I am going to say this right now, I am not Sikh, I am only researching for a Sociology class.
I know about the five articles, but, I can not find a single scrap of information about the following:
Are you less of a Sikh, in the eyes of the Guru, if you do not wear all of them?
[I am very sorry if i offended.]
"less of a Sikh" just arises emotions and people get angry.
The Guru set forth a way to follow, people who followed his word more closely and were more loyal, I'm sure the guru "entrusted" them to lead and control the army while he was doing other activities.
Were the others then deemed less Sikh in front of the guru? I'd believe so, but does that mean he treated them unequally? I'd say no.
I feel its something that people need to just admit and realize its not that big of a deal. Your not AS Sikh as someone who follows a literal word created in 1699 -- who cares?
I am less Sikh than an amritdhari Khalsa. He follows the Gurus words literally, and if the Guru took a small vacation, he would get the throne because he keeps everything "as is the gurus still alive" rather than me, who contemplates and questions even the teachers rules. Better question for me is, why would I want to be "more" of a Sikh ?
If I was a leader, and certain people followed everything I said, I would generally trust them more as they have proven their loyalty, as opposed to others. Would I mistreat them or favor them publicly in the time of need? Hopefully not, but I'll probably never be in that situation. We'd like to assume the Guru did not favor, but entrusted those who were his loyalist...which leads to the answer to be Yes, the 5 K's are highly important in terms of the Guru's eyes, and makes them more of a Sikh.
I'm basing this answer solely off historical perspective, and not personifying the SGGS or internalizing the Guru and attempting to translate words spoken in 1699 to modern times. All we have is what he said, not what the "internal guru" views as more sikh, or what the SGGS states or has been changed over time, or what Guru Gobind or Guru Nanak would say in today's time.
Guru Gobind said a certain thing, and he trusted those who followed strictly what he said -- that implies the others were viewed as "less" Sikh, since all of them were "Sikhs". (Not to get confused -- ITS NOT BAD TO BE "LESS" SIKH!)
in general, only amritdhari (baptised) sikhs are required to wear all 5 Ks all the time. most sikhs just wear Kes (hair) and Kara (bangle). or in some communities (as KDS says) only kara these days.
