Bad Survive! Deserves A Permanent Post In The Hall Of Shame

dogboye said:
So, my GSO-6 came in... Wednesday? Thursday? Anyway, a few days ago. I pretty much hate it. The handle is so big I believe Sasquatch could use it comfortably. It is a full half inch longer than even the 7/7’s handle. And bigger around. It’s like whoever designed it said, “I’ll just supersize the 4.7, it’ll be perfect.” But didn’t adjust the ratio of magnification for the handle. Admittedly, my Jhansi are “small” to “medium,” but this is nearly a hand-and-a-half grip for me! Ok, minor exaggeration... but not by much.
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That is quite the shame. The 4.7 is a brilliant knife - if the company wasn't lacking scruples, I'd still own the two I had. I can only speak for the 4.7 as it's the only model I've handled/owned, but I do not agree with @Quiet with regards to it being a very basic knife. Even with that said though, take my opinion with a grain of salt as I think the original Kephart is also rather brilliant - so your mileage might vary.

If the company wasn't being run as a gigantic scheme (a "beg from Peter to pay Paul" sort of platform), their knives might actually have some renown. But they won't be changing their ways and I will not be recommending them to anyone - I don't care how nice a knife they produce (if they actually get around to producing it).
 
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And everyone wonders how a Ponzi scam can continue so long?


GutWrench said:
Thanks but I’m not quite there yet. I will wait a little longer.
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Friend, If the four months past the 2 month lead time and the 30 pages of reported fraud didn't convince you of the fact they have/are/continuing to run a Ponzi Scam.... I doubt A "little longer" will matter to you. Keep if for a few years and lets us know how you feel. I had to go through the same learning process.
 
mlmcasual said:
And everyone wonders how a Ponzi scam can continue so long?



Friend, If the four months past the 2 month lead time and the 30 pages of reported fraud didn't convince you of the fact they have/are/continuing to run a Ponzi Scam.... I doubt A "little longer" will matter to you. Keep if for a few years and lets us know how you feel. I had to go through the same learning process.
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I understand where you are coming from. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not happy about being lied to about the timeline. It’s disappointing but I knew the risk when I clicked the buy button.

If it drags on so long that I get angry about it, I will get a refund. Hopefully it will not come to that but if it does, I’m not really out of anything other than wait time. :shrugs:
 
Boy, I had no idea of all the issues with Survive!. I ordered a Tac 4 a few weeks ago with the promise it would be ready in “60 to 70 days.” I may have to look into a refund now. I guess I should have done my research.
 
Hello All,

This is my first post her on blade forums as I mostly just like to read and look at the pictures.

I have owned well over a 100 good/bad knives over the years some full custom some Walmart specials.

Survive knifes are at the top of the industry in materials, design fit & finish & function; and look at the price. Are you kidding me value.

That being said; Survive is not a good functioning business model. This does seem like a Peter/Paul situation but not a scheme of any sort.

I've owned a few small businesses myself. Plain and simple; startup costs suck, good luck find quality employees and when during the first few years things get tight you have to make bad choices to keep the doors open or you close up shop. He's chose to open a custom knife company so i can't make excuses for him but there is reality to owning a business that a lot of these small shop knife makers just are not prepared for...so on...

But, facts are facts - he's made over 14,000 knives to date the first as good as the last.

I've ordered about 8 knives over the years and I have 7 in my hands. Why order 8 you say, well all i can say to that is the knife life don't make sense sometimes lol.
Yes, I did have to wait 2-4 years to get most or all of them and agreed "unacceptable wait time for sure" But you can't knock the quality. The thing is I "like most of us here" sell a few knives now and then but can't bring myself to sell the survive knives, probably because i had to wait so freaking long to get them but also they are the knives that I trust; the knives would take on a bug-out situation and that counts for something in my book.

I'm all for calling out some of these knife makers for ridiculous wait times and Survive deserves the static he's getting but quality is something all together different and GSO knives are at/near top of the line in my opinion. I sent him an email saying charge double and sell half as much. His prices are way to low...
Update: He has made about 10 new videos of late and maybe his business will run better and maybe it won't but the quality is 100% there for sure.

IDK, I think the knife world is a better place because of Survive Knives both as a quality product and an example how not to run a small business. I hope he makes it, but if he doesn't I'm glad I have a few in my collection.
 
Well said Paul. I don’t think anyone here could stand up and defend his business practices. They are shit for sure. But you are right about the quality and out right “user-ability” of Survive Knives.

There is a reason when one is posted in the for sale section and it is marked sold within hours or sometimes even minutes.

I too hope Guy can turn his business around. I’m my opinion he should drop about half his options until he’s caught up and square with his orders and then boot back up slowly with his most demanded knives.

not sure if it is feasible for him. But he has to do something to save face. It doesn’t matter how good of a product he makes. If he continues to fudge on build/delivery times. The company will eventually implode into itself.
 
