just ordered an HI survival knife from Yangdu.
I think the Cold Steel pattern of this knife is literally the PERFECT all-around knife and thats coming from a guy that owns thousands of dollars of top quality knives and many custom pieces. I find that the simple knives like mora or the Cold Steel bushman, which the HI survival is based on get the job done and then some.
here's a review i wrote about the CS bushman below, and I can only imagine that a more stouter hand-forged kami-blessed version would be that much better:
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Best all-around knife for the money, October 21, 2010
By Brace Negron "Brazilla"
This review is from: Cold Steel Bushman Black SK-5 Steel Cordura Survival Sheath (Sports)
Title says it all: this is the best all-around knife I've ever seen. I have 400 dollar custom knives, hand forged, etc so I speak from experience of using high performance knives. This is all the knife you'll ever need for 90% of your outdoor applications and it even fulfills some unusual ones too.
This knife was made to use and the balance of price, materials, durability, size shape etc make it an everything knife; it's even a very sweet thrower. It comes out of the box with an excellent edge that, if you are so inclined, can make razor sharp. I tend to keep field knives just under razor sharp as I don't want to roll the edge under heavy use. Bought two of these knives and have beat the hell out of them, from heavy amounts of throwing with occasionally missing and hitting cinder blocks, to chopping, whittling this knife keeps bouncing back. The steel is extremely tough and the temper making it springy so the knife doesn't break; at worst the edge will roll and even when the edge around the tip suffered serious damage getting slammed into a cinder block numerous times, it took ten minutes with a bastard file to re-shape and then re-sharpen it. 5 min more with my ceramic stone and it was razor sharp again. The fact that it is a one piece knife (thus very strong AND chef grade), can be mounted on a spear pole, has excellent belly, good weight for chopping, can store goodies in the handle as well as in the sheath, can take 100s of throws and is razor sharp, makes this knife the last word as a survival knife.
For those with such an inclination: it stabs well too. I tested it against wood and my hand didnt slip onto the blade, but you DO have to really grip it. One hint if u might have to stab with it: get some thick leather cord or paracord, thread it thru the hole and make a very short layard, just wide enough for your pinky and ring finger to slip thru and i guarantee u won't slip on the blade after a heavy thrust into a tough object. It isn't a combat knife so if that is what you are looking for head to Ka-bar land and find a knife there.
BTW: usue ballistol. Seems to lock in well with the finish on this knife and ballistol goes with the "do everything" attitude this knife has. Look ballistol up if you don't know what I am talking about: the stuff literally has dozens of uses as well as being an excellent oil for knives.
The sheath is good. Nice little pocket for mini flint and steel, a small Swiss army knife, mini flashlight, a mini lighter and small sharpening stone. I would say if Cold Steel came up with a bomb-proof rock-solid leather sheath WITH a small pouch like the nylon version of the sheath, this would be the perfect knife/sheath combo.
Get this knife: best deal in the knife world. trust me. The only other knives that rival it in price and quality for what you are paying are the Mora knives and that is saying something for those in the know.
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