So I was able to play with my Factory 2nd 4.1 in D3V breaking down a little wood while cooking dinner. First off I couldn't find the flaw that made it a factory 2nd, but that has always been the case with all of my Factory 2nd Survive blades. I decided to compare a 7/7, 4.7 in CFV, and a CPK Field Knife pre-Delta to the new gen 4.1. Too be honest, all of the knives performed without a problem in the short period of time and limited amount of wood I had on hand. I will say the 4.1 and FK definitely had the others beat when it came to drilling and feather sticking due to the thinner blade profiles and edges. The D3V edge did hold up slightly better than the FK because the FK had a very slight edge deformation, but it's still razor sharp and it's splitting hairs literally. The 4.1 did get stuck in a large piece of wood with a big knot in it and I was unable to get through it because the blade length. The 7/7 went through the knot fairly easily after the original baton spit in two.
In regards to comfort it was difficult to tell without spending hours behind each knife to compare and look for hot spots. I prefer the smaller handles on the 4.1 and FK over the 4.7, but that's just personal preference because the 4.7 is very comfortable. I actually have always preferred carrying the older 4.1 on most of my outdoor adventures because it's light and can virtually do anything from basic camp chores to "survival" tasks. The only time I've found I wanted a bigger blade is when process larger pieces of wood, but in the event I'm backpacking or camping I usually will bring a GB SF axe and a Silky saw.
In comparing the 1st generation 4.1 to the new gen models I do really like the improvements. The slightly longer blade length, new finish, reduced belly to a finer point, and the handle ergonomics were all excellent improvements on the older model. Whether the D3V heat treat is much better than the old or the pre D3V new gen heat treat on the 5.1 and 4.7's is yet to be determined. I never had any significant issues with my 1st gen SK!'s in their standard 3v aside from some surface rust while placing a wet knife in the sheath and leaving it there for several hours. I haven't had any issues with my new Gen 4.7 or 5.1's in either 20cv or 3v, so I'm assuming the current heat treats are more corrosion resistant as advertised.
All in all, the New Gen 4.1 is one of my favorites of all my knives now. I will be packing it with me this weekend for a snow camping trip, along with a few other blades to play with, my axe, and saw. Should be fun trying to test it, but I'm sure it'll eat through anything any mere mortal like myself could throw at it.
