Please, this guy doesn't know where a man's organs are much less you a knife for lethal intent. This guy is in the backyard making sharp sticks..you know the kind you need a " combat" knife for.
@@johnvigil9762 dude anyone who has taken high school biology knows where "a man's organs are" its not some well kept secret they teach you in the military.
he's saying that the knife doesn't fit the role he (justifiably) anticipated it taking. I don't think he's condemning that feature, just making a comment to warn potential customers what they are getting in to. the Mini doesn't fit the design philosophy of the first, that of a combat utility blade. Instead, the thinner blade has made it more in line with that of a bushcraft knife.
I agree with you 100%. If I need to pry, I have a better tool for that. If I want to chop, I carry a hatchet for that. If I need to cut and slice, that's what I want a knife for. "Tough" survival knives are garbage cutters/slicers.
One of my high school students returned from Convoy duty (Kabul) back in 2012. He carried a SOG Seal Pup also. Light resin handle and all. Peace Be The Journey!
I'm an old man. My grandfather used to pick up a little money by reblading folding knives including his own. He had a two bladed knife. The blades were identical and hard as as a file. He sharpened them by laying them flat and sharpening from the spine to the edge. These blades would have been easy to snap but they were easy to sharpen to a super sharp edge that cut extremely well. He knew the issues and made his choice. He loved his knife. The knife under review will hold and edge and cut very well but abuse can destroy the tip and edge. Make your choice and live with it.
I do the same thing and change older pocket knife blades that have seen too many bench grinders, dremels, angle grinders and what ever power tools the person saw fit to over grind a thin blade to get an edge. The first one I did is an old Boy Scout style knife. I used an old metal cutting bandsaw blade and it still works great. Still have it and take it out when I want to do some cutting, open a bottle or punch a hole in leather. I am in the process of replacing a spring in an old 1919 Era automatic knife I picked up cheap. I am considering replacing both blades with more saw blade steel for better edge retention. It is mine so value isn't a concern. The plastic scales broke and I put black walnut scales on so it isn't a collection piece.
It wouldn't keep me from buying it. $45 does not make for a hard use knife so I don't see any problem there either. Use a knife for what a knife is for, cutting and slicing, it will be fine.
Opinions vary, but I'm a fan of companion blade setups. Always a part of my kit are a duo of a larger, stronger and more durable knife (chopping, prying, batoning, etc.) and a smaller and thinner knife (precise cutting, food prep, light tasks, etc. Lots of lighter, thinner knives will fail a tip test, so don't be too concerned about that.
I totally agree with you. I love dual blade systems. I have a couple of vids showing some of my setups. My favorite budget setup is the Camp 10 and Mora.
This is a great review (as usual.) The SRK Compact seems like it is attempting to have feet in both worlds - survival/utility knife and bushcraft/camp knife. In this situation the compact version is a tactical looking camp knife.
True, but for no price different I dont see point for go compact, just go full version. I dont see a lot of value of compact, but ofc for some ppl maybe (like EDC on belt maybe?)
Yea. The SK-5 steel seems to be a huge fail for Cold Steel, I have seen a review where a guy snapped the tip of the full size SRK in SK-5 by just stabbing it into a frozen wood.
@@johnsun11 It's not the steel, it's the design. Any steel will behave the same if geometry of the tip is very thin. Simple physics. Common sense. Yet so hard to comprehend for most people.
@@LXT43 You are wrong, different steels have different attributes. Some are harder, some are tougher, some bend and some like sk-5 shatter. Also not all steels are made equal, some are just plain worse than others.
@@LXT43 agreed, with in reason, ant heat treated steel worth anything that is ground thin at tip will snap NOT bend, onless it is a cheap steel like 5cr or less, 400 series ect
Been using this knife for a while. For me it's an excellent soldier knife. It's cheap, light, strong and cuts well. Had to convex the edge (it's really not so hard to do and you'll see it'll cut like a laser) and now it's performance in the woods is outstanding. As I'm older and more experienced, I prefer my knives not to be sharpened pry bars. Therefore - I really don't see a point in prying like you did in a video other than for fun and to show off. Can't say it's a knife design flaw. The point is excellent for quick stabbing and it pierces well if you have to use it in close quarters. If you prefer a stronger knife with tip that will hold any abuse and similar in size, then I would recommend benchmade bushcrafter. Been using mine couple of years and it's really tough to beat. And factory grind is thin enough to cut really well - it outperforms by far any esee knife I owned. Keep up the good work! Cheers
As a woman with smaller hands the compact is great for utility purposes - and at that price point I bought two and have no fear of destroying it playing. Fun knife
Cold Steel really likes clip points haha. Especially if they have a harder steel on their knives, the SRK-C would probably not have tip issues if they made it drop point. Although i'd probably never stab a tip deep into wood and pry laterally like that. I'd save my precision tip for precision tasks
I saw so many videos about tips snapping with the full size sk5 and i was wondering the same about the compact version. Thanks for the videos, honest and fair
Because of GT, I bought 3 Strongarms, one of them being the BDZ-1 version. One of my all time favorites besides my TOPS Silent Hero. One of the few knife and gear review channels I trust.
