What do you want a fixed blade knife to be capable of?

What do you expect from your field knife?

  • I only use my knife for basic cutting.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • It needs to be any tool the situation calls for.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • It needs to keep an edge until I get home.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • It needs to be tough but I can field sharpen.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I get daily exercise by splitting logs with my knife.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    0
Joined
Jun 25, 2011
Messages
694
Hello to anyone reading this post. I am soon releasing three knife models and had a question. I was planning some torture tests to ilustrate what my knives are capable of but then I thought, why not ask YOU!? What do you want from a fixed blade knife? What do you expect it to be able to do? What real world tests of the knife's capabilities would you like to see?
For more info or to drop a comment on my webpage, visit: http://www.survive-gear.com
GSO5 side final.jpg
GSO5 top final.jpg
GSO-6 side final.jpg
GSO-4 side final.jpg
GSO-4 top final.jpg
Thanks for dropping by!
 
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Before anyone else points it out.....I too noticed the typo in the title. I posted it before I really checked it out. I fail. lol.
 
For starters, stabbing through car hoods has been done to death, and butchering free-hanging animal carcasses is a task that the average knife user seldom encounters.

The same could be said of shearing free-hanging rope, or cutting down tatami rolls, but then again, these are far more widely accepted grounds for gauging a knife's geometry and sharpness, so you might want to try that or something similar.

On another level, your website seems to specialize in the kind of knife that might be called upon to do some pretty tough and crazy things - the kind of knife a person might have when other tools are broken or unavailable, or when seconds count or whatever. The first thing I can think of is batoning the knife through a piece of wood with another piece of wood; some consider it abuse of a knife, but I think any fixed blade worth its spit should be able to survive such a task. Therefore, so should yours.

Prying and other tests of a knife's tip and lateral strength are bound to come up as well, since most users of so-called hard-use knives tend to end up prying with them, even though they often shouldn't. Sticking the knife into an available slot or crevasse and then using it as a stepladder to peer over an obstacle might also come up. Digging with tip through earth, or wood, and other mediums to test its strength is also probably a good idea.

I read a story somewhere about a hunter who slipped and fell into a river with high, steep walls, and had to use his Buck 110 as a pick to lever himself out. This is another unlikely and abusive chore that one of your knives may be called upon for. I can also think of other things that such a hard-use knife may be used for in desparation, like hacking through drywall, or even chain or metal piping. Those last two, I suspect, would be more than a match for even the most exceptional of knives, but many people have been known to try it anyways, with mixed results.

Lastly, an important quality of any, ANY knife is edge-retention, and while I'm sure you'll test this feature festidiously, I wouldn't worry so much about edge-retention as a promotional function; while some steels hold a better edge, and for longer, modern metallurgy has pretty much unanimously surpassed the lowest common denominator. As long as your steel isn't that Chinese crap that dulls when exposed to air, edge retention should be adequate for most people. What buyers of a hard use knife will really want to know is whether or not it holds up to hard use. Next to that, edge-retention is pretty much implicit.

Anyways, my $0.02
Good luck with your knives and tests, so far they look awesome!
 
Good luck with your knives and tests, so far they look awesome!
Wow, that is some well written and well thought out feedback! I was looking at doing my first run in A2 but then at the last minute changed my mind and have ordered a sheet of CPM-3V. A thought line similar to yours is what ultimately led me back to the 3V. Performance when it counts. I am saving your comments and will give a good few of them a try. Awesome write up. Thank You!

Ps. And yeah, that cold steel stuff has been done to death.
 
Glad to help! Nothing wrong with A2, my general outdoor knife is an old Reeve one piece in that steel, but 3V would definately be closer to the top of my list. Both steels raise the issue of corrosion resistance, which is something I didn't think of, but I'm sure you're using a coating of some kind, so moot point.
Again, best of luck!
 
Large and heavy fixed-blades (like your designs) I mostly buy for looking at, fondling, and collecting. I have quite a few.
But the fixed blade I choose to actually carry is one of the lightest and smallest available, and fits easily and comfortably in a pant pocket. I carry it motorcycling, at work, and outdoors (hiking, camping, and backpacking).

Living and working outdoors for many years I've never found anything that needed chopping, but it's gotten some outdoor use cutting guy-lines, foil coffee packs, and moleskin.
It's gotten much more use at work where I've been carrying it exclusively for many years. Stripping wiring, cutting tubing, opening boxes, picking splinters... In short, the usual stuff that American men have been using pocketknives to cut for hundreds of years.

Hope this information is insightful.
 
Large and heavy fixed-blades (like your designs) I mostly buy for looking at, fondling, and collecting. I have quite a few.
But the fixed blade I choose to actually carry is one of the lightest and smallest available, and fits easily and comfortably in a pant pocket. I carry it motorcycling, at work, and outdoors (hiking, camping, and backpacking).

Living and working outdoors for many years I've never found anything that needed chopping, but it's gotten some outdoor use cutting guy-lines, foil coffee packs, and moleskin.
It's gotten much more use at work where I've been carrying it exclusively for many years. Stripping wiring, cutting tubing, opening boxes, picking splinters... In short, the usual stuff that American men have been using pocketknives to cut for hundreds of years.

