Drop forged Survivalist

M

MathewLinder

Joined
Sep 29, 2020
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It's been way to long since I bought a knife, and I was wondering your opinions on the survivalist? On the surface it looks like a great deal at $80 a so.

Just was curious what you guys think.of it? I've never owned a Cold Steel.
 
MathewLinder said:
It's been way to long since I bought a knife, and I was wondering your opinions on the survivalist? On the surface it looks like a great deal at $80 a so.

Just was curious what you guys think.of it? I've never owned a Cold Steel.
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Have been thinking of getting one too. I recently got one of the older silver DF Boot Knives, and was very impressed with it, so I'm guessing the Survivalist would be more of the same. But for that one I would definitely get the newer version with the handle inserts.
 
I do not own one yet. I do own the Drop Forget Hunter. The Drop Forged knives are exceptional in every way, with one exception: they are heavy for their length. If you are looking for a knife as an absolutely indestructible end-of-days survival tool, the one knife to have if you can only have one, the Drop Forged Survivalist is (in my opinion) probably the best knife in the world for that task. At least at that price point.

If it looks interesting to you then buy one while you can.
 
jlauffer said:
Have been thinking of getting one too. I recently got one of the older silver DF Boot Knives, and was very impressed with it, so I'm guessing the Survivalist would be more of the same. But for that one I would definitely get the newer version with the handle inserts.
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Yes, the new one only.
 
I have a Drop Forged Hunter and it's stellar, granted I have one of the older models that came with no paracord or nothing on the handle it's just a hunk of metal with a leather sheath.

I'm sure the Survivalist is the same in that it's a pure workhorse.
 
52100 is a fantastic steel. Reviews/hard testing shows that CS has rhe heat treat down on these.

Should be better edge retention and better strength/toughness than CS's other carbon steels.

At they prices, it would be tough to beat.

As others uave said, the internal handle with the i-beam like construction adds a bit of weight, but should be bomb proof.

I have more knives than I can use, or need.....I still constantly think about buying these CS drop forged series.
 
For those that have one, is the middle thin (insert area) part of the handle still fairly think, like as thick as the blade? I've been thinking about getting one and grinding the handles flat to make a custom bowie. It would then get handle slabs mounted. Is that possible?
 
I am quite happy with it, its large but well balanced. Good steel, had it once outside for wood work / chopping, still shaving sharp. No problems with rust so far. Replaced the secure ex sheath with a Puma bowie leather sheath - fits perfectly.

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Silverbullet951 said:
For those that have one, is the middle thin (insert area) part of the handle still fairly think, like as thick as the blade? I've been thinking about getting one and grinding the handles flat to make a custom bowie. It would then get handle slabs mounted. Is that possible?
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If you are set up to make a knife you would be able to do that. I suggest you would be better off to make your own bowie, than trying to grind a hardened I beam tang evenly. 52100 is not an easy steel to move, even forging. I have a 2x72 grinder and 36 grit belts running at 3000 rpm.. and it would take some work to do. I'd rather grind the unhardened steel. ( I have ground and reground hardened blades more than a few times).

If you do it, dull the blade, tape the crap out of it before you grind on it. Ive also reground sharp blades, much higher risk.....
 
Thanks everyone! Sounds like just what I was looking for. I was attracted to the 5200 carbon steel and the one piece construction. I'm not worried about the weight, Im just lacking a big tough knife that can take abuse, and fill in if needed for other tools(batoning, etc). The closest I could find in the same price range was 5160 which I like, but it's no 5200. Thanks again for sharing your experiences.
 
I have an old one and new one; I am such a fan of 52100 and CS seems to have the heat treat down pat on these. BTW, I also like the Drop Forged Hunter as well. It's heavy for what it is, but if I'm not watching ounces - it's my go to. Great value!
 
It’s a great value. It’s definitely a “do anything” knife, and likely the one fixed blade I’d most likely take with me in a SHTF survival scenario... hence the name “survivalist”.
 
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