This Principle has a brown rubber overmolded handle.
You always wanted full tang, zero-edge Scandi-ground, super ergonomic, light weight, bang-for-buck oriented Gerber fixed blade? Well, dreams do come true. The Principle is a Puukko style knife with an excellent sheath and build quality. The blade is made of 420HC with a true Scandinavian grind, and a drop point blade profile that maximizes it's utility in woods tasks. One of the crowning features is the extremely versatile sheath, which can be mounted vertically, scout style, or on MOLLE webbing.
I like the blade shape. Knife is the perfect size, not too big and not to small. The knife is pretty lightweight. The grip is good, although the butt of the handle is a little awkward in my hand. The build quality is good, although, it seems like Gerber only polished one out of the three rivet barrels. What makes this knife complete is the sheath. It offers a few options when it comes to carrying and mounting. The only negative about the sheath, is that I wish it were a little more secure. I don't feel that the knife would shake out, it's just that it rattles around a bit.
Rattles in the case a little, but I'm not picky like that. This knife seems very solid so far. Hopefully Gerber always makes it in the US.
I ordered the Principle from Blade HQ a year ago. It has been steadily used during hiking, camping, and survival instruction with the Boy Scouts. It is a great companion knife and bushcraft tool. It came hair popping sharp and is easy to put an edge on. The scandi grind is great for carving, and the length is ideal for most tasks. I have no need for a beast knife as I carry a folding saw and hatchet.
It is a fantastic knife for outdoors. I love the size and the shape of the blade. It fits my hand perfectly and scales offer perfect feel and grip. My only gripe is with the sheath.. From the factory, it did not seems to hold the knife securely. I applied a little bit of heat to the sheath clamp to make it more tight. I like the options the sheath offers in terms of mounting, I just wish it fit the knife better. I have a few Gerber hatchets , knives and tools and I have never been disappointed with any of them.