Somehow I've went from being a gun guy to a knife guy. I never would have thought about buying a knife over $30-$40 and after doing some reading on steels, I've spend over $1k on knives since last summer.
I can't believe someone else is in the same predicament. I maxed out my two 28 gun safes and I loaded up on ammo all during the last supply shortage during 2013-14. Never was a knife guy, only a few coldsteels i purchased from 1990. Now I got over 20 coldsteels. A few SRKs, magnum tantos, and trailmasters.
I was given one by my Grandparents before I went to Desert Storm. It got so much use then went with me Somalia where I brokered tip off of it. It got tossed in a box in my parents garage sometime around 1995 or so. My nephew found it last year and reprofiled the tip and clean it up really well and gave it to me for my birthday. Brought back a flood of memories some good some bad, but was a surprise to say the least. Now I keep in my truck as my go to fixed blade.
I just bought a CPM-3V SRK on 10/6/22 for $109.00 at MidWay USA, and they are NOW made Back in Taiwan and have a Sharp 90° Spine with a Satin Finish , these Blades are Awesome 👌 , just a Heads Up Guys ....👍🖖
How's it holding up? How hard have you used it? I just picked one up for the same price at midwayusa with an olive green handle & sheath. I have an original carbonV version that's held up to years of abuse. I'm excited to have this new 3V version.
Bought this weeks ago and I love it. Italy has great quality control too! The 3V SRK from Italy is in my opinion the Magnum Opus of the SRK line so far.
This is the video I've been waiting for. I love the comparison and I'm really excited that Cold Steel brought a higher end SRK. Keep innovating and keep kicking ass!
I just bought the San Mai version, can't wait to add it to my kit! Thanks for the years of great content, I find myself basing the majority of my kit-purchasing decisions based on your (clearly) unbiased and concise reviews. God Bless, bro.
I think this blade combined with a Finn Wolf in the pocket would probably be perfect for the outdoors since the scandi grind would make it better at the smaller Bushcraft tasks you mentioned
Great review man...The SRK is the perfect do anything knife. I beat the snot out of one for years & never did anything more than break a super small piece of the tip...and I was able to sharpen it back to a good working edge.
martin weiand there were actually 2 different runs of the US 4Max. The first run had the little dogleg in the lock bar, right at the beginning of the thumb cutout. The 2nd, didn’t. Mine is from the 2nd run. And mine is technically a Mid-Tech, and not just a production. A Mid-Tech is a production knife that is hand assembled by the custom maker. You see, the 2nd run had an issue with the lockbars. They stuck up very proud, well above the liners and scales. So Cold Steel became aware of this issue, and accepted the knives for return, for a fitting of a new lock bar, that sat flush. The returned knives (not that many were returned) were sent to Andrew Demko’s shop, so that he could disassemble them, and install/fit, the new lockbar. Ergo, my 4Max, was a production knife that was hand assembled by Andrew Demko. AKA, a Mid-Tech.
All you need now is the San Mai version for your collection , I have the older one ,its awesome. I think the Steel Will Argonaut 800 is discontinued now , I have the 800 and the 810 versions.
Aesthetically and cpm3v from Italy is my favorite. Unfortunately Aesthetics don't count in cutting this version sk5 is my favorite. The V1 version is my least favorite and I'm anxiously awaiting the san mai version
Thanks for the comparisons, but for me, its the SRK in SK5 all day. Same knife as the 3V version except for the slight hollow grind, and I can buy four SK5's to one 3V. I don't have a problem with a slight hollow grind on a thick blade and have never had a problem with them when doing hardcore tasks either. Would like to see you compare any of the SRK's with the APO1.
How is the edge retention on the SK5? I'm sure it's not as good as the 3v but everybody raves abt the SK5 so if the edge retention is really good, I'll go for it. The 3v is too expensive for me. Thanks, be Blessed.
