I received my 5.1 yesterday. Found the blade and G10 handle to be impeccable quality. Blade steel has interesting surface appearance. A mottled silver silver look. Looks like super metal - sounds crazy but you have to see to appreciate. Insanely insanely insanely sharp. G10 a little slippery but hard as heck. Reminded me of graphite. Handle is a bit narrower and short for me, I wear XL gloves. Don't get me wrong, my hand fits, just have to really think about it when I draw it. Kydex sheath is fantastic. Knife heavier than expected but steel must be ultra dense. I this is the blade I'd bet on if my life on if it depended on it.
Your reviews are just stellar. While I use the Essee 6 and TOPS BOB, that GSO 5 really has my eye. What a beautiful design and an excellent steel. Thanks for another great review, friend.
I have both the BOB and GSO 5, (actually 8 Survives in all) and the BOB is hard to beat when you figure the price and wait times! The BOB cuts wood better, just not as long.
Great review. I agree with your comment at 13:39 and I asked Guy at Survive! about sharpening CMP 3V. He said it wasn't that hard to sharpen and suggested that I carry a Fallkniven DF24 Diamond Stone Sharpener. He also said just check it before you go out & sharpen it at home. If you do this you probably will not need to sharpen it in the field like you will with 1095, as you said in the video. I've put at least 50 hours of cutting and whittling with my GSOs and they are still very very sharp. I haven't chopped or batoned yet but I will in the spring when I get back out into the woods.
Your 100k subscriber got me to looking back. I purchased my survive knives gso 5 as a result of my "research" and watching your review. Thanks Aaron, this has turned out to be my favorite knife of all time.
Hey just a thought, Jeff White did a collaboration with the Pathfinder school to come up with the Bush knife. Been testing it and I love it. might want to check it out it'd be cool to see a review of it
Another great video and review! I wasn't keen on the OD Green micarta until seeing it in this video. Since I already have a GSO 4.1, I think I will save up for the 5.1instead of this one, just for a little bit more blade variance. I was wondering if you would do a review on the Doug Ritter/Ethan Becker collaboration, RSK mk2...I am also very curious on this knife and how it compares to something similar like your ESEE 6, but cannot find any decent reviews on it at all...maybe a comparison to this knife and a Swamp Rat Rodent 6 or Ratmandu might be cool to, haven't found any good reviews on them either. anyways thanx again
If you have a hard time getting a GSO5... you can get a GSC Custom 170 knife for $65 on Amazon.... basically the same knife regarding the specs but with D2 steel and a nice leather sheath
I like it. A lot. Question though: how does it compare to the First Edge 5050? I have been enthralled with that blade but the price has me looking for alternatives. Thanks in advance.
Great vid's, but always wondered why you are running in your intro, were Zombies chasing you J/K? then you walk away in the same take. lol, anyway, keep up the good work!
Hello, I wanted to know if this steel is really excellent as they say? In your opinion is the best on the market for steel knives with fixed blade? It is difficult to sharpen? Let me know what you think, thanks to Michael.
@gideonstactical - Does this have a 90 Degree Spine for striking a ferrocerium rod? If so: Is this available in Europe too, preferably in Germany? Thx!
i didnt like how my esee 4 rode so high on my belt but when i put it slightly towards my back in stead of right at my side you dont even notice its there maybe gso 5 is similar
Hi there, I really enjoy all of your knife reviews, you're a gifted and handsome man...and while we're both married men, I'd like to think that in another life, perhaps....oh, never mind, let's just keep this to knives. I've got a standard 3.5 and next gen 4.1 & 5.1 blades ordered via their recent Starter program, and with any luck, I'll have them by Christmas! Guy has it figured out; the combo of design, materials, and cost is unparalleled in the industry. Seriously - thanks for the reviews...great info and you really are talented in front of a camera. So what if the only part I embellished was your physical appearance, you've still got all that other stuff going for you and like myself, you've got a wife who understands/allows your knife addiction - you're aces in my book, keep up the superb work!