Paul Shepherd said:
Hello All,

This is my first post her on blade forums as I mostly just like to read and look at the pictures.

I have owned well over a 100 good/bad knives over the years some full custom some Walmart specials.

Survive knifes are at the top of the industry in materials, design fit & finish & function; and look at the price. Are you kidding me value.

That being said; Survive is not a good functioning business model. This does seem like a Peter/Paul situation but not a scheme of any sort.

I've owned a few small businesses myself. Plain and simple; startup costs suck, good luck find quality employees and when during the first few years things get tight you have to make bad choices to keep the doors open or you close up shop. He's chose to open a custom knife company so i can't make excuses for him but there is reality to owning a business that a lot of these small shop knife makers just are not prepared for...so on...

But, facts are facts - he's made over 14,000 knives to date the first as good as the last.

I've ordered about 8 knives over the years and I have 7 in my hands. Why order 8 you say, well all i can say to that is the knife life don't make sense sometimes lol.
Yes, I did have to wait 2-4 years to get most or all of them and agreed "unacceptable wait time for sure" But you can't knock the quality. The thing is I "like most of us here" sell a few knives now and then but can't bring myself to sell the survive knives, probably because i had to wait so freaking long to get them but also they are the knives that I trust; the knives would take on a bug-out situation and that counts for something in my book.

I'm all for calling out some of these knife makers for ridiculous wait times and Survive deserves the static he's getting but quality is something all together different and GSO knives are at/near top of the line in my opinion. I sent him an email saying charge double and sell half as much. His prices are way to low...
Update: He has made about 10 new videos of late and maybe his business will run better and maybe it won't but the quality is 100% there for sure.

IDK, I think the knife world is a better place because of Survive Knives both as a quality product and an example how not to run a small business. I hope he makes it, but if he doesn't I'm glad I have a few in my collection.
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First, knives.

Second, I've had a bad one that had to be sent back. First as good as the last? No.

Last, the knives are trash because they are indeed a schemed scam.

You'll have no luck defending them in any way here.
 
Agreed across the board.

Plus, we all love Guy's fixed blades but he completely missed out on the folder boom because he was constantly in the weeds with back orders.
You're right on - way too many barley different fixed blades models. He was ahead of the game with CPM-3V. Back when Bark River was just pumping out A2 steel knives out by the thousand, Guy wanted better if not the best steel. Not to mention the best Kydex Sheath in the game period. No one can touch Survive's Kydex but again he did hid own research and tested multiple designs "which all took crazy time". He did a lot of his own steel field tests and has a special heat treat so on; Guy could have killed it with a 3V folder and would have been one of the first to put out a hard use 3V folder. I think he knew it as well and tried to develop one but again; always behind the eight ball with back orders.

I get it he had to presell to keep the doors open and he's a great guy... Yeah, I wish there was an easy answer for him... I'm a USMC vet so i have a soft spot for Guy as a fellow Jarhead but business is business and I think this is his last shot with his customer base. Plus, I just can't buy another fixed blade from him no matter how good they are...

You know who else can make a top top top notch knife "another CPM-3V ahead of his time guy" seriously his knifes/designs are that good - but is 20x worst than Survive biz wise - Dan Koster. 5000 plus knives made.

Dan was just a genius with design, detail, usefulness, weight management, one man shop - but the absolute worst biz man in the world. THE WORLD! Its so sad I tried to support him because of the quality but just can't.

If you have a chance to buy one of Koster's knives 2nd hand do so you won't be disappointed.

I hope Guy reads these forums from time to time
 
Paul Shepherd said:
Survive knifes are at the top of the industry in materials, design fit & finish & function; and look at the price. Are you kidding me value.
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You can't be at the top of the industry when you've consistently lied about delivery dates, that's a proven fact over the years. Price and value mean nothing when the consumer is unable to have the product in hand.
Paul Shepherd said:
This does seem like a Peter/Paul situation but not a scheme of any sort.
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Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not a scheme... if you say so :rolleyes:
Paul Shepherd said:
But, facts are facts - he's made over 14,000 knives to date the first as good as the last.
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Indulge me, where did you get this number from?
Paul Shepherd said:
I've ordered about 8 knives over the years and I have 7 in my hands. Why order 8 you say, well all i can say to that is the knife life don't make sense sometimes lol.
Yes, I did have to wait 2-4 years to get most or all of them and agreed "unacceptable wait time for sure" But you can't knock the quality.
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You've waited 2-4 years per those 7 knives... a knife that at best is nothing more than a mid-tech.