Have the SRK in 3V. Best out door, camping knife I have. 3V is a much preferred blade steel to SK5. I will say, Cold Steel heat treats their steel vert well...be it S35VN, 3V, XHP, AUS8a, or SK5.
Love the thought of the SRK, seems like a nice knife. My issue with Gerber is I bought one of their multitool, we were sailing off shore and needed a solid utility multitool, Gerber failed us all along our off shore sail, I needed to use the screw driver, flat blade and Philipps, both snapped, then I need the plyers, one side snapped. I wouldn't buy a Gerber anything as long as I live. Nice job of giving great info though.
Can you let me know what the purpose of the tip prying was, if there was any ? I like strong tips, just in case, but I do not see the need to do such things.
The Compact is about $35 on Amazon right now ,. It's a good deal at that price point , I'm hoping for a SanMai or 3V Version soon .... Great Review Aron....👍🖖
The geometry of the tip is much more relevant in prying like that than steel choice or hardness. Seems like it’s still a great knife, just not in the same way its predecessor is. Looking forward to the next review, as always.
I have this knife and it is a beast. Split wood when my ex girlfriend forgot to bring a hatchet camping. Worked awesome!! Never had an issue with dulling
I use it as my everyday carry. Good size and weight simplistic design decent quality nice price. But I consider it a utility knife not a survival or Bushcraft knife and use it as such.
The politicians in Texas allow us to carry a blade up to 5", single edged. I'm a veteran. a KaBar would be comfortable, or a full sized SRK. It's lighter than I expected. Let's see a version in 52100.
if you just hold it in you hand you will feel its not a survival prybar its a cutting knife perfect for edc and for reducing weight,its not a bad knife its just not the same knife as its big brother.
Thank you for the information. I wanted a compact hoping it was similar to my old full size. I may still consider getting one but will rely on my Strongarm.
The strength of the tip is determined by the angles of the grind, not the thickness of the stock. so the angles of the compact SRK are more acute than on the big one?
Never really found a reason to pry with my knife. If I needed to get into something I would use the right tool for the job . Knife, axe , saw, machete, multi tool.... etc...
I have both because I thought I was buying a full size and when I got it, it was the compact. I didn't even know there were 2 sizes, so be careful! I then had to buy the full size, because, you've gotta have a BIUDS knife right? ;) The small one I have in a shoulder bag (tactical/utility) and the big one is my dive knife. That is what they're designed for!! SRK Search and Rescue Knife!!
The original SRK is a combat/utility knife that can be used for bushcraft, the SRK-C is a bushcraft knife that can be pressed into a combat/utility role because of the shared design.
Curious, what do people do with there knives once a tip is broken...is it thrown in the trash? Can a tip be fixed somehow? Or is the blade just considered compromised.
"Don't be stupid and snap the tip." True sentence, well said. Everybody is braging how brittle the tip of the Fallkniven A1 in VG10 is and how easy it snaps. Maybe the heat threatment of the old A1 have been better, maybe the chromium content was not that high back then... My A1 is around 25 years old, I've beaten the literally shit out of the blade - and had no chipping or broken tip on my knife.
The SRK-C would be a great knife for my daughter. She has small hands. The flat grind is a huge positive over the full size SRK in SK-5. I honestly believe Cold Steel put a hollow grind in the SK-5 SRK, to push people into buying the SRK in CPM-3V or San Mai III. Those versions both have flat grinds, and strong tips.
I'm so sick of watching people review knives and do things that nobody in their right mind should ever use a knife for I'm 47 started camping with my grandpa when I was 10 first thing you taught me was a hatchet is your most important tool knife is for only cleaning game and cutting material if i'da stuck the tip of my knife in a piece of wood like that and pride on it he would have Cuff me upside the head
Have esee 3 and esee 6, custom tkc g10 scales on both, custom sheath on both and MOLLE Back on both. but chose to companion it on the 6 , fire steels for them and molle pouch with BLADE TECH: Small MOLLE Lok GEN3 attached to the back of the molle carry. Expensive system i know but worth it.
