Cold Steel’s SRK SK5 knife review.

[@drmetzler]

„Not only broke the knife, but also broke my heart“ I felt that brother

[@Klaaism]

Ever since they began manufacturing in China, quality has been downhill.

[@nickyd.4695]

Sk5 is not a stellar steel.

[@brianf9619]

Kinda expected that from a $35 Chinese made knife .... the Taiwanese made one's are a lot tougher , just sayin ....🤷‍♂️

[@Charles-wr8my]

Some things you just don't do with ANY knife!! I will STAY a CS fan boy😊

[@techtrain65]

The current SRK is not like the Carbon V version from the 90's. The old ones were very tough. I've still got mine.

[@St.Gabriel21]

That's probably true that Srk looks like an updated version of the Recon tanto knife that I use STILL.. And it just won't die

[@anubispup4760]

@@St.Gabriel21 Behold, the Nokia knife.

[@thatidiot346]

I got 2 of their kukri machetes before GSM buyout and the one I use just won't die

[@alisohail295]

Anything else on the market you would recommend that similar ? Im in the market for a solid survival/tactical fixed blade Basically i just want something that will last my lifetime even if the price is a bit high because these days price reflects quality

[@scottcombs3254]

same. My dad gave me mine and taught me to sharpen it. Its like an old war vet, tough and refuses to take any shit.

[@qunt2742]

When someone reviewing or researching finds something negative about something they like, and admits it anyway, it's time to listen.

[@berserkworkentertainment]

Deadass man, I was at least half as heartbroken as he was ☹️

[@PrimitiveFusion]

I get it.

[@frankricci88]

Note to self: don't do a sideways smack test on the SRK when in a survival situation.

[@이섹이]

명심해야지

[@old_timey_prospector]

I've been admiring the SRK from afar for years now, i think you just saved me a nice chunk of change.

[@untermensch731]

you should be fine lol, not like you are going to be wacking it in half

[@old_timey_prospector]

​@@untermensch731 Ordinarily you wouldn't be wrong, copkielevener. But with the particular ways that the knife failed and the quality issues those failures revealed, it made the beautiful design of the knife less attractive when considering that S.R.K. knives should traditionally be able to handle some fairly intense abuse. I can account that the tried and true "sideways smack test" can emulate what could happen if one were to trip or stumble into a tree (or, in my case, a large rock) at just the right angle. Breaking a belt knife on your own hip like that is infuriating. For my purposes, I may spend the same amount of money on an ESEE knife. Or groceries, or the mortgage. We'll see.

[@solideogloria2298]

They're cheap though lol I'm not hitting it in the middle with a freaking log lmao, but i do use the one he has as a throwing knife and its holding up pretty nice. But damn i thought the tang would be a little hardier...

[@old_timey_prospector]

@@solideogloria2298 True on all points, I don't hit my knives with logs either. At least, not on purpose. The test isn't to see if you can hit it like that without breaking it. The test is to emulate the impact force of either an accident or an emergency hard-use scenario.

[@lumpyzx2645]

The SRK is still an absolutely awesome knife, and for just 30-40 bucks for the sk5 version you really can't go wrong. I did a pretty serious torture test on one myself and was very impressed, I did manage to bend and then break the tip, but it broke in the dumbest way imaginable (tried bending it straight with a crescent wrench, I knew better but did it anyway). I would highly recommend it. Puts the kabar fighting knife to shame.

[@chronnoisseur6355]

Great honest review as always. Thanks brother.

[@JustInCases72]

GMS OUTDOORS is who owns Cold Steel now. We all figured that the knives would go down hill afterwards A investment company owns GMS. So it’s a matter of time before all of cold steel products Succumb to the been counters and will cheapen up every product cold Steel has

[@davidlocke1668]

Mine have been near flawless

[@mikethomas2801]

Yaaa i bought this bc it was claimed navy seals swore by it lol i had it a week before I destroyed it and cold steel sent me another so I promptly destroyed it doing normal bush craft shit then sent it back with a letter on what and how to fix it…glad to see they didnt read or gaf

[@brianf9619]

The Navy Seals dont carry that Cheap SK-5 Model lol , it's their Base Model and still worth $35 ... The Seals B.U.D.S. Team carries the SanMai version . That and the CPM-3V Models are Pretty Damm Tough .....👍🖖

[@yung-qh5ts]

@@brianf9619 the sk5 in this vid shouldn’t have broke that easily

[@tommymakem2611]

Their heat treats are absolutely garbage. Have been since the early '00s.

[@M357.]

​@@brianf9619 in germany the sk5 model cost like 80€ thats way too much for this piece of shit. I like the look of it but just for decoration this is too expensive as we saw in the video the knife is good for nothing than decoration

[@brianf9619]

@@M357. WoW , $80 is Waaay too much money for SK5 steel ...

