KenK,

My Skeletool rides in the left front magazine pocket of my 5.11 Cargo Pants.

Cheers,
W-W

I was always under the impression that BG was considered a Walter Mitty at best and a danger to himself at the worsted . That being the case would any sane person depend on any thing that he has designed/endorsed.

For your information: "At the end of the war the British Government saw no further need for the force and disbanded it on 8 October 1945.[2] However, the following year it was decided there was a need for a long term deep penetration commando unit, and a new SAS regiment was to be raised as part of the Territorial Army.[22] Ultimately, the Artists Rifles, raised in 1860 and headquartered at Dukes Road, Euston, took on the SAS mantle as 21st SAS Regiment (V) on 1 January 1947"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_air_service

If you bother to read the article through you will note that the selection process for 21 SAS is the same as for 22 SAS.

You might not like Bear, which is fine and your privilege, but he passed selection.

Sane people do not necessarily have the level of education to judge the show moderated by BG correctly. Many watch it just for entertainment. BG is widely known and popular. That´s enough for marketing. People with proper education can judge the tool. If it performs and has a reasonable price why not buy it?
Face it:
People like BG because the show has spectacular stunts. They talk about it so more people get to know him. People like Les Stroud or Doug Ritter are almost unknown on my side of the pond. Their information may help to survive but "play it save" is pretty lame if you want some entertainment.

Precisely. Real survival situations are actually rather boring (for onlookers, at least) about 90% of the time. But BG goes way beyond any acceptable limits, demonstrating absolutely improbable, unrealistic, and dangerous stunts.

I don't want to join in on the pi..ing contest on who knows most about the selection and so on, but (according to the wiki you linked to) "The Territorial Army Special Air Service (reserve) Regiments undergo the same selection process, but as a part-time programme over a longer period:"

Which is not the same thing as doing it in a single stretch, any sane person knows that. And to quote Chris Ryan "-he hasn't served in the same S.A.S as I have."

And then you go on to say that he (Grylls) passed selection, according to whom?

I suggest that you read some proper literature on the topic.
I can recommend, for starters, Ghost Force, The secret history of the SAS, by Ken Connor. 1998.
I will end here.

Doug isn't about entertainment , he is about education. Stroud still manages to be entertaining as well as educational.

I thought this thread was about a knife and not another "let's bash Bear" thread that has been discussed ad nauseam here in this fine forum several times and many other lesser forums as well.

In the interests of full disclosure, I have never seen the TV show and main character, thusly it would be inappropriate for me to comment or pass judgement one way or the other on the man or show.

Can we talk about a knife or knives for survival purposes...I believe that is why most here frequent this forum.

Chris Ryan certainly seems to have led Ross Kemp up the garden path.

Well to be fair his signature is on the blade and his ititials are emblazoned in orange block letters on the handle! He & Gerber are capitalizing on his fame/notoriety to move the product, so that same fame and notoriety are bound to be called into question. For my own part I've only seen a few clips of his, and while he seems like a clown it's not skin off my nose.

I haven't used the knife but I have zero use for serrations, especially in the section of the knife I'd be using to whittle or baton.