Survivors: other knives you like

Dave, I'll be very interested to find out as to how that Niolox steel would work out for you in your neck of the woods with your typical type of usage (hunting / fishing / camping / etc). I assume that you traded for the satin version, correct?
 
Casinostocks said:
Dave, I'll be very interested to find out as to how that Niolox steel would work out for you in your neck of the woods with your typical type of usage (hunting / fishing / camping / etc). I assume that you traded for the satin version, correct?
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I'm guessing that you meant sleipner , I've been researching the hell out of it and it seems to be pretty dam tough , we will see
 
sfrigon1 said:
I'm guessing that you meant sleipner , I've been researching the hell out of it and it seems to be pretty dam tough , we will see
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Thats the same conclusion i came to when researching it. The only down side is apparently it isnt great with corrosion. That sort of turned me off. I have rust OCD i think hahaha ymmv :)
 
The lionsteel m7 is pretty much the perfect do it all knife for me
I still like other knives but the m7 will be hard to beat
 
sfrigon1 said:
I'm guessing that you meant sleipner , I've been researching the hell out of it and it seems to be pretty dam tough , we will see
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Yes indeed! Sleleipner is indeed what I had in mind which is a better steel than Lionox but for some reason my brain fart made me state the steel of M7 as Lionox which Lionsteel also uses in their other knives! Thank you for the correction.

My concerns also regarded the Sleipner steel's tendencies to rust and it's corrosion properties. I reviewed videos of it by an Australian bushcarfter who had clearly demonstrated quick rust spots after some encounter in and around fresh water. The guy even posted his findings on the Lionsteel sub forum under the M7 thread. That is why I was interested in HardKnocks future findings.

As an aside, Knife Art also had a very similar knife to M7 which was also a Moletta design. I also liked that iteration because of its very fancy presentation package. In closing, I still think that the M7 could be a worthy camp type knife to own in the interim if someone is going to struggle to land a new gen GSO 7/7 and / or the future CPK "survival" knife. While I would personally not pay the circa $270 retail price (I don't mean to insinuate that it is not worth it, but my own foible for a "deal"), I would seriously consider picking one up if a LNIB unused one shows up on the Exchange at the usual post retail price drop.
 
Hi guys. So one of the reasons I ended up with this blade is there were some spots of light discoloration straight out of the box. It is indeed the satin version. It bugged my friend, and probably would have annoyed me if I had purchased it like he did. Christian, I do not think you will like this steel. It IS going to form patina, and I know you do not care for that. My question will not be how stainless it is, but rather, will it pit or form patina? Patina bothers me very little, and helps form its own protection to an extent. I'm used to this with bare SR101 which discolors heavily on the surface with use, but does not penetrate or pit as long as it is oiled. I'm curious if the Sleipner will be the same, this is my first go with it.

Casino, for a couple hundred dollar knife, the M7 is a serious-feeling blade. I have no plans to hang this one over the mantle. There's no sentimental attachment and I want to see how the Sleipner handles as it's got a good reputation except in the corrosion department. It will be an excellent value if it holds up, and I have no reason to question that it won't. It's a big chunk of steel, although not overly so. It just feels solid. The design is well-executed and comfortable, and the one-piece handle is very good IMO. Choil fans, here you go!! :D

I'll be more deliberate in some of my uses since there is some interest about it, although it might be a bit yet before I can get in the hills. Cheers.

ETA: Mat, if that price point above is what you're finding on the M7, shoot me a PM and we'll discuss it. I can't tell if you're referencing it or one of the others you mentioned.
 
Dave, thank you for the initial impressions. At the very beginning, I was actually going to get the DLC version of the M7 which is less corrosion prone but I stumbled upon Survive! and I managed to cancel my order in the nick of time before the dealer had it shipped out to me therefore there was no harm no foul since it was not in their stock when the order had been placed. IIRC, the retail price on the DLC version was under $265 back then which was about a year ago.

You are correct in your assumption that I was merely referencing to an arbitrary price point as a respectable "value" price on this model, if one can snag a prime and unused example of it from the Exchange or over on the Big Auction Site. Again, I had brought this model up because I think that it offers a pretty good alternative for someone who is planning to disappear into the woods for a few days, but that someone is either waiting for his GSO 7/7 or the highly anticipated CPK version of the camp/survival knife, which onto itself will be a very tightly fought bidding affair on the CPK Friday sales Thread, if and when! I wasn't necessarily using myself as an example but was merely suggesting an alternative option. RevolverRodger has been singing the M7's praises and since you have also acquired one, I'm very interested in your findings. I am not sure if that handle guard is something which I'll ever get lustful after but hey, some folks love that and some just don't care much for it. As it is, the guard and the choil are not doing it for me, but my opinion is purely theoretical as a mantle piece knife crusader :D
 
