fixed blade for your vehicle, I would say this will be it and for some survival situations possibly.
The blade of this Gerber Prodigy is 7.5 inches long and has an overall length of 9.72 inches. you will get a full tang. The knife blade is made of 420hc stainless steel. 420 high carbon stainless steel is really good. It got a Rockwell hardness of 58. So the knife holds an edge long enough and capable of doing a lot of work without dulling. At the same time, it’s very easy to re-sharpen.
The blade is half serrated and half plain cutting edge. The blade is 0.189 inches thick, hollow grind with drop point style. The tip is very strong and can penetrate and stab really well. The serrations are not very aggressive but wicked sharp.
They can cut through nylon, your seat belt very easily without a lot of drag. In short, the blade is awesome. It’s perfect for survival use out in the wilderness. The handle material of this knife is over-molded rubber. It has a little bit of texture, and palm swelling which feels great in the hands.
They put jimping all around the handle as well for better grip. The handle also has molded quillions and a lanyard hole.
The knife weighs 7.2 oz and the combined weight of the knife and sheath is 12.5 oz. The sheath is ballistic nylon material. It’s molle compatible. You can attach it to your backpack or hands. It also features a friction-released thumb lock. Overall, this Gerber prodigy is a standup survival knife. You are not going to regret purchasing it.
Gerber Strongarm
Gerber Strongarm is a knife that I’ve gotten after having personally tested it for about two months as hard as I could come up with testing and came up with ideas to use this knife. This knife of mine has seen more abuse than almost any other knife I can think of, or I’ve ever seen.
From bushcraft task to survival task to destroying door in a home tearing through that cutting open a 55-gallon oil drum, digging a hole for a fire I mean you name it, this knife can do it.
This knife is a crossover between a tactical knife and a bush knife. This knife comes in two versions- a serrated model and a plain edge model. The knife blade is made of 420hc carbon steel. It has a black ceramic coating. It’s a full tang construction.
The blade length from the guard to tip is 4.8 inches and the overall length of the knife is 9.8 inches. The knife itself weighs in at 7.2 oz and with the sheath, it’s 10.9 oz. So, it’s pretty much lightweight for a tactical knife. The blade is 3/16 of an inch thick.
The handle material of the knife is a glass-reinforced nylon handle within a rubber overlay on over mold. Again it has two versions with the handle- one is a black GFN handle and another one in coyote color.
It got a glass breaker pommel on the back, which you can obviously use to crush glass or concrete but you can also use it in the wilderness to crush things like nuts or to further process down some tinder.
It has a rubberized texture diamond grip. It also has a glass breaker on the back with a lanyard hole. The ergonomic of the handle is fantastic. It got a nice natural handle construction.
The Gerber Strongarm has a longer handle from than the Gerber prodigy. The prodigy I found has kind of a short handle which barely fits inside my hand if I am wearing gloves.
The Gerber Strongarm comes in an interesting tactical sheath design. It has up to 3 methods to carry.
The carrying methods can be MOLLE mount, a drop leg system, and a belt loop option for horizontal carry.
When you can put the knife in the sheath, it clips in really strong.
It has got this snap retention at the top to make sure that it’s not going to fall out but it does have very good retention in the sheath.
Still Can’t Decide? Here’s an Alternative – Gerber LMF 2 Infantry Review
If you are still in a dilemma between Gerber Prodigy and Strongarm, let me introduce to you another beast of a knife from Gerber. It’s Gerber LMF II Infantry. It’s very similar to strongarm but it’s bigger.
This is another unit that comes out of the Oregon portland factory in the US. Basically, the Gerber knife that comes out of the US factory is normally better than the built quality of some of the stuff that comes out of China. Not the stuff that comes out of China is necessarily inherently bad, but in the case of the Gerber knife, always go for the US made for top quality.
The Gerber LMF II Infantry was actually originally designed for downed aircrew in the US military and it was to assist them with egress. This pilot survival knife allows them to cut their way out of a down aircraft. Either cut or bash their way, so it’s got a serrated edge on it and designed to cut the metal skin or aluminum skin of an aircraft or to break windows or breakout the Plexiglas of aircraft.
Gerber LMF II Infantry is a pretty beefy knife. It weighs 24 ounces. And it has an overall length of 10.59 inches. The blade length is 4.84 inches where one and three-quarter inches of that is serrated and the other three inches is about a curved fine plain edge.
It has a drop point design, very thick and strong. The blade is made of 420hc stainless steel, a Good blend for bushcraft cause it’s sort of like a good quality high edge resistance that will maintain an edge fairly well. It also got good corrosion resistance and weather resistance. Add to that the fact that it got a ceramic coat, you will get pretty tough wear and tear on the blade.
This knife only comes with a serrated version. The thickness of the blade is 0.185 cm, so it is quite a tough, thick spine to the blade.
The blade itself is fully insulated through the handle. It’s not full tang but pretty close to the full tang. The handle is glass inforced nylon wrapped in rubber. Which is completely isolated from the wire.
So in theory you should be able to cut through a live wire without doing yourself damage. They call this FG 304 handle. The hammer point at the knife is really cool. The hammer pointer has a pommel with strike on it. It works like a beast.
The sheath that comes with this Gerber lmf is also very cool. The sheath is made of Ballistic nylon with fire retardant coating and comes with two leg straps, a big belt, loop, and molle compatible.
Conclusion
Regardless of whether you go for either the StrongArm or Prodigy blade from Gerber, you’re getting a blade that is ideal for endurance and battle circumstances.
Both are fixed blades, made in the USA, and use great materials in their cutting edge, handle, and sheath. There truly isn’t much in the size either, with the StrongArm somewhat longer and the Prodigy marginally heavier.
There are two critical contrasts here, the handling plan and the cost. Numerous commentators truly like the StrongArm’s handle, especially getting down on how well it holds the hand. In case you’re content without any decorations, the Prodigy is around $15 less expensive for a genuinely comparable sharp edge execution.
So, similar to an extraordinary handle? Go for the StrongArm! Need to reduce down on expense? It’s the most ideal Prodigy for you!
Hi, my name is Taras Kulakov and I’m a knife enthusiast. I have been collecting knives for over 30 years and I’ve owned literally thousands of different models over that time. My goal with this site is to share some of what I’ve learned about knives. You can find more info about Taras Kulakov here.