I'm torn between the GSO 4.1, GSO 5 and Bradford Guardian 4. whats your opinion of these 3 knives? the GSO 5 is heavy and I'm pulled toward the GSO 4.1 AND Bradford for material and weight. s30v vs CPM 20V? VS 3V? Am I splitting hairs?
gideonstactical Ow ok. I'm trying to find the best knife for me. I found good knives but not good enough to spend money on. I have very specific demands. I'm looking for a survival type knife, like a one tool option. I guess I have to order a custom made knive or my search will never end. :-D
Ersin Bogaerts I am planning on possibly getting the GSO 5.1 but I might wait a bit longer and look at some other knife reviews. But anyways, you are able to ask them to make a notch for ferro rods into the spine of the blade for an extra 5 dollars I believe. (They are quite customizable).
Tramnit1 That looks like a nice knife. I ordered an esee 6 and it arrived last week. Really nice knife as well, happy about it and it comes with an excellent sheath. The belt clip could be better but I'm gonna modify it and the back of the blade also. Thanks for the advice.
Great question, if money was no factory I would say the GSO-5 for these reasons: more ergonomic handle, kydex sheath, and I love the blade design. Now with that said, the SK5 is still an amazing blade and when you factor in that the GSO is $130 more then the SK5 I would have to say the SK5 is going to give you all the same functionality of the GSO and give you very good edge retention. For the $230 you will spend on the GSO you can get a SK5 & a SP50 with change to spare. Hope that helps.
Correction, it's not even on their site. Says out of stock. Is there a problem or something? It's seems they stopped making it. Can't find it anywhere.
MrDrinknRide I order mine in march of 2013 from survive and I got it in September of that year. You have to order from their site and be patient for it. Otherwise you can call them and ask for help. They are semi custom knife from a small USA company so the turn over takes a while. Hope that helps.
At a loss here. Can't seem to find this knife anywhere besides Survive Knives web site. Can you assist in where to find this knife online at a decent price? Thanks!
Just doing it normally has worked, but to be clear, I have still not dulled this blade in any significant way. I have done just light touch ups on the ceramic rods. When I do finally dull or chip the blade I don't know how well the spyderco will do at getting a shaving edge on back on it. Time will tell.
gideonstactical yeah I know its been 2 months since last time but this just came to me from reading your last comment again you should make a video some years down the line of how long the gso 5 lasts and does well with maintenance also you should make a video on how you sharpen your gso with both sharpeners I think that would be awesome
alisuperhornet They just moved their whole operation from Penn. to Idaho, I would contact them directly by phone or email and ask them what is the best and fastest way to get your hands on one.
gideonstactical Thanks for your reply..but I was referring to the the choice between the 2 being difficult to make..which would you go for? the slightly longer 5.1 or the 5?
alisuperhornet oh sorry, I miss understood. Ok, I personally do not see the need for finger choils on a blade until the cutting edge starts to go over 6 inches. Less than that and it does not help the user. That is why I went with the GSO-5 and not the GSO-5.1.
The GSO line are amazing products. The GSO6 is the same size as the ESEE6 but twice the price. For that size at 6inches, I want something that will hold a good edge but that can sharpen easy in the field. The ESEE6 is that knife. The GSO6 will hold its edge longer, but will be harder to sharpen in the field and you will be putting it through more abuse then the GSO4.1 or GSO5 because of its size. For knives bigger then 5inches I always try to go with 1095 or 5160. Knives 5inches and smaller I try to go with Higher Quality stainless steels or super steels like the CPM-3V on the GSO line.
Spencer Jordan The 5.1 just has a finger choil other then that it is the same knife, and I am not as big a fan of choils unless the blade is longer then 6inches. I will be getter the SK-5 when it becomes available which is the S7 steel version of the GSO 5.1 so you will see the comparison then. I hope that helps.
I need a quality *multi tool* with *knife*, pliers, wire-cutter, bottle opener, can opener, screwdriver... Can anyone recommend me something appropriate?
Oldcoinsandstuff1 The BK2 is the cheaper version of the GSO5 in my mind. But both are great. The BK7 is more of a do everything survival/fighting knife. It can do almost anything, but it won't do anything well.
