There are legitimate benefits to stainless - primrarily its' superior resistance to rusting (it WILL rust, if neglected). Some people claim they prefer it for food prep, stating that carbon steel imparts a metallic taste to food. I have never found that to be the case, personally. 154CM is a very good steel, and I would have no problem using it, but if I am paying $150CAN for a knife, I myself would choose 1095, and get a knife for the same price as the SK5 that has an excellent kydex sheath like the ESEE , to say nothing of the edge retention and ease of sharpening - 2 HUGE benefits to me in an outdoors working knife. The spear point SK5 presents an old design in a modern iteration (the Kephardt knife). Spear point blades have the strongest tips, allowing for a thinner blade thickness, say 1/8 to 5/32. without sacrificing much in the way of durability. They lack belly when compared to drop points, which are superior slicers for that reason. Its a matter of personal preference. As for criticisms of the "slab sided" scales on the SK5, I would point out that, in fairness, the ESEEs use the same slab sided scales. The biggest user advantage to the SK5, imo, is the 5 inch handle. I find ESEE handles too short. All in all, except for the sheath, the SK5 is a very good knife that will serve you admirably for many years to come.
