Payday Vote: Scrapyard SYKCO 711 or 511?

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PayetteRucker

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Aug 4, 2009
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Looking for a combat/survival companion to strap to a Ranger Green Eberlestock V69 but I can't afford both. Looking for a practical cutter that can take some abuse, and ergos are important. If the 711 came in 3/16ths, I'd eat one up-unfortunately it's thick AND convex and that kinda scares me. Anybody have in-hand shots I can see? Any gripes/complaints? If I can save up the bones before the SR Ruckis get sold out I'll pick up a sage and foliage Rucki to go with it, so this most likely won't be a standalone blade.
 
For a "combat Survival" blade, definitly go with the 711. And don't let the size scare you, I'm guessing that it will do anything the 511 would do and better. I see my 511 as more a camp companion or the wifes knife, due to the handle size. The 711 has been compared to the legendary Camp Tramp, and thats good enough for me.
 
Of the two, I've only owned the 511. I sold it almost immediately after receiving it, as I just could not find a comfortable grip. Now, I've got hands that are probably best described as "hams-n-sausages", i.e. - a meaty paw with shortish, thick fingers. Others on the board said they found it extremely comfortable, so take my experience with a grain of salt. The choil on the 511 seemed awkward to me, as well. I find it interesting that the Military Overrun version 511 from the AlaskaGanza appeared to have a different choil design, which from what I could see in posted pics, made much more sense.

Comfort and fit are very subjective, of course, and YMMV. One thing for certain is that you're getting a lot of knife for your money with either the 511 or the 711. I was sorry to have to let the 511 go.

If I might throw in one other idea into the mix for you, it would be to consider the RatManDu from SwampRat. Similar design as the 511, but for me at least, the difference in feel is night-and-day. The RMD is one of my favorite knives "in-hand".

Good luck with the search...

-mike-
 
If this is really for combat & survival I say go for the 711 - its large and heavy enough to do some chopping and battoning and has a larger handle than the 511.

If I were to be in combat with a knife I'd want the bigger thicker blade. Which is why I have 2 MO Regulator's.
 
I would say go for the 711, its like my Son of Dogfather which is about the perfect camp knife.
 
RMD. You won't regret it. The 511 just fits my hand and is a great blade. Nice and light weight so if you are a lighter is righter pack type of guy with not too big of hands it's a good choice.
 
Go 711. I had the 511 and just didn't like the handle and I have pretty small hands.
 
Not sure if you have a Ratmandu, but the 511 is just about identical in blade size and shape.

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The 711 looks great... sure I'll end up ordering one soon.

Either way, you just can't go wrong. The SR-101 is just fantastic steel. Easy to sharpen, but you won't have to do it very often. :thumbup:





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Wow, thanks for the comparison shot. That handle IS tiny... huh. Disappointing. I have the HRLM and I'm in love, it's an awesome blade. Just picked up a Benchmade cordura sheath for it and it looks be-autiful. Feels beautiful in my hand, too. Sage blade and black micarta handle, looks perfect mounted on the shoulder strap of my FDE Eberlestock Operator. Now I'm looking for a similar blade for Eberlestock's V69 in a foliage/black theme. I'll revisit the RatManDu option, though the price is noticeably higher. Anyone know how the 511 factory cordura sheath fits the RatManDu? Grrr, as soon as a product comes out that on paper appears to be a PERFECT solution, there's always one stupid issue with it, whether the blade is too thick or the handle is too small or it's made out of crap steel...

As for the steel, I remember the 20 or so hours it took to reprofile my HRLM with stones and wet and dry by hand. What a nightmare... whoda thunk that removing such a small amount of steel to turn a 50 degree inclusive edge into a 30 degree inclusive edge could be so time consuming. That said it's 9 months later and the damn thing still splits hairs, haven't touched a stone to it again. I'm sure I'll have to do it on this new knife too though...

After checking out the new Rodent 9, I'm now pondering whether or not to throw it into the mix as well. Ah, decisions...
 
If you haven't already (older thread) - go ahead and get the Rodent 9. Very nice splitter/chopper. The handle swells are a bit odd, but I'll get used to them as I love the knife overall. Nice blade for the price - I consider mine a manual chainsaw. Takes small trees down very fast..
 
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