The Survive! Knife Alternatives Thread. All suggestions WELCOME!

Smithhammer said:
Also a great choice if one wants something a little larger. SDFK fills that role for me.

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I absolutely love my CPK SDFK. I just don't see it getting any better than this. Admittedly, I have no experience with the HDFK.

I've really put the SDFK through some punishment and it just keeps performing. Love it.

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rlewpolar said:
I’ve read numerous accounts of Vietnam vets still owning the same Buck 120 they carried in the jungles of Southeast Asia. Been on a Buck fixed blade kick lately, their longevity speaks to me
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I know you posted about the 120. However, I wanted to post this about the 119.

As I understand it...


1) The 119 was pretty popular with guys in Vietnam, and

2) The 119 has definitely garnered its place as a "large game" hunting fixie. However, the design of the 119 came from knives that Hoyt Buck produced for the war effort during WWII. Back then, prior to the U.S. having ramped-up production for the war, the U.S. Government put-out a call for donations of knives for the Troops. Folks were donating their kitchen and hunting knives. Hoyt was a Navy Vet, and opted to start actually building knives for the Troops.


I have reached "Fanboi" status for only two brands of knives in my my life, and Buck is one of them. My respect for them came from growing-up with a lifelong Hunter and Sportsman. (*My Dad...RIP) Admittedly, I am not a Hunter, but spent about 30 or so years "in the field" with my Dad, both hunting and "camping". In those three decades, I only saw my Dad with ONE knife...his trusty Buck 110. If he was out under the sun or stars, that black leather sheath was ALWAYS on his belt.

When you see a man gut/skin/quarter countless whitetail and feral hogs with a single blade, especially as a child, those experiences stay with you. Needless to say, Buck Knives will always hold a special place for me.


Most of the Bucks that I've owned have been tremendous cutters, and all have proven to be very robust. I reckon that, when you've built knives for over a century (*and now going on five Generations), you learn a thing or two about building knives.

Your mileage may vary.
 
Alone said:
I know you posted about the 120. However, I wanted to post this about the 119.

As I understand it...


1) The 119 was pretty popular with guys in Vietnam, and

2) The 119 has definitely garnered its place as a "large game" hunting fixie. However, the design of the 119 came from knives that Hoyt Buck produced for the war effort during WWII. Back then, prior to the U.S. having ramped-up production for the war, the U.S. Government put-out a call for donations of knives for the Troops. Folks were donating their kitchen and hunting knives. Hoyt was a Navy Vet, and opted to start actually building knives for the Troops.


I have reached "Fanboi" status for only two brands of knives in my my life, and Buck is one of them. My respect for them came from growing-up with a lifelong Hunter and Sportsman. (*My Dad...RIP) Admittedly, I am not a Hunter, but spent about 30 or so years "in the field" with my Dad, both hunting and "camping". In those three decades, I only saw my Dad with ONE knife...his trusty Buck 110. If he was out under the sun or stars, that black leather sheath was ALWAYS on his belt.

When you see a man gut/skin/quarter countless whitetail and feral hogs with a single blade, especially as a child, those experiences stay with you. Needless to say, Buck Knives will always hold a special place for me.


Most of the Bucks that I've owned have been tremendous cutters, and all have proven to be very robust. I reckon that, when you've built knives for over a century (*and now going on five Generations), you learn a thing or two about building knives.

Your mileage may vary.
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Buck definitely makes some good knives. Their price point is really fair too. Are there better steels (i.e. tougher, more abrasion resistance, etc.)? Sure, but you'll pay more. Is it worth spending more? That's going to be dependent on each person's use, circumstances, and opinion.
A Buck will get the job done though. It's not going to let you down.
 
There are definitely a lot of possible alternatives to the Survive! Knife, so many that we don't even need to mention them all as it's easier to say what to avoid 😂

I like my recent Carothers Performance Knives DEK1 but haven't had a chance to use these yet, as they just arrived (4th and 5th from the right). Their reputation precedes them, and if you can find some you can get them in many sizes to suit your needs. The handles fit my hands well, and their fit and finish is second to none. I'd bet 2-4 CPK knives could replace all the ones in my picture below - granted, three of the below knives I didn't buy, and the two on the left were supposed to be retired by the Les George in the middle, which was supposed to be retired by the pair of CPK DEK1. The Buck 119 was too pretty to use LOL, as is my Randal Made.

But my Ruike F118G in 14C28N has been great so far (left on picture). It's been tough with yard cleanup and strops back easily - I've only had to put to a stone once at the end of last year. I had bought a QSP Bison (2nd from left) in D2 steel as a backup but never used it. The Gerber Strongarm has a big following and with many fans, and is very tough - my brother gave me this one last Xmas (3rd from left).

The Gerber Harsey-Reeve (4th from left) was my younger brother's and it came to me when he died. He swore by it when overlanding but I didn't want to mess it up as it's sentimental to me and in good shape, but he also used the Ka-Bar (2nd from right) a lot more and I used that last summer along with the Ruike.

