Thursday, March 17, 2011

Cold Steel SRK Survival Rescue Knife Review



The Cold Steel SRK is another great knife from one of my favorite manufacturers. This knife is equally effective hung upside down vertical on a tactical vest, attached to your belt , or in the horizontal position for Small of Back (SOB) carry. This knife is also standard issue for all U.S. Navy Seal team members that are going through BUDS (Basic Underwater Demolition/Seal) training.


Here's what Cold Steel has to say about this knife "Survival/Rescue operations demand a versatile knife able to withstand the most extreme abuse. The SRK (Survival Rescue Knife) was designed specifically with this in mind. The blade is finished with a rich Teflon coat which helps to protect the AUS 8A Stainless steel from the elements. It features a tremendously strong clip point that’s fine enough for delicate work, yet possesses enough belly for efficient cutting, slashing and skinning strokes as well. At 3/16 of an inch thick, the Survival Rescue Knife offers the sturdiest possible point and edge configuration, without sacrificing sharpness. The SRK’s handle sports a single quillion finger guard and a deeply checkered Kraton grip."

I have owned a SRK for about 5 years now, and I can tell you that this knife is a real work horse. I have personally used mine to clean game, but this knife also has all the characteristics necessary for a great sentry knife.

This knife weighs in at a svelte 8.2 ounces. With a total carry weight of 11 ounces including the sheath. The overall length is 10 3/4 inches. This knife has all the power that you will need for utility or self defensive tasks, and it won't weigh you down.


This knife is made in Japan out of AUS8 Stainless Steel, which means that the blade is medium-carbon, high chromium steel, which offers a good balance of toughness, edge sharpness and corrosion resistance. Please remember that no metal is completely corrosion resistant, however anything with a chromium content over 10% will show significant corrosion resistance. This blade is a very strong clip style point that measures 6 inches in length. Stainless Steel is notorious for not being able to hold a good edge, but in my opinion Cold Steel has overcome this limitation by perfecting the heat treatment that their knives undergo. I could shave with this knife directly out of the package, and now after 5 years, the knife is still razor sharp. The Blade is made of one piece of metal that extends the length of the knife which classifies this knife as an encapsulated tang. The blade is coated with Teflon which helps to protect the blade from the elements and also makes it slide easier through flesh.

The sheath is Cold Steel's Secure-Ex sheath, which provides a good retention. This knife will fit securely into the sheath, and I have not had any issues with retention. The sheath includes multiple holes to attach the knife to your gear, and it also includes a very large belt loop that will fit over duty or military belts. The belt loop includes both velcro and a snap for a secure grip with a quick release. This sheath also comes with a top retention strap that snaps closed ensuring that this knife will not fall out while performing any activity.

The handle is black, checkered, Kraton; which gives it a very secure grip. This handle should not slip around in your hand or twist. The handle includes a lanyard hole to secure the knife to your wrist. I added a 12 inch piece of parachute cord to mine. The handle is 4 3/4 inches in length.

For quality, reliability, strength, sharpness, and utility I give this knife a 9.5 out of 10 ranking. This is an excellent knife and if it is good enough for Navy Seals, then shouldn't it be good enough for you? If I were going to only have one fixed blade knife, this would be it.

To buy or get more information on the Cold Steel SRK Survival Rescue Knife with AUS-8 Steel Blade, click the link below.

Cold Steel SRK Survival Rescue Knife 6" AUS-8A Steel Blade SecureEx Sheath

To buy or get more information on the Cold Steel SRK Survival Rescue Knife with VG-1 San Mai III Blade, click the link below.

Cold Steel SRK Survival Rescue Knife 6" VG-1 San Mai III Blade, Kraton Handle

Cold Steel SRK Survival Rescue Knife 6" VG-1 San Mai III Blade, Kraton Handle
Cold Steel SRK Survival Rescue Knife 6" VG-1 San Mai III Blade, Kraton Handle


All Comments are Welcome and Appreciated.

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