So I got my m7 today and I am more than pleased so far , we'll see how she performs . Well this thing is a beast of a knife . When I opened the box and saw the handle my eyes lit up like it was Christmas. I really like the nylon /kydex combo it seems to be very simple and comfortable, also high quality. The handle is large but very ergonomic, it's got an awesome micarta pattern to it which I like. I wasn't sure if I'd like the guard and it is placed perfectly, the grip that it creates is perfect and I am completely blown away by the choil it is perfect in size and it almost feels natural to grip it using the choil, I feel like I can do some really delicate work w it 👍👍 what an amazing value as well for under 200 bucks
 
Hey Dave, that is a shame to hear. Were you able to remove the discolouration? I understand blades discolour with time, but the fact that was like that straight out of the box is very unfortunate...I understand why your friend was not happy. I don't mind light patina's that form after cutting certain acidic foods, but the patina that formed on my ratmandu was dark black and very unattractive. It also formed from very light use even after oiling and trying to baby the knife with maintenance and care.
That said, one fortunate side was that it moved me from babying it to using it hard and beating it up like it was designed to be. So in that way, there was a positive side to it. I now use the RMD like no tomorrow and it is hardly cared for in terms of corrosion. It is just a solid beater.
Just recently it has formed a bit of orange rust even on the dark patina which is strange..and even some of the dark patina could not removed even after sharpening, although a majority did come off after using my sharp maker.

Hopefully the M7 does not pit, then if the aesthetics of patina and light rust doesn't bother you, then you're good to go. Keep us updated on how you find the knife :)

If anyone cares to comment on their experience with 3V and pitting then that would be great.
Guy's corrosion test show that the 3V blade he left out for a year did not pit. However after a lot of reading and research, a lot of people said that 3V will pit if not cared for and that is one of the reasons why they have stuck with INFI instead of 3V.
 
In my earlier post, I had mentioned a similar knife to the M7 by Molletta designed for Knife Art. Welp, I was incorrect! The knife which I had in mind went under the name Legion by Knife Research :o

Below is that knife which I prefer better as compared to the M7 although it is still is in the Sleipner steel which is a tool steel, but at least that steel is not Chinese made! I prefer this iteration because it has no choil, it is in G10, has a drop point but the handle still has a guard. Currently on sale at BHQ for two and half bills. For purely aesthetic reasons I also like the fuller groove:

kr-legion-orange-g10-fixed-satin-large.jpg
 
Casinostocks said:
Dave, thank you for the initial impressions.........I had brought this model up because I think that it offers a pretty good alternative for someone who is planning to disappear into the woods for a few days, but that someone is either waiting for his GSO 7/7 or the highly anticipated CPK version of the camp/survival knife........
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Yep, I see what you're saying now. I absolutely agree, at least based on initial impressions. :thumbup:

Although I was skeptically cautious about the handle, I think I'm going to make friends with it alright. Also, I'm not necessarily a choil guy, but kinda go on a case by case basis. Just looks-wise I thought the large guard might make the use of the choil impractical, and asked RR about it elsewhere. I agree with sfrigon1's above assessment of the handle, I think this blade as a whole package is going to work, although to me it begs more to hit stuff than make trap triggers. It should featherstick like crazy though, and the rounded spine screams 'baton me' ha. That said, the model you posted looks so fine I'd have no hesitation buying that version at all. Thanks for sharing it.
 
XtianAus said:
Hey Dave, that is a shame to hear. Were you able to remove the discolouration? I understand blades discolour with time, but the fact that was like that straight out of the box is very unfortunate...I understand why your friend was not happy. I don't mind light patina's that form after cutting certain acidic foods, but the patina that formed on my ratmandu was dark black and very unattractive. It also formed from very light use even after oiling and trying to baby the knife with maintenance and care.
That said, one fortunate side was that it moved me from babying it to using it hard and beating it up like it was designed to be. So in that way, there was a positive side to it. I now use the RMD like no tomorrow and it is hardly cared for in terms of corrosion. It is just a solid beater.
Just recently it has formed a bit of orange rust even on the dark patina which is strange..and even some of the dark patina could not removed even after sharpening, although a majority did come off after using my sharp maker.

Hopefully the M7 does not pit, then if the aesthetics of patina and light rust doesn't bother you, then you're good to go. Keep us updated on how you find the knife :)

If anyone cares to comment on their experience with 3V and pitting then that would be great.
Guy's corrosion test show that the 3V blade he left out for a year did not pit. However after a lot of reading and research, a lot of people said that 3V will pit if not cared for and that is one of the reasons why they have stuck with INFI instead of 3V.
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I'm going to watch it pretty close. I may intentionally be a little harder on it than normal, but I just like to know how a steel is going to handle when I haven't tried it out before. I never try to remove discoloration on blades with steel like 52100, 1095, etc. I just let them form patina and keep them oiled as it seems they build better protection this way.