[@nocturnalNinox]

This broke my heart also. This was the knife I carried when I was deployed in Afghanistan.

[@solideogloria2298]

I mean the log test was a little excessive don't you think? It's still a good knife at a good price. Plus I'm assuming you still have it

[@nocturnalNinox]

@@solideogloria2298 True a little excessive and I do still have it and great price, especially 22 years ago. But still disappointed to see it break after thinking it would hold up better. He did do another review with the higher quality version which held up great.

[@SirPraiseSun]

why? itsa USELESS test its a 35 dollar knife and damn strong for the price@@nocturnalNinox

[@productwars9391]

Thanks for making these reviews of knives I can actually afford. I appreciate your enthusiasm and truthfulness of these videos you make. Thank you for the effort.

[@j.h.5277]

Honestly I haven't had much experience with their fixed blades, I usually stick to the folders that have the triad lock. Thanks for this, probably saved me some money

[@octaviansisk4095]

im a fanboy then has 0 bias

[@jasonbowes3303]

Broke my heart too. I have had two of these. I also have the Ultimate Survival knife in green that is identical to the Bear Grylls knife you tested. Somebody’s comment about SRK brought me here. :( Nice review! Thanks

[@user-ob1hj1vz1d]

Dude, YOU JUST SAVED me a ton of money and a mountain of aggravation. I WAS ABOUT to order the SRK until your video---THANK YOU!

[@unknown-ql1fk]

I just got the 3v version....its amazing in every way

[@wowkenshin1]

This, my friends, is why product reviews are so important.

[@shannonbailey4317]

Well s*** that broke my heart too got the exact same knife and I love it and I love Cold steel man like I was hoping that was a damn more of a full-time thank you for sharing the truth with us

[@solideogloria2298]

Seriously! No one is a bigger cold steel fan boy than me, so that really broke my heart, hearing about how small that tang was lmao!

[@jhtsurvival]

Even though you broke it. The cold steel SRK in SK5 is still good price

[@Biomass1]

Find a Carbon V version and be done with it. Mine was carried 12 years as an Army infantryman and i would trust my life to it.

[@bkershaccount]

Appreciate you acknowledging yourself as a fanboy and still being honest when not the best result.

[@HCG]

These tests are great. Correct me if I’m wrong, but it seems the Gerber Strongarm is the current most highly rated survival knife you’ve tested so far.

[@securemindsetofficial]

That's the reason why I as a sar volunteer trust my life with that gerber strongarm.

[@chemistcollins5308]

Great vids. Respect from 🇨🇦

[@spectermad9180]

The new SRK cheap steel the older one will hold up to this and so much more cold steel just went cheap on the steel..

[@ilikeknives5307]

Sucks to see the quality of this tool go down the drain. I used to own the carbon v steel version back in the day and that was a beast of a knife, it seems that after cold steel was bought out the quality control just isn’t there anymore.

[@airiksknifereviews9548]

Gerber Prodigy and Strongarm are awesome blades. Yes inflation has hit Gerber hard but $79 is still a good deal. I trust my Prodigy over all my knives and would grab it over them all in a crisis.

[@mattsilvaarmwrestling]

It's 1095 equivalent. That's why these are like $40

[@seanwhite304]

Esee and Bark River have been my go too for hard usage fixed blades .

[@joshhhy__4661]

Damn thats really disappointing from cold steel!! The quality has dropped so much since the company was bought over. Back in the day you could stake your life on their knives, now its a back up of a back up and just sits in the pack or the car..

[@TRUMPUSA1]

I have that knife. Figured it was more for defense than survival. Now I'm sure of it. Yikes! Great video. Ty

[@tresmith6001]

As a cold steel lover this hurt but my spike is still my favorite

[@saltysaty8686]

I love my spike but that's a full tang and not ever going to be used like this. My sk5 is seeing me watching this and shaking....

[@jx5m67]

thank you for giving an honest review even on brands you like. this content is honestly very helpful information

[@torfinnjohnsrud793]

I loved my honda civic, but for some reason it had minor roughness once I off-roaded with it. It took minor damage when I did bump-into-wall testing, just paint and front lights. I'm actually a honda fan so its pissing me off right now. And goddamn, my heart broke when I filled it with diesel instead of gas. I've never done that gas test before but i think ill start doing it with all my test sedans.

[@pdubowner]

You dropped this. 👑

[@caffeinefather]

This is surprising, I was under the impression that it was a full tang with an overmolded rubber handle. Thanks for the vids

[@hostilemgtow603]

Caffeine Father It is.

[@TheBeardedGecko]

Felt the last comment, been a fan for years and this is the first one that's gave way without a fight

[@k3vnman726]

I’ve found the older versions had better steel. My dad had a carbon 5 and I use I believe the aus 8 version

[@Why...So...Stupid...]