@@shannonpaschal9493 ESEE all day. Though you wouldnt want to tip test the esse 3 its really thin at that the tip much thinner then the srk-c like how it broke in the video thats not really good as a combat utlity knife as they say. By far get a 6 and customize it to the max at TKC knifebuilder cry once bro it gets spendy. A knife blank is only 69$ plus life time warranty.
@@shannonpaschal9493 Depends what your use base. The further you venture away from civilization the better and/or bigger the knife your gonna want. As a camp knife both the 6 and pr4 are good but for compactness then the pr4 is probably the way to go for camp needs i love me 6 though use for everything only ever "lightly sharpened and stropped once" in 1 year. Get the pr4 before covid-19 makes it expensive or its clams the lives of the people who make them.... Honetly i would by these kinds of things right now while you can, Covid has already raised prices on everything by at least 20 dollars and 35 dollars on prepper tools and gear. Wait for sales if you want i think next sale holiday is labor days sales Monday, September 7.
I got this knife to carry scout when I go out and want to carry a folder so probably won't be using outdoors but dam seeing that tip snap hurts . Thx fur video .
Hey Gideon I watched your video last week in the cold steel SRK the big brother so I bought the knife this thing is a beast so far so good I watch all your videos keep up the great work love your channel👍🏻👍🏻
Amazon currently advertises the compact for $45.89. They list the full size for $34.99 . Paying more money for less knife doesn't sit well with me. I've seen Ontario do the same thing with the Rat1 and Rat2. Who do they think they are fooling ?
Everyone thought it would be a shorter version of the original . Are you sure it is flat ground? Looking at that it is hollow ground. Only the 3v vesion has a flat grind. The compact is shorter, and not as wide. My SK5 version has a very fine tip, so if compact version is thinner on yours it must be really thin. Should be called SRK-K (Kids)
Good stuff Aaron. Already have a strongarm so I’m not in the market. But there’s just something so wrong with a cold steel breaking like that. Good looking knife though, still love CS.
I’ve been saying since I first saw it that this knife should be called the BRK (Bushcraft Rescue Knife) because it’s not an SRK. It’s like the Esee 8 that they called “Junglas 2” when it just isn’t a Junglas. I still want to test it out but it definitely isn’t a true SRK
I was watching this video while purchasing the knife. Literally 3 seconds after I placed the order, I heard him saying that he snapped the tip lol. Well, it's not like I'm going to stab or pry with the knife anyway. Good review. Thank you for confirming the flat grind. I really dislike the hollow grind on the SRK models.
Aaron, this blade actually isnt a carbon copy (no pun intended) of the larger SRK in SK5. The big one is still hollow, but with the thinner stock, it made more sense to go flat grind, which is actually the reason I like it better
Hey there, at 1:50ish you said they are flat ground, which you are glad for, I just watched you srk vid from 3 years ago, and you said you were glad the switched to a hollow gring over the flat saber grind. Can you address this difference from then to now...as this would be a third iteration of this knife style, albeit in a shorter version.
The CPM-3V version has a much stronger tip. $24 vs $90. It's a tough choice. Personally, for a child, or a woman with smaller hands, I think the SRK-C in SK-5 is a bargain. The flat grind makes for a stronger tip than the full size SRK in SK-5.
Nearly all of us have a bag with "individual tools" for prying etc. I've done the tip on my SRK and the steel was not the best in minus degrees. Never had a problem with a $10 Mora at -26°c
The tips are IMO, the weak points of the SRK knives (pun not intended). It took very little to roll the tip of of my SRK-C, but the edge durability makes up for it. Really though, we can't complain too much if a $35 knife isn't perfect...
Take a look at the buck paklite series... the buck 140 paklite skinner in particular is a great little edc, comparable to an Izula for 1/3 the price and also made in USA
I wish the Gerber Strongarm would upgrade the steel . 420HC is ok . but just ok. That would be a awesome blade in a good midrange like 14c28n or even 1095 . or if they wanted to go full potato drool about the thought of a strongarm in s35vn
@@papimaximus95 Didnt fail me . It is just a butter knife. it doesnt take the best edge , doesnt hold that edge very long . I just thought it was an awesome blade with very low end capabilities . I dont hate it . I just thought for the price it would have been better served with a SLIGHTLY better performing steel .
Always love your reviews totally honest. Personally if I would buy one of these knives it would be the full-size for sure. Can’t beat the price point on the full-size.
I’ve seen other reviews on hat show the tip holding up very well. Considering the price I probably go for the srk-c over the strongarm. Both are good tho.
