I respect the SRK, I really do. It is one of the best Cold Steel models. But I'm thinking long term, and the Survivalist seems to win in this aspect. I'm not planning on abusing my knives beyond their capabilities, but I've read that SRK handles can become loose after lots of use because the handle is just fitted/pressed and held by the lanyard hole as opposed to molded or glued. The survivalist can do better batoning and chopping, and together with the hunter, I have the best woods combo.
The SRK is the jack of all trades, a very good knife, but for my needs, I'm gonna have to take the Survivalist. The G-10 handles are a nice addition together with the new coating (I don't mind if it wears out).
The kraton handles are very strong, but will they outperform solid steel in durability? Don't think so. I've seen videos on youtube where guys cut or damaged their kraton handles while batoning or chopping on their SRK's.
Remember also that the SRK is a rat tail tang.
Take into account Cold Steel has been sold to GSM, so I'm trying to make the best buy in case quality declines or company closes and warranty is anulled.
Take the Survivalist. It's a great looking knife and should perform well. And certainly can't beat the bang for the buck. If I didn't already have SRKs and TM's I'd look at that too.
No one's trying to get you to choose the SRK over the Survivalist., I'm simply pointing out that there's no need to find fault with the SRK to justify choosing the Survivalist. As you say there are videos of damage on Kraton handles. But the SRK has been in production for over 30 years and the sheer numbers of them out there are going to show some issues. The Survivalist was only introduced a couple of years ago, I believe. Making the numbers out there in the hands of users nowhere near as comparable. The SRK has a long history from the Camillus (Carbon V) to Kinryu Seki (Aus8,VG1,VG1SM)) to now Taiwan(SK5,VG10SM,3V). The "indestructable" reputation of this model is well established.
Cold Steel SRK, what can it take? - YouTube
The Survivalist, on paper "should" be even more rugged by it's design. But some CS knives coming out of Taiwan recently have had quality issues indicating a HT problem. In other words, you can't just go by paper specs. History is also important.
As for rat-tail, the SRK is not considered a rat-tail by many because it is a hidden 1/2 inch tang. Compare that to a real rat tail like on the Laredo. The Survivalist uses a profile from the Recon Scout, a knife with a Kraton handle and hidden tang that served in Operation Desert Storm.
To date I have never heard of the tang breaking on an SRK (or any similar CS design). With the survivalist,
IF there was a quality problem, I could imagine the handle actually breaking. But handles breaking simply is not a common occurrence with
any fixed blade knife. Modern or otherwise.
So, get the Survivalist, it's great looking and should perform well. Post your experience with it. And if the model continues for a couple of decades I might come around to say it's "better" than some other models. It takes buyers like you to establish a history.
jdk1 How long does that blued coat last?
