Gerber Legendary Blades has issued a recall of approximately 80,000 of its Gerber Bear Grylls Parang Machete in the United States and an additional 11,000 in Canada. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), the machetes are able to cut through the stitching of their sheaths, posing a serious hazard.
The sheaths are made out of black nylon and have stitching on the curved side. Five rivets line the bottom and two are by the strap on top. The sheath is 16 inches long and 3.5 inches wide with “GERBER” printed on it in gray with two orange Bear Grylls logos. These were sold with a 19.5 inch-long machete and other items in a set or as a part of the Gerber’s Apocalypse Survival Kit.
The recalled machetes can be identified by their model numbers, which are 31-000698, 31-001507, and 31-002289. The Apocalypse Survival Kit came with model number 30-000601. From February 2012 through February 2013, the machetes were sold at stores across the nation and online for $43; the Survival Kit cost $349.
Currently, there have been eight reports of user’s hands or fingers suffering lacerations from the machetes cutting through the sheaths. Gerber is asking that consumers store the covered machetes in a safe area where children cannot gain access to the products. Gerber will provide customers with a free replacement sheath that is completely riveted, rather than stitched.
If you have been injured by a defective product, call the New Jersey defective product injury victim lawyers at Blume Forte. A no-cost consultation with a member of our legal team, available at 973-845-4421, can help you learn more about the courses of legal action that may be available to you.