2015 American Lawman

Kyle K said:
I noticed that the pivot pin for the lock bar has been moved about a quarter inch back towards the thumb cut out. I haven't compared the two versions closely, but I think the new version needs slightly less depression of the lock bar to unlock the blade. To me it's a good thing because the Tri-ad can be a bear to unlock. Still requires a lot of pressure to depress the lock bar.
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I actually still prefers the old style handle, and because of that, i was planning to do a blade swap when i got the new lawman. But it looks like it's not gonna happen now, since they lock geometries may have changed...
 
Kyle K said:
I noticed that the pivot pin for the lock bar has been moved about a quarter inch back towards the thumb cut out. I haven't compared the two versions closely, but I think the new version needs slightly less depression of the lock bar to unlock the blade. To me it's a good thing because the Tri-ad can be a bear to unlock. Still requires a lot of pressure to depress the lock bar.
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Definitely not the case with mine. It is by far the most difficult to unlock Cold Steel knife I've owned, to the point where I wonder if there is something wrong. Most of the time, I have to push the lock on the edge of a table or something to get it unstuck. I hope it smooths out some, but if it doesn't no biggie. I'd rather my knife be difficult to unlock than come unlocked accidentally.
 
This might be too obvious, but the farther back one pushes down from the pivot pin, the easier it gets. Mike
 
Here's what I have done to several of my Cold Steel knives. After disassembly, I remove the lock spring and squeeze it at the bend points in a heavy pair of pliers just to take some of the bend out of it. Then file down any sharp edges on the end of the spring that rides against the lock bar. The spring doesn't look much different after this, but after reassembly, the pressure needed to release the lock is noticeably reduced. The design still requires a heck of a lot more travel of the lock bar to disengage than other brands. This is what I like most about the Tri-ad lock. I don't feel I'm making the knife unsafe for how I use it, but of course this will void the warranty and I'll probably get bashed for sharing it. I tried leaving the knives half-way open for as long as a week and it didn't seem to make a significant difference as some have suggested. I also find that pressing the lock with the boney area at the base of the thumb pad makes it easier.
 
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Thanks for the suggestions guys. I have noticed that it is easier to disengage further back from the pivot, and that is certainly helpful. I'm not sure I'm brave enough to try what Kyle K described, but in my experience the Triad does smooth out some with use. If nothing else, I will develop a nice strong thumb with callous. Still love the knife, and I have been using another CS model in CTS-XHP and it seems like they have done a really nice job with the heat treat. It holds a nice edge is is pretty easy to sharpen. With the high quality of their Aus8 I had a feeling the CTS-XHP would be good stuff!
 
you can also do the old trick of leaving it half open over night and the spring will lose a tiny bit of tension.
 
Boy, that is noticeably thinner! Between that, the new steel, the DLC and the new texturing, I'd say that's a winner.
 
I am a bit disappointed that the new one is thinner than the non liner G10 one (that I currently have). The older one seemed to be the perfect balance between thickness of the handle without being awkward in harder cutting tasks and carrying in the pocket.
 
Just received my XHP lawman today. Though I would still prefer the thicket G-10, the new thinner G-10 is not as uncomfortable as i would imagined. The balance point moved slightly forward but are barely noticeable(0.125 inch), and it was still comfortable to grip, because the edge are rounded, unlike the Code 4, which is thinner and sharper. Overall, handle feels good, but not as comfy and grippy as the old one, for those who are used to the old style handle.

The DLC coating is AWESOME! And contrary to many pictures circulating here, it isn't as shiny under normal light condition. But it's a finger print magnet, and it loves oil...

The only complain i have is the uneven blade grind. I'm not talking about the cutting edge, it's the blade spine. The blade spine(the flat portion) on one side noticeably terminates closer to the tip than the other side(0.15 inch at least), making the tip look asymmetrical viewing from the top. This also makes the tip stronger on one side since it has more "meat" due the the spine terminating closer to the point. Not really going to impact the function, but this has been one of my major issue with CS through the years.

BTW, i wonder why the knife is drenched in oil when it arrives... For both Lawman and Ultimate Hunter i received today.
 
I had the same uneven grind on my ultimate hunter. Other than that the knife is perfect. Is this just something that effects many Cold Steel knives?
 
shootist16 said:
I had the same uneven grind on my ultimate hunter. Other than that the knife is perfect. Is this just something that effects many Cold Steel knives?
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Upon closer inspection on my new Ultimate Hunter, it has the same uneven grind too, not just my Lawman. One side of the flat part of the blade is noticeably wider than the other side. The uneven cutting edge is easy to fix, but uneven grind on the overall blade shape can't be fixed...

It does seem like a general issue with all CS folders. I have 5 Lawmans purchased since 2010 and only one of them has no noticeable uneven blade grind. At least 1/2 of the dozens of hollow ground CS folders i owned has uneven blade grind as well. But it's very noticeable on Lawman since it has no "swedge". Also, depth and height of the hollow grind is different across 5 samples, resulting in either a very strong tip & cutting edge(from lower hollow grind, where spine is wider) or a very thin tip(when the spine is narrower).

It looks as though CS uses separate CNC machines to grind each side of the blade and each machine has different tolerance, or that the bits are worn unevenly. So one machine cuts deeper/shallower than the other one resulting in uneven grinds. Even a 0.5mm difference in the grinding depth can result in very uneven blade shape...
 
hkyew said:
you can also do the old trick of leaving it half open over night and the spring will lose a tiny bit of tension.
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I had this problem with my Mackinac Hunter, I had to press it on a table edge. After leaving it half open for 2 weeks and working it often it is fine.
 
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I actually sold mine. I was bummed beyond belief. While the upgraded steel and coating is amazing. The thinner handle was a deal breaker. It drastically changed the feel of the knife. I could flex the g10 handle. While probably just as strong as the previous lawman, I wish the kept the same handle and just upgraded the steel and coating
 
I may try one of these out. I handled an original one before and hated the sandpaper-like handle texture.

Jim
 
Humint said:
I actually sold mine. I was bummed beyond belief. While the upgraded steel and coating is amazing. The thinner handle was a deal breaker. It drastically changed the feel of the knife. I could flex the g10 handle. While probably just as strong as the previous lawman, I wish the kept the same handle and just upgraded the steel and coating
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To be honest, im quite bummed about the super thin handle as well, the more i use my new lawman. I wished they could have used the same handle or the same thickness with the current smoother texture. Thinner scale like the G-10 Espada series is okay, but I think CS went overboard with this one. The new lawman feel more flimsy and less solid than before, and the new handle is uncomfortable to hold.

I've never seen complain about Lawman's thickness online. If it ain't broke, why fix it...
 
hkyew said:
To be honest, im quite bummed about the super thin handle as well, the more i use my new lawman. I wished they could have used the same handle or the same thickness with the current smoother texture. Thinner scale like the G-10 Espada series is okay, but I think CS went overboard with this one. The new lawman feel more flimsy and less solid than before, and the new handle is uncomfortable to hold.

I've never seen complain about Lawman's thickness online. If it ain't broke, why fix it...
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From someone who just received a new lawman, I have to agree. The texturing is great, but the thickness is making me consider returning and exchanging it for a recon 1. It just feels too thin for the size of the handle.
 
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