Listening to you speak makes me believe you must be kin to Scott Kelby (you sound just like him) .. ua-cam.com/users/scottkelby. When I first heard you speaking I thought, hey, I didn't know Scott was into survival knives AND a photoshop guru? LOL
Yah know. I've noticed that none of you guys use a knife to do anything the old timers would have a wanted to do such as process food. You are obviously just passing through packing your preprocessed food and doing stuff with a knife they'd have used and ax or hawk to do. Yep that knife does a great job of chopping a limb you could have just broken.
+Dwight E Howell You're right, the tactics the human race uses to accomplish various tasks continues to evolve and improve as knowledge is amassed. By the way, every time someone mentions an ax over a small blade they reveal themselves to not at all be hikers, and at best, merely car-campers. Ounces equal pounds, pounds equal pain. Hopefully that spoon feeding has nourished you.
I agree with Dwight. There is almost nothing done in all these survival/bushcraft videos, that I can not do better with a small axe. Including fine tasks. If I in addition, carry a small knife one my belt, I am good to go.
I know this is very old but you do realize that testing a knife is different from how someone would use a knife. Not many smart people would walk up to a tree and start smacking away dulling their blades edge. Not to mention a saw would be much better than a ax or knife in getting wood cut down for splitting. He's a gear tester testing the ergos and comfort plus how strong and durable it is. He wants to "abuse" the knife to see what it can do because if it fails in any one thing that's a data point he can bring. If it fails in nothing he can show how this knife for certain people would be a must have. food for thought
I received my 5.1 yesterday. Found the blade and G10 handle to be impeccable quality. Blade steel has interesting surface appearance. A mottled silver silver look. Looks like super metal - sounds crazy but you have to see to appreciate. Insanely insanely insanely sharp. G10 a little slippery but hard as heck. Reminded me of graphite. Handle is a bit narrower and short for me, I wear XL gloves. Don't get me wrong, my hand fits, just have to really think about it when I draw it. Kydex sheath is fantastic. Knife heavier than expected but steel must be ultra dense. I this is the blade I'd bet on if my life on if it depended on it.
Your reviews are just stellar. While I use the Essee 6 and TOPS BOB, that GSO 5 really has my eye. What a beautiful design and an excellent steel. Thanks for another great review, friend.
I have both the BOB and GSO 5, (actually 8 Survives in all) and the BOB is hard to beat when you figure the price and wait times! The BOB cuts wood better, just not as long.
Great review. I agree with your comment at 13:39 and I asked Guy at Survive! about sharpening CMP 3V. He said it wasn't that hard to sharpen and suggested that I carry a Fallkniven DF24 Diamond Stone Sharpener. He also said just check it before you go out & sharpen it at home. If you do this you probably will not need to sharpen it in the field like you will with 1095, as you said in the video. I've put at least 50 hours of cutting and whittling with my GSOs and they are still very very sharp. I haven't chopped or batoned yet but I will in the spring when I get back out into the woods.
Nice and good to know.
I have one and its really fantastic for Outdoor, great Review!
Your 100k subscriber got me to looking back. I purchased my survive knives gso 5 as a result of my "research" and watching your review. Thanks Aaron, this has turned out to be my favorite knife of all time.
Great review! If I did not already have my bases covered as far as a general purpose knife. This looks like it would check all the boxes. Thx
Jerry Morris Thanks Jerry.
Best review on this knife so far- very informative!
Just a question, if money wasn't an issue would you still pick an ESEE 6 GSO-5?