Good video! I told CS to quit using that steel. That’s why I’ve avoided SRk even though I think design is bad ass. I have a Leatherneck Tanto and that’s a BEAST!!! Try one of those
@gideonstactical - Handle ergos aside, do you think this knife would be better suited to a different Steel? Thinking of some of the other steels Cold Steel uses...4116, AUS8A, or even AUS10 on the more budget end, or go big with 3V on the higher end? Or would they be better served to keep SK5 and change the tip geometry?
Thanks for the heads up about the tip strength. I ordered this knife because I like the shape of the SRK but was preferring a smaller bushcraft knife in the same shape. I dont think I really have to worry about breaking the tip because generally I am pretty delicate with my knives, as I have larger tools for doing heavier work. Still, it is good to know. Always handy to keep that information in the back of your mind. Thanks for the review!
Good Video. I have a SRK in CarbonV steel. I do not know what is better (CarbonV or San Mai lll) steel. For a smaller fix blade I think I would look rather look for a Randal or EESE Rat lll. What do you think?
I wish they still made the affordable aus-8 stainless version of the full size srk vg-10 is expensive and 3v is astronomical regardless of it being the best steel for the application I love the clean simple design of the srk but the more fussy looking satin pup elite in the right steel and good nylon mollie sheath that I trust in sub zero temperatures meant that’s the one sitting in front of me right now
Why would anyone need to pry with the tip like that? Give me a thin grind that cuts: I don't need my knife to a be a crowbar.
Please, this guy doesn't know where a man's organs are much less you a knife for lethal intent. This guy is in the backyard making sharp sticks..you know the kind you need a " combat" knife for.
The tip may not be considered for prying, but drilling. Even drilling applies lateral forces on the tip and can cause them to break.
@@johnvigil9762 dude anyone who has taken high school biology knows where "a man's organs are" its not some well kept secret they teach you in the military.
he's saying that the knife doesn't fit the role he (justifiably) anticipated it taking. I don't think he's condemning that feature, just making a comment to warn potential customers what they are getting in to.
the Mini doesn't fit the design philosophy of the first, that of a combat utility blade. Instead, the thinner blade has made it more in line with that of a bushcraft knife.
I agree with you 100%. If I need to pry, I have a better tool for that. If I want to chop, I carry a hatchet for that. If I need to cut and slice, that's what I want a knife for. "Tough" survival knives are garbage cutters/slicers.
I carried a SOG Seal Pup in Afghanistan (2010-11).
I see this knife as a competitor to that use/intention more so than a bush knife.
One of my high school students returned from Convoy duty (Kabul) back in 2012. He carried a SOG Seal Pup also. Light resin handle and all. Peace Be The Journey!
I'm an old man. My grandfather used to pick up a little money by reblading folding knives including his own. He had a two bladed knife. The blades were identical and hard as as a file. He sharpened them by laying them flat and sharpening from the spine to the edge. These blades would have been easy to snap but they were easy to sharpen to a super sharp edge that cut extremely well. He knew the issues and made his choice. He loved his knife. The knife under review will hold and edge and cut very well but abuse can destroy the tip and edge. Make your choice and live with it.
I do the same thing and change older pocket knife blades that have seen too many bench grinders, dremels, angle grinders and what ever power tools the person saw fit to over grind a thin blade to get an edge. The first one I did is an old Boy Scout style knife. I used an old metal cutting bandsaw blade and it still works great. Still have it and take it out when I want to do some cutting, open a bottle or punch a hole in leather. I am in the process of replacing a spring in an old 1919 Era automatic knife I picked up cheap. I am considering replacing both blades with more saw blade steel for better edge retention. It is mine so value isn't a concern. The plastic scales broke and I put black walnut scales on so it isn't a collection piece.
Been waiting for this. I like it, but then I prefer a thinner blade. I will take slicing ability over being able to pry any day
It wouldn't keep me from buying it. $45 does not make for a hard use knife so I don't see any problem there either. Use a knife for what a knife is for, cutting and slicing, it will be fine.
Opinions vary, but I'm a fan of companion blade setups. Always a part of my kit are a duo of a larger, stronger and more durable knife (chopping, prying, batoning, etc.) and a smaller and thinner knife (precise cutting, food prep, light tasks, etc. Lots of lighter, thinner knives will fail a tip test, so don't be too concerned about that.
I totally agree with you. I love dual blade systems. I have a couple of vids showing some of my setups. My favorite budget setup is the Camp 10 and Mora.
One is none 😊
Mora won't
Don't pry with a nice sharp tip, it is not a crowbar.
