REVIEW Cold Steel Drop Forged Survivalist - 2ND GENERATION Model # CS36MH

You can still find the first generation of this knife in some stores, my links are for the second gen version.
I bought my Survivalist from WhiteMountainKnives.com - SAVE 10% with code: "CCE" this way $82.99USD becomes $74.69USD or about $94CAD
bit.ly/3q5kwjk
ALSO @ Amazon.com (USA) $87.14USD - amzn.to/3g2tP1K
Canadians who won't buy from USA - BladesCanada.com $114.99CAD - bit.ly/3mEgD47
EUROPE @ Euro-Knife.com - bit.ly/3dUv1Bt - €95.88
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Support CCE via PATREON: / cce
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CHECK OUT our spreadsheet where we list how well the factory sharpened the knife and compare with other brands: bit.ly/2EVsw4w
I have AMAZON Influencer pages for 3 countries U.S.A., Canada, and the United Kingdom. I would be honoured if you check them out. If you make any purchases from those pages it will help to fund CCE so I can keep making videos.
U.S.A - www.amazon.com...
CANADA - www.amazon.ca/...
U.K. - www.amazon.co....
Thank you for using my Referral and Influencer links, it helps fund my channel.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Coupon Codes & REFERRAL Links - Help support CCE, please use these links EVERY time you shop at any of these stores.
1) White Mountain Knives - whitemountaink... - "CCE" = 10% off
2) Integrity Knives - integrityknive... - "CCE" = 10% off
3) PUMA Canada - pumaknives.ca - "CCE" = 10% off
4) Power Cutlery - www.powercutle... - "cce" = 5% off but ONLY for Ganzo knives and each customer can only use it once.
5) OLIGHT - Canada and USA save 10%: CCE10
Referral link - Canada - caolightstore....
Referral link - USA: olight.idevaff...
6)KC Tools - BEST GERMAN SCRWDRIVERS and other hand tools:
KC Tool Company: bit.ly/3lNB8cH
Link for T Handle Torx: bit.ly/3qBFV4v
Link for FLAG (small) handle Torx set for knives: bit.ly/3mOx79m
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
CONTACT ME:
The BEST way to contact me is via E-mail: CanadianCuttingEdge AT gmail.com
I am learning to use Instagram more, but it's not yet a strong habit for me yet, / canadiancuttingedge
I do not use Facebook very much, but I do use it occasionally:
/ canadiancuttingedge Please DO NOT use the Messenger part of Facebook to contact me, it might take months for me to reply to you.
The BACKUP of CCE is hosted by LBRY
You can watch LBRY via your browser or get the APP
See CCE here: lbry.tv/@canad...

[@stevediller8269]

I tell you the most genuine man on knife reviews. Your the man .

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

thanks

[@JamesBartholomew1]

Nice review. Good audio. On the knife, I found the grip on the handle a bit rough, so I snagged a length of inner tube tight around it, and now it’s nice and smooth in the hand. Great knife - I have 5 CS blades with the Teflon coating, and I use them gently, so the wear on them is light. Thanks for the video, and I hope you’re back in good health.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Thanks James. That inner tube trick is useful for both adding grip on a smooth handle or subtracting roughness without breaking the bank, good choice. Yes, my health is improving :)

[@martinhafner2201]

Great review! I had been looking for a good 7-8 inch knife for mixed wood/survival use and this one really delivers great quality at a reasonable price. There's about 1.5% chromium and that is not at all for stain resistance. It is a tool steel technique to get better hardening over the the parent alloy 1095. You are brave. I wouldn't take it to 13.5 degrees on a hard use knife even at 63 HRC. I did around 19 degrees per side but put a short convex on it by sharpening the shoulder off at 17, 15 and 13 degrees and then blending. My goal is to improve the handling in wood shaving. I find straight V edges tend to skate or stick, but even a short convex will be easier to shave shallow slices as you need in feather sticks. I would love to knock a quarter inch (6mm) off the upper guard, but it would lose almost all the sheath snap on one side, so that's not going to happen.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

I also would never go below 18° on a hard use knife even if it had the hardest and toughest and most durable steel ever invented. An extreme angle like 13.5° would only go on a special kitchen knife that is dedicated to soft stuff like tomatoes etc. I have a proper convex sharpening jig on my TSPROF K03 that makes putting a nice convex grind on a blade just as quick and easy as it is to put a V grind on the edge, and with high grit stones it can end up with a highly polished cutting bevel which is useful to help reduce the risk of corrosion, especially on steel like 52100. I prefer to use a smaller knife for feather stick making. I like how easy it is to attach a small knife (with sheath) to the sheath of the Survivalist. Yeah, it bulks it up a little bit but I find the benefits outweigh the compromise.

