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

JDlonger513 said:
DBK, the guys who probably got the most YouTube buys for SK!, just put out a Top 10 survival knives video and guess what...

I'm so pissed they have the nerve to show the GSO 5.1 when they had to pin a comment in their original video not to order.

I know it's wild to assume, but I thought they were good dudes. Seems they have no shame showing something that got their own viewers scammed.

I would be embarrassed to ever mention SK! again.
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Always remember, they are for the most part just entertainment. They need to get clicks to make money. Why not include a controversial defunked company? It will evoke emotion across the board.
 
musicisevil said:
Haven’t been active here aside from purchases in a long time, and just found this thread looking for details on the survive charade.
I was a supporter of theirs when BF 86’d survive in ‘18. At that point I had purchased a handful of knives from them without issue. Preorders with long waits that eventually arrived, in stocks that shipped the same week and even bartered for a one off scandi. I had just placed an order for a GSO 12 in ‘17 and wasn’t ready to see the situation for what it was (In my defense it wasn’t nearly as obvious then as it is now with everything that has happened since ‘18. The writing was on the wall but it wasn’t a flashing neon billboard like it has been the past 4 years) I wanted that 3v chopper real bad… What I had gotten from them was top notch and I really wanted to believe all the excuses and delays were just a spell of bad luck.

Well, here we are. I’ll see what the PA AG has to tell me but I’m glad I’m only out one preorder for $389.
Not really sure why I’m even posting this, I guess just to commiserate with people who know the players and the game? Feeling like opening myself up to the brutal ridicule only BF can provide? I appreciate those of you empathetic to the 4k+ of us jerks taking the hit on this.
With that out of the way; Who makes a wide 12” chopper in D3V besides carothers? lol
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You were far from alone in survive camp back in 18, and I respect that you piped up, most won't. That said I think 3 to 4 years of people waiting on knives (at that time) while they switched models and delivered to new customers...is pretty dang obvious the company was frauding people. Go back and read the thread that got them banned, I literally listed idk how many excuses from ellie and guy and documented how they were selling seconds and thirds while stiffing pre paid customers.

The show never changed, dudes still waiting on knives from 2015. I'm not sure how survive developed such a devout following, I guess social media influence. Anyway, I do hope you get your money back but ignoring all the warnings was a bad move.
 
craytab said:
Always remember, they are for the most part just entertainment. They need to get clicks to make money. Why not include a controversial defunked company? It will evoke emotion across the board.
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I can't stand people like that. It's why I my sole social media is bladeforums. They don't give a rats ass if their influence supports scammers and gets their viewers money stolen. I don't like mincing words, they are scum bags.
 
The lab results are in on Guy’s excuses:


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JDlonger513 said:
DBK, the guys who probably got the most YouTube buys for SK!, just put out a Top 10 survival knives video and guess what...

I'm so pissed they have the nerve to show the GSO 5.1 when they had to pin a comment in their original video not to order.

I know it's wild to assume, but I thought they were good dudes. Seems they have no shame showing something that got their own viewers scammed.

I would be embarrassed to ever mention SK! again.
Click to expand...
I've spent time with DBK in Holland. They are good guys, and I suspect they are only looking at the quality of the knife in isolation, knowing there is not a path to get suckered into a preorder anymore.

As much as Survive! had dubious business practices and ethics, they did produce a good knife (on the occasions when they delivered one). Actually (hours before the announcement of going out of business), I went to a store and purchased a Survive! knife. It was an EDC 4 in K890 (a steel I am interested in) it was $239.

Frankly, it is a really good knife. I hardness tested it (62hrc), sharpness tested it (180 on the bess- not as sharp as mine ha ha), disassembled it, and evaluated the overall fit and finish which was excellent. The truth is it is a $350 knife being sold at $239 (probably why so many risked preorders). Besides all the mismanagement and dubious ethics the fundamental business model was broken, the knives were underpriced to sustain a profitable operation. The longer they operated, the further behind they became, about a million-dollars in unfilled orders.

Just to punctuate how bogus the claims of Survive! as it relates to Magnacut were; Survive purchased a total of about $35,000 of Magnacut and claimed to lose 20% due to voids (also a dubious claim, but lets assume that). So we are talking about a maximum loss of $7000 in material, which, again, there was no evidence that the loss was 20% (from voids). If we triple the material costs to account for work put into the material until the issues surface, we are talking about $21,000. Now, let's consider they have recieved an advance of nearly a million dollars in preorders and they can't handle a 20k issue??

Any issues with Magnacut should have been a standard production challenge, and to suggest that this was a show-stopping issue was a total fabrication. It probably had more to do with 50k a month in overhead and 4k a month in sales.

One of the HST video outcomes is to clarify that Magnacut was not the major problem at Survive! IMO- Magnacut vindicated.
 
Ok - reading this thread and giving myself an uppercut after each post for next-level stupidity.