So glad I waited for this. I almost pulled the trigger on this knife recently, mainly because I kept thinking it was like the SRK.
Same here. Was nearly tempted.
So glad that it IS thinner than regular SRK. I don't baton wood like an imbecile and I don't stab trees.
This is a great review (as usual.) The SRK Compact seems like it is attempting to have feet in both worlds - survival/utility knife and bushcraft/camp knife. In this situation the compact version is a tactical looking camp knife.
True, but for no price different I dont see point for go compact, just go full version. I dont see a lot of value of compact, but ofc for some ppl maybe (like EDC on belt maybe?)
I'm glad that there's finally a review on this by someone who doesn't kiss a$$ to get more knives to review.
Yea. The SK-5 steel seems to be a huge fail for Cold Steel, I have seen a review where a guy snapped the tip of the full size SRK in SK-5 by just stabbing it into a frozen wood.
@@johnsun11 It's not the steel, it's the design. Any steel will behave the same if geometry of the tip is very thin. Simple physics. Common sense. Yet so hard to comprehend for most people.
@@LXT43 You are wrong, different steels have different attributes. Some are harder, some are tougher, some bend and some like sk-5 shatter. Also not all steels are made equal, some are just plain worse than others.
@@LXT43 agreed, with in reason, ant heat treated steel worth anything that is ground thin at tip will snap NOT bend, onless it is a cheap steel like 5cr or less, 400 series ect
Been using this knife for a while. For me it's an excellent soldier knife. It's cheap, light, strong and cuts well. Had to convex the edge (it's really not so hard to do and you'll see it'll cut like a laser) and now it's performance in the woods is outstanding.
As I'm older and more experienced, I prefer my knives not to be sharpened pry bars. Therefore - I really don't see a point in prying like you did in a video other than for fun and to show off. Can't say it's a knife design flaw. The point is excellent for quick stabbing and it pierces well if you have to use it in close quarters.
If you prefer a stronger knife with tip that will hold any abuse and similar in size, then I would recommend benchmade bushcrafter. Been using mine couple of years and it's really tough to beat. And factory grind is thin enough to cut really well - it outperforms by far any esee knife I owned.
Keep up the good work!
Cheers
Just bought the sk-5 SRK full size. Nice tool. Caught it on sale thanks to you. $37 shipped
I got mine for 45.00 and some change I have an ole one I use on my plate carrier, but 37.00 is a great deal
Been dying to see a review on this! “Grabs some popcorn”
Glad to see someone thorough review this
As a woman with smaller hands the compact is great for utility purposes - and at that price point I bought two and have no fear of destroying it playing. Fun knife
Awesome!! This would definitely be a good fit for that situation! Thanks for watching 👍
Cold Steel really likes clip points haha. Especially if they have a harder steel on their knives, the SRK-C would probably not have tip issues if they made it drop point. Although i'd probably never stab a tip deep into wood and pry laterally like that. I'd save my precision tip for precision tasks
I saw so many videos about tips snapping with the full size sk5 and i was wondering the same about the compact version. Thanks for the videos, honest and fair
Because of GT, I bought 3 Strongarms, one of them being the BDZ-1 version. One of my all time favorites besides my TOPS Silent Hero. One of the few knife and gear review channels I trust.
Wish I could find one, I was late to the party unfortunately
I have the Srk full size compact as well as the tanto and the sk5 steel is good carbon steel and has taking every thing I’ve thrown at them
Have the SRK in 3V. Best out door, camping knife I have. 3V is a much preferred blade steel to SK5. I will say, Cold Steel heat treats their steel vert well...be it S35VN, 3V, XHP, AUS8a, or SK5.
I use my Compact for everything, but mostly for self defense. The best knife I have ever had.
defending against what ?
Lol. We got a knife fighter over here boys.
Zombies, they are bad up here. You have to stab them in the nuts, then they run like hell.
Methheads that wear t shirts and sweaters@@MrPianox3
@@MrPianox3 against criminals, dogs, bad guys, there are bad guys in the world....
Love the thought of the SRK, seems like a nice knife. My issue with Gerber is I bought one of their multitool, we were sailing off shore and needed a solid utility multitool, Gerber failed us all along our off shore sail, I needed to use the screw driver, flat blade and Philipps, both snapped, then I need the plyers, one side snapped. I wouldn't buy a Gerber anything as long as I live. Nice job of giving great info though.
Can you let me know what the purpose of the tip prying was, if there was any ? I like strong tips, just in case, but I do not see the need to do such things.
