INTRODUCTION
Like I said in an earlier review on the Gerber Gator Serrater, I own a lot of knives - not because of some crazy tendencies, but because I have jobs, hobbies, and other activities that require knives for general or very specialized purposes. In fact, the other day I realized that I had not just a good collection of knives, but that the majority of these are Gerbers. This probably betrays not so much brand loyalty but my attraction to practicality and function - a willingness to pay a bit of a premium for tools, but not extravagant amount.

THE BASICS
First let's clear up the name - Freeman doesn't refer to a group of "eccentrics," but to the last name of one of the knife's designers. The basic concept of the knife is a mid-level, practical, rugged hunting/skinning knife. The knife is sold in one of those hard clear plastic cases that jo.com rightly criticizes in her completely unrelated review on Dr Scholl's Gel Insoles, but that every manufacturer seems to think is the best thing to come along in packaging since the styrofoam Big Mac clamshell. Once you cut through that plastic ("If I had a knife, why would I buy one?" might be a funny aside, but I already told you I had others), you get to the two items - the knife itself, and a leather sheath.

THE WORST FIRST
Normally, I'd review the accessory last, but lets get this ugly part out of the way now. The sheath is not worthy of the knife. It's a simple folded-leather sheath, with the edges sewn and reinforced with three stainless steel rivets. I'd much rather have one of the simple ballistic nylon sheaths with which many Gerbers come. I haven't exposed the sheath to much in the way of wet weather, but expect that it will require much more care than it's worth.

THE BEST LAST
The knife itself is more along what I expect from a Gerber product. The blade and tang (the unsharpened extension of the blade that the handle fastens to) are made of AUS-8 steel, the same Japanese alloy used in many Cold Steel knives (but not with the famous CS heat tempering), and comparable to US-made 440B - a mid-level stainless alloy. It is a one-piece, full-tang design, meaning that the tang extends all the way along the handle to the butt, which in this case has a long slot to accomodate a lanyard. The steel is pretty hard, which makes it a challenge to sharpen, but it holds an edge well. Overall length is 8.25", and it has a good heft, while not being a brick, weighing in at 4.1 oz.

The blade itself is 3.25" long, and the edge is shaped for skinning - a short straight edge at the base gently rounding to the point. On the spine-side of the point, the blade is shaped into a gut hook to allow (those who get queasy easily and always fill the freezer at the grocery store please skip to the next paragraph) quick "zippering" of the skin of fish, birds, or other small to medium-sized game without puncturing the innards.

The remainder of the dorsal portion of the blade is smooth, wide, and flat, allowing you to apply pressure with your thumb or forefinger as necessary when cutting/skinning. Another version is available without the guthook.

The tang of the knife drops to provide a finger guard, and then is shaped to provide a sure-gripping handle with grooves for your first two fingers. The finger grooves and back of the handle are serrated with the teeth "blocked" off to provide a sure grip without cutting the user. Pearwood grips are attached to both sides of the handle with rounded-top allen screws to give some width and comfort to the handle. The pearwood, combined with the (titanium?) grey powder coat/bead blast of the blade looks attractive, but I would prefer that the grips were something more water-resistant and grippy (perhaps the same Santoprene that the Gator series are made of). But care is relatively easy. After use, I normally wipe my knives with a thin coat of gun oil, which works well to preserve wood and leather as well (though it darkens the latter).

Although their website asserts that Gerber knives come sharpened with a 15 degree bevel on each side, the Freeman definitely came with a hollow-ground edge, which is nice and sharp at first, but not as durable as a well-done bevel, and pretty much impossible to duplicate with the hand tools I carry in the field. So, I found the need to grind that old edge off with a set of sharpening tools. On that note, you'll want to use ceramic or (preferably) diamond grinding and honing stones. The steel is pretty hard, which makes using a traditional stone a lot of work. If you finish with a 15-degree bevel, you can do touch-up work in the field with a quick pull-through ceramic tool like the Gerber Pocket Sharpener (I do sound like a Gerber commercial, don't I?).

OVERALL
This is a handy, if somewhat specialized, knife. The balance is nice, and the materials are quality, if not super-high-end. Again, I would rather have synthetic grips and a nylon sheath, but overall it is a very useful, quality knife for a reasonable price.

OTHER GERBER REVIEWS
Gerber Gator Serrater
coming soon...
Gerber 7.5" Fillet Knife
Gerber Pocket Sharpener
Gerber EZ Zip

SOME OTHER OUTDOOR REVIEWS
Raichle GTX Hiking Boots
Therm-a-rest Ultra-Lite Camp Pad

Recommended: Yes