Bad heat treatment.

[@trongborg]

Last test was cool but bro be safe! that blade can go in your throat when it breaks 😮😢 Any way, love your work! 👍🙂

[@brianf9619]

Still a Good Deal for $35 , and the other 2 more expensive models Are a Hell of Alot Tougher , you won't get the same result with the CPM-3V model .....👍🖖

[@justifiedsmile52]

“Thanks for watching” the tone there was real. Felt like: “I didn’t want to do this, but my honesty outweighs my preference.”

[@knowwearneresquare3177]

Daaaam that's crushing.... oh well San Mai test when ?

[@MadMakMurdock]

That breaks my heart , I just bought because I heard so many positive reviews

[@Lazerlord5275]

What would be your favorite knife? The one that had the best rating from you.

[@yourgodsisspeakingtoyouher4284]

My Falkniven A1 VG10 laminated blade has never, ever, failed me. Arctic, High Desert, swamplands, salt water scuba diving, mountain forests, and P.I. Jungles. Even let my daughter’s boyfriend chop with it, a few strops and it’s back to hair-shaving edge. I have never pounded it into a tree to stand on 😊 though. At $140.00 a while back, it consistently outperforms many of my knives costing three to four times as much. The older model came with a very well-made Kydex and canvas sheath. Mission MPK Ti. Prototype with no added steel jn Zytel handle-$450.00. Al Mar SERE- $325.00 back in the 80s, Chris Reeves Tanto-$450.00, Jimmy Lyle, Timberline, Cold Steel Trail master San Mai-$400.00 and the list keeps getting longer.

[@Kratos_God_of_50_BMG]

Wow, I was literally just about to buy this 😳 Thanks for the quick review!

[@withoutcontext7953]

Did i just watch a snuff film?

[@solideogloria2298]

Lmao!

[@FireCampSecurity]

I was just about to buy that. Good save. Im also a cold steel fan 😢

[@wyesolsirius4947]

Saved me a trip down the Amazon knife rabbit hole. Thanks

[@D.or.A]

Great video, thank you!!!

[@perpetualconfusion5885]

This vid broke my heart. Ive been abusing mine for 2 years now. I literally cut down a small tree. Battoned tons of branches,etc. Hammered stakes,etc.

[@Pichouette]

I just ordered one. Wish I had found this video before 🤨

[@thatidiot346]

Try the cold steel kukri machete

[@theidahotraveler]

I'm a cold steel Fanboy too so what does this mean no more Cold Steel

[@Frdtsl]

I was about to buy a srk till i saw it break in half. Wow

[@ussr7714]

Their new ownership ruined cold steel

[@ulbushcrafting6592]

Even tho you mostly test low end knives, I find it refreshing nonetheless because it is not a “rock solid “ folder with “super smooth” opening, and pry bar with a challenge coin. BTW, I like your designs.

[@spectermad9180]

It's probably the new SRK not the old one like the Aus8 or Sami it's the newer one with the cheaper steel...

[@MitchDemers0324]

Cold steel used to be great but now they are basically a budget brand.

[@frankysandoval5676]

There's a backyard torture test some dudes did with this knife n it held n cut very well after.. Either they got a really good one, or this guy got a crappy one. Now I'm kinda skeptical with mine haha

[@yamainmanzhan2126]

Yeah I was thinking the heat treat on this one was just bad. Cs's quality control has been out of wack as of late because of gsm but when they get it right it really hits it out of the ball park still. I dont get what a lot of these people in the comments are talking about when they complain that it's made overseas. (Most of cs's stuff is made in Taiwan. Taiwan makes *good* stuff. Just because it's an asian country that isnt japan dosent mean that it's crappy chinese made junk) Had to get that off my chest.

[@nolanchinn582]

Right in the feelers shot to the heart !

[@kabes1776]

I own one in 3v and sk5. Perfect size blade.

[@basedbane787]

Lynn sold the company 😭

[@sammywhammy8295]

Please do a shrade fixed blade, full tang survival knife. They are about 20-50 bucks depending on the knife and I'd love to see them tested because I want to get a 50 dollar one. I have a 20 dollar one and it chops, batons, and slices effortlessly.

[@411Outdoors]

I have a love-hate relationship with this knife. The handle gets loosened very easily. It looks cool, and feels great in the hand, but it seems to have a limited scope of usefulness.

[@QLAUZSIBEL]

I have a lot of older CS blades I bought every one I wanted till 2021.

[@bobhoward9016]

Yeah my favorite too.

[@bobhabsolute4995]

I wonder if there’s also a design flaw. This SRK and the USMC KABAR have the same kind of tang forming a T where it meets the blade and both brake at this junction point. A tapering tang seems to better dissipate the vibrations and energy. I don’t know if my assumption is right but would like to hear your thoughts.