Very good review! Could you say what knife that apear in 3:17 botom, sounds like strongarm...
The Compact is about $35 on Amazon right now ,. It's a good deal at that price point , I'm hoping for a SanMai or 3V Version soon .... Great Review Aron....👍🖖
Great review, you are definitely one of the top knife reviewers on RUclips. Keep up the good work. Thank you
Have one of these and I love it and use it for bushcraft whenever I go out to the woods.
the drop forged hunter, drop forged boot knife and srk-c are among my favorite cold steel fixed blade knives. They rotate in my EDC backpack.
The geometry of the tip is much more relevant in prying like that than steel choice or hardness.
Seems like it’s still a great knife, just not in the same way its predecessor is.
Looking forward to the next review, as always.
I'm glad I went ahead and bought the full size SRK, it's a great do everything knife. Thanks always for the great review
I dont use my knives as pry tools, If i went around prying things so often it was a requirement on my knife, I would carry a pry bar.
I have this knife and it is a beast. Split wood when my ex girlfriend forgot to bring a hatchet camping.
Worked awesome!! Never had an issue with dulling
Too many people having the same tip problem with this knife. I think everyone should be very aware, it's not good at all. Thanks for your input Aaron
I think the problem is how the knife is being used... that's like testing a car by how many obese individuals can stand on the roof before failure.
Top notch review. Thanks for putting in the work so I don't have to.
No worries!
I use it as my everyday carry. Good size and weight simplistic design decent quality nice price. But I consider it a utility knife not a survival or Bushcraft knife and use it as such.
The politicians in Texas allow us to carry a blade up to 5", single edged. I'm a veteran. a KaBar would be comfortable, or a full sized SRK. It's lighter than I expected. Let's see a version in 52100.
I have knives that are many times more expensive but for the money this and the Recon Tanto are the greatest knives on Earth
Thanks Aaron! Have been wondering about this blade.
if you just hold it in you hand you will feel its not a survival prybar its a cutting knife perfect for edc and for reducing weight,its not a bad knife its just not the same knife as its big brother.
Correct
Thank you for the information. I wanted a compact hoping it was similar to my old full size. I may still consider getting one but will rely on my Strongarm.
I’m 30 seconds into this video and I already like it. Enjoy your evening Aaron, BTW I ordered the SCHF36 because of your review
Better finish that video!!
the SCHF51 is a much more comfortable knife
The strength of the tip is determined by the angles of the grind, not the thickness of the stock. so the angles of the compact SRK are more acute than on the big one?
Never really found a reason to pry with my knife. If I needed to get into something I would use the right tool for the job . Knife, axe , saw, machete, multi tool.... etc...
Thanks for the honest review. I’ll stick with the standard SRK. It’s held up well for me and can do everything the SRK-C can anyway.
I have both because I thought I was buying a full size and when I got it, it was the compact. I didn't even know there were 2 sizes, so be careful! I then had to buy the full size, because, you've gotta have a BIUDS knife right? ;) The small one I have in a shoulder bag (tactical/utility) and the big one is my dive knife. That is what they're designed for!! SRK Search and Rescue Knife!!
The original SRK is a combat/utility knife that can be used for bushcraft, the SRK-C is a bushcraft knife that can be pressed into a combat/utility role because of the shared design.
Curious, what do people do with there knives once a tip is broken...is it thrown in the trash? Can a tip be fixed somehow? Or is the blade just considered compromised.
With patience most can be re profiled
Thanks for all the hard work and great data
I like convex Grind personally but I know some don't like it . But yes The flat Grind is Definitely a good one for EDC.
"Don't be stupid and snap the tip."
True sentence, well said.
Everybody is braging how brittle the tip of the Fallkniven A1 in VG10 is and how easy it snaps.
Maybe the heat threatment of the old A1 have been better, maybe the chromium content was not that high back then...
My A1 is around 25 years old, I've beaten the literally shit out of the blade - and had no chipping or broken tip on my knife.
I love my Aus8 version.Would love it to perfection if they made it with a pretruding tang.
I love the chanel bro, awesome that cold Steel cares about different sizes of the same design ❤️
The SRK-C would be a great knife for my daughter. She has small hands. The flat grind is a huge positive over the full size SRK in SK-5. I honestly believe Cold Steel put a hollow grind in the SK-5 SRK, to push people into buying the SRK in CPM-3V or San Mai III. Those versions both have flat grinds, and strong tips.
