Gerber out of the lighting business

Looks like Gerber has thrown in the towel and is no longer producing any more flashlights, with all stock being listed as discontinued. Even the Infinity Ultra Task Light and Recon.

Their Cortex, Cortex Compact and Expert lights were all made in USA, so that is another US flashlight maker out of the business.

If only CMG didn't sell out to Gerber all those years ago, they were really onto something with the Infinity and the smaller Sonic keychain light, right there at the beginning of the LED flashlight business. All went down hill after being sold to Gerber, their newer designs were not popular and there wasn't much in new development.

Well I won't say I'm sorry, as after their stupid and offensive "Hey vegetarians" ad many years ago I contacted them to let them know that I would never purchase any of their products and I stuck to that promise too.

Gerber made flashlights?

I wonder what will happen to their patents. I remember reading one of their patents for their Omnivore Technology years ago. I'm sure they held others too.
I think they are valid for either 20 or 14 years, although I'm not sure when those multi-battery lights were introduced, I think around 2008.

bykfixer said:

Gerber made flashlights?

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Haha, I think you just summed up the response of most flashaholics.

Actually US military did/does issue a lot of Gerber kits, everything from weapons cleaning to EOD and mine probing kits, and these kits usually included Gerber lights. Their Recon were also popular for field work as their output was very very low, and had a red LED too.

Then there were the Gerber Gear Bear Grylls line of lights/headlamps too.

Shame, I wanted one of these but never got around to buying one.

http://www.candlepowerforums.com/vb...-look-at-the-inside-of-the-Gerber-FIRECRACKER

An updated model with a moderately driven modern LED would be nice.

RobertMM said:

Shame, I wanted one of these but never got around to buying one.

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Ah yeah the Firecracker, I remember reading that thread, probably a few years later though. I liked the look of that light and also the Gerber Tempo (small 1AAA keychain light) that had the same look and feel, I always thought they looked very cool.

I might try to pick up an Infinity AA if I see any left.

They are very easy to mod with any other 5mm LED of your choice, so they make a great host for (e.g.) a Yuji Hi-CRI.

It's basically the closest thing to a Fenix E01 cockroach light, but in an AA format. No modes, low output, but simple, reliable, robust, and efficient.

Gerber is not exactly the company they used to be.. for a long time now...

I would not consider any of their products to be anything beyond any of the other low grade Chinese manufactured crap you find at all the box stores with the "insert once great brand name label here" with the made in china print on the back.

Gerber belongs in the Target camping half aisle section next to the other practically worthless junk.

I'm not familiar with their lights much but I had one of their USA made automatic knives recently and it was very good quality. Maybe it just depends what line you're buying. And perhaps the lights don't get as much attention as their edged tools.

nbp, which model? I wasn't aware they had any USA made products anymore.

The Propel Downrange auto.

ampdude said:

nbp, which model? I wasn't aware they had any USA made products anymore.

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I think they recently started reintroducing USA production of some of their more premium products.

Kind of a shame they stopped making lights though, I never got around to buying an Infinity Ultra.

Gerber never really made anything special in recent years. They peaked years ago with their AA LED Infinity Ultra. One of the earliest battery vampires. Since then........

Didn't they have an omnivore light? I remember something but never really found their kit compelling. I also don't care for the newer knives. Still have a few from the 80's and early 90's. Those are good.

Woods Walker said:

Didn't they have an omnivore light? I remember something but never really found their kit compelling. I also don't care for the newer knives. Still have a few from the 80's and early 90's. Those are good.

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Ironically Gerber's LST, and LST II, are still made the way they were back then. Not sure why. But they are. Only currently-made Gerber models I still recommend to those looking for a good knife.

Monocrom said:

Ironically Gerber's LST, and LST II, are still made the way they were back then. Not sure why. But they are. Only currently-made Gerber models I still recommend to those looking for a good knife.

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If you rewind to about 1980 or so, the LST was a genuinely pathbreaking knife. I carried one for many years. Decent steel, good profile, and super light.

Sure, the knife world has moved on -- by leaps and bounds. I have not carried an LST in several decades. But the LST was a good knife. Kinda like the Fenix E01: no longer able to keep up with the competition, but a very solid performer in a basic, no-frills package.

ampdude said:

Gerber is not exactly the company they used to be.. for a long time now...

I would not consider any of their products to be anything beyond any of the other low grade Chinese manufactured crap you find at all the box stores with the "insert once great brand name label here" with the made in china print on the back.

Gerber belongs in the Target camping half aisle section next to the other practically worthless junk.

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spot on. this is not the old Gerber

Gerber ruined the Infinity when they changed from the original CMG design IMHO. There have been some good products from Gerber in the past but not that much lately that is very desirable.

Woods Walker said:

Didn't they have an omnivore light? .

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Yes, it was named.....wait for it.....the Omnivore.

Gerber also supply the US military with various kits, such as:

ISK - INDIVIDUAL SURVEILLANCE KIT

DELUXE MINE PROBE KIT, SHEATH

GUN CLEANING KIT, MILITARY, M4 / M16, SHEATH

and other non-military kits such as:

MAINTENANCE KIT - MULTI-PLIER 600 / FLASHLIGHT COMBO

OFFROAD SURVIVAL KIT/SUV KIT, BLACK NYLON CASE


AFAIR the first mine probe kit used to include a Gerber Infinity Ultra (Red, then when that was discontinued a few years ago the White LED I think), but as this is no longer available it is now being shipped with the Maglite Solitaire Red, the Solitaire is also shipping with the ISK and cleaning kit (which used to include a Streamlight Stylus (not Pro).

Then the maintenance kit and the offroad kit are now shipping with the Maglite Pro+, the offroad kit I know used to ship with the Gerber Expert-M > Maglite 2D (LED?) > Gerber Cortex.

It's pretty sad I remember all these details.