The sinister edition; black-on-black (G10) with the tumble finish blade.
As many of you have noted, the knife comes razor sharp with no burr whatsoever. I was able to shave off thin slices of phonebook paper with ease. The overall blade profile is what I tend to favor, Kephart-esqe with a high saber grind and a defined (read: pointed) tip. This general shape and profile make it such that I can carve with relative ease, process game, do piercing tasks and yet still have a viable tool when it comes time to do something like battoning. I prefer a sharper spine though, but I knew going in Survive doesn't really appreciate that feature in the same way I do.
Although jimping tends to be controversial I happen to like it, somewhat out of necessity mind you seeing as how my hands sweat with the slightest provocation. What this knife has is pretty much ideal; not only is there enough of it to accommodate a few different hand positions, they're done in such a manner as to not mandate gloves. Since I already have an issue with sweat the last thing I want to do is toss on a set of gloves.
The index finger cutout is a mixed bag for me. Part of the reason I got the 5.1 instead of the 6 is for that feature, seeing as how it will allow me to choke up on the blade for finer carving tasks. What's missing is some rounding of the edges because just handling the knife for the past 30 minutes has already lead me to believe I won't be able to choke up for very long, lest I want a raw index finger. The worst area is at the plunge line by the ricasso - that raised portion magnifies the problem
The sheath design is practically faultless. There is zero rattle or play yet the knife fits snugly. It's about as small as you could possibly make it too, a definite plus for me. The belt clip is an interesting design, but I haven't tried it in the field yet so I can't comment about how suitable it might be. The slit-style cutouts down both sides make it such that I should be able to attach a small pouch, another proclivity of mine. I'll see if I can find a generic ferro rod loop that will allow me to add one of those, which is yet another personal preference. The drain tube appears slightly overdone when seen in person, but that might prove to be a function-over-form type of thing. It's certainly not an eyesore, just more noticeable than I anticipated. About the only area I'm not terribly thrilled with is the handle, and seeing as how I consider that such an important (and often overlooked) aspect of a knife design I'm a bit surprised by this one.
To start with it barely fits my hand, front to back. That's not necessarily a demerit though because my hands run larger than most, so I often have to contend with that very thing. What is more of an issue for me is the general shape. The exaggerated palm swell coupled to a thin tail section makes for a less than comfortable or secure feel. I much prefer my grip strength be spread out along the entirety of my hand, not focused in just the center. The scales are polished a bit too much for my liking as well; I prefer more of a bead blasted type of finish because it allows me to get a better grip. I've primarily found that with micarta though - it seems G10 is not finished that way by most companies - so I'm not completely surprised by how smooth these are (I ordered G10 because my experience indicates it to be a bit stronger and more stain resistant than micarta). For me perhaps the most unexpected thing is finding that the scales don't align flush with the tang anywhere. Running your finger perpendicular reveals a ridge no matter where you do it. It's actually so pronounced in some spots you can see the variation with the naked eye. I've noticed many positive comments about the Survive handles, but so far I'm not seeing it the same way myself. More time on the belt sander seems warranted for this example.
So in summation, my initial impressions - before any dirt time - are as follows... I think this is a very nice knife that features a lot of what I like in a design, but it could use some refinements in the next version. Chief among them is the handle, not only in the shape and (possibly) length but how the scales match up to the tang. Additionally, the finger groove really needs some rounding on the edges. Finally, it might be worth considering a sharp spine as an option (and before any of the inevitable "carry a striker" posts are made know that I do, but I also use the spine for more than that).