Man you’re the only one who has mentioned the tip snd you really killed it for me, man that sucks nothing worse that that happening to a knife
Awesome video. I enjoy all your reviews. I bought two of these after watching your review. Durban, South Africa
I'm so sick of watching people review knives and do things that nobody in their right mind should ever use a knife for I'm 47 started camping with my grandpa when I was 10 first thing you taught me was a hatchet is your most important tool knife is for only cleaning game and cutting material if i'da stuck the tip of my knife in a piece of wood like that and pride on it he would have Cuff me upside the head
Aaron, I just scored a Cold Steel SRK-C (compact) from MidwayUSA in CPM-3V! Pretty awesome little knife.
They have some great deals!
Gimme a 4" eese any day. But I have one of the original srk and it's tough as shit.
Have esee 3 and esee 6, custom tkc g10 scales on both, custom sheath on both and MOLLE Back on both. but chose to companion it on the 6 , fire steels for them and molle pouch with BLADE TECH: Small MOLLE Lok GEN3 attached to the back of the molle carry. Expensive system i know but worth it.
White which is the better heat treat on the essee or the cold steel?
@@shannonpaschal9493 ESEE all day. Though you wouldnt want to tip test the esse 3 its really thin at that the tip much thinner then the srk-c like how it broke in the video thats not really good as a combat utlity knife as they say. By far get a 6 and customize it to the max at TKC knifebuilder cry once bro it gets spendy. A knife blank is only 69$ plus life time warranty.
@@johnniewalker3134 so I should get the essee 6 over the essee pr4??
@@shannonpaschal9493 Depends what your use base. The further you venture away from civilization the better and/or bigger the knife your gonna want. As a camp knife both the 6 and pr4 are good but for compactness then the pr4 is probably the way to go for camp needs i love me 6 though use for everything only ever "lightly sharpened and stropped once" in 1 year. Get the pr4 before covid-19 makes it expensive or its clams the lives of the people who make them.... Honetly i would by these kinds of things right now while you can, Covid has already raised prices on everything by at least 20 dollars and 35 dollars on prepper tools and gear. Wait for sales if you want i think next sale holiday is labor days sales Monday, September 7.
Are you planning on doing a review on the silky nata 240 double edged, if not please consider doing so
Build this one in 154CM, and charge 80bux. Probably solve almost every drawback, and still retain a good pricepoint.
I got this knife to carry scout when I go out and want to carry a folder so probably won't be using outdoors but dam seeing that tip snap hurts . Thx fur video .
Hey Gideon I watched your video last week in the cold steel SRK the big brother so I bought the knife this thing is a beast so far so good I watch all your videos keep up the great work love your channel👍🏻👍🏻
Amazon currently advertises the compact for $45.89. They list the full size for $34.99 . Paying more money for less knife doesn't sit well with me. I've seen Ontario do the same thing with the Rat1 and Rat2. Who do they think they are fooling ?
Everyone thought it would be a shorter version of the original . Are you sure it is flat ground? Looking at that it is hollow ground. Only the 3v vesion has a flat grind. The compact is shorter, and not as wide. My SK5 version has a very fine tip, so if compact version is thinner on yours it must be really thin. Should be called SRK-K (Kids)
Thank you for making this, I expected the SRK-C just to be a smaller version of the SRK, after watching this will stick with the original
Is he saying (at 1:45) that the full size SRK in SK-5 is now finally back in flat grind also?
a1ephzero correct
@@gideonstactical Thank you! This is great news! Love both knives!
Good stuff Aaron. Already have a strongarm so I’m not in the market. But there’s just something so wrong with a cold steel breaking like that. Good looking knife though, still love CS.
I did the same thing in like 15 min with my first one but I reground it into spear point.
I’ve been saying since I first saw it that this knife should be called the BRK (Bushcraft Rescue Knife) because it’s not an SRK. It’s like the Esee 8 that they called “Junglas 2” when it just isn’t a Junglas. I still want to test it out but it definitely isn’t a true SRK
I was watching this video while purchasing the knife. Literally 3 seconds after I placed the order, I heard him saying that he snapped the tip lol. Well, it's not like I'm going to stab or pry with the knife anyway. Good review. Thank you for confirming the flat grind. I really dislike the hollow grind on the SRK models.
A big blade can do fine work but a small blade cannot do a big blades work.
Not bad for a first time knife. I like the tanto one more though
Good review. I think it it would make a good back up knife attached to a boot when out in the bush
Thanks Gideon, sold, I'll be picking up a couple
Aaron, this blade actually isnt a carbon copy (no pun intended) of the larger SRK in SK5. The big one is still hollow, but with the thinner stock, it made more sense to go flat grind, which is actually the reason I like it better
Hey there, at 1:50ish you said they are flat ground, which you are glad for, I just watched you srk vid from 3 years ago, and you said you were glad the switched to a hollow gring over the flat saber grind. Can you address this difference from then to now...as this would be a third iteration of this knife style, albeit in a shorter version.
