Are the Knives Bear Grylls Used Still For Sale?

In the time since we started this blog and today, my girls have grown up and moved off to college and Man vs. Wild has gone off the air, as well as a Bear's new survival show. But as a testimony to the sheer awesomeness of these knives, people are still scouring the web for information about them. Here's a quick update just in case you haven't been able to pick one up for yourself.

• Buck Iceman - My favorite knife of the first season is simply not available anywhere for love nor money. As we wrote about before, Buck discontinued the Iceman. You can still get lucky on eBay if you are patient. Here's a search we recommend you bookmark.
  
  
• Buck Zipper - Still available and ready to take on any fish with the poor luck of getting in your way.
  
  
• Gerber Gator Serrater - This popular Gerber blade is not only still available, but it shows up for almost every search for anything Bear Grylls related.
  
  
• Titanium Pro Dive Knife - Still available. Still Awesome. And available in multiple colors. We still prefer Bear's choice of gray on black.
  
  
• Wenger Serrated Mountaineer - The Wenger Mountaineer is a big, beautiful knife. We love ours. But it's hard to find. All indications seem to suggest that the knife has been discontinued, but it may simply be out of stock from the manufacturer. Keep an eye on the official Wenger 16470 page, and an eye on eBay for the occasional auction.
  

If these old school Man vs. Wild knives don't suit your style, there is always the new Gerber Bear Grylls collection. Surely something there will catch your eye. We love the thumb studs that have been added to the blades for one handed opening and closing. When I talked with Gerber a few years ago, the salesman assured me their focus groups liked knives requiring two steady hands to open. I'm glad Bear got them to see things differently. With both of Bear's shows off the air, this collection may not be long for this world. Snap them up while you can.

For the Love of a Pocket Knife

I just came across an article over at Gizmodo about a contributor's favorite pocket knife. It's 50 years old and he wouldn't part with it for the world. It won't stand up well to any knife chosen by Bear Grylls. Heck, even the bottom end Bear Grylls Compact Scout Knife would beat it in a fight to the death in a back alley. But you've got to admire the author's love for the thing.

I am not a Navy Seal. I don't need a fixed-blade, full-tang pocket sword with a tanto point and a Rockwell factor of 58. I open a lot of boxes and trim my nails with this 50-plus year-old pen knife. It used to be my grandfather's. I'm named after him. He died before I was born.

I recently lost my Buck Iceman. I missed having it clipped to my pocket, always at the ready. I carried around a Gerber Gator Serrater for the past few months, but it always seemed too bulky. Unlike Bear, my wilderness is paved and filled with public transit. It was just too much knife for daily use. Imagine my joy when I found a spare Buck Iceman in the garage. I don't even care that the clip is all wiggly and that the blade is scuffed. I think the author of that article would know exactly how I feel.

Buck Iceman DISCONTINUED

In what is surely not news to any of you who have tried to buy one lately, the Buck Iceman is no longer made by the Buck Knives company.

I recently lost my Buck Iceman (my favorite Bear Grylls knife to date), and set about to find a replacement. Everyone was sold out, listing it as back ordered, or redirecting the old links to Gerbers and Titanium Pros. A quick call to the Buck Knives company today taught me a few things:

• The CEO's name of Buck Knives is Chuck Buck.
  
• The Buck Iceman was last offered in their 2008 catalog
  
• Buck Knives doesn't offer a newer version.
  

The closest knife Buck makes is the Bones. It has a camo tanto blade as opposed to a black matte clip blade, and the handle is aerated, but it's still all metal with a good heft. I did some digging and found some dealers with the Buck Iceman still for sale. I'm sure you can, too. But I'd snap them up while you can. In fact, I bought two of 'em today.

What Knives Did Bear Use in Season One of Man Vs. Wild?

Season One:
01) Moab - Buck Iceman
02) Costa Rica - Titanium Pro Dive Knife
03) French Alps - Wenger Serrated Mountaineer Knife
04) Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano - Gerber Gator Serrater with Clip Point
05) Sierra Nevada Mountains in California - No knife
06) Northern Kenya - Gerber Gator Serrater with Clip Point
07) Alaska - Buck Iceman
08) Pacific Island - Titanium Pro Dive Knife
09) Rocky Mountains - No knife

tags technorati : Bear Grylls Man vs. Wild Born Survivor Knives Survival

What Knife Is Bear Using in the Alaska Episode?

In Season One, Episode Seven, Bear's old friend, the Buck Iceman, makes a return visit to help him hack down saplings for a makeshift lean-to. You can recognize the Buck Iceman by it's Black Oxide finish, partial serrated edge, clip point blade, handle shape, and characteristic rounded guard. This knife is so tough Bear could pound on it with a rock to cut through small trees to make a spear. Let's see you do that with a pen knife!

This was a cold and gruelling episode for Bear, and he used his wits cleverly, but our favorite part was learning that Bear is scared of bears. Is this the same guy who stood near a pride of lions in Northern Kenya and excitedly described how quickly they could kill a man? Watching Bear make his way through the forest shouting "Yo Bear!" reminded us of that part in The Parent Trap where Vickie banged sticks together to scare off mountain lions. It actually brought a smile to our faces. But then again, considering what happened to that 11 year old boy last month in Utah, maybe Bear has the right idea.

The Buck Iceman is available at Amazon.com

tags technorati : Bear Grylls Man vs. Wild Born Survivor Knives Survival Alaska

What Knife Is Bear Using in the Moab Episode?

In Season One, Episode One, Bear takes on the arid Utah landscape in a trip to scenic Moab. Good thing he brought along a Buck Iceman. It helped him make a straw, scramble eggs, and cut up a shirt so he could pee on it before wrapping it around his head. We're not sure we could do that last bit, but we've recently spent time in Capitol Reef National Park - a bit north of Moab. The heat was scorching. Keeping hydrated and cool was a real problem, so if we were desperate enough, and NOT a short car ride away from our air conditioned hotel, we might have considered it.

Nah, probably not.

As for the Buck Iceman, it's a folder so it closes up to 5" which fits nicely in your pocket. Perfect to bring along on a hike. We wish we had known about it before we went down south. It would have come in handy.

The Buck Iceman is available at Amazon.com

tags technorati : Bear Grylls Man vs. Wild Born Survivor Knives Survival Moab