I wanted a survival knife larger than my current 4.5 inch iteration, and did a mountain of research. This knife kept coming out on top, and upon receipt, I understand why. The quality, workmanship, and ergonomics all rate an A+. The steel, Elmax, has all the properties I was looking for. My only problem is convincing myself to actually take this knife in the field and use it, as opposed to putting it in a glass case and staring at it. The vendor, Russian Knives, was exemplary In their communication and service.