My Thoughts on SK-5 Steel and My New Cold Steel SRK

Yes... I take any excuse to talk about the SRK

[@Sambo169]

I got all the steels the SRK is made in and im like you! The SK-5 SRK is easy to sharpen and stays sharp! You can not beat it for 40ish bucks!

[@gideonsstuff]

Thanks for watching, man. SK-5 all the way!👍😁

[@Jussydergraf]

Nice video. I share your love to to the SRK. It was my companion knife at 2 expeditions in Namibia, Africa, and in the wildernes of sweden. it will be with me at my next Trip to Africa in December too. I just ordered a second one in OD Green Today. Thanks for your great content and greetings from Germany

[@gideonsstuff]

Thanks for watching, man! Sounds like your SRK has some stories to tell👍

[@hansel498]

Hi from South Africa...how does the rubber handle hold up?

[@docalexander2853]

How can you fly with it legally?

[@Jussydergraf]

@@docalexander2853 Its no Problem in the checked baggage

[@TimsSchoolOfFish]

Nothing like a little Exxon Valdez down your back first thing in the morning 😆 Beautiful out there brother! Don’t think I have any SK5, but I’m gonna have to pick up that knife. Agreed that a knife is the best survival tool you can have! Good stuff as always, G! 👊🏻

[@gideonsstuff]

I love the smell of oil in the morning!😂 I think everyone should have an SRK. It just can't be beat! Thanks for watching, man👍😁

[@TimsSchoolOfFish]

@@gideonsstuff Yessir!

[@richardrocha702]

I like that you like the SRK, because I like the SRK & the Junior model "C" too. I just have so many knives to rotate in the EDC mode, and I do carry a fixed blade everyday. I carry either a Buck 110 Auto or the SR1 Lite as an every day folder. Bought the "Luzon" cause I saw it and knew I had to have it, and at times I'll carry it for fun. Keep up the good work and content. 🙂

[@gideonsstuff]

SR1 Lite is a no-nonsense folder, great choice! Thanks for watching, man👍😁

[@H3mL0ck]

Great review. My problem with sk5 is that i think its a bit harder to sharpen than 1095. I have an srk and kabar bk2.

[@gideonsstuff]

Thanks for watching, man👍

[@Gman1024]

Great info, comparison, sights & sounds, as well as interesting lesson in repairing wire fencing, which I liked. Thanks for the upload, the SRK looks like amazing bang for the buck. Good job taking care of your buddy, dehydration and heat exhaustion are k!llers. Always good to have a battle buddy nearby.

[@gideonsstuff]

A battle buddy is a necessity 😂 Thanks for watching, man!

[@antonioskarasulas7604]

You are right, smacking the blade heavily on the side with a log is not what the knife is designed to withstand. It's excessive and doesn't match any actual use parameters.

[@gideonsstuff]

Yeah, I don't understand the point of that test at all😂 Thanks for watching!👍

[@hillbillyfromtheswamp6223]

Just ordered the full size srk from Midway USA in their blaze orange handle and sheath. Can't wait to get it!! I have an original Srk that I stripped the blade on ( which I don't advise doing) although it turned out badass after a good patina. And also have the compact too. These SRK blades are just amazing for the price. The new one in orange from Midway on sale with shipping for under $40. Can't fkn beat that

[@gideonsstuff]

Nice! Thanks for watching, man👍

[@Argento261]

probably not a Demko design, its around since the early 90s, my first one was Carbon V then i had some in Aus8, now this one in SK5. Old ones were flat/saber ground, not a fan of a hollow grind on outdoor knives, but its ok on the SRK

[@gideonsstuff]

Thanks for the info, man!👍😁

[@AlanSpringer2074]

I’d like to order one from Amazon but they won’t send one to my address which is odd because they’re legal in Michigan. I guess I’ll use Blade HQ. Cool video Gideon.

[@gideonsstuff]

Amazon can be a little weird with shipping sometimes. If you do get one, you'll really enjoy it!