I don't get thick blades with hollow grinds, I find they chip, get stuck, etc. May as well just get a thinner knife at that point, it'll be stronger, lighter and more functional. They also just look like all the cheapo 440a 'knives' that people who don't buy quality own. The grind defeats the purpose of the thickness, it's both weak and unnecessarily heavy, makes no sense.
WarGrrl, the SK5 has very good edge retention, and very easy to sharpen. I used the Recon Tanto all summer last year on a 3 month trip from Florida to Maine stopping to camp and fish all points in between. I used the SK5 Recon to baton wood exclusively for my rocket stove, 3 times a day and I barely needed to touch up the edge the whole time. I only strop around the campfire when the spirit moved me. Other than that I even like it better than the VG1/VG10, for its ease to sharpen.
I bought the Cold Steel Master Hunter in 3V after your review a few years back. Great under rated knife. 3V is is a great steel. As an overall package, blade, steel and sheath, these knives in 3V are a great value. I’m considering getting the SRK in 3V. Thanks.
I agree...hell,I just paid $150 for a Bradford Guardian 4 in N690 (I don’t at all regret it,it is an absolutely amazing knife) but like you said,this knife as an overall package is a great deal,this is about the cheapest I’ve seen a knife in 3V and you can’t go wrong with the tried and true design as it is basically a Falkniven clone...I’m about to order a Bradford Guardian 3 and I’m planning on picking up the Guardian 5.5 in 3V in the near future but I may end up buying this before I get the Guardian 5.5 in 3V..for the Guardian 5.5 in 3V with the nimbus finish and a kydex sheath will cost me a little over $300...I expect I will like the Guardian 5.5 better but at the price difference the SRK in 3V is a far better value
Might pick this up, I’ve been using the SK5 version and the Steel Will Roamer R305. The SK5 is sometimes to soft and the D2 in the R305 is hard to sharpen when it gets dull in the field. CPM-3V might be just right
The symmetry of the grinds was perfection in the AUS8A SRK. Japanese Craftsmanship. The AUS8A SRK remains my favorite in the line. Yes, even over the Carbon V.
UK price for 3V version £204 and for the SK5 version £56 if you can find it in stock at the moment. So thanks but no thanks way to much super steel BS out there, SK5 or good old AUS-8 for me. Thanks for the video, take care and god bless.
Survival Lilly developed a new knife that seems inspired by the SRK but has a little more beefier blade. She has a few different versions now. I would LOVE to see you review THAT knife!!
@@tomsawyerpiper9412 I like the micarta handles on Survival Lilly's blade better and it is a thicker blade which may be even better as a survival knife. It's in the same price range as this knife. I think Gideontactical does great reviews so I would like to see what he thinks and how it compares.
I got the Argonaut on your recommendation several years ago and never looked back - love that thing. I'd have to see how the 3V SRK version would function in my high-humidity, high-salinity conditions.
Yeah, specifically she used the AUS-8 version of the SRK. Apparently she really loved that knife. When she eventually designed her own knife, she took a whole heck of a lot of design cues from her old SRK.
@@LXT43 Honestly she knows what she's doing. Plus, yeah; she's easy on the eyes. Though I did unsubscribe from her channel when she made that fully nude video of herself. Okay, she did censor out all her private parts from it. But you could see the rest, and she was clearly nude by the water. Honestly, when you're a young woman and you're showing everyone that you are capable of going into the woods and not just surviving but being comfortable there, thanks to your knowledge and skills; that's something that guys have to respect. But then you decide to cheapen yourself by using your body to get more subs., more views; and you do it more than once.... Yeah, you lose respect. I lost a lot of respect for her.
She clearly knows what she is doing...some guys don’t want to give her credit just because she is a woman...I personally think it’s awesome there are women who are also into bushcraft
@@LXT43 Lol, you're a dummy. Who the fuck is an "expert" on RU-vid? The gideonstactical guy? Wranglerstar? The DBK guys? Nick Shabazz? What are their credentials, or what would their credentials even have to be in order to call them "experts"? You might say a Navy Seal (for example) is an "expert," but he's no more an expert on knives than he is on boots or backpacks.
