....... those are two very different knives...
the S5 LE is very light and comfy, it's thinner and have a different edge profile.
IMHO it's more usable "out of the box".
the SAR5 is more massive blade, full tang, heavy chunk of INFI goodness.
one could disassemble a car with it. by reprofiling and thinning the edge a bit it's a nice blade, too. the fact that the edge starts right on my fingers, disturbed me enough to sell it. (I regretted, of course...) but it means more edge,too.
my preference between the two is the S5 LE as a very light knife made of INFI.....
ikkyo - summed it up pretty well.
I have an S5CG that I have stripped and made some modifications to.
And I have a SAR5 (that I feel need handle modifications and weight reductions). They are pretty different - especially in regards to weight.
I could probably get a picture of the two together, but I don't see much point since one of your MAIN criteria preferences was "Light Weight".
With that statement alone, I doubt the SAR5 is what you want.
S5CG = 6.75 ounces; .185 thick; 5.125 blade; 10.0625 oal
S5LE = 6.5 Ounces; .169 thick; 5.125 blade; 10.0625 oal
SAR5 = 10.85 ounces; mine 0.200 (stated .1875), 5.0 blade; 10.0 oal
The S5 "IS" very light-weight and offers a LOT of knife for the weight. :thumbup:
The S5 might not be full tang, but it is a DANG nice knife and it WILL be plenty tough. It is a Busse and kin and Busse and kin Res-C knives have a long history of plenty of use. :thumbup:
Also, the "Mudder" handles on the S5 are VERY comfortable! :thumbup:
I am one who feels the SAR5 has flaws - mostly in the overly large and Beefy handle, but the SAR5 has good potential for those willing to make modifications.
I am a big fan of satin blades, so some day, my plan was to strip and make quite a few mods to my SAR5. The main problems with the SAR5 (other than being coated) are the VERY large handle for a knife its size and it is VERY heavy for a knife its size. Most of the extra unnecessary weight is in the handle. But, reshaping the SAR5's handle and trying to shave a couple ounces is a LOT of work - requiring some skill, tools and know-how. And even if you do "Significant" modifying and reshaping to the handle and SAR5, the SAR5 will never be as light as the S5. The Res-C handles with hidden tangs are always going to offer the most blade at the least amount of weight.
As Ikkyo said: the S5 is "more usable out of the box". That said, I made a few minor modifications to my S5 - including rounding the choil. I also removed the ramp and some other very minor mods. Mine was a coated CG, but I stripped it before finding out about the LE in satin INFI. :grumpy:
I like SR-101 a LOT, but I would have paid a bit more for both SATIN and INFI. :thumbup:
Aside from my modifications, most people would LOVE the S5 out of the box.
The blade on the SAR5 is nice. But, I prefer the S5's blade. I am not real fond of clipped blades. I like the convex part of the SAR5, but the blade is a tall and heavy.
The S5's blade is dang near perfect for all-around uses. And more suited for carry.
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If you want INFI with a "FULL" tang - and lighter than the SAR5 with better handle size, ergos and weight, I think the Urban Grudge is nicer than the SAR5 for most uses. :thumbup: But, it is still a lot heavier than the S5.
Urban Grudge = 9.35 ounces; 0.243 thick; 5.375 blade; 10.5 oal
Otherwise, if having a "light-weight" knife is a primary criteria, the S5 is about as nice and capable as a 5" bladed knife can be and the S5 is going to be VERY hard to beat given the criteria.
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