[@h4rry4x44]

Hey Slick 😀. Excellent video 👍. I have bought a few Cold Steel knives on your recommendations. Fixed blades are not really my thing. I am keeping a look out for a AD10 :)

[@gideonsstuff]

I can't recommend the AD-10 enough. You'll love it 👍😁

[@thefishinglor6931]

I've been thinking about this for a long time and I always come back to the same conclusion: 3V for everything and cpm154 for wetter environments but I dont mind carrying a couple pocket stones in my pack with a strop paddle

[@gideonsstuff]

You know, I need more experience with 3V. I've only used it on a few knives and it's a real shame 👍😂

[@thefishinglor6931]

@@gideonsstuff it’s like a great movie! You can watch it now or next year and you’ll still be happy with it! I just love how versatile it is. Despite the obvious hype about it, what surprised me about it is the stainlessness of it. People really don’t give 3V enough credit for its stain resistance and the ease of getting it back to a working edge and sharper is ridiculously easy. Theoretically the toughness helps it because I let a friend borrow my Ambush tundra for a steak meal and he definitely got everything off the rib on his ribeye because there was rolls allover the edge but I didn’t even have to lift a bur to get the edge back to a working shape. I just stropped it 10 times on each side until I can see the rolls are respectably realigned then I kept stropping it softly back and forth both sides until it was shaving again and then I laughed at myself getting all of the latest and greatest steels which I don’t regret. Im just happy to remember how reliable 3V is

[@mountaingoattaichi]

Great story! Really appreciate the depth of geeking out on the SRK. I have a similar story with an SRK. I also appreciate the confirmation of SK5. I have been looking at other steel to “upgrade” but now I don't need it. The only thing I have noticed about my SRK is that the 25° didn't make as smooth a cut as i like. So i used my worksharp and brought it down to 22° and not it cuts really well. Have you changed the bevel on yours? Also, what do you use for field sharpening? Thanks!

[@gideonsstuff]

Thanks for watching and great questions! Yes, I usually reprofile my SRKs to about 20 degrees so I can easily sharpen them with my Work Sharp guided field sharpener. One of the best sharpeners you can get in my opinion. Small enough to easily take anywhere but with enough stone to sharpen most blades quickly👍

[@theaftermath525]

Trust me there's a difference i love cold steel and i love my srk but the new from China stuff doesn't hold up the same at least the ones ive had

[@gideonsstuff]

Yeah, I've had a few of the Chinese Cold Steels and they aren't what we expect. But I think they are still making the majority of their products in Taiwan, including the new SRKs. I hope it stays that way😂 Thanks for watching, man!

[@iscariotproject]

hultafors heavy duty knife is also sk5 steel and its bombproof i also have the bacho 2449 wrecking kniffe in sk5 and its also solid,i think its a good steel,have the srk-c also in sk5 and is very solid

[@gideonsstuff]

It's a great steel in my book! Thanks for watching 👍

[@jamespisano1164]

Thanks for the input, Bro. Do you have any reason to believe the SRKC would be any different in quality?

[@gideonsstuff]

I would assume both models would have the same quality. Thanks for watching, man!

[@jamespisano1164]

@@gideonsstuff Hey. Have you ever owned/used a Becker BK2 by KBar?

[@gideonsstuff]

@@jamespisano1164 No, I'm afraid I haven't. I have used other KaBars though, and they're very nice

[@hansel498]

Hi from South Africa.Thx for great vids im thinking of getting an SRK....How does the rubber handle hold up? Ive heard they come loose

[@gideonsstuff]

Thanks for watching, man! The handles can loosen, but it's an easy fix with epoxy or gorilla glue 👍

[@marksaint2936]

I have no idea what GSM has in its future for certain designs but the new Chinese made GI Tanto and Bushman have been breaking, looks like the Chinese factory is having hardening problems. So if anyone has plans for picking up their favorite cold steel model made in Taiwan i would move on it now.

[@gideonsstuff]

I hope GSM doesn't move the Taiwan made knives to China. The Taiwanese Cold Steels have been some of the best knived money could buy for years

[@whitetablewoods3026]

Have you tried the Cold Steel shovel? I love my SRK and Recon Tanto because they are made of the same stuff as the shovel

[@gideonsstuff]

I have not yet, but I've been thinking about getting one to add to my field gear. Thanks for watching!👍

[@bdh3949]

The SRK is currently available with orange handle and orange sheath for a steal at Midway, 30 bucks.

[@gideonsstuff]

I may have to jump on that deal!

[@2214freak]

The test exploited a possible weakness on the SRK where the tang and handle meet......unfortunately. the 3v version does not have it.

