For those not interested in details: "It's a great knife."For those interested in details: The blade steel Gerber uses has changed. My original review was based on the original design that used 12C27; the current design uses 420HC. 12C27 was comparable in toughness (durability in rough use) and hardness (edge retention) to 440A and was a very good steel choice by Gerber. 420HC, when treated right, can be a very good steel too (e.g. "Buck knives"); however, it generally will be not be as good at keeping an edge as 12C27 or other, harder stainless steels, as well as most any carbon steel. It will be a very tough blade (less-likely/very uniikely to chip or crack in half), meaning it should handle hard-use and abuse quite well. All in all, it's still a good choice in steel - might have to sharpen a little more often, but it's got an integrated sharpener after all.The construction is not full tang but push tang; however, this does not appear to affect its structural integrity. The LMF II is constructed in this manner in order to give this particular knife an insulated handle. This means that you can cut an electrically "live" wire without fear of injury. The story you might have heard already about this knife is a true one - this is the knife that allowed an advanced marksman team to cut a live electrical line in Afghanistan powering insurgent search lights that would have given their position away.Since 420HC is a stainless steel, maintenance is minimal as is the probability of corrosion. The older 12C27 blade took a good edge and showed good edge retention. As a matter of fact, I was quite surprised at the edge retention of the older model. I would expect noticeably less edge-retention from the current 420HC model but not enough to negate the value of this design. Just expect to sharpen the blade a bit more often. The blade coating of the model I used also held up very well and showed no flaking, chipping, scratching, or dusting. I do not believe the coating has changed at all.As to sharpening, Gerber's 420HC is very easy to sharpen, and it takes a good edge too. Actually, you can expect it to take a better, sharper edge than the original 12C27 design would. The sharpener built into the sheath works very well on the blade. NOTE: Since part of the blade is serrated, this sharpener is limited in its ability - it can only sharpen the non-serrated part of the blade. Sharpening the serrations should be done using a diamond rod or a similar sharpening tool.The handle design looked funny to me a first - didn't seem like a good design, but, thankfully, it's only looks. For starters, the grip is made of Kraton (rubber-like) and offers a very secure and solid grip. As to comfort, my hand only started hurting after the first two hours of cutting, and that was minimal pain... but I'll admit after three, it was plum tuckered out. :) In other words, it was a very comfortable handle.The "skull-crusher" butt (steel projection below the handle) is also insulated, so don't worry about getting shocked through there either. It is also designed to function as a make-shift hammer by using the top side of the butt as a hammer head (Hint: You probably want to use it this way while the blade is sheathed).The three holes in the knife (two in the guard, one in the butt) are intended for lashing the knife to a rod for use as a spear. The hollows or concave indents/depressions in the handle are also designed for this purpose and allow a lashed pole to fit snugly against the knife handle.The blade performs well at light chopping (provided you make contact with the non-serrated part of the blade). Light chopping accounts for a large portion of outdoor/survival work with a knife. Heavy wood cutting should be done with a saw of some kind (wire saw, folding saw) or an axe. The serrations also function very well and are useful in many ways - cutting rope being a big one. The serrations do seem a bit more "aggressive" than some other knives and seemed to make the work go faster.As was already mentioned, the sheath has a built-in sharpener that works well and is easy to use. All you have to do is stick the blade in and pull it back out a couple times - you don't have to worry about the blade angle, because it's all taken care of for you. Overall, the sheath is very well made. The different carrying options are very nice and allow you to carry the knife on your thigh (using the leg straps - "drop-leg" style), on your belt (disconnect the leg straps), or on a MOLLE vest or pack.This is a great knife for utility/survival purposes at an affordable price. Though I would love to buy a Fallkniven A1 or Odin or a Busse or a Randall, etc., the Gerber LMF II is a much more budget friendly knife, and it still exudes quality, while serving its purpose very well. You really can't go wrong with this knife. EDIT: I now own a couple Fallknivens (S1 & NL2 - Odin), and this is still a great knife. I still keep it on my pack at all times.Another note of import, Gerber's customer service has a good reputation overall. I have heard numerous accounts of professionalism in regards to their customer service - paying for shipping, replacing an item, etc. EDIT: I have since had some contact with Gerber regarding a Mark II purchase I made, and their customer service is very good.All in all, it's still a sound purchase.