Drop Forged Survivalist vrs Recon Scout

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d762nato

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Does anyone have a picture of these two knives side by side? I wouldn't mind a nice spine and tip shop also to compare the two. I really like the survivalist and the way it feels in hand and the awesome blade design. I just wish the tip was thicker as I feel like it may snap off if digging in wood and such so its why I ask about the recon scout. Hey a drop forged Recon Scout...Hmm. Thanks,
 
They are basically the same knife in 2 different steels.

I don't own either, but Drop Forged Survivalist most likley has somewhat less comfortable handle than Recon Scout due to the fact the entire knife is one piece of steel. That could make it more sturdy, but also even more uncomfortable during winter.

Tip design could be different, I can't guarantee on it without directly comparing them.

And 52100 and A2 are fairly similar, when they're both done right - you won't really notice significant difference.
 
Thanks for the info, I've got two of the Survivalist already so I like that model quite a bit. I'd just like to see the difference from the top down looking at the swedge differences and thickness between the recon scout and the survivalist.
 
If I was you I'd use the hell out of one of them to see if it breaks.

If it does - that's a good enough reason to replace broken one with Recon Scout.

And you'll know the limits of Drop Forged Survivalist so it won't happen to other one.

This maybe sounds silly but that's just me.
I did crazy stuff with SK-5 Recon Tanto to see is it durable and if I should buy CPM-3V one :D
It held up and I still have it. I didn't beat the crap out of it for no reason tho, I just used it to do various tasks.
 
Sound's good but one of my survivalist has the top swedge sharpened and it was done up by a knife maker friend here that went by Charliemike aka Matt Freeman that passed away way too young. I'm not going to test that one as he designed it as a fighter. Matt also did some grinding on the blade as well with a needle point and sharp as can be top swedge.

He ground it down in the handle and glued ranger bands to it with leather backing. It feels great in the hand and doesn't move around with the rubber handles. It works great in a reverse grip which I like the most anyway and Matt did as well.
 
I've got both knives and honestly prefer the Recon Scout. To me it is all about the weight distribution and geometry. I love the comparatively thin ffg on the Survivalist that makes it slice so well. However, the Survivalist is tang-heavy which, in my experience, gives the blade less heft and authority than it deserves. In contrast, the Recon Scout is blade-heavy and feels better in my hands despite the slimmer handle. The Recon Scout has thicker blade stock and is therefore a less efficient slicer, however to me the Scout more than makes up for that deficit by feeling more controllable in my hands. I almost always choose the Scout first because I feel more confident in using it to butcher game, chop brush, et al.

Your needs and tastes may vary. Hell my opinion would probably differ if I had a Survivalist re-ground by CMFTW. But for now, I'll grab my Recon Scout first.
 
oldmanwilly said:
I've got both knives and honestly prefer the Recon Scout. To me it is all about the weight distribution and geometry. I love the comparatively thin ffg on the Survivalist that makes it slice so well. However, the Survivalist is tang-heavy which, in my experience, gives the blade less heft and authority than it deserves. In contrast, the Recon Scout is blade-heavy and feels better in my hands despite the slimmer handle. The Recon Scout has thicker blade stock and is therefore a less efficient slicer, however to me the Scout more than makes up for that deficit by feeling more controllable in my hands. I almost always choose the Scout first because I feel more confident in using it to butcher game, chop brush, et al.

Your needs and tastes may vary. Hell my opinion would probably differ if I had a Survivalist re-ground by CMFTW. But for now, I'll grab my Recon Scout first.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info, could you tell me how thick the tip is on the recon scout versus the survivalist maybe. I ask because the tip on the survivalist looks to me to be kind of thin or more fragile maybe. If you were to stab the knife into a log and snap out a chunk of wood which would survive the best and not have to worry about snapping off the tip.
 
ikYbgTe

gzzRDA7



https://imgur.com/a/ikYbgTe
https://imgur.com/a/gzzRDA7

I hope those pics come through. My Recon Scout is a vintage version so I'm not sure if newer models have thinner points.

To answer your question, I would think the Recon Scout would hold up better in a stab and pry test but I wouldn't recommend doing so unless absolutely necessary. If I were you I would save up and buy one of the new A-2 Scouts when they finally come out, that way you can see for yourself.
 
I can definitely see that the scout has a thicker tip and would be better in that role. Thanks for the pics and your time. :thumbsup::thumbsup:
 
The imgur links still work. I don't think my photos ever showed up properly in this thread.

In case you had not heard, CS now plans to offer two new versions of the Recon Scout: one in 4034 stainless and one in 3V. Not much indication when either will be available, though I suspect they will arrive sometime in 2021 (inshallah). So, you will probably have to wait a good while longer unless you can score a Recon Scout on the secondary market.
 
Smiling said:
They are basically the same knife in 2 different steels.

I don't own either, but Drop Forged Survivalist most likley has somewhat less comfortable handle than Recon Scout due to the fact the entire knife is one piece of steel. That could make it more sturdy, but also even more uncomfortable during winter.

Tip design could be different, I can't guarantee on it without directly comparing them.

And 52100 and A2 are fairly similar, when they're both done right - you won't really notice significant difference.
Click to expand...
Wrong on both counts, friend. School up before you speak the misinformation that shows you up as a "know nothing". Idiotic wannabes give ill advice.
 
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