INFI is very stain resistant, no worries there. The NMFSH in your 'knife picks' thread is INFI, the one submerged in the creek with the cleaned grouse. I've been using a D3V field knife hard with little care. Nothing like Guy is doing by leaving them out in the elements, and I'm not trying to intentionally destroy it. I have cleaned trout with it, dried it off lightly, but left it un-oiled overnight with no visual signs of corrosion in that length of time. I oiled it the next morning and that pretty much satisfied my own curiosity. That knife is also in your thread, the one laying in the water with a couple trout.
 
Hard Knocks said:
Yep, I see what you're saying now. I absolutely agree, at least based on initial impressions. :thumbup:

Although I was skeptically cautious about the handle, I think I'm going to make friends with it alright. Also, I'm not necessarily a choil guy, but kinda go on a case by case basis. Just looks-wise I thought the large guard might make the use of the choil impractical, and asked RR about it elsewhere. I agree with sfrigon1's above assessment of the handle, I think this blade as a whole package is going to work, although to me it begs more to hit stuff than make trap triggers. It should featherstick like crazy though, and the rounded spine screams 'baton me' ha. That said, the model you posted looks so fine I'd have no hesitation buying that version at all. Thanks for sharing it.
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When I had originally looked up these Knife Research Legion models, they were around 3 Bill$ retail. They are now discontinued models and only available with the orange G10 which is not everyone's thing, but 2 and a half Bill$ is certainly tempting because this version actually comes with a nice presentation kit aside from the sheath which is I guess the same as M7, i.e, a tactical kydex and cordura hybrid. I feel badly for p*mping this knife this much on the Survive! forum specially since I don't even own one! However if one should be still available once your reviews of the M7 come in, I may snag one of these while waiting for the CPK's version of a 6" inches camp knife and the GSO-7/7 which may be starting to trickle out to their original owners very soon, so a few will most probably show up on the seconds market!
 
I was very close to purchasing the knife research legion , have to admit availability and pricing were a factor . There's a good chance that without the fuller I might have gone w it .
 
I own the m5 for a while and never had any forming of patina. Now I'm interested to see how this steel ,with this finish holds up.
 
Since this has become the Sleipner thread you guys made me curious enough to look up the alloy.
It seems a great deal like A2 with a bit more chrome and molybdenum. You could also think of it as 3V without the vanadium.
It sounds like a decent ingot low alloy steel, it probably keeps the cost down on large blades.
 
sfrigon1 said:
I was very close to purchasing the knife research legion , have to admit availability and pricing were a factor . There's a good chance that without the fuller I might have gone w it .
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Very interesting that you posted this because I started digging around last night on YouTube looking for field usages and reviews. Since this model and other Lionsteel products are European, you will find many, many reviews in other languages such as German, Swedish and Russian which are hard to understand for me other than viewing the action and also reading some of the user comments made in English. I am going to digress a little bit in here and say as to how much I really appreciate living in the U.S. (I'm an English speaking Euro transplant something that many do not know!) because we are so spoiled by having easier access to fine makers such as Nathan and Survive! so that we can choose to be more picky and "snooty" about our knives rather than "settling" for say 1095 steels and so forth... Like I said, I digressed!

Anyway lo and behold I came across this video by a Russian guy which had English subtitles and this guy apparently has been doing very, very hard "use" (let's say abuse) reviews of many knife models. If you have watched some of Guy's past videos and some of Nathan's videos, you get an idea as to what I am referring to! So at one point toward the end of the review of the Knife Research Legion model, this reviewer is furiously banging on the stock with a hammer (metal on metal) while batoning into a securely clamped 2 x 4 treated wood. All of a sudden, the steel fatigues, started to shed shards and then boom! it cracks and splits from atop the fuller where he was banging backwards through to where the handle guard was. Done for! After reading the English viewer comments, I came to the consensus that the blame was more directed at the inferior HT (purportedly less than 60 HRC, say 58-59ish although the official retailer stats show as supposedly 60 HRC) plus the erroneous location of the fuller groove. The reviewer was going to send the knife back to Lionsteel for some research and determination but I was spent and did not follow any more to find out if there was anything else on this matter.

Summary: I will not be pursuing the Legion model, although I can never fathom such hard usage by yours truly! That said, although I aesthetically like a fuller groove, after reading Nathan's comments and opinion over there on the CPK sub forum regarding as to how a properly implemented fuller groove not only saves some weight but also actually strengthens the structural integrity of a blade, I will henceforth put my full trust in what and how Nathan does it on his version of the CPK camp / survival knife. I did not come across any questioning or doubt about the Sleipner steel so in my conclusion if someone is interested in the Lionsteel's iteration of a 6.5" or so camp / hiking knife, the M7 which effectively was a Legion update, upgrade and replacement (Knife Research also has Enki models which are similar) would seemingly be a better option. At this point, I'm out and I will just wait and try my luck / take my chances with landing the future CPK and/or Survive! 7/7 :)
 
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