Great video. About 4 years late to the party, but just ordered one of these today from Knifeworks. They have it listed as from Taiwan, but the recasso in the pic looked like your Italian cutter. Almost nobody had these, and if they did they were over $200. I ordered mine for $139 on Knifeworks. So maybe a deal to alert people to.
When I went through US Naval Special Warfare Combatant-craft Crewman (SWCC) training back in 1999, we were issued one of the older versions of the SRK. An outstanding knife that was able to deal with a maritime environment surprisingly well for a carbon steel blade. Out of nostalgic reasons, I decided to purchase the SRK in San Mai III just a few years ago. But to my dismay, after I put a wicked edge on that San Mai III, I realized that the sheath was dulling the knife upon insertion and extraction. I ended up giving that SRK away. Anyone else have this issue?
Jaime! You basically threw out the baby with the bathwater. You could have changed sheath or taken yours apart and sanded down the point of contact! Don't do that again. Simple fixes abounds.
I was actually eyeing this just the other day on Amazon.I think I’m gonna pick one up,this is about as cheap as I’ve seen a knife in 3V steel...I still want to pick up a Bradford Guardian 5.5 too
@@Steve_G88 VG1 is just as San Mai III.. only the steel in the sandwich is a little different... Vg10 is a little better.Both steels come from the same factory. also Fällkeniven's Vg10
I tried a Fallkniven. Specifically the A1. The handles are so short, that the exposed tang, which has sharp (relatively speaking) sides, and it digs into the brevis of my palm. Painfully so.
I own 2 SRk's an a RECON SCOUT, 2 American, last srk made in Taiwan, but mine are all sk5 steel, love em, not to happy about the Taiwan one cause I thought it was made in the USA, but will use it anyway for what I bought it for.
Love mine. I sent mine out to an HRC tester and it came out at 59 instead of the 61-62 that Cold Steel said it was but still a great blade. It's definitely better than other steels but it's not excalibur compared to other knives. I wish it had a 90 degree spine too. SRK is my favorite mid size survival knife design. The only version I need to find for my SRK collection is the Carbon V one
Got a Master Hunter in San Mai for food prep and finer tasks and the SRK in SK5 as a beater knife. Recently picked up a BRK JX-5 (3V) for larger tasks. Would probably have gotten SRK in 3V if this version was out at the time instead of the coated one.
A flat grind! Well looks like I might be getting another SRK! I use this knife in S&R when it first came out I picked one up. Worked in every task I put it through but lost it some where. So bought another one and now want one for back up. But no hollow grind for me, makes blade weak. Thanks for another great review and taking the time to do the work!
Utter stupidity!!! Take a look at the knife!! Where's the flat grind??? Looks like a saber to me, and hollow grind does not make blade weaker, thinner behind the edge sure... that's why they cut so damn well. Sorry but "superstitious" beliefs due to ignorance sometimes 😤
@@Oozy9Millimeetah just going by the review as to the grind. Won't know until I seen it for sure. Yes hollow grind cuts well but fails for search and rescue work.
@@jimzwerlein6012 sorry i was bit harsh. Well i can definitely say that it's not a flat grind because the grind doesn't go all the way to the top. Im not familiar with what is search and rescue type of work for a knife?? Or how realistic it is for the real world user who buys knives to cut things. But anyways yes the SRK in 3V is a win.
@@Oozy9Millimeetah I agree with you on the grind thanks for pointing that out. I don't do bush craft as a true bush craft person would. I have spent nights in the woods and have the items I need with me. I carry two fixed blades and a pocket knife. I never had to beat on my knife to split wood. Have a great one!
In Gratitude I Am I agree, and I thought the same thing when I got mine, however I will say with what I’ve put mine though it’s not much of an issue. I was worried about the rubber shit they have drying up and cracking but it never happened. I do agree though. If cold steel had the SRK with a wider exposed tang with a G10 handle where the blade and handle created the guard it would be prime. Cold Steel would be WAY more popular with a model like that.
