Gso 3.5 cpm 20cv worth the money

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BrandonEDC

Joined
Aug 12, 2014
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190
I feel like 200 for a 3.5 inch knife is a bit extreme why is it so expensive? Is the steel just that nice or is it paying for a design? Any info is this purchase really worth it an why?
 
I say yes! I have one and really love it. I can say this about any survive knife... If you do not like it, you can sell it and recoup 95-100 percent of your cash. Check the for sale by individual subforum and you will see that every survive knife has sold usually within hours of its posting.
 
Riz2530 said:
I say yes! I have one and really love it. I can say this about any survive knife... If you do not like it, you can sell it and recoup 95-100 percent of your cash. Check the for sale by individual subforum and you will see that every survive knife has sold usually within hours of its posting.
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I wish this was always the case, but lately, they've been taking a little longer to move. Maybe it's just the GSO-10.
I've got one for sale currently (see sig) and I see another one selling for $305...

In response to the 3.5, I can assure you it's a very high quality 3.5" fixed blade you'd be pleased with, but for another $50 or so, you could get into a 4.1 or 5.1, which I think has a lot more practical applications.
So I would hesitate to suggest the 3.5 as your first S!K. Unless you're reallly in the market for a fixed blade EDC.
 
Good point... I had and sold a 10 and it took a little while. I think its mostly due to the giant size and that its more of a specialty blade/less practical for everyday use. Anything will sell if it is priced right.
 
BrandonEDC said:
I feel like 200 for a 3.5 inch knife is a bit extreme why is it so expensive? Is the steel just that nice or is it paying for a design? Any info is this purchase really worth it an why?
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$200 is indeed expensive and hopefully costs will go down if S!K completes their move and is able to ramp-up production.
The steel (CPM-20CV) accounts for much of that, the design incorporates a skeletonized tang, the handles are nicely contoured, the sheath is exceptional as kydex goes, every knife I've recieved was literally face-shaving sharp out of the box ... there is very little of the production costs that go into one of the larger models that do not also go into the smaller models.
In comparison to a well-established company like Benchmade, their S30V "bushcrafter" goes for ~$170. From another small company, the M390 Bradford Guardian 3 goes for ~$160. Doug Ritter Rsk Mk3 in S30V ~$165. The difference in prices between these might easily be accounted for by the sheath alone.
Is the knife worth $200? *shrug* that's up to you. But as was mentioned above, you could get a noticeably larger knife from S!K for almost the same price. Again, it's up to you. But I agree that it is expensive, and I do hope prices come down in the future.
 
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Yes It makes more sense to spend an extra 50 and get a 4.1 or 5.1 so I can have use for the power of the steel I don't feel like at 3.5 inches I will benefit much from it as I already have a folder by Kizer in 35vn at 3.5 ish thinking the 4.1 gso and going with fallkniven s1 for my 5 inch and already have an esee 6 as my 6 inch and an esee izula as my 2 inch (and the folder as my 3)
 
I can appreciate the time that goes into the procurement of great materials, the design and craftsmanship finish of the tool. I don't mind paying a little more when a business is just getting started when it's earnest in really striving to deliver quality. There's a lot of overhead to consider in a any tool making production process, not forgetting the time that goes into each piece. I've spent way more on kitchen knives, but being in the food business, I was able to pay them off in the first few weeks of work with OT. Similarly, my justification was that the amount of time of use I would get out of the 3.5 on a daily basis working or camping. My 3.5's seen a lot of use the last couple months and I've really enjoyed the math on it for daily use more than my 4.1's. Can't beat that 1/8 for a work knife. If I had to make a knife out of 3V from scratch, I could do it, but the time it would take for me to buy the materials, finishing supplies, and the time to do it, $200 is pretty fair to keep the survive crew fed. Although if you're in $200 territory, might be worth checking out some of the custom makers on here, might be able to get exactly what you want. Just some thoughts.
 
It's a good knife, in a good steel, made in America, heat treated by a respected name in the business, hand assembled, hand sharpened, comes with free lifetime sharpening, also comes with quality sheath, and comes from a company with great customer service...

I think its a fair price for what you're getting.


People pay $400 for a 3.5" Strider folder, and up to $900 (last auction I saw on another site) for similar sized Adventure Sworn knives.
 
Badey said:
It's a good knife, in a good steel, made in America, heat treated by a respected name in the business, hand assembled, hand sharpened, comes with free lifetime sharpening, also comes with quality sheath, and comes from a company with great customer service...

I think its a fair price for what you're getting.