[@Dotson6996]

If you haven't already, you should do a top 5 list. Start with budget knives, then maybe high end knives, and then worse knives to buy.

[@Zachary-]

It has good shock absorption because there was fucking nothing connecting the blade to the hilt.

[@calculatedsurvival]

Truth

[@blackguitarmaker1925]

Somebody send this man the top tier SRK. 😢 I wish I could just to see it tested. 👍

[@amd65ak47]

I think one that needs to be tested is made by M-Tech USA extreme It's a titanium carbide blade it's called stealth strike has a kydex sheath the tang is a couple millimeters thick very heavy duty knife but small and compact I like to see a review done on it

[@rusty299]

the mall ninja knife of choice. Make cold steel great again.

[@brighamruud5090]

Test the esse 5

[@macmccartney5760]

Good shock absorption because thick rubber and not so thick tang

[@elimorris1280]

They got bought out switched ownership

[@jonschaefer1463]

Well said and right on. I commented on knock off, copies. I have real first Generation. And am glad you are aware of copies

[@Mirasshtar]

Ouch... I'm a cold steel fan too... that's just unfortunate

[@Adrianfytr46]

Ive been wanting a Cold Steel knife for about twenty years and I finally got an SRK San Mai version so i decided to stab a tree and the very tiny point of the tip broke off! It wasnt even that hard of a stabbing motion. Still looks awesome and i dont even use it but that was not what i expected to happen. Still gonna get another Cold Steel lol.

[@sniper161718]

They need to have a 3v version for the srk compact

[@gabrielsanluis7452]

You are a badass keep making the best knife reviews on the web, also if you haven’t already can you do the camillus titanium

[@calculatedsurvival]

I did the Camillus Carnivore X

[@calculatedsurvival]

And thank you!

[@austinregister990]

they make diff steel versions of the SRK. this one is the cheaper end of the spectrum i believe

[@briteidea08]

I’ve actually used my srk to make kindling. Ex-girlfriend said she owned everything to go camping. We had almost everything except a hatchet or axe.

[@b-rentg7349]

Still buy one for the price it's an excellent blade and if you really like it but the more expensive version with better steel. Either way I don't regret dropping 40 bucks on a srk it's been solid for years

[@peasantsrevolt4780]

I've never been in a situation that required that much abuse on a knife. I put my knives through the ringer and have never broke the tang, even a rat-tail tang.

[@user-gk4jd1jv4k]

Yep I mean what would anyone think is going to happen when you do STUPID THINGS like this ?!

[@rickw3423]

just bought one. good deal on Amazon right now

[@John-vw7wf]

Slightly decent throwing knife now

[@otterperson1172]

Could you do a review of the gerber yari? I recently got one and have been loving it.

[@moshpitmachine]

I love cold steel knives. The srk is one of my favorites. I had it in Iraq and unfortunately it got "lost" there. Any one who's been in the military knows why I put quotations. So recently I wanted one and these were the only ones I could find. Did some research on the steel and realized why it was so cheap. Here's to hoping tgis isn't the new cold steel trend

[@Deathbecomesme3]

Strategically Transfer Equipment to Alternate Locations

[@madisensteele6659]

I have both the old carbon v srk and the new sk5 version. I'm very hard on my knives. The sk5 broke within a few months of buying it, however the carbon v is still as good as new after all this time. I do believe the company got bought out a few years ago and I've noticed a drastic decline in quality. The originals get harder to find and more expensive as time goes on. Very sad that they are losing their once great reputation.

[@rollincoalyt301]

You should do the KG survival knife

[@2214freak]

Hey I wish you would do that tang integrity test on the 3v version

[@juanhuggins1110]

Aww man, I used to love cold steel

[@nickyd.4695]

I'd bypass this version and either go for the San Mai or 3V versions but they cost substantially more.

[@jasonlove3517]

Snapped the tip off my SRK the first time I even slightly challenged the tip. That’s why I’d never buy again.

[@hbghost8149]

I wish cold steel could make the srk a full tang

[@antoniocastro316]

That's the life I want

[@pieterdutoit5967]

I'm also feeling a bit emotional 😢 but honestly I don't have a problem with it being that hard that it breaks instead of bending

[@bserieshatch1]

Glad ive got an old trailmaster.

[@robmurphy623]

I mean.....it's the 40 dollar version. It did pretty good for 40 bucks if you ask me

[@richroc7]

Yeah CS quality has gone down in some aspects. That’s part of why I stopped buying from them 10 years ago because they outsourced labor. I prefer made in USA 🇺🇸 if at all possible.

[@GreatBigRanz]

Never trust the rat tail tangs.

[@user-wb2fh2bb2m]

We buy it for self defense not for wood cutting equipment even the wood cutting blade should be changed