My first post to this forum which I embarrassingly knew nothing of... Just had a passion for knives since my dad (a metallurgist) taught me as we ground out my first sheath knife for our camping/fishing trips. Now with a youngster of my own, I was keen to rekindle the outdoor life and was on the hunt for an all-rounder heavy blade that could replace the axe / fixed blade combo - fell for the GSO-12, ordered in '21.. and fell for the constant BS delays and 'we'll be back on track in a moment' excuses. Perhaps, I did a convincing job of deluding myself 'cause I wanted that knife and couldn't find similar alternatives. Perhaps I'm here for confessional to say I'm with stupid in front of the wealth of knowledgeable people who predicted this farce in the first place. Maybe, I'm just banging on my keyboard to prevent from putting my fist through a wall...
Ahh well, thanks for listening, really wish I'd met you sooner...
 
musicisevil said:
Haven’t been active here aside from purchases in a long time, and just found this thread looking for details on the survive charade.
I was a supporter of theirs when BF 86’d survive in ‘18. At that point I had purchased a handful of knives from them without issue. Preorders with long waits that eventually arrived, in stocks that shipped the same week and even bartered for a one off scandi. I had just placed an order for a GSO 12 in ‘17 and wasn’t ready to see the situation for what it was (In my defense it wasn’t nearly as obvious then as it is now with everything that has happened since ‘18. The writing was on the wall but it wasn’t a flashing neon billboard like it has been the past 4 years) I wanted that 3v chopper real bad… What I had gotten from them was top notch and I really wanted to believe all the excuses and delays were just a spell of bad luck.

Well, here we are. I’ll see what the PA AG has to tell me but I’m glad I’m only out one preorder for $389.
Not really sure why I’m even posting this, I guess just to commiserate with people who know the players and the game? Feeling like opening myself up to the brutal ridicule only BF can provide? I appreciate those of you empathetic to the 4k+ of us jerks taking the hit on this.
With that out of the way; Who makes a wide 12” chopper in D3V besides carothers? lol
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Nathan Coruthers makes the fantastic knives in CPM3V with his delta heat treat protocol.
 
gscreely said:
It probably had more to do with 50k a month in overhead and 4k a month in sales.
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Hang on, please keep in mind his cash flow was hugely positive early on, but only started shrinking when he failed to deliver knives already paid for.

HST estimated 4,000 undelivered blades at an average of $286 per blade all paid for in advance. That is over $1 million in cash that vanished.
 
Caba said:
Nathan Coruthers makes the fantastic knives in CPM3V with his delta heat treat protocol.
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Oh I’m aware! Lol
I hope you didn’t read that as a dig on CPK because it certainly wasn’t intended to be one! Looking for something that is actually obtainable without more waiting though.
I appreciate the reply to that part of my post. I was just thinking I should have used Cunningham's Law to get quick responses, as finding something to fill this 7 year void is a new obsession.
 
beachmaster said:
That's the irony-

I'm not singing survive's praises.

I found out that they were getting knives in stock and at a good price. I had always avoided the brand. I bought one. It IS really nice- that is singing praises but it's nothing new, everyone knows it.

I saw people on the Facebook group getting their knives, I have friends getting their knives, and some that haven't still of course.

I made videos about what I saw because I thought it was interesting.

Then a group of individuals here started hounding me and putting words into my mouth. 🤷‍♂️

And Survive hasn't publicly talked about the change because they are doing crazy hours- I know that because I know Jon, and that's why I talked about it in my video, which is the context of the latter part of this thread.
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Since we know you read this thread Mr. beachmaster...

Just so we are clear on what happened with you and survive, you promoted a brand that was stealing from people despite their long history of doing so documented by this forum. You actively helped drive business to a company that took people's money when they knew they weren't going to give them a product. Your videos convinced people to make new orders and for survive to ship knives to new customers when there were already 4,000 unfulfilled orders going back 7 years. Like Jon, you got wrapped up in Guy's con game. You became a pawn. Guy has been doing the same thing for a decade. Don't feel bad. Do man up and admit your mistake, though. This forums was 100% right and you were wrong. Further, you ignored us and helped a company scam people. You should apologize.
 
ncrockclimb said:
For anyone that is following along, Jacob is really slamming this forum.

From the comments of his YT video where he is talking about this thread and BF in general:
"The basement dwellers there didn't even understand half of it I'm afraid.Not only that but seeing the sheer stupidity in that particular thread automatically discredited what they said. If a person doesn't know the difference between a ponzi scheme and a thief and they are clearly foaming at the mouth they are hard to take seriously.If there was some decent moderation in on the page however it could have been a valuable resource.There are good corners of BladeForums but trash management and a stupid price layout has made them few and far between."

He is really bigly mad about banned! And that dude is really an idiot. He is perfectly suited to be an "influencer."
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Maybe he needs to learn that someone who runs a Ponzi scheme is a thief.
 
musicisevil said:
Oh I’m aware! Lol
I hope you didn’t read that as a dig on CPK because it certainly wasn’t intended to be one! Looking for something that is actually obtainable without more waiting though.
I appreciate the reply to that part of my post. I was just thinking I should have used Cunningham's Law to get quick responses, as finding something to fill this 7 year void is a new obsession.
Click to expand...
Watch the Busse Combat webpage for a 10” or 12” Battle Mistress. It will serve you well and is indestructible. Also, there is no charge until it is ready for delivery.
 
gscreely said:
I've spent time with DBK in Holland. They are good guys, and I suspect they are only looking at the quality of the knife in isolation, knowing there is not a path to get suckered into a preorder anymore.