Hey just a thought, Jeff White did a collaboration with the Pathfinder school to come up with the Bush knife. Been testing it and I love it. might want to check it out it'd be cool to see a review of it
Another great video and review! I wasn't keen on the OD Green micarta until seeing it in this video. Since I already have a GSO 4.1, I think I will save up for the 5.1instead of this one, just for a little bit more blade variance. I was wondering if you would do a review on the Doug Ritter/Ethan Becker collaboration, RSK mk2...I am also very curious on this knife and how it compares to something similar like your ESEE 6, but cannot find any decent reviews on it at all...maybe a comparison to this knife and a Swamp Rat Rodent 6 or Ratmandu might be cool to, haven't found any good reviews on them either. anyways thanx again
If you have a hard time getting a GSO5... you can get a GSC Custom 170 knife for $65 on Amazon.... basically the same knife regarding the specs but with D2 steel and a nice leather sheath
I like it. A lot. Question though: how does it compare to the First Edge 5050? I have been enthralled with that blade but the price has me looking for alternatives.
Thanks in advance.
Another great review! Question- ESEE 5 vs GSO 5? You seem to like both a lot. For tactical use.
Mike Masztal The GSO will be faster in the hand.
gideonstactical Thanks for the input.
Gso-5 or tops bob? Or those compared to bk2, or any other beckers, or esee knives?
Awesome review, and a great knife. Wished I could afford one. :-)
Great vid's, but always wondered why you are running in your intro, were Zombies chasing you J/K? then you walk away in the same take. lol, anyway, keep up the good work!
thanks for the review
No problem!
Hello, I wanted to know if this steel is really excellent as they say? In your opinion is the best on the market for steel knives with fixed blade? It is difficult to sharpen? Let me know what you think, thanks to Michael.
@gideonstactical - Does this have a 90 Degree Spine for striking a ferrocerium rod?
If so: Is this available in Europe too, preferably in Germany? Thx!
Just was on the survive knives website and they sell a leather belt loop so the knife will ride lower.
i didnt like how my esee 4 rode so high on my belt but when i put it slightly towards my back in stead of right at my side you dont even notice its there maybe gso 5 is similar
Hi there, I really enjoy all of your knife reviews, you're a gifted and handsome man...and while we're both married men, I'd like to think that in another life, perhaps....oh, never mind, let's just keep this to knives. I've got a standard 3.5 and next gen 4.1 & 5.1 blades ordered via their recent Starter program, and with any luck, I'll have them by Christmas! Guy has it figured out; the combo of design, materials, and cost is unparalleled in the industry. Seriously - thanks for the reviews...great info and you really are talented in front of a camera. So what if the only part I embellished was your physical appearance, you've still got all that other stuff going for you and like myself, you've got a wife who understands/allows your knife addiction - you're aces in my book, keep up the superb work!
scott sherman Thanks alot!
"What is the price of gso-5 and where can I get it" was the question in my mind when I saw this!
the problem i have is thier wait times i ordered my gso 6 almost 18 months go still looking like mid june before they start building it..
wayne Did you receive it yet?
I hope you received it by now lol.
I'm torn between the GSO 4.1, GSO 5 and Bradford Guardian 4. whats your opinion of these 3 knives? the GSO 5 is heavy and I'm pulled toward the GSO 4.1 AND Bradford for material and weight. s30v vs CPM 20V? VS 3V? Am I splitting hairs?
Rochelle Baugh I would go with the GSO 4.1 in CMP-3V and call it a day. You will love it for life.
Can you do a vs video with the ontario falcon. Thanks
Gso & bk2 are sabre grind,the esee is full flat. Why didnt u take esee5-wich is similar 2 the first 2?
Nice review. Does the knife throw of sparks with a piece of flint? Thanks
Ersin Bogaerts It does not have a 90 degree spine for sparks. Thanks!
gideonstactical Ow ok. I'm trying to find the best knife for me. I found good knives but not good enough to spend money on. I have very specific demands.
I'm looking for a survival type knife, like a one tool option. I guess I have to order a custom made knive or my search will never end. :-D
Ersin Bogaerts I am planning on possibly getting the GSO 5.1 but I might wait a bit longer and look at some other knife reviews. But anyways, you are able to ask them to make a notch for ferro rods into the spine of the blade for an extra 5 dollars I believe. (They are quite customizable).
