By: Kevin Hatton
No, seriously. The Gator Machete by Gerber is a part of a line of tools being marketed as perfect weapons for the coming zombie apocalypse. All of the tells, a part of Gerber’s Apocalypse line can be seen on the AMC show “The Walking Dead”.
Only the slightly less practical use as a tool for clearing brush and branches is an afterthought on the manufacturer’s website. Now, forgoing the obvious uses for any future calamities, this machete does have a very practical use.
Camping is one of life’s great joys but sometimes the best camping sites are hard to reach which is why the Gator machete is an essential part of your kit. Coming in at an overall length of 25.7” with a blade length of 18” you’ll have the clearing reach needed to build that path efficiently. Even in the thickest of brush this machete can handle the job. For those thick stubborn branches just flip the Gator over and serrated saw edge will make quick work of them.
The blade and handle are forged from a single piece of high carbon steel making the machete extremely durable and able to maintain its edge which is vital for long term usage. The machete weighs 18 oz. making it easy to wield and not cumbersome to carry around while trekking through the jungle. The handle features a proprietary rubber “Gator-Grip”, which for this machete is designed to optimize ergonomic control with use of either the fine edge or the serrated saw. Another safety feature is a lanyard which can be used to prevent slippage even further. The machete comes with a heavy duty, riveted, nylon sheath with a belt loop.
The Gator machete does not come with a sharpening stone or a file for sharpening the staggered saw teeth. A standard triangle file should work fine for the saw teeth when it comes time to sharpen them. As for the fine edged side, the slightly flexible blade is very easy to sharpen, just have to remember to do so before use as the blade is not sharpened already. Due to the dual purpose of the blade the comfort of the handle had to compromise making it imperfect, however the grip is still very sturdy and comfortable when using either side of the blade. The only other draw back of the Gator is the sheath, which seems to be a common issue with other Gerber knives in that the belt loop is not very durable. Using nylon thread this problem can be easily remedied.
Considering the low price, the Gerber Gator Machete is the perfect tool for the job. Its length, comfort, durability, and ease of use make it an invaluable addition to your camping (or zombie slaying) gear. It has all the versatility and efficiency you could ask for in a brush knife, this is a strong recommendation and a sound purchase.