[@tonycanniffe2360]

Very thorough review, as usual! Its little brother, the Drop Forges Hunter, is advertised as having a hrc of 58 to 59. Cold Steel does a consistently good job at heat treating their knives, so a user can expect very good performance , especially for the price . I use mine more than i thought i would. It strops bwck to a wicked edge

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Yeah, I have seen that. My example of the Survivalist is quite a bit harder than 59. I don't have a hardness tester but over the decades I have a good sense of feel for steel when sharpening and mine is at least at 62HRC It looks too big to be regularly useful, but I agree, it is actually quite a usable knife on a regular basis. A good strop with good stropping technique can do wonders on a good knife.

[@aj5748]

Wishing you and your family a lot of health and happiness! Hope you feel better! Thanks for the video!

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

thanks

[@basednorsegael1089]

I picked this knife up today and I am thoroughly impressed. I don’t think the weight is an issue - I’ve seen some BIG Bowies that are way too heavy. The weight on this is nicely centred/distributed though - at least just with my preliminary examination

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

It's a always a good thing when you enjoy the knife you just bought. I hope your positive opinions of it last for a long time.

[@kevineasterday9466]

I agree fully with what you

[@kevineasterday9466]

WHEN YOU MENTION THE ORIGINAL VERSION OF THIS COLD STEEL DROP FORD SURVIVALIST KNIFE ARE YOU SPEAKING OF THE ONE WHICH SEEMS TO HAVE SOMETHING OF A SKELETON HANDLE? I GUESS THAT'S NOT THE PROPER TERM BECAUSE MAYBE SKELETON HANDLES MEAN HOLES IN THE HANDLE AND A MONOLITHIC ONE PIECE OF STEEL I HAVE SEEN SOME KNIVES IN THE 80S WHICH WERE LIKE THAT INCLUDING THE BUCKMASTER WHICH WAS THE ONLY HALO HANDLE SURVIVAL KNIFE WHICH I THOUGHT WAS FAIRLY RESPECTABLE. AND IT HAD A SKELETON HANDLE SO I DON'T KNOW IF I'M USING THE PROPER TERM PUT I HAVE SEEN ANOTHER VERSION OF THIS KNIFE AND I AM ASSUMING THAT THERE ARE ONLY TWO VERSIONS? AM I CORRECT??? THERE IS ANOTHER VERSION WHICH DOESN'T HAVE A SORT OF PADDING OR PLASTIC ON THE SIDE OF THE HANDLE. I KNOW SOMEONE WHO GOT TWO OF THESE AND THEY BOTH HAVE A HANDLE AND I BELIEVE THEY ARE THE UPDATED VERSION BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT TOTAL STEEL THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A LITTLE PLASTIC ON THEM WHICH I THINK IS A DAMN GOOD IDEA AND IT HAS A KIND OF ABRASIVE FEEL TO IT WHICH IS A DAMN GOOD IDEA. SO IF YOU KNOW QUITE A BIT ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS KNIFE I'M INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU KNOW ARE THERE MORE THAN TWO VERSIONS??? BECAUSE I KNOW OF AND HAVE SEEN ONLY TWO VERSIONS ONLINE BUT I HAVE SEEN ONLY ONE VERSION IN PERSON. AND I BELIEVE IT'S THE SAME ONE YOU ARE SHOWING HERE. I THOUGHT THAT THE UPDATED VERSION WAS 2021 AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ORIGINAL VERSION YEAR WAS. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIDEO

[@motorcyclemark2889]

I've owned this knife for over a year never really used it I'm a collector but I do use my knives when I can . I really like it I think its bullet proof and will serve me the rest of my days and one of my sons will inherit it it will last many generations .

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Yeah, I have briefly looked at a few of the channels that do destructive testing and this knife is quite strong indeed.

