The knife is close to ideal in its category. Comfortable handle - it is precisely because of its thinness that it does not clog the wrist during prolonged use and, thanks to its rubbery feel, provides excellent grip. The blade geometry is optimized for cutting. It is not for hard work - batoning, chopping and all sorts of picking, in this way you will simply break it, more delicate work such as cutting, planing or piercing - that's its purpose. Two things that I would personally like to change, I would have preferred a stainless steel blade, something like Japanese AUS8 or Chinese 8CR13MOV, and a Tek-Lok belt clip instead of a flex hanger, but if it is easy to add a Tek-Lok, then the steel is already what it is. Thouse are personal preferences, someone will prefer the existing configuration. Exceptionally successful sheath (again - excluding flex hanger) nothing worse than kydex, although somewhat rougher - not noisy, thin-profile, quite securely hold the knife and repairable - if the upper part loosens over time as it holds the rubber guard, then it is quite can be lightly squeezed to get the desired shape with a dryer.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
This by far is the dullest knife I have purchased in 50 years. I tears or just skates along the edge of the paper. The sharpened edge is very uneven. One side is about 20 degrees, and will work well with my Spyderco Sharpmaker. The other side is over 30 degrees (would be 60 degrees total). This will require significant time with a diamond hone to sort out. I have owned many Cold Steel SRKs. They always had overly thick, but sharp edges. The sale of Cold Steel to new owners seems like corners are now being cut. This one is just plain dull. I had never handled a SRK-C before this purchase. It is smaller and lighter than I expected. It is not confidence inspiring. Hopefully a couple of hours sorting out the edge will change my mind.
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
As an artist I have many knives from tiny X-acto craft knives to large "survival" blades. With this Cold Steel, I was looking for something slightly smaller then my largest knife so I took a risk on this after much research. The SRK Compact is indeed smaller, which is what I am after. However, there are several things I'm not real keen about. These are not deal breakers, just matters of personal preference. First, the blade and handle are straight which for me is uncomfortable. I prefer a curved handle, fits my hand better. Second, the rubberized handle. It has a good grip, I'm just not sure how it will stand up in the long run and hard use. I have several tools with rubberized handles and the material breaks down after several years. Also the handle has minimal flare which doesn't fill my palm as well as I would like. And next, the blade required sharpening right out of the box. It wasn't dull but it wasn't sharp either so be prepared for that. I would recommend this product for persons with smaller hands.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Really well made knife, though I think the handle is a bit small---why can't CS make different handle sizes available? It would be easy to do with the modular construction used here! I have large hands, but not ridiculously so. Really big guys will find this handle way too small. The blade size is just perfect, in my opinion, and makes for a light, easy to carry package; sheath is great, with good retention, but easy removal. Out of the box, the edge is sharp, but the grind angle is crazy-wide, something like 70 degrees. Even for a "survival knife" this is too wide and just won't cut or carve well. I spent quite a while on my Work Sharp re-profiling the blade, which resulted in a nice convex edge around 48 degrees (24 deg on a side). Now the knife is fantastic, but not everyone can do this---should be a 50 degree edge out of the box. This SK5 steel is extremely hard and should hold an edge very well.Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
I used to have one of the original versions. The full sized one. While shopping for another one I saw this compact version. So I thought I'd try it out. At $37 it was a great deal! Cold Steel did a great job with this knife. It has the same great quality as the full sized one. Same type of rubberized grip, carbon steel blade which is coated to help prevent rusting. It is much smaller the full sized. Only around 9 inches in total length I think. I have small hands so this fit me perfect. Some might ask why buy this survival blade in a compact version? Well I didn't buy it for that, I bought it for combative purposes. I train Escrima/Arnis and this is a great blade for training knife fighting. It's small size is perfect to handle and applies itself great to Escrima. Not saying it couldn't be applied to survival training but for that I'd get a bigger knife. But on the other-hand if you are teaching a child survival skills then this knife might be a good starter blade. The quality is very good and the price is so affordable for a Cold steel blade. I highly recommend it. Read full review
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Good size for starter outdoor adventure (Youth size hands). I have a medium size hand and it fits me well, should fit small size hand very well. Good size and weight to all-day carry around too. Great for job site cutting chores if you are a contractor. Very good quality steel on this blade make it a long-lasting edge for normal use. Keep it clean and dry so it not gonna rust (SK5 is good high carbon steel not stainless). The sheath is great for protection and carries also. Not a very heavy-duty survival knife as SRK full-size which is a bigger handle and heavier thicker blade but gets the job done. Put it to good use and keep it sharp. Worth the money spent after all. Best recommended!
Verified purchase: Yes | Condition: New
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Best Selling in Fixed Blade
Current slide {CURRENT_SLIDE} of {TOTAL_SLIDES}- Save on Fixed Blade