BORELLI CONSULTING: Tactical Equipment Reviews

Gerber Silver Trident Combat Knife
7 November 2005

"Gerber Legendary Blades" isn't just a company name or phrase: it's also a statement of fact. I've been carrying Gerber knives since before I went in the Army and have continued to do so ever since. I was far more familiar with the folding lockblades that this company made, and then a friend of mine introduced me to some of their fixed blade models. Recently I was lucky enough to be gifted with a Gerber Silver Trident, and that is the topic of this review.

Now I have to admit that at first I thought it was quite arrogant for a company to name a knife after a symbol long known as special; a symbol that only a select few got to wear; a symbol that is recognizable world wide because of the inspiration its bearers have provided to tales told, stories written, and movies made. Everywhere in the world you'll find people who recognize the emblem of the United States Navy SEALs. After researching the history of the knife's development, and testing its performance capabilities, I didn't feel it was quite so arrogant.

To develop the knife, Gerber called on two people who are regarded as knowing what knives are about: William Harsey, Jr. and Chief "Patches" Watson, a founding member of SEAL Team #2. Now, before I go further, and with no disrespect meant to Chief Watson, I have to say this: some writers have refered to Chief Watson as "the foremost expert on combat knives". That statement can be taken a lot of ways, but if you really want to understand what he brought to the design table, you have to have at least a minimal knowledge of his operational background. Is every SEAL a knife expert? I don't know. Is every founding member of SEAL Two a knife expert? I don't know. What I do know is that every SEAL experiences an operational tempo that would certainly immerse them in environments where they would quickly learn what does and doesn't work in cutting tools. That said, let's take a look at the tool these two men developed.

The knife itself is manufactured about of 154C steel, with a handle material made out of Hytrel. Now I'm no chemist so I can't tell you exactly what Hytrel is, but I can tell you that it feels like most other synthetic rubber-simulating grip materials in my hand. The blade length is just over six inches which seems to me standard for field knives, but maybe a shade on the short side for a combat knife. I say that only because I was lectured by a former Navy SEAL on the need for a combat blade to be at least 6.5" inches long - allowing it to reach the aortal bubble if punched through an armpit or the clavicular notch. Published material from Gerber states that the blade enjoys a hardness rating of HRC 59-61. The butt cap was specifically designed to be used for hammering.

The gentleman who gifted me with my Silver Trident I'm sure didn't intend for me to beat it up... but it's kind of what I do. So, with knife in hand (in its nylon sheath of course) I went out to see what I could stab, cut, pry, hammer, etc. Like all my knife tests, the first thing I did was start cutting corded material that is always laying around in my shed. The Trident's edge had no issues cutting through a wide variety of string, fishing line, rope, webbing, etc. I've always thought that the nylon / plastic yellow rope was hell on blades, but the Trident cut through several chunks without any signs of dulling or wear. The spear tip made it easy to punch through a 1/4" sheet of plywood, but the 1/2" was a little harder. Thanks to the butt cap having been designed for use as a hammer, it didn't hurt the knife in any way when I hammered it into the thicker sheet of wood. To remove it I wiggled and pried, pushing and pulling until I'd gotten enough play to pull it free.

Getting my hands wet with water I started everything all over again to see how the grip would feel. Gerber's info says that there are two layers of Hytrel in the grip: an inner hard layer and an outer soft layer. The pebble finish and ergonomic shape helped me keep a hold of the knife as I hacked through a piece of 2x4. Finally the blade was just starting to show some signs of wear. A quick couple of passes on my stone cleaned it right up and I was back to cutting cord like soft butter.

Although this knife wasn't designed as a recreational tool, I used it as one anyway. I took it fishing with me and performed all cutting chores with it: bait, fishing line, etc. I cleaned one fish with it and although it's definitely not a fillet knife, it didn't butcher the job either. The sheath is fairly versatile in its carry options and nylon has become the standard for military operations. The inner (kydex?) lining of the sheath protects the nylong from the knife's edge and provides a secondary locking mechanism at the mouth of the sheath. Unless you're hanging upside down or really doing strenuous activities, this secondary lock holds the knife in the sheath, even without the thumb strap secured.

All in all an excellent blade for general field use, and - excepting the length of the blade as maybe a tad short - a good combat blade. For more information you can check out the Gerber Silver Trident on the Gerber Legendary Blades website.

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Also, don't forget to read the new Recreational Equipment Evaluations:

NRA Outdoorsman Knife by Benchmade-----7 November 2005
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Check out this week's Highlighted Training Article from SWAT Officer Al Garcia about being aware of the unexpected dangers of edged weapons.

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