The Les George Magnate in Magnacut (5th from left) might be a good option, as would the Buck 119 in 3V (2nd from right) so I'm told, but I have not had a chance to use them yet. The Spyderco Mule in M398 (far right) hasn't been tested by me yet and is probably too light and small - I just threw it in because I was in the process of attaching scales today.

I don't have any beefy David Mary Knives yet, but have two heavy 5" Tantos in 8670 steel coming soon that I can play with before I turn them into gifts. They have a RC of just over 60, and should be pretty tough. He can custom build you one for under $200. He makes a lot of heavy duty survival knives, but most of mine are neckers or EDC knives.

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Alone said:
I know you posted about the 120. However, I wanted to post this about the 119.

As I understand it...


1) The 119 was pretty popular with guys in Vietnam, and

2) The 119 has definitely garnered its place as a "large game" hunting fixie. However, the design of the 119 came from knives that Hoyt Buck produced for the war effort during WWII. Back then, prior to the U.S. having ramped-up production for the war, the U.S. Government put-out a call for donations of knives for the Troops. Folks were donating their kitchen and hunting knives. Hoyt was a Navy Vet, and opted to start actually building knives for the Troops.


I have reached "Fanboi" status for only two brands of knives in my my life, and Buck is one of them. My respect for them came from growing-up with a lifelong Hunter and Sportsman. (*My Dad...RIP) Admittedly, I am not a Hunter, but spent about 30 or so years "in the field" with my Dad, both hunting and "camping". In those three decades, I only saw my Dad with ONE knife...his trusty Buck 110. If he was out under the sun or stars, that black leather sheath was ALWAYS on his belt.

When you see a man gut/skin/quarter countless whitetail and feral hogs with a single blade, especially as a child, those experiences stay with you. Needless to say, Buck Knives will always hold a special place for me.


Most of the Bucks that I've owned have been tremendous cutters, and all have proven to be very robust. I reckon that, when you've built knives for over a century (*and now going on five Generations), you learn a thing or two about building knives.

Your mileage may vary.
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Just curious, what’s the other brand of knife you’ve stayed a fanboy of?
 
Work tuff gear, condor, and schrade. I recommend these three models. Work tuff gear hemlock ares, condor terrasaur, schrade schf1
 
I can understand why people still place preorders for Survive Knives, but I'll join the chorus here in recommending other markers and give some advice on how to pick a better knife from Carothers Performance Knives (CPK) for a given Survive model.

Interested in a S!K Vendetta model? For a 4.5" blade, look into a CPK DEK1, DEK2, or DEK3 instead, or a CPK UF2 if you want a 6" blade.

Want a S!K EDC model? Look into a CPK EDC2 (if they're being made) or the DEK series.

Looking for an outdoor knife like the GSO-4.5/5.1/6? Pick up a CPK Field Knife (FK2) or Kephart instead.

Need a large chopper like a GSO-8/10/12? CPK Light, Medium, or Heavy Chopper. You might also be interested in the Super Duty Field Knife (SDFK).

Full disclosure: I owned a GSO-6 for a short time (after waiting 468 days for it to be delivered) and detailed my experiences in the very long thread on S!K in the GB&U. I now own zero S!K products and three Carothers knives, and I firmly believe that nobody should give S!K any money until the (unlikely) even that they work through their 8 year backlog and start fulfilling orders on time.
 
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marrenmiller said:
I can understand why people still place preorders for Survive Knives, but I'll join the chorus here in recommending other markers and give some advice on how to pick a better knife from Carothers Performance Knives (CPK) for a given Survive model.

Interested in a S!K Vendetta model? For a 4.5" blade, look into a CPK DEK1, DEK2, or DEK3 instead, or a CPK UF2 if you want a 6" blade.

Want a S!K EDC model? Look into a CPK EDC2 (if they're being made) or the DEK series.

Looking for an outdoor knife like the GSO-4.5/5.1/6? Pick up a CPK Field Knife (FK2) or Kephart instead.

Need a large chopper like a GSO-8/10/12? CPK Light, Medium, or Heavy Chopper. You might also be interested in the Super Duty Field Knife (SDFK).

Full disclosure: I owned a GSO-6 for a short time (after waiting 468 days for it to be delivered) and detailed my experiences in the very long thread on S!K in the GB&U. I now own zero S!K products and three Carothers knives, and I firmly believe that nobody should give S!K any money until the (unlikely) even that they work through their 8 year backlog and start fulfilling orders on time.
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Interesting you mention CPK. Soon after ordering my Survive! Vendetta I bought a DEK1. I’ve no doubt it is a superior knife, but it’s made more superior by the fact that I actually have it in hand. For a stainless option, I imagine I’ll pick up a DEK in MagnaCut at some point. I really don’t think I need much else besides the DEK. It’s a perfect knife as far as my needs are concerned.
 
jstn said:
Interesting you mention CPK. Soon after ordering my Survive! Vendetta I bought a DEK1. I’ve no doubt it is a superior knife, but it’s made more superior by the fact that I actually have it in hand. For a stainless option, I imagine I’ll pick up a DEK in MagnaCut at some point. I really don’t think I need much else besides the DEK. It’s a perfect knife as far as my needs are concerned.
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If the only reason you want a magnacut version of the DEK is corrosion resistance, I wouldn't bother. Delta 3V is nearly stainless.