[@gideonsstuff]

I need to try one of the 3V versions. I still don't think the test is very reflective of real world stress and strain regimes, but if that weakness can be fixed it should be. Thanks for watching!👍

[@gearnmore91]

I’ve cowboyed in Texas off and on most of my life and we are on flat ground. How many cattle do y’all lose in the mountains? I can’t imagine trying to keep everything tight in that environment

[@gideonsstuff]

Great question! It really all comes down to how you do it. Obviously, the cows are only in the mountains during the summer. During the winter they are brought back to the ranches and corrals for calving. My family runs cattle on land we own, so we can keep a good eye on our herds. Of course, we have lost cows to cougars and injuries in the woods but we know the land very well and can usually locate any missing cows very quickly. Others folks run cattle on federal forest land. This can make it very hard to keep track of your cows over the summer because they just roam and free graze. One job I've worked is as a "rider." Basically, at the end of the season the owners hire a bunch of guys to spend a few weeks on horseback, combing the woods for cows. We round them all up in mountain corrals and then sort them out by brand. The owners then come and pick them up. It's a long process and some cows do end up unaccounted for. The ranch I was working for when I recorded this video would lease out their mountain pastures for grazing and hay cutting and part of my job was to keep an eye on the cows. One of the tough parts of being so high and deep in the mountains is that certain situations just can't be handled. For example, I saw a heifer who had been hit by a falling tree limb. She was cut open pretty bad, but there really wasn't a good way to get her any help and I had to put her down. Same thing happened with a bull who broke his leg. Honestly, not as many cows go missing as you might expect. Most of our deaths actually occur during the winter calving season.

[@mikeboyce21]

Did you ever get a chance to check out cold steels cts xhp? Its awesome.. i know they dont use it anymore and its kinda hard to find. But if you can find it in a model you like i would highly recommend it.

[@gideonsstuff]

Yes! I have an American Lawman in XHP and I absolutely love it. Thanks for watching!

[@richardhenry1969]

I wanted to comment on the lock test. Coldsteel always did a lock test. I’ve had a liner lock fail. It cut me bad. I was going to cut something hit the back of the blade the lock failed. Imagine cutting something pushing down and the lock breaks loose. I don’t ever use liner or frame locks. GSM has just used coldsteel marketing but without the design aspects. Lynn Thompson was a martial arts and a hunter. The new knives don’t have the martial design. The one knife is just big . Look a the large espada it was designed to be a modern take on a real Spanish fighting knife the Navaja. The vaquero was designed and tested to be a self defense knife. GSM is just pretending to be a martial type guy. It can be taken different ways. I choose to think imitation is the ultimate form of flattery. But make no mistake coldsteel will never be what it was. Hopefully they will survive off Lynn’s hard work and the fact he used designs tested and used for centuries. Knives made in America are getting so crazy priced most will never buy anything from America. It’s a shame. I buy knives because it was easier then making them. Well nowadays at $200 for 52100 I might as well make my own. Think about this 3 knives made yourself is the cost of all the equipment you need and you’ll still have spending money for sheaths. A belt grinder 1x30 $50 torch $150. A cheap blower to super heat coal $50. Hand tools and files $50 sand paper $10. Spring steel 5160 $20 at junk yard. Think about that you should have everything on the farm to make amazing blades I grew up on farms farmers can fix anything. I was a diesel mechanic so I worked on methane generators and tractors. Just my opinion after rewatching this video because I didn’t finish it. Keep your powder dry and your equipment oiled things might get weird!

[@gideonsstuff]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts, man! I actually have a short coming out in a couple weeks about my knife making attempts. It's a really cool skill that I wish I was more proficient in.

[@richardhenry1969]

@@gideonsstuff just like welding practice. It's not as hard as people want others to believe. Mostly it gives them justification for spending crazy amounts out a piece of steel with 2 pieces of handle material. I found It's best to learn knife making in steps. First sharpening with old junk. Then get some already made a put handles on. Next get a few blanks. After that then you start forging. Learning sharpening and handle shaping comes with time. It's hard to write what I could easily show because I've always been a hands in the dirt kind. I enjoy your videos and love your showing your property. In high-school my friends all had farms we all worked on. Different stuff during different seasons. They all got sold and are now house. My grandfather used to say so "close you smell your neighbors fart". A parting 😁

[@turtletruth]

Cold Steel would do well to make a 7-inch SRK in CPM 3V

[@gideonsstuff]

That would be very cool!

[@jamescooper2618]

Yah, I laugh when a "knife expert" on KZbin stabs a knife point into a log then pries it sideways and the tip snaps. Then they call the knife junk. LOL

[@gideonsstuff]

It all comes down to personal expectations. I think destruction testing is pretty pointless, pun intended 😂 Thanks for watching!

[@colinburgess9455]

Being a lover of nature and not so much of man, I’d let your barbed wire fence rot. I’m not a tree hugger, but people take more than they need.

[@gideonsstuff]

Interesting you should say that. Part of this job was maintaining fences surrounding riparian conservation easements. Several hundred acres of land in the river valleys were fenced off to keep cattle and humans out and the natural habitat was monitored and preserved. I'm also a lover of nature and through my work as a geologist I've been involved in land reclamation and sustainable hydrology. But working as a cowboy was so much more intimate with the environment than anything else I've ever done