I have never had a problem with the guard, also have master hunter in 3v. Ive never heard of any problems ever!!. Ive investigated most of the forums as well and it seems very robust. Some guys have had earlier versions for over 10 years of hard use so i have to say i trust it. The 3v is epic to be honest, easy sharpen as well with a whet stone and strop.
Woooooooow, looks like Cold Steel finally joined the ranks of knife manufacturers who utilize premium and super steels! No offense to Cold Steel but, it’s about damn time!!! I’m well aware of the increased manufacturing costs associated with premium and super steels. But with so many semi-custom knife manufacturers popping up in recent years it’s clearly where the market is going. Knife nuts like me always want more options, and greater performance out of each new steel. And metallurgy experts along with material science plants are constantly discovering new manufacturing techniques for creating new kinds of steel with astonishing properties. We keep finding new extremes for properties like edge retention and corrosion resistance. Glad to see that Cold Steel is finally reacting to the market. Cheers.
Cold Steel has been using CPM 3V on various knives for years, but they also offer cheaper versions of many knives. The Warcraft Tanto is what got me interested in CPM 3V almost a decade ago.
To me, the best version will always be the AUS-8 one. Sure, it gets the stink-eye as a steel. But it's one of the more rust-resistant stainless steels out there, with rather good edge holding ability, and is not just easy to resharpen when it gets dull; but you can get it scary sharp without needing diamond hones. And without sitting there for a half an hour trying to do so. Not too many stainless steel knives out there bigger than a typical 4-inch bladed Companion knife that offer all that. Speaking from experience regarding AUS-8. When that version was discontinued, we got the VG-1 SRK. Longer edge holding ability, but more of a chore to resharpen. And, you couldn't get it scary sharp without diamond hones or a great deal of effort and time.
Thank you for this video and information, I found it very helpful. I was pretty much set on purchasing the Italy-made, SRK. Yet, this great video I found gave me even more information. I will most likely be checking out more of your content. I should say as well that I also thought it was interesting and neat that Cold Steel has a blade made in Italy. I don't know much about the knife manufacturing industry in Italy. But,, most of the time and within reason I trust Cold Steel for quality and innovation as well. So long as they are not creating new items in China, haha, like they have unfortunately at times I've seen. I've loved and bought Cold Steel blades and weapons forever now and have a few on me at the moment actually, hehe. Thanks, again, for this video God bless and Merry Christmas.
This blade is really neat I love the grind, it's a bit expensive though for me. I'd recommend reviewing the Ontario camp knife drop point version it's a great budget blade and I battoned it through very knotty pine that was loaded with sap and after all that and feather sticking (with the factory edge ) it still shaved my arm with ease.🤷🏻♂️ Idk how they did it but seriously you should show people this knife It's the one that looks like a kitchen knife 😂 the sheath is crap though.
Cool knives collection I think they all can get the job done what they are ment to be used for. The slicer I think I would use that all the time for food preparation chop slice dice for the pan. Then prep wood for fire.
I still don't have anything in 3V or 30V; just S35VN and N690. I love both of those, although I haven't put the S35VN (TOPS Camp Creek) through its paces yet. I had an issue with the sheath and wonder if it's worth going through a warranty/return over...or just fix/mod it myself, or spend the $ on a custom sheath I will probably want anyway. 🤔
Sadly, I guess they discontinued this stonewashed made in Italy version since the whole company switchover. The new version is satin like the san mai III version, has the new cold steel logo, and will now be made in Taiwan instead. Still a Cold Steel SRK in CPM-3V though.
Excited to pick up this Italian version of SRK in CPM 3V. Ordered from Knife Center. Cost $145, took 6 months for them to fill order and came ‘made in Taiwan.’ Great … 🙄
Really want this one. Also, there are two versions of the 4Max: one made in the US and one made in Italy, so there is at least one other Cold Steel made in Italy.
