What is it about Survive! knives?

natchezz

natchezz

Gold Member
Joined
Jan 6, 2006
Messages
616
I've been watching the Exchange, and it seems more than any other brand, they sell really quickly and for what I consider a hefty amount? What am I missing by not trying one? What makes them in such demand?
 
natchezz said:
I've been watching the Exchange, and it seems more than any other brand, they sell really quickly and for what I consider a hefty amount? What am I missing by not trying one? What makes them in such demand?
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There isn't really anything that they do better than other knives (sorry fans, but there isn't). Seems to me their allure is in how exceptionally difficult it is to get one (if you don't camp their subforum with a large portion of your time). At this stage in the game, I'm past such nonsense. Your mileage may vary.
 
I bought a couple when they first started out. Mine are their second MKII designs. Ordered and then it took a while to be made and sent. Seems an honest company and that didn't bother me.

What is nice:
First off they found a great steel in CPM-3V. Heat treatment correct and fit and finish compliments the style. More makers are now using the steel.
Second, just well thought out and executed designs made on the "survival" ethos so a little more stout but not too stout thickness. Basically should never fail on you.
Lastly, the grind cuts and the edge comes blisteringly hell sharp. It stays that way for a very long time.

Their appeal is they are a KISS design, in a tough steel, that just works, all at a respectable price.
There are other more dedicated designs out there that might beat it at some particular task. But for an all round tool that might have to tackle anything then they are plenty great.
A bit like the Chris Reeve Sebenza of Survival knives in that they don't look much, a bit uninspiring, but once in the hand used they just excel. If I lost my Large Sebenza I would buy again. If I lost my Survive Knives GSO 4.5 I would buy again. I have a few other knives that I wouldn't say the same.

Are they worth a premium as supply is limited to the production levels? I wouldn't but then I can wait. What premium is more to do with what hurry you are in life. There are plenty of other options out there, some just as good, but non will be a Survive Knife. I hope they stick at what they do best which is make a very good product, a product they can have pride in.
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natchezz said:
I've been watching the Exchange, and it seems more than any other brand, they sell really quickly and for what I consider a hefty amount? What am I missing by not trying one? What makes them in such demand?
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The premium is a result of scarcity (kind of like mark-ups on Busse knives).

You can actually buy them off the website for much less, WHEN they are available, as some are now:
http://surviveknives.com/knives/factory-2nds/
http://surviveknives.com/knives/limited-edition/
http://surviveknives.com/knives/gso-series/

In the last link, you can see the factory-price. The prices really aren't that high for what you are getting, which is premium steel with excellent heat-treatment (indeed, Survive is partnering with leaders in the industry to produce the best available in specific steels), exceptionally well designed handles (in a lot of cases, not all), a VERY good kydex sheath, and a knife that is shaving-sharp (literally, I shave with each one I get) out of the box and has geometry superior to the vast majority of production knives on the market (significantly better cutting performance without modification). :thumbup:

That said, there are a LOT of knives available from a wide variety of companies that perform very well indeed, depending on your use. I really like the knives, but have never felt compelled to purchase one for a higher secondary-market price. I am content to order one and wait, and so far I have not been disappointed by the product upon arrival. That's not to say I've loved every one I've bought, just they they were all very well made and worth (to me) what I paid.

If Survive! is ever able to get their production issues solved, we'll see market saturation and the prices will stabilize lower. Until then, is there a particular model you're interested in?
 
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Hard to find, more of those who want one than knives actually available leads to higher markup .thou lately the market is kinda soft and prices have dropped. So when one is well priced it doesn't sit long.

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Massive amount of hype + short supply = made rush to buy new stock, which get flipped for a high price.

No knife is worth paying up front & waiting 2 years for. IMO.
 
mtangent said:
Massive amount of hype + short supply = made rush to buy new stock, which get flipped for a high price.

No knife is worth paying up front & waiting 2 years for. IMO.
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Well, I am on the hook for the GSO 12 and I already paid. So when it arrives it arrives. I have no issue with wait times up to about 18 months to 2 years. The GSO12 is pushing on a year and I think they will be shipping this fall, so that puts it well under 2 years. That is fine with me.

Quality + hype + short supply + very fair price= high demand.

If GSO knives were junk there would not be a demand for them
 
The knives are excellent and there aren't many made...

That generally = Hard to find and rather expensive.

That being said, I see them on the exchange daily, and I find the prices reasonable.
 
Cobalt said:
Well, I am on the hook for the GSO 12 and I already paid. So when it arrives it arrives. I have no issue with wait times up to about 18 months to 2 years. The GSO12 is pushing on a year and I think they will be shipping this fall, so that puts it well under 2 years. That is fine with me.

Quality + hype + short supply + very fair price= high demand.

If GSO knives were junk there would not be a demand for them
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Not to be a "wet-blanket", Cobalt, but I'd be VERY surprised if the GSO-12 makes it out to people before the new year (I have one on order as well). http://surviveknives.com/production-schedule/
In that list, the 7/7's were getting cut from sheet-stock 6 months ago and appear to still be making their way through Peter's HT... I've been tracking the company's progress, and while I have no idea how many blades they are building for each model, the way they are doing it - effectively one model at a time - it's taking 6 to 12 months for each model to go from water-jet to knife-in-my-hand. That's really not bad considering the size of the company and the evident number of each model produced (they publish pictures at various stages of production), but seeing as the 3.5 (in line right before the 12) hasn't started production yet and it's a popular size (judging from knives on the market in general) there may be rather a LOT of those to be produced before our 12's make it to the shop... I would LOVE to have my GSO-12 within 2-yrs of pre-payment (placed my order in April '15)... but I'm not holding my breath. It's going to be awesome and I've got the patience to wait, but... Just sayin'.