Tramnit1 That looks like a nice knife. I ordered an esee 6 and it arrived last week. Really nice knife as well, happy about it and it comes with an excellent sheath. The belt clip could be better but I'm gonna modify it and the back of the blade also. Thanks for the advice.
gideonstactical Do you like this better than the blackbird SK5 you like so much? Which would be your choice if you had to choose?
Great question, if money was no factory I would say the GSO-5 for these reasons: more ergonomic handle, kydex sheath, and I love the blade design. Now with that said, the SK5 is still an amazing blade and when you factor in that the GSO is $130 more then the SK5 I would have to say the SK5 is going to give you all the same functionality of the GSO and give you very good edge retention. For the $230 you will spend on the GSO you can get a SK5 & a SP50 with change to spare. Hope that helps.
SK4 or this????
so when's the follow-up review on this? ;)
I will do one in a month or so.
gideonstactical
4 months later?
What type of front pack are you wearing?
What knife do you think is a holy grail knife
It does not exist. I would the ESEE6, GSO5, and OKC Blackbird SK-5 are some of the best around for medium knives.
Correction, it's not even on their site. Says out of stock. Is there a problem or something? It's seems they stopped making it. Can't find it anywhere.
MrDrinknRide I order mine in march of 2013 from survive and I got it in September of
that year. You have to order from their site and be patient for it.
Otherwise you can call them and ask for help. They are semi custom
knife from a small USA company so the turn over takes a while. Hope
that helps.
I. Really want to get this knife, but I don't have the money for it right knew.
review the new survive gso 4.7
I'm so stuck. I want the GSO 5.1 or ESEE 6? Which is the SHTF or ONLY Medium knife I'll ever need?
Yuen K. Wong ESEE 6, It is cheaper, and longer edge, and heavier.
Wow, such a quick response from THE MAN! Thanks! I subscribed and liked FB.
Wait can you get it in other steels?
Greetings. I am from the future. Buy this knife right now because the waiting list will soon become 3 years...
At least 3 years , I ordered and waited 2 years before demanding a refund . That was several years ago and they still haven't completed that run.
At a loss here. Can't seem to find this knife anywhere besides Survive Knives web site. Can you assist in where to find this knife online at a decent price? Thanks!
Sorry dude you wont find it anywhere other than there website....
can you please tell me what kind of metal is used for this blade. thanks
3V
what does this blade cost?
Yes 10oz for a 8 inch knife is a lot
Would you recommend the GSO 5 or the ESEE 5?
SuperMegaSlam11 GSO5 or BK2 over the ESEE5.
What about the Ontario Blackbird compared to this? I know they are different, but the stock and price of the GSO is a little expensive.
And thanks for the help!
what sharpening system would you recomend for the gso 5?
I use the spyderco sharp maker or the worksharp field sharpener.
thats good I have a sharpmaker any thing special you would use or just use it as normal?
Just doing it normally has worked, but to be clear, I have still not dulled this blade in any significant way. I have done just light touch ups on the ceramic rods. When I do finally dull or chip the blade I don't know how well the spyderco will do at getting a shaving edge on back on it. Time will tell.
gideonstactical yeah I know its been 2 months since last time but this just came to me from reading your last comment again you should make a video some years down the line of how long the gso 5 lasts and does well with maintenance also you should make a video on how you sharpen your gso with both sharpeners I think that would be awesome
hard to pick between GSO-5 and GSO-5.1 ..any suggestions?
alisuperhornet They just moved their whole operation from Penn. to Idaho, I would contact them directly by phone or email and ask them what is the best and fastest way to get your hands on one.
gideonstactical Thanks for your reply..but I was referring to the the choice between the 2 being difficult to make..which would you go for? the slightly longer 5.1 or the 5?
alisuperhornet oh sorry, I miss understood. Ok, I personally do not see the need for finger choils on a blade until the cutting edge starts to go over 6 inches. Less than that and it does not help the user. That is why I went with the GSO-5 and not the GSO-5.1.
gideonstactical Thanks again!
Can't wait for them to go back in stock!
If I get this will I literally never have to get another knife again. Even tho I'm still going to get more knives.
HAHA, no this is not the Holy Grail, it is just a really good blade.