You mention quality, given it takes years to receive a new one direct or a factory second direct :rolleyes:, what do you think your turn around time would be on a warranty issue?
 
craytab said:
First, knives.

Second, I've had a bad one that had to be sent back. First as good as the last? No.

Last, the knives are trash because they are indeed a schemed scam.

You'll have no luck defending them in any way here.
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Come on "Trash" and "Schemed Scam" Listen to yourself. This is knife making not "The wolf of wall street" he's made 14,000 plus knives! He has a brick mortar business. He's not drop shipping knives from China.

I'm not defending his business practices but I will defend his Knives "for use" all day long.

You say got a bad knife - IDK what to say. Post a picture and show the issues I guess.

Go to eBay and see how fast GSO knives sell. Right know, just checked there are 4 first gen knives for sale because those people probably finally got their new ones all be it 4 years later and are willing to part with their old ones.
 
Boru13 said:
You can't be at the top of the industry when you've consistently lied about delivery dates, that's a proven fact over the years. Price and value mean nothing when the consumer is unable to have the product in hand.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not a scheme... if you say so :rolleyes:

Indulge me, where did you get this number from?

You've waited 2-4 years per those 7 knives... a knife that at best is nothing more than a mid-tech.

You mention quality, given it takes years to receive a new one direct or a factory second direct :rolleyes:, what do you think your turn around time would be on a warranty issue?
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I've ordered knives from Survive for 8 years my first order was around #7000 and my most resent was over #15,000 and in-between the numbers were 9k, 11k, 12k so on, plus he's made one runs over the years for outside companies.

Look, mid-tech - full custom, part custom what ever box you want to put the knife in fine; but Survive knives work in the field. Look at all these useless blocks of steel that never leave your safe and for what 500, 600, 700, 800 for folders or poorly designed bushcraft "for what that means" knives.

Look hate the knife maker all you want but the market not me - says his knifes are quality or there would be 100's of them on eBay little for months.

I'm not defending the wait times but when I saw posts about the quality I felt i had to speak up because its just not true.
 
GutWrench said:
No one is trolling homey. This is a discussion.
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Even trolls can participate in a discussion... for a limited time anyway.

You have a Hall Of Shame thread that at last count is 33 pages long, 20 posts per page detailing the deceitful business practices that SURVIVE! has willingly conducted over the years.

A brand new member shows up and with their very first post, defending the quality of the knife and by extension the company.

You’ve defended the knife/company yourself and yet by your own admission have never dealt with SURVIVE! first hand... you ignored all the evidence presented and based your opinion on a second hand knife?

Taking all this into consideration, it would be easy for members to think another is trolling.
 
Paul Shepherd said:
Come on "Trash" and "Schemed Scam" Listen to yourself. This is knife making not "The wolf of wall street" he's made 14,000 plus knives! He has a brick mortar business. He's not drop shipping knives from China.

I'm not defending his business practices but I will defend his Knives "for use" all day long.

You say got a bad knife - IDK what to say. Post a picture and show the issues I guess.

Go to eBay and see how fast GSO knives sell. Right know, just checked there are 4 first gen knives for sale because those people probably finally got their new ones all be it 4 years later and are willing to part with their old ones.
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They are trash because they are indeed a scam. They were deemed so here by bladeforums. You are posting in this thread, which is about them, and located in the hall of shame. Think about it....

Drop shipping from China, if done open and honestly, is a far less shady business practice than what Survive does.

I have already posted pics and my experience with the bad survive knife I had. Feel free to do a search, I'm not wasting my time rehashing that for you.

Like I said, you'll find no home for survive sympathy here. Only blinded fanboys will defend them in any way. Every conceivable argument about survive has been broken down here over the years. They all end with survive being a scammy trash juice company.
 
The real highlight to these kinds of posts though is every single time some new member comes into this thread or the Trouble Knives one to try and debunk all the other posts in the thread by saying how much they like the maker it just bumps this back to the front of the line.

If you go on Google right now and search Survive knives the first result is their site, the second is a list of BBB complaints and the third is Bladeforums.

All the clicks and new additions just keeps the truth at the top of the sheet regardless of one person turning up here and arguing that pencils have erasers.
 
Boru13 said:
Even trolls can participate in a discussion... for a limited time anyway.

You have a Hall Of Shame thread that at last count is 33 pages long, 20 posts per page detailing the deceitful business practices that SURVIVE! has willingly conducted over the years.

A brand new member shows up and with their very first post, defending the quality of the knife and by extension the company.

You’ve defended the knife/company yourself and yet by your own admission have never dealt with SURVIVE! first hand... you ignored all the evidence presented and based your opinion on a second hand knife?

Taking all this into consideration, it would be easy for members to think another is trolling.
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I’m not here to change minds.

This thread is well deserved and will haunt them for the rest of time as it should.
 
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