[@motorcyclemark2889]

@@CanadianCuttingEdge I was looking on Amazon at the Becker bk 7 and bought this instead saved money and I think its a better knife

[@motorcyclemark2889]

@@CanadianCuttingEdge I also bought the Cold Steel Wild West Bowie its not as good as the survivalist is but its still nice just not as hard as it .

[@JohnSmith-gs4lw]

Jake, re jimping on the top and bottom edge of the handle you were recommending. Older Schrade fixed blades had those and they were a cheese grater on your hands during heavy chopping. Obviously that depends on the configuration of the jimping. Just saying that it’s probably better that those surfaces are smooth.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Yes, it is easy to make such jimping terrible, that is why i tried to say that they cannot be too aggressive.

[@barrybaldwin5535]

I had bilateral total knee joint replacement surgery in 2005 at 55 years old, due to osteoarthritis. I didn't want to take twice the time off from work so I opted & qualified to get them both replaced together. They've been great with no problems to date. I'm 71 now & enjoy life without the constant pain.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Nice, I am happy for you. I have a very different disease that started at puberty, have had surgery on my R knee 13 times since I was 12. At this point I have a partial replacement on my R knee. like this - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unicompartmental_knee_arthroplasty I also have several other part of my body that are in constant pain, but I don't have time to get into all of those.

[@charlier8233]

That is a big ol’ boy. Hard to go wrong with Cold Steel. First time hearing of this steel, it’s pretty hard. It would probably work great for primitive camping/ bush crafting.

[@QuantumPyrite_88.9]

52100 has been around for a long time . A lot of automobile leaf springs are made with 52100 . If it's properly / differentially tempered , it's hard to beat .

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

52100 is not used much in modern pocket knives - I actually can't think of a single such knife with it. It used to be used a fair bit on fixed blades but sadly it has gone largely out of vogue - for no good reason.

[@scodoguy5581]

I have this knife haven’t used it yet a little disappointed in how thin the tip is, but it feels great in the hand, thanks for taking the handles off and showing us inside the knife no one‘s done that yet that I’ve seen

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

We all like different things. I don't like thick thips on my knives. In my testing the tip is quite durable - under normal use.

[@sergeantdef.3572]

The tip is thin indeed..but i tested it. I stabbed this Bowie in an hard table from oak wood and then i putted sideways force on the tip.. It does not breaks nor bending.. This Survival knife is strong as a tank..

[@scodoguy5581]

@@sergeantdef.3572 i’ve never snapped a tip on a knife. I usually use them pretty logically, but if I did, I would be in tears lol.

[@CamboTriton]

Nice review. I have a couple of hard use fixed blades that come in handy at times.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Indeed, sometimes you just need a big strong knife.

[@QuantumPyrite_88.9]

I have one of the first made and the 52100 + excellent differential tempering made a great knife . The only drawback is the handle is not recommended in cold weather with bare hands . Actually using this blade would make for a better review . All the best .

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Ahh yes indeed, cold weather, like here in western Canada. I do like that the handle is large enough to be very useful even with gloves on. On the first gen of these a lot of guys use wraps both for grip and cold use.

[@adrianotero7963]

I have the silver first gen, dunked the handle in Home Depot liquid rubber tool handle it is sealed and comfortable in all weather conditions plus makes it very grippy.....

[@jimmyj4811]

Does the sheath dull the blade edge like some other CS glass-reinforced sheaths?

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

I no longer have this knife (had to sell it to have funds to buy more knives to review) but from my memory it was fine, but I learned to always push the spine of the blade against the sheath whenever the blade goes in and out. BUT, to be honest I cannot recall exactly if this sheath forced the edge to rub or not but I don't think it does because I should have then included that in the video (but I am not perfect I do sometimes forget some details - especially in these older videos).

[@zhenbiaoli297]

We will miss that silver coating version and after 10 yrs we will fight for every silver one on ebay....I purchased a silver coating dagger but the retailer given me a blue one, so sad.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Yeah, you don't always get what you want. sometimes sellers don't realize that models have changed and they sell the 2nd gen version from the webpage that shows and describes the first gen version. Some retailers are lazy, and others just don't care.