Just saw that there's a SRK-C available in 3V - would that steel mitigate the tip breaking concern or is the geometry just too thin regardless?
The CPM-3V version has a much stronger tip. $24 vs $90. It's a tough choice. Personally, for a child, or a woman with smaller hands, I think the SRK-C in SK-5 is a bargain. The flat grind makes for a stronger tip than the full size SRK in SK-5.
Nearly all of us have a bag with "individual tools" for prying etc. I've done the tip on my SRK and the steel was not the best in minus degrees. Never had a problem with a $10 Mora at -26°c
The tips are IMO, the weak points of the SRK knives (pun not intended). It took very little to roll the tip of of my SRK-C, but the edge durability makes up for it. Really though, we can't complain too much if a $35 knife isn't perfect...
Take a look at the buck paklite series... the buck 140 paklite skinner in particular is a great little edc, comparable to an Izula for 1/3 the price and also made in USA
Hey thanks for the review of the compact srk! Great review and information.
Well it's a knife! Not a prybar
I wish the Gerber Strongarm would upgrade the steel . 420HC is ok . but just ok. That would be a awesome blade in a good midrange like 14c28n or even 1095 . or if they wanted to go full potato drool about the thought of a strongarm in s35vn
@@papimaximus95 Didnt fail me . It is just a butter knife. it doesnt take the best edge , doesnt hold that edge very long .
I just thought it was an awesome blade with very low end capabilities . I dont hate it . I just thought for the price it would have been better served with a SLIGHTLY better performing steel .
From my experience with 420HC it holds up just as good as 1095 but stainless.
@@PerceptionVsReality333 not me . I find 1095 to be noticeably more ressillient in holding an edge . but maybe thats TOPS ht im used to.
Rather have the full-size. So cool that knife.
Would you still recommend the full size SRK in SK5 steel ? I heard that CS has been sold and the QC isn’t what it was.
For the price it’s not a bad knife. All I would say is don’t treat it like a prybar.
Most flesh is not going to snap off the tip on this particular knife. So this is a non issue.
Always love your reviews totally honest. Personally if I would buy one of these knives it would be the full-size for sure. Can’t beat the price point on the full-size.
Love it. Now I have to check if they have them in 3V.
I been waiting patiently for this review. Hope it goes into a best belt knives for 2020.
I’ve seen other reviews on hat show the tip holding up very well. Considering the price I probably go for the srk-c over the strongarm. Both are good tho.
Good video! I told CS to quit using that steel. That’s why I’ve avoided SRk even though I think design is bad ass. I have a Leatherneck Tanto and that’s a BEAST!!! Try one of those
@gideonstactical - Handle ergos aside, do you think this knife would be better suited to a different Steel? Thinking of some of the other steels Cold Steel uses...4116, AUS8A, or even AUS10 on the more budget end, or go big with 3V on the higher end? Or would they be better served to keep SK5 and change the tip geometry?
LOVE these knife reviews.❣Was wondering what your favorite backpacking axe would be.🤔
Perfect defense blade. Now we need a Recon Tanto Compact as well !!!
I was thinking the exact same.
Check out the ka-bars compact tanto
@@Mauitaoist I bought a serrated CS Kobun instead. Fantastic blade...
Thanks for the heads up about the tip strength.
I ordered this knife because I like the shape of the SRK but was preferring a smaller bushcraft knife in the same shape.
I dont think I really have to worry about breaking the tip because generally I am pretty delicate with my knives, as I have larger tools for doing heavier work.
Still, it is good to know. Always handy to keep that information in the back of your mind. Thanks for the review!
It's smaller in every dimension compared to the full size SRK. Hence the observations in the review. It's still a nice knife, though.
Thank you very much for this eye opening review. I was considering purchasing this knife but not now, I'll stick with my ESEE 4.
Good Video. I have a SRK in CarbonV steel. I do not know what is better (CarbonV or San Mai lll) steel. For a smaller fix blade I think I would look rather look for a Randal or EESE Rat lll. What do you think?
Is it a full tang
I wish they still made the affordable aus-8 stainless version of the full size srk vg-10 is expensive and 3v is astronomical regardless of it being the best steel for the application I love the clean simple design of the srk but the more fussy looking satin pup elite in the right steel and good nylon mollie sheath that I trust in sub zero temperatures meant that’s the one sitting in front of me right now