People pay $400 for a 3.5" Strider folder, and up to $900 (last auction I saw on another site) for similar sized Adventure Sworn knives.
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While I think the Survive Knives are priced reasonably I don't really think its fair to compare them to a folder (a lot more moving parts and much harder to make) or a custom knife.
 
chiral.grolim said:
$200 is indeed expensive and hopefully costs will go down if S!K completes their move and is able to ramp-up production.
The steel (CPM-20CV) accounts for much of that, the design incorporates a skeletonized tang, the handles are nicely contoured, the sheath is exceptional as kydex goes, every knife I've recieved was literally face-shaving sharp out of the box ... there is very little of the production costs that go into one of the larger models that do not also go into the smaller models.
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One minor quibble: I had 2 3.5s at one point, and one of them had a burr left over and wouldn't cleanly shave. However, it literally takes less than 30 seconds to fix this, and the rest of the knife was very well built.

Rasco said:
In response to the 3.5, I can assure you it's a very high quality 3.5" fixed blade you'd be pleased with, but for another $50 or so, you could get into a 4.1 or 5.1, which I think has a lot more practical applications.
So I would hesitate to suggest the 3.5 as your first S!K. Unless you're reallly in the market for a fixed blade EDC.
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It really depends.

I prefer a blade length of 4-5", and in that range, carbon steels tend to match my uses best since I may be chopping a bit here and there. I don't mind the lack of corrosion resistance because I'm attentive to my tool and can account for it. However, my wife won't be doing any hard cutting, doesn't really pay attention to corrosion risk, and doesn't know how to sharpen anyway - so the downsides and upsides of 20CV match her uses, and it's the perfect size for her.

So again, it depends on your intended use - if you'd like a smaller knife for hiking, maybe some light wood work and random camp tasks, and corrosion resistance is important to you, then a 3.5 in 20CV will be quite useful. On the other hand, if you're doing any hard cutting, chopping, and pay attention to your tool, then perhaps a 4.1 in 3V would be of more use to you.
 
PatrickKnight said:
While I think the Survive Knives are priced reasonably I don't really think its fair to compare them to a folder (a lot more moving parts and much harder to make) or a custom knife.
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I was kind of expecting people to read between the lines, which I guess was a bad idea. Allow me to elaborate.

I think Striders are similar to other folders that are half the price (ZTs for example), yet plenty of people pay $400 for a strider instead of $200 for a ZT.

I can get a bushcraft knife (scandi grind) from an ABS master Bladesmith for about $400, but people pay as much as $900 (often $700 or more) for an Adventure Sworn knife.

I was comparing apples to apples in my head in my last post , but was trying to save on typing.

My point is, that for some people, the more expensive knife is worth the money. For me, the GSO 3.5 is worth it.
 
It's worth it! I'll have it with me on my backpacking trip tomorrow! Lightweight, perfect fit and finish, no hotspots when holding for a long time and the sheath is great.
 
I also feel it is well worth the cost for a good tool 3v or CPM-20CV. You can also save on the cost of the 3.5 by not getting the sheath. They offer it with out the sheath also. Now as for folders a little birdie told me that SK will be pushing out a folder sometime this year… ;-)
 
I have a 7/7 and couldn't imagine ever getting another knife that could fit my hiking and back packing needs better. I am a maintenance tech and have always carried a folder. I ordered a 3.5 for my EDC as I would like to eliminate taking my folders apart to clean the pivots that I continually gum up. As well I believe the 1/8" thick blade will better serve my needs. If the 3.5 serves me as well as my 7/7 the price is totally worth it, and as stated they are easy to sell. I have been looking for a 5.1 and a 4.1 but when they come up there gone quickly. As there are no GSO's available anywhere and they move quickly on the secondary market it would seem they are worth the money.
 
I just wanted to step in real quick to clarify the price for anyone who is reading this and may not be familiar with our knives and/or company.

The GSO-3.5 starts out at $164 without a sheath and $179 with a sheath. After that the price can increase based on what upgrades each customer chooses. The prices for those upgrades are directly related to how much they cost us. For example: CPM-20CV steel costs more than the CPM-3V steel, so we add an extra $5 for that option. This allows us to keep the prices as low as possible for people who just want a basic knife.

Thanks for all the good information on this thread!
 
After as much use as this one's already seen, still looks nice. Great tool. 3V version, but I can't tell a difference between that and 20CV.

DlYIX6sl.jpg


Made a super quick leather sheath before hitiing the woods, but have the kydex as a backup.
euBGTh6l.jpg
 
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Yes I'm fighting over getting the 3.5 now or waiting for the 4.1 but I already have the 5.1 on its way so maybe the 3.5 would be the better choice. I may put the 5.1 up to trade for a 5 soon not to sure about a choil
 
B34NS said:
After as much use as this one's already seen, still looks nice. Great tool. 3V version, but I can't tell a difference between that and 20CV.

DlYIX6sl.jpg


Made a super quick leather sheath before hitiing the woods, but have the kydex as a backup.
euBGTh6l.jpg
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Great pictures and very nice sheath.
 
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