[@JDStone20]

Cold Steel makes feriocious fixed blades, any where from dirt cheap to expensive. I have on of these on the way, I always wanted a Trailmaster or Recon Scout, and this one is going to have to do.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Lots of awesome fixed blades have the Cold Steel logo.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

You can still find the first generation of this knife in some stores, my links are for the second gen version. I bought my Survivalist from WhiteMountainKnives.com - SAVE 10% with code: "CCE" so that $82.99USD becomes $74.69USD or about $94CAD - get it here: bit.ly/3q5kwjk ALSO @ Amazon.com (USA) $87.14USD - amzn.to/3g2tP1K Canadians who won't buy from USA - BladesCanada.com $114.99CAD - bit.ly/3mEgD47 EUROPE @ Euro-Knife.com - bit.ly/3dUv1Bt - €95.88

[@ericwhitfield8475]

I really liked your video. Just subscribed to your channel. Best wishes.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Thank you so much!

[@Tusk2001]

Knice! Thanks!

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

my pleasure

[@grandriver3152]

Hmm, I like it but it won't replace my BK-7.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

I don't blame you

[@ibanez7412]

Hi Jake, sorry too hear you cannot walk Bandit, get better soon! Good review of an interesting CS, might get me one some day. Take care!

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

I took Bandit out for a bit this morning, using my wheeled walker. He is such a good boy, he heels well and doesn't pull me to the side or anything. I hope my knee goes back to behaving like it's usual self soon, so that all I will need is my cane...

[@stevenrobertson6656]

Good thurough review.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

thanks

[@skcamerican]

Big sucker. I don’t think I’d need such a big knife. But most Cold Steels are a little over the top, IMHO. Not that it’s a bad thing. :) Good reference on the shagreen. How many folks would recognize that texture? Thanks!

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Cold Steel definitely likes to make over the top knives. I have had larger knives than this that I liked to carry when camping, but they certainly have many limitations. They are not EDC in any way at all.

[@KnivesSurvival]

With the cold steel would make their knives in the USA..

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

They do make some of their knives in USA, but not all of them. With the new owner I think more and more of their knives will be made in Asia.

[@michaelcervantez3570]

👍

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Thanks

[@derekstynes9631]

Who Built that wall behind You be careful leaning against it Brother !

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

It's just a picture that I use for a background. I hang it in front of my curtains at the window.

[@michaelcervantez3570]

Try the carnivore diet. Not only has it changed my life, but it has saved my life 😃

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Thanks for the suggestion. I am doing a fair bit better now than I was when I recorded this a few years ago.

[@shawnwells5719]

Coating that comes off in the initial use is pointless. 62 HRC probably not optimal for a chopping blade, and sharpening it in the field is going to be problematic. Too short to chop, too long for fine work...no thanks.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Indeed, this is not a chopper, but I did test it that way to see how well the grip felt under hard use.

[@rnkmode1876]

Wrong, check out Donnie B All Day KZbin review of this knife, he actually does some cutting and chopping in his video to get a real idea of what it can do.

[@BrothersCinco]

Lol ok

[@kevineasterday9466]

I know someone who got one of these for themselves and they got one for a adopted family member. And it is surprising how much quality and durability is in a knife which sometimes can be found for under $60. The second one they purchased was actually $49 worth about $12 for shipping and such so it was in the low 60s. And the other one which they bought was under $80 maybe the lower middle 70s. This knife has some very good durability test videos online. One crew a couple of guys really put it through the wringer and it's surprisingly has a great strong point although it is sharp point which typically breaks easier and they put it through all sorts of torture test and so does Joe x. And it does not fail until they shoot it with an air rifle. So the impact absorption durability is not good of course that would make sense with a steel which is made for ball bearings which is what the 52100 steel is from what I read. But overall it sounded like an 8 out of 10 rating even pitted against knives which were $200 to $300.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Thanks for sharing that information. I don't do destructive or abuse testing here on CCE, but I too have seen several videos that show how tough these are.

[@Sugardaddy501]

It will do fine for normal machete like stuff; good to know.

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

yeah, it would do fine

[@SebaManPower]

Very nice blade, its on my list. That a really good steel, I think at knifeuser.com show that kind of steel worse than they should a little bit. Im not sure, that whole knife its a piece of one the same steel? Im right?

[@CanadianCuttingEdge]

Yes, the whole knife is one piece of steel. No welding.