Cold Steel SRK - Initial Review

retzius · Jun 19, 2012

I finally picked up a Cold Steel SRK. Even though I have similar knives, Ive always wanted to try this knife but never really got around to it. Cold Steel seems to be either a love or hate kind of company, but if this knife is any indication of what they have to offer, I will be buying alot more Cold Steel products.

Overall fit and finish: 10/10

My example is just about as perfect as it could get. The blade grind is PERFECT. It is perfectly symmetrical all the way from ricasso to tip including the belly and it has a nice relief edge. The sheath is very nice, the blades locks in securely with NO wiggle or noise without even using the handle strap.

Sharpness OTOB: 10/10

This now takes the record as the sharpest knife I have gotten out of the box. Did I just get lucky? It effortlessly shaves and easily makes tiny little curls on phonebook paper. The tip of the knife is absolutely needle sharp.

Handle (very subjective): 10/10

The handle fits my hand perfectly. It has a nice thickness and heft and I can get a good grip on the knife. My only complaint with my Fallknivens is that the handles are always either too short or too skinny. The handle on the SRK is a nice full hand filling handle and the material is tacky without being sticky but firm without being too slick.

Value: 10/10

The SRK is a full tang Aus8a blade that is MADE IN JAPAN. The workmanship and quality is on par will all of the Spyderco Japanese offerings I have received. The fit and finish is first rate and the use of materials, for the price, seems amazing to me. I dont think alot of other companies are offering a full tang Aus8a blade with great quality AND a great sheath for $70. The sheath is almost as nice as the knife, I really appreciate that the sheath is not just thrown in as a money saving afterthought on this blade. It really is a complete package for a great price.

Balance 8/10 (very subjective):

I did not expect this knife to be blade heavy... it is blade heavy almost like a chopper even though it is a relatively small knife, possibly to help in chopping chores. In a knife this size I would like a neutral balance under the first finger. When you choke up on the ricasso the knife is handle heavy, possibly to assist in feel for fine use. The neutral balance point is actually right under the finger guard which I feel is kind of a weird compromise. It is a design decision but FOR ME only time will tell if I like this. For me, a "survival or rescue knife" could possible be used a fighter in survival/military situation so I would like the knife to balanced under the first finger in a standard grip so that it feels lively in the hand.

Overall 9/10

Nice job Cold Steel. I wish I had bought this sooner. I really want to try some of their bigger blades. Next up is to thump on the Aus8a and see how it does. I am expecting good things.

res1cue · Jun 19, 2012

Glad you liked it. I like both of mine in AUS 8 and SM3, but the one in SM3 is really a beautiful blade

The obvious next step is the recon scout, it is like a mini-trailmaster and a real workhorse in SK5 (keeping SM3 version pristine in case I ever want to sell)

philwar · Jun 19, 2012

I own a Carbon-V version and like it a lot. It's work horse. Comes with a great sheath (for the price) as well. Glad you like yours. :thumbup:

unklfranco · Jun 19, 2012

I always wanted to try this one out too. I saw a youtube video about a guy battoning with one. It looked impressive. I am leery of CS AUS 8 though. I had a few different models and some were easy to get hair popping sharp and others; not so much. Still a nice blade design. YMMV

Unklfranco

shortwinger · Jun 20, 2012

Nice review. I must say this knife took me by surprise. Even though a friend had one I never really gave it a second look or held it. Once in hand it comes alive and has that special combination of balance and feel that makes it a pleasure to use. As an ever day user it really shines; rarely needing sharpening and doing just about every task you can throw at it.

What I like and appreciate in a real user (meaning more than arm shaving) is the ability of the knife to do not only the jobs it was intended but, be able to morph into a smaller knife when needed and also be able to handle bigger tasks without falling apart or making me work so hard it becomes dangerous. The SRK can be worn every second of the day on a 5 day camping trip without being felt and yet it is very nice knowing its there. And as "res1cue" said, you will also love the Recon Scout and Trail Master. I like to think of them as the perfect 3 blades to have it you were going to stay in the woods longer term. They perfectly compliment each other and its hard to think of a job you couldn't do if you had those three blades.

Hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine!

retzius · Jun 20, 2012

Glad you liked it. I like both of mine in AUS 8 and SM3, but the one in SM3 is really a beautiful blade

The obvious next step is the recon scout, it is like a mini-trailmaster and a real workhorse in SK5 (keeping SM3 version pristine in case I ever want to sell)

I like this blade the more I use it. If I can find the SM3 version for a good price I think I will pick one up, I like this knife that much!

I own a Carbon-V version and like it a lot. It's work horse. Comes with a great sheath (for the price) as well. Glad you like yours.

I missed out on the Carbon V. I live by the coast though, so maybe the SS version is a good thing for me. The sheath is amazing for the price, one of the best Ive seen for practical use.

I always wanted to try this one out too. I saw a youtube video about a guy battoning with one. It looked impressive. I am leery of CS AUS 8 though. I had a few different models and some were easy to get hair popping sharp and others; not so much. Still a nice blade design. YMMV

Ive only used it so far for food prep, some yard work, and some feather sticks. So far, the edge is the same. If I get the chance the weekend Ill try to push it harder to see how the Aus8a does.

Nice review. I must say this knife took me by surprise. Even though a friend had one I never really gave it a second look or held it. Once in hand it comes alive and has that special combination of balance and feel that makes it a pleasure to use. As an ever day user it really shines; rarely needing sharpening and doing just about every task you can throw at it.

What I like and appreciate in a real user (meaning more than arm shaving) is the ability of the knife to do not only the jobs it was intended but, be able to morph into a smaller knife when needed and also be able to handle bigger tasks without falling apart or making me work so hard it becomes dangerous. The SRK can be worn every second of the day on a 5 day camping trip without being felt and yet it is very nice knowing its there. And as "res1cue" said, you will also love the Recon Scout and Trail Master. I like to think of them as the perfect 3 blades to have it you were going to stay in the woods longer term. They perfectly compliment each other and its hard to think of a job you couldn't do if you had those three blades.

Hope you enjoy yours as much as I do mine!

Thanks. It really is a great design. Much more so than it appears at first glance. Im still not to sure about the balance but it is starting to grow on me. I think I might go straight to the Trailmaster to try next, the weight is almost the same as the Recon Scout but with 2 inches of extra length. I think the Trailmaster and SRK would make a great combo with the Recon Scout kind of a 1 knife solution.

paulsurvival · Sep 5, 2013

spam removed

BladeScout · Sep 5, 2013

Spam removed

Maybe correct the bit about the SRK's main purpose being that of skinning game?

retzius · Sep 5, 2013

Holy Necro-thread.

I had almost forgotten that I made this initial review. This is a good chance for me to do a quick update:

I still have and still use the SRK. It is a great knife for its intended purpose. Ultimately though, I eventually went back to my Fallkniven F1 as my main blade. The SRK is a very nice but in the end I had a hard time getting used to the weight forward balance. I just don't think a knife of that size should have that kind of weight distribution. There is really no reason to chop with a small blade if you know how to use your knife to process reasonable size pieces of wood. Second, the rather steep saber grind does nothing to help its slicing ability. Food prep is not this knife's strong point, to say the least

This knife is exactly what Cold Steel advertises it as. It is a Survival Rescue Knife. It is a rather compact sharpened prybar that will do everything reasonably but excel at nothing. The steel is easy to sharpen and it is so thick for its size that it is unlikely to break. The thick insulated handle is easy to grip even when wet. It is a good one knife solution for a bug out bag or military survival kit, but in the end I think there are better options for hiking, hunting, camping, or general outdoors use.

It now lives in a get home bag in the car

Biggubosu · Sep 5, 2013

I used my SRK AUS8 version once to make some kindling and baton through several logs. Then the handle became slightly loose. I can wriggle the blade with two fingers now. Pretty neat knife though. I definitely like the look of it.