I took my knife to New Zealand March of 2023, processed a red stag, didn't clean the blade and sheathed it. It stayed that way for nearly 3 weeks in very very humid weather (forgot about it). No patina, no rust.
 
DocJekl said:
There are definitely a lot of possible alternatives to the Survive! Knife, so many that we don't even need to mention them all as it's easier to say what to avoid 😂

I like my recent Carothers Performance Knives DEK1 but haven't had a chance to use these yet, as they just arrived (4th and 5th from the right). Their reputation precedes them, and if you can find some you can get them in many sizes to suit your needs. The handles fit my hands well, and their fit and finish is second to none. I'd bet 2-4 CPK knives could replace all the ones in my picture below - granted, three of the below knives I didn't buy, and the two on the left were supposed to be retired by the Les George in the middle, which was supposed to be retired by the pair of CPK DEK1. The Buck 119 was too pretty to use LOL, as is my Randal Made.

But my Ruike F118G in 14C28N has been great so far (left on picture). It's been tough with yard cleanup and strops back easily - I've only had to put to a stone once at the end of last year. I had bought a QSP Bison (2nd from left) in D2 steel as a backup but never used it. The Gerber Strongarm has a big following and with many fans, and is very tough - my brother gave me this one last Xmas (3rd from left).

The Gerber Harsey-Reeve (4th from left) was my younger brother's and it came to me when he died. He swore by it when overlanding but I didn't want to mess it up as it's sentimental to me and in good shape, but he also used the Ka-Bar (2nd from right) a lot more and I used that last summer along with the Ruike.

The Les George Magnate in Magnacut (5th from left) might be a good option, as would the Buck 119 in 3V (2nd from right) so I'm told, but I have not had a chance to use them yet. The Spyderco Mule in M398 (far right) hasn't been tested by me yet and is probably too light and small - I just threw it in because I was in the process of attaching scales today.

I don't have any beefy David Mary Knives yet, but have two heavy 5" Tantos in 8670 steel coming soon that I can play with before I turn them into gifts. They have a RC of just over 60, and should be pretty tough. He can custom build you one for under $200. He makes a lot of heavy duty survival knives, but most of mine are neckers or EDC knives.

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That Ruike is such an underrated knife. Love it!
 
carnifex knifeworks said:
If the only reason you want a magnacut version of the DEK is corrosion resistance, I wouldn't bother. Delta 3V is nearly stainless.

I took my knife to New Zealand March of 2023, processed a red stag, didn't clean the blade and sheathed it. It stayed that way for nearly 3 weeks in very very humid weather (forgot about it). No patina, no rust.
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Good point. I’ve used my 3V DEK a lot with no rust issues. Getting one in MagnaCut would be more an excuse to get another DEK lol.
 
marrenmiller said:
I can understand why people still place preorders for Survive Knives, but I'll join the chorus here in recommending other markers and give some advice on how to pick a better knife from Carothers Performance Knives (CPK) for a given Survive model.

Interested in a S!K Vendetta model? For a 4.5" blade, look into a CPK DEK1, DEK2, or DEK3 instead, or a CPK UF2 if you want a 6" blade.

Want a S!K EDC model? Look into a CPK EDC2 (if they're being made) or the DEK series.

Looking for an outdoor knife like the GSO-4.5/5.1/6? Pick up a CPK Field Knife (FK2) or Kephart instead.

Need a large chopper like a GSO-8/10/12? CPK Light, Medium, or Heavy Chopper. You might also be interested in the Super Duty Field Knife (SDFK).

Full disclosure: I owned a GSO-6 for a short time (after waiting 468 days for it to be delivered) and detailed my experiences in the very long thread on S!K in the GB&U. I now own zero S!K products and three Carothers knives, and I firmly believe that nobody should give S!K any money until the (unlikely) even that they work through their 8 year backlog and start fulfilling orders on time.
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What is the secret to getting a Carothers? I've had no luck. I've emailed them and tried to pre-order, can't do that either. It seems you need a super computer and have be waiting the second they post anything on here to get one. I'd love to give them my money, but it seems like a lost cause. At totally get why everyone hates Survive, but my odds seem better of getting a knife from them. It might take 6-10 years, but there's a chance. I own fixed blades from Esee, Buck, Becker, Bark river, Benchmade, Tops, Fallkniven, Winkler and they're not anywhere close to what you get from Survive. Aaron Gough makes a nice knife too, but again you can't get one.

It seems like being a high end knife maker would be a good business to be in, more demand than supply.
 
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