As much as Survive! had dubious business practices and ethics, they did produce a good knife (on the occasions when they delivered one). Actually (hours before the announcement of going out of business), I went to a store and purchased a Survive! knife. It was an EDC 4 in K890 (a steel I am interested in) it was $239.

Frankly, it is a really good knife. I hardness tested it (62hrc), sharpness tested it (180 on the bess- not as sharp as mine ha ha), disassembled it, and evaluated the overall fit and finish which was excellent. The truth is it is a $350 knife being sold at $239 (probably why so many risked preorders). Besides all the mismanagement and dubious ethics the fundamental business model was broken, the knives were underpriced to sustain a profitable operation. The longer they operated, the further behind they became, about a million-dollars in unfilled orders.

Just to punctuate how bogus the claims of Survive! as it relates to Magnacut were; Survive purchased a total of about $35,000 of Magnacut and claimed to lose 20% due to voids (also a dubious claim, but lets assume that). So we are talking about a maximum loss of $7000 in material, which, again, there was no evidence that the loss was 20% (from voids). If we triple the material costs to account for work put into the material until the issues surface, we are talking about $21,000. Now, let's consider they have recieved an advance of nearly a million dollars in preorders and they can't handle a 20k issue??

Any issues with Magnacut should have been a standard production challenge, and to suggest that this was a show-stopping issue was a total fabrication. It probably had more to do with 50k a month in overhead and 4k a month in sales.

One of the HST video outcomes is to clarify that Magnacut was not the major problem at Survive! IMO- Magnacut vindicated.
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I'm sure the DBK are great guys when they aren't knowingly directing people to a company that will steal their money.
 
Without this thread and all the warnings about the schemes with S?K, I wonder what the total number could have been of people getting scammed and stuck without knives?

No wonder they were all pissed, this forum cost them a lot of money. Whew… BF, BF members, and the BF mods are the worst 😜 (Joking of course)
 
DRG80N said:
Ok - reading this thread and giving myself an uppercut after each post for next-level stupidity.

My first post to this forum which I embarrassingly knew nothing of... Just had a passion for knives since my dad (a metallurgist) taught me as we ground out my first sheath knife for our camping/fishing trips. Now with a youngster of my own, I was keen to rekindle the outdoor life and was on the hunt for an all-rounder heavy blade that could replace the axe / fixed blade combo - fell for the GSO-12, ordered in '21.. and fell for the constant BS delays and 'we'll be back on track in a moment' excuses. Perhaps, I did a convincing job of deluding myself 'cause I wanted that knife and couldn't find similar alternatives. Perhaps I'm here for confessional to say I'm with stupid in front of the wealth of knowledgeable people who predicted this farce in the first place. Maybe, I'm just banging on my keyboard to prevent from putting my fist through a wall...
Ahh well, thanks for listening, really wish I'd met you sooner...
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You’re not stupid - this is how scams work. They thrive on the innate trustfulness of most people. They count on you seeing all the rosy stuff before the stinking truth, which they perpetrate themselves even further when they can control the narrative on social media. A handful of shills singing their praises doesn’t hurt, either. You didn’t delude yourself, Guy did. I’m really sorry you got taken; I’m sorry for everyone who got taken. When it’s after the fact, it’s easy to see where you might have been able to see what was really going on - as they say, hindsight is always 20/20. But you can’t beat yourself up over it - or your wall.
 
craytab said:
Since we know you read this thread Mr. beachmaster...

Just so we are clear on what happened with you and survive, you promoted a brand that was stealing from people despite their long history of doing so documented by this forum. You actively helped drive business to a company that took people's money when they knew they weren't going to give them a product. Your videos convinced people to make new orders and for survive to ship knives to new customers when there were already 4,000 unfulfilled orders going back 7 years. Like Jon, you got wrapped up in Guy's con game. You became a pawn. Guy has been doing the same thing for a decade. Don't feel bad. Do man up and admit your mistake, though. This forums was 100% right and you were wrong. Further, you ignored us and helped a company scam people. You should apologize.
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yep.

he's already doubled down though in one of his videos and i read here he did it again in another one. which shows a lot more about who he is, than he realizes.......
 
jbmonkey said:
yep.

he's already doubled down though in one of his videos and i read here he did it again in another one. which shows a lot more about who he is, than he realizes.......
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Oh yes, I just wanted to set the record straight because he seems confused about what actually happened. If you go back and read his interactions here, he spends most of his time gaslighting and obfuscating by arguing semantics. He told us since we don't know how many unfulfilled orders there are, our speculation is ignorant. Welp, turns out we were right and the last ten years of survive con-artistry was important evidence in determining that survive was In fact not turning it around yet again.
 
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