You're not an alcoholic, are you? IF you get your 12 by year's end, I hearby promise to buy/ship you a Dragon's Milk. :o


For the record, I've owned some 12 Survive! knives all purchased directly from their website, and none have taken as much as 12 months to get to me, and that includes the first of their 2016 models... but the next in line are taking longer.
 
Good steels, good heat treatment from Peters, a company that a lot of custom makers on here use, nice price point. I was surprised to see that they did a run in CruForge V, which as many of you probably know, is not easy to get as not much of it was made before Crucible' bankruptcy a fee years back. i still have like 300 pounds of the stuff.
 
chiral.grolim said:
Not to be a "wet-blanket", Cobalt, but I'd be VERY surprised if the GSO-12 makes it out to people before the new year (I have one on order as well). http://surviveknives.com/production-schedule/
In that list, the 7/7's were getting cut from sheet-stock 6 months ago and appear to still be making their way through Peter's HT... I've been tracking the company's progress, and while I have no idea how many blades they are building for each model, the way they are doing it - effectively one model at a time - it's taking 6 to 12 months for each model to go from water-jet to knife-in-my-hand. That's really not bad considering the size of the company and the evident number of each model produced (they publish pictures at various stages of production), but seeing as the 3.5 (in line right before the 12) hasn't started production yet and it's a popular size (judging from knives on the market in general) there may be rather a LOT of those to be produced before our 12's make it to the shop... I would LOVE to have my GSO-12 within 2-yrs of pre-payment (placed my order in April '15)... but I'm not holding my breath. It's going to be awesome and I've got the patience to wait, but... Just sayin'.

You're not an alcoholic, are you? IF you get your 12 by year's end, I hearby promise to buy/ship you a Dragon's Milk. :o


For the record, I've owned some 12 Survive! knives all purchased directly from their website, and none have taken as much as 12 months to get to me, and that includes the first of their 2016 models... but the next in line are taking longer.
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So we placed our order at the same time. I am sure mine is coming a year ahead of yours ;) And yes, you can get me the dragon's milk when I get mine. :D

At the end of the day I don't mind waiting. There are people waiting 5 years for Randals:eek:
 
Difference being that people have been waiting for 5 years for Randalls for decades, but you have always been able to get a new one from one of the old time dealers that are still around. For a new company like Survive, this rock star thang is a new experience and as we know, new experiences can be wonderful but they can also cause hair loss and ulcers. I hope Guy and his folks are avoiding the latter and just having a good time. :D
Cobalt said:
So we placed our order at the same time. I am sure mine is coming a year ahead of yours ;) And yes, you can get me the dragon's milk when I get mine. :D

At the end of the day I don't mind waiting. There are people waiting 5 years for Randals:eek:
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They make great knives. I have no complaints. They're made from premium materials and look good too boot. I also prefer the warm micarta scales instead of the polished plastic feeling finish other makers do. They're also made in the USA. [O]
 
jdm61 said:
Difference being that people have been waiting for 5 years for Randalls for decades, but you have always been able to get a new one from one of the old time dealers that are still around. For a new company like Survive, this rock star thang is a new experience and as we know, new experiences can be wonderful but they can also cause hair loss and ulcers. I hope Guy and his folks are avoiding the latter and just having a good time. :D
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True. You can get Randalls from resellers. Heck, even Spyderco has them in their showroom, lol
 
The OP's question has been answered, but I will pile on - excellent knives in design, materials, and manufacturing, at a very reasonable price if you buy direct. Won't comment on "the market value." There are plenty of high quality knives out there. But Survive is top-notch and a great value at factory-direct price.
 
I've purchased four of them in their GSO series. Three in CPM-3V and one in CV-20. My kids got most of them. I've kept one 3V in their excellent GSO 3.5. I was initially impressed by Guy's videos of his 3V models. Fantastic YT videos. The steel is great; the design is great and includes most of what you're looking for in a knife for "survival." The heat-treat is by Peters and is super; a very tough steel with good edge retention which is sort of a misnomer in most cases.
I am TOTALLY sold by SURVIVE's products and with Guy and Ellie. My talks with both on the phone have been pleasant, informative and to my great advantage. Excellent customer service.
 
I read a review on some blog from a guy who was excited receiving the knife which he put a deposit down to be on the pre-order list and like an additional $5 for a total of like $10. The wait was for a year and the knife was the Kershaw Amplitude thats like MSRP $25.

Ha ha ha ha. WTF? Who doesn't love nice cheapo knives, he said. Aye Aye good man.
 
Cobalt said:
Well, I am on the hook for the GSO 12 and I already paid. So when it arrives it arrives. I have no issue with wait times up to about 18 months to 2 years. The GSO12 is pushing on a year and I think they will be shipping this fall, so that puts it well under 2 years. That is fine with me.

Quality + hype + short supply + very fair price= high demand.

If GSO knives were junk there would not be a demand for them
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Last sentence is an argument from popularity. I'm sure GSO makes good knives, but high demand does NOT equal quality.
 
The one thing that really bothered me when they first came out was them leaving the edges of the knife rough from the laser cutting supposedly in order to "save the customers money" How much cost does less than 5 minutes on a horizontal KMG or TW90 belt grinder add to the price of a $200 knife? That was unacceptable IMO and they appear to have stopped doing that.
 
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