Omgoodness. Cpm 3v, iv been working for hours so far to polish away the double grind, the health and safety grind, to bring it to its real edge. Very slow progress. Like an old samurai polisher. It may take a few weeks at an hour a night. But it will then very possibly be the best SRK there is.
i got this blade and its a great knife only thing i can say is the secondary v grind was way to thick i knocked it down to a 20 degree angle and it works 100 times better
2:00 You say that the knife is a "flat grind". From the video pics that is clearly NOT a flat grind as the primary bevel starts nearly halfway down the blade. If it is flat from there on down to the cutting edge then by definition it must be a sabre grind, not a flat grind. To be classed as a flat grind the flat grind should start from the spine all the way down. or at least very much nearer to the spine? Comment please.
I came to see if I should pick SRK over FK S1. Was not feeling convinced and then you throw in the S1! I guess I am heading for S1 Pro. Too bad the 3V steel even still has better edge retainment.
so, makes this ricasso on the new srk any sense or why is there furthermore a ricasso. For Expample a Powercut is not so good possible and i think without Ricasso, it should be the best?
It seems Cold Steel switched the manufacturing from Italy to Taiwan. The part numbers are different: CS38CKD vs CS38CKE. The Italian CS38CKD version is no longer in stock anywhere. Does anyone know if there's a difference between the Italian and Taiwan versions? Looking at the pictures, it looks like the Italian version has almost a saber grind, where the Taiwan versions had a flat grind. It's very difficult to see the difference on internet pictures.
The SRK has never caught my interest. Ever since I got the Strongarm in BDZ-1 steel, it's been my favorite small to mid size knife to use. Now if Gerber ever made one of those in a super steel, I'd jump on that like white on rice, lol.
Gerber is complete junk I will never trust them again. I've given them many chances and every Gerber I've ever owned broke with hardly any use at all. I'm glad you've had good luck but I refuse to ever trust them again
Enjoy your reviews. #1 Blade HQ list country of origin as Taiwan, not Italy. I have had good knives from both countries, so this is no problem for me. (Communist China is a no go for me). #2 I am very intrigued by the steel for its toughness, and it has very good edge retention. However, I am no fan of rubber handles. What is your opinion of this particular handle?
I have the cold steel srk 3v version from a few years ago. This one was produced in Taiwan. Is there a major difference betwwen the one mad ein Italy and the one made in Taiwan?
Just depends, I have found cold steels aus-8 to be quite tough. I know they wanted better edge retention and brought the HRC up on these models and I have easily broke the tip on two since they moved to that steel. The higher HRC has made it a little brittle for me but that is my experience yours may vary.
@@gideonstactical unfortunately, Cold Steel doesn't make the AUS-8A version anymore. I might be able to find one used. I know you said Cold Steel claimed they were returning all SRKs to a flat grind, but I believe that was before the sale GSM Outdoors. I could be wrong, but I doubt GSM will make positive changes. Perhaps it's time to just pony up the money for the CPM-3V version, while it's still available. BTW, I've never heard of that Steel Will company. I went to their website. It looks like they may have gone out of business.
@@gideonstactical Gideon, I love your reviews BTW. Please keep them coming. Regarding the Steel Will knives, they look very good. The Argonaut 810 is down to $71 on Amazon. That said, I noticed they're all made in China. I know it's tough to buy something that isn't made in China. Still, I take that into consideration when I buy expensive items. Cold Steel (or at least the old Cold Steel), makes the vast majority of their knives in countries that are allies of the US. I know it's not a big deal to everyone, but it is to me.
@@gideonstactical it appears I was incorrect. The Steel Will Argonauts are made in Taiwan. I'm going to send back my SRK in VG-10 San Mai 3, due to the hollow grind/tip strength issue. If I want a good stainless steel do-everything knife, would you recommend the Argonaut 810 over the SRK in CPM-3V (which is twice as expensive)? I can get a good deal on the Steel Will Argonaut 810, and CPM-3V isn't fully stainless. I guess my question is simple. Is the tip of the Argonaut 810 stronger than the SRK San Mai 3 tip?