What is you're opinion on the GSO 6 ?
The GSO line are amazing products. The GSO6 is the same size as the ESEE6 but twice the price. For that size at 6inches, I want something that will hold a good edge but that can sharpen easy in the field. The ESEE6 is that knife. The GSO6 will hold its edge longer, but will be harder to sharpen in the field and you will be putting it through more abuse then the GSO4.1 or GSO5 because of its size. For knives bigger then 5inches I always try to go with 1095 or 5160. Knives 5inches and smaller I try to go with Higher Quality stainless steels or super steels like the CPM-3V on the GSO line.
gideonstactical thank for the info. I think I'll go for the gso 5 with the dlc coating
Right on.
And do you still care about the ontario falcon
The falcon is a good blade, but it is not on my top 10 list. It is too thick and heavy for how I use knives.
can u compare this to the 5.1 in another video?
Spencer Jordan The 5.1 just has a finger choil other then that it is the same knife, and I am not as big a fan of choils unless the blade is longer then 6inches. I will be getter the SK-5 when it becomes available which is the S7 steel version of the GSO 5.1 so you will see the comparison then. I hope that helps.
thx
do you know if survive knives ships to europe
You would have to call them and ask.
Looks very similar to the brakimo.
I like the BK2 for $60
Yep, you can't beat that price!
Say Heah Aaron, Yup, a few more knives to finish a set, and I'll start on my Survive G. S. O's. ,, .
10:50 Complaints on sheath.
I need a quality *multi tool* with *knife*, pliers, wire-cutter, bottle opener, can opener, screwdriver... Can anyone recommend me something appropriate?
Nanni Fret Leatherman Rebar, my favorite.
Nanni Fret You can get useful survival multi tool *for free* at *multitool.all-about.in*
Gso5 v bk2 / bk7 ?????
Oldcoinsandstuff1 The BK2 is the cheaper version of the GSO5 in my mind. But both are great. The BK7 is more of a do everything survival/fighting knife. It can do almost anything, but it won't do anything well.
Listening to you speak makes me believe you must be kin to Scott Kelby (you sound just like him) .. ua-cam.com/users/scottkelby. When I first heard you speaking I thought, hey, I didn't know Scott was into survival knives AND a photoshop guru? LOL
Am I the only one who came here for CSGO knifes xD
I WANT ONE! BUT IM NOT RICH 😭
+IRonikz_ Pro Worth every penny! ;-) if ya ever have the chance buyin one DO IT!
Yah know. I've noticed that none of you guys use a knife to do anything the old timers would have a wanted to do such as process food. You are obviously just passing through packing your preprocessed food and doing stuff with a knife they'd have used and ax or hawk to do. Yep that knife does a great job of chopping a limb you could have just broken.
+Dwight E Howell You're right, the tactics the human race uses to accomplish various tasks continues to evolve and improve as knowledge is amassed. By the way, every time someone mentions an ax over a small blade they reveal themselves to not at all be hikers, and at best, merely car-campers. Ounces equal pounds, pounds equal pain. Hopefully that spoon feeding has nourished you.
It is also true that the knowledge and skills once common are lost with the passage of time. As you say, you are a hiker. Have fun.
I agree with Dwight. There is almost nothing done in all these survival/bushcraft videos, that I can not do better with a small axe. Including fine tasks. If I in addition, carry a small knife one my belt, I am good to go.
I know this is very old but you do realize that testing a knife is different from how someone would use a knife. Not many smart people would walk up to a tree and start smacking away dulling their blades edge. Not to mention a saw would be much better than a ax or knife in getting wood cut down for splitting. He's a gear tester testing the ergos and comfort plus how strong and durable it is. He wants to "abuse" the knife to see what it can do because if it fails in any one thing that's a data point he can bring. If it fails in nothing he can show how this knife for certain people would be a must have. food for thought
what does this blade cost?
+Max Heimerl They run at about $250.00 or so.
what does this blade cost?
+Max Heimerl (german Ranger) $220 on the surviveknives.com site.
+gideonstactical
ok thanks for this fast answer