Survive GSO 5.5 or suggestions for a fixed blade?

xyrium

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Jun 5, 2016
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So, I'm on the hunt for a fixer in the 5-6" blade length range. The GSO 5.1 seems great, but that choil...probably adds an inch of useless length *for me*. I see a 5.5 on the Survive website as a model not yet in production. So, I'm wondering, anyone have info on this upcoming model?

Other than this, any other suggestions on a knife in the $300 and under range that would suit the usual survival knife needs except I don't rely on the spine to spark ferro'? I'd like stainless, or close to it (3V should be fine in this case). Ideally, the OAL would be no greater than 11", and the blade thickness at the spine (stock) should be substantial, probably between .18 - .21" (or 5-6mm 'ish).

Thanks!
 
GSO 5.5 should be widely available in 2028 or after. :D I would stay far, far away but that's just me.

I prefer carbon steel fixed blades for the most part so I don't have a lot to offer as far as 5-6" fixed blades.

ETA: I saw the Carothers suggestion above me. If a Carothers offering meets your needs I would get that in a heartbeat.
 
Carothers gets my vote too.
 
Indeed. I hope to pick up a Carother's FK2 in the future if I can get my finger twitch up to snuff during their sale, but larger than that, even the pricing on the used market puts them out of reach at this time. Besides the HDFK is a bit longer than I'd like (that's my excuse at least, and I'm sticking to it! ;) ) .

I've always said that if Nathan could put together a 5-5.25" blade on the FK2, I'd haunt this place until I got one!

AFA the "other" FK (Fallkniven), I do have one, the venerable, standard A1. While I like the knife, I'm craving something with slightly better handle ergos, like the Carothers being mentioned, as well as the GSO line from S!K. Great idea though. It is, and has been, a great knife for me over the years.
 
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Welp, I didn't realize that the threads still held true, but I suppose S!K might be out of the running, though the overall design is what I'm seeking. I've considered BRK, but I've read similar stories about their 3V.
 
larger than that, even the gouging on the used market puts them out of reach at this time.
Gouging? Most of the prices that I've seen are within about $30 of those charged by CPK. Factor in fees and shipping, and people are basically breaking even. I think i might have come out $7 to the good on the FK2 I sold...if that's "gouging", people should get themselves to the sales & buy their own. (For the record, the only reason I bought a second was because I was worried I wouldn't like the tricolor rag micarta.
 
Get a Carothers, they're virtually invincible.

Plus, you'll never get your knife if you order a S?K, you'll get three or four years of excuses followed by a restocking* fee when you inevitably ask for a refund. They're garbage.



* A "restocking fee" on something that doesn't exist after four years should by itself tell you all you need to know about them.
 
I wondered if you can get a Carothers for $300 or under too. I'll throw out some other options since I don't know much about Carothers other then he has a huge fan base here.

The Cold Steel SRK in 3V ~$145. Ticks all your boxes. Sheath is meh, but plenty of room in the budget if you wanted one made.

Bark River has several offerings. I like the Bravo 1.5 in S35VN ~$250. I know some folks don't like BR/Mike Stewart. YMMV.
 
I have to agree with everyone else about Carothers owning a HDFK and a FK2. Though another one to look at would be the offering of White River knives, they make some great blades for $300 or less.
 
Gouging? Most of the prices that I've seen are within about $30 of those charged by CPK. Factor in fees and shipping, and people are basically breaking even. I think i might have come out $7 to the good on the FK2 I sold...if that's "gouging", people should get themselves to the sales & buy their own. (For the record, the only reason I bought a second was because I was worried I wouldn't like the tricolor rag micarta.

"Gouging" may be a slight exaggeration, but a 10% increase on a preowned knife seems like a lot.

That said, regarding the sales, I'm pretty confident that those who repeatedly show up for the sale but leave empty handed because they can't pull themselves aside from their day job at 3pm ET, or can't compete with those who are poised to buy and flip, are left with only one option, which is to find a production knife which may not precisely meeting their needs. It's probably a topic that can spiral into an oblivion of subjectivism, so I'll retract that particular word from my earlier post, in case other folks are sensitive to it.

Finally, though I like the CPK designs, none currently fit my needs (5-6" blade, OAL =<11", etc...). So, even the sale or used market won't fix my problem. None of which are the fault of Carothers of course.

Thanks for the other suggestions folks. I have considered the Bradford 5.5, and Fiddleback, both are on my list, thank you!

Regarding the S1 Pro, yes, it is in CoS.
 
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