Hope this information is insightful.
YES BOB! Seriously I love your insight. You just helped me think of a video concept called mundane tasks. Chores a knife should always be able to accomplish but aren't that exciting. cutting an apple, speading mayo, cleaning finger nails, cutting that loose string from your pants, opening the mail, cutting things at work... You make a very valid point about day to day use. My GSO-4, while a bit more stout than a traditional EDC, should easily be able to handle those chores. It is 8.5" overall with a 4" blade and shouldn't weigh down your trousers.
@Missin_hobo, Some of the blades will be coated and some will not be. I hate coatings but I realize that some people do love them.
 
All of my fixed blades, with the exceptions of a CRKT Stiff KISS and a Schrade USA made Sharpfinger hunter are large blades that I use to Hack branches, Make shelter, Baton and I've even used my Ontario MKIII USN to pry on some 2X4's that were nailed together. I would use your fixed blades the same way I use my MKIII, I would use it for everything big around my property, in the woods, or in a survival situation. I want a knife I can use hard and be able to depend on it. If your knife is your primary tool and it breaks, where does that leave you? To me it doesn't matter if a knife is coated or not, I still oil them and protect them. I'll show you some not very good pics of the setup I carry now for the activities I wouldn't use my Benchmade 551 or my CRKT Apache II on. Its an Ontario MKIII USN knife in a modified Linder sheath wrapped in 550paracord which also serves as a tight holder for my bottle of REM-OIL.
Sorry for me showing you what I carry, I just thought you should be able to see what type of knife I use for hard tasks.
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Survive-Gear, thank you for taking opinions on knives to help develop a great product. Your designs look great for hard use, I can't wait until they become available and I can pick one up (Providing the funds allow me to).
 
with the direction your going, i would love to see a hard use folder with 3v :)
maybe g10 with ti liner/ titanium framelock(or even a total titanium handle) with a 3v blade. as an example... the gerber 06 auto is a very stout knife but i dont like the materials used. It has all the traits of a hard use knife, and throw some titanium and 3v in that mix while keeping the pommel on the end and youve got one bad ass knife.
 
Your 3 models would all have different uses and attract different buyers with different needs.

That bushcraft knife would have different requirements than the combat knife while the Survival knife might have some of the same needs of the other 2.

But then the uses could carry over depending on the buyers so options in steel are always good.

I think you were on the right track using A2 to start and the option of 3V and S35VN for the stainless option. That gives customers a nice range to pick from so they can Taylor the knives to their needs and or price range they need.

The fixed blades that I use these days are thin ground slicers with high Alloy steels at very high hardness, but that's me.

My thick choppers ect don't get a lot of use anymore.
 
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@tyronethepro:I don't mind you throwing photos of what you use up on my thread. I sincerely hope you or someone has a GSO used like that someday. ;) I like your set up.
@popsickle: I will have a folder offering if/when things get moving and my designs become known a little. I am working on some lock designs right now. My idea is to make a folder as close to as strong as a fixed blade as possible. I make anyone reading this a promise right now. No corners will be cut in the manufacture of anything, ever. If you ever unintentionally break one of my tools, I'll replace it.
Thanks so much for all of the feedback so far. I very much appreciate it.
 
@tyronethepro:I don't mind you throwing photos of what you use up on my thread. I sincerely hope you or someone has a GSO used like that someday. ;) I like your set up.
@popsickle: I will have a folder offering if/when things get moving and my designs become known a little. I am working on some lock designs right now. My idea is to make a folder as close to as strong as a fixed blade as possible. I make anyone reading this a promise right now. No corners will be cut in the manufacture of anything, ever. If you ever unintentionally break one of my tools, I'll replace it.
Thanks so much for all of the feedback so far. I very much appreciate it.

you have me looking forward to it now, hope you make a post for when your folder comes out!
 
Traditionally, fixed blades are meant to be stronger than folders(a sturdy tip, full tang, a thick spine, a touch thicker blade grind). I also like having an easy to clean design where I can flush the whole thing with water, wipe it dry, and not worry about water getting underneath the handle scales and rusting the thing. Oh, and a nice kydex sheath is pretty standard;).
 
I'm really looking forward to the GSO now, if funds permit I think that will become my Go-to knife. Your promise there I think seals the deal for me.
 
Post # 3 is where it's at. Yes sir---what he said !!! If you are using your knife as a last resort for ANYTHING, that is when you absolutely, positively, can NOT have it fail, regaurdless of the task it is asked to do. Thats all i have to say about that ! LOL :D
 
Survive-Gear, I have a quick question if I may, What do you think the price of the GSO-5 will be when done?
Thank you for your time and patience
~Tyrone
 
Survive-Gear, I have a quick question if I may, What do you think the price of the GSO-5 will be when done?
Thank you for your time and patience
~Tyrone
I am shooting for $170-190ish for the GSO series in cpm 3v, I'll have it nailed down in a few days when all of the elements come together. I am trying to dream up a bladeforum member discount on this first run also. Just a way to say thank you for the feedback. Being a new guy around here I know people will want things as cheap as possible to try it out.
 
Before anyone else points it out.....I too noticed the typo in the title. I posted it before I really checked it out. I fail. lol.

You can fix that easy, just click on edit on the 1st post, then click on go advanced and you can fix the title.
 
The knife should hold an edge, and be comfortable when doing extended cutting. Hotspots are a bad thing when there is work to be done. If you have a decent edge, it would not need to be sharpened in the field. A reinforced tip for light prying would not hurt, just enough to be considered more slicer than prybar.
 
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