3V Laredo Bowie and 3V Trailmaster Finally Available

I also heard /remembered that the 3v was ht by Peters then finished in Taiwan. There is no reason the ht could not be done there if they have the equipment training and time. I am just as bad with this cognitive dissonance as I try to steer away from China made blades!?!?! Part of that is I don't like the regime....
 
strideruser said:
I also heard /remembered that the 3v was ht by Peters then finished in Taiwan. There is no reason the ht could not be done there if they have the equipment training and time. I am just as bad with this cognitive dissonance as I try to steer away from China made blades!?!?! Part of that is I don't like the regime....
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Either the factories in Taiwan don't have the equipment to heat treat the 3V properly or maybe Peters has got a sizeable advantage in heat treating 3V. There must be a reason that CS went to all that trouble to do it that way. You'd think that CS would be able to find an American manufacturer to do the grinding and finishing. At the prices they're asking for those knives, they couldn't find a way to get the whole process done in USA? It's hard to believe.
 
The price they are charging you could DHL each blade from Peters to Taiwan and back to the states 5 times over! and still make a 100% margin on it :)
 
I didn't want to start a new thread, so I thought I'd just throw a post in here...


A few nights ago, I was up partaking of a little Jack & Zero and pondering picking-up a Trail Master in 3V. It was showing at $298. (*at that MIDdle of the WAY Retailer whose name shall not be mentioned) I'd been watching it for quite a few days (*weeks?), and it had been bouncing between $328 (*if memory serves) and $298. The devil on my shoulder kept telling me to "Buy now!", but the angel on the other shoulder kept telling me to wait. Last night, the angel's advice panned-out. The 3V TM showed-up at $258. Man, that was all it took. I ordered one today.

Admittedly, I ain't much of a "steel snob". My favorite knife in the whole World (*and the knife that has spent the most time with me under the moon and stars) is my little TOPS 107E in 1095. However, a few years back, I was exposed to 3V by Bark River. Man, I quickly fell in love with that steel.

A few months back, I scored a 3V Recon Scout for $199 and was quite happy with the price. I purposely tried to put-in a little time with it, with my little TOPS waiting as "back up" in the event that things went sideways with the 3V RS. Much to my satisfaction, the RS took everything I threw at it. At the time of my initial purchase, I chose the RS over the TM just because of price, but kept telling myself that I would score a TM when the time was right.


I wanted to add...

As most of you know, "change" is hard. As I get older, it seems to become harder. However, "perspective" differs from person to person.

Some of you guys have been buying/using/collecting Cold Steels from Day One. While I do have a couple of older Cold Steels, most of my CS stuff is post-GSM. With that, ALL of 'em have been outstanding performers. I've abused my post-GSM SK-5 SRK beyond what any knife deserves, and beyond what most would expect. It has been an OUTSTANDING performer. I have also put-in a bit of time with my 3V "Master Hunter". Again, the MH has not let me down. Is the grind perfect on the MH? No. However, I have quite a few similar knives, costing almost three times as much, that ain't exactly "perfect" either. Beyond all the above, I have a Buddy who uses his SK-5 Recon Tanto as his camping/hiking knife. Like me, he has beaten that post-GSM RT pretty well, and is quite happy with it.


I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of my new 3V Trail Master. I can't wait to take it out "under the stars" with a couple of my Barky 3V Crusaders. If my post-GSM 3V Recon Scout is any kinda' indicator, I do expect to be quite happy with the 3V TM. Hell, I may have to purchase a duplicate for the safe/gun cabinet.



*"Your mileage may vary", "To each his own", "Caveat emptor", blah, blah, blah.
 
I bought the 3V Laredo and Trailmaster and love them both, but am surprised at the lack of aftermarket sheaths for these knives…does anyone have a recommendation?
 
fonedork said:
I bought the 3V Laredo and Trailmaster and love them both, but am surprised at the lack of aftermarket sheaths for these knives…does anyone have a recommendation?
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Harry, of "Savage Sheaths", makes sheaths for both. I never know the rules about including links, so you'll have to do a search for "Savage Sheaths". I have a couple of his sheaths, one for a Busse Hell Razor II and one for a Swamp Rat INFI Ratweiler, with which I've been happy.

He makes his sheaths in kind of the "Randall" style, with the stone pocket. However, you can contact him and he'll pretty-much make one however you'd like.

Happy hunting.



EDIT- When I first read your post, I was assuming you were asking about leather. I realize now that you may be looking for something in Kydex.
 
Alone said:
Harry, of "Savage Sheaths", makes sheaths for both. I never know the rules about including links, so you'll have to do a search for "Savage Sheaths". I have a couple of his sheaths, one for a Busse Hell Razor II and one for a Swamp Rat INFI Ratweiler, with which I've been happy.

He makes his sheaths in kind of the "Randall" style, with the stone pocket. However, you can contact him and he'll pretty-much make one however you'd like.

Happy hunting.



EDIT- When I first read your post, I was assuming you were asking about leather. I realize now that you may be looking for something in Kydex.
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Thanks, I have an email out to Harry as he was the one guy who has sheaths for these knives listed online, and the Randall style Savage sheaths do look good. I reached out to Panther concealment too but would prefer a leather sheath in that IWB style, with the stud. I am a bit surprised that there aren't more guys out there offering sheaths for these bowies considering how long Cold Steel has been making them and how popular they are.
 
fonedork said:
Thanks, I have an email out to Harry as he was the one guy who has sheaths for these knives listed online, and the Randall style Savage sheaths do look good. I reached out to Panther concealment too but would prefer a leather sheath in that IWB style, with the stud. I am a bit surprised that there aren't more guys out there offering sheaths for these bowies considering how long Cold Steel has been making them and how popular they are.
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I was pretty surprised, too.

I didn't tell you about him because I haven't heard back. However, I reached-out to Rob Kellenberger, of RK Leatherworks, because he made a great sheath for my Ontario SP10 Raider. There ain't much to it, it's just beautiful in its simplicity. I would love to have one just like it for my Trail Master.
 
A word of warning about custom kydex sheaths: make sure the sheath maker has a model made from the same steel and/or is from the same period of manufacture.

I recently ordered a kydex sheath for my O1 Trailmaster from a non BF maker and the sheath was so tight that I really had to struggle with both hands to insert or draw the knife. The sheath is well made and perfectly tuned around the guard but impossibly tight along the length of the blade. Apparently the maker bought his TM about 4 years after I bought mine (new, directly from CS in 2018) and, in that time, CS began manufacturing TM blades slightly thinner than previous runs. I fixed the issue with my heat gun but I'm not a kydex wizard and now the retention on the guard is too tight (my fault, not the maker's).

So, in summary, beware that a kydex sheath made for one CS bowie may not properly fit the same model manufactured in a different time frame.
 
oldmanwilly said:
A word of warning about custom kydex sheaths: make sure the sheath maker has a model made from the same steel and/or is from the same period of manufacture.

I recently ordered a kydex sheath for my O1 Trailmaster from a non BF maker and the sheath was so tight that I really had to struggle with both hands to insert or draw the knife. The sheath is well made and perfectly tuned around the guard but impossibly tight along the length of the blade. Apparently the maker bought his TM about 4 years after I bought mine (new, directly from CS in 2018) and, in that time, CS began manufacturing TM blades slightly thinner than previous runs. I fixed the issue with my heat gun but I'm not a kydex wizard and now the retention on the guard is too tight (my fault, not the maker's).

So, in summary, beware that a kydex sheath made for one CS bowie may not properly fit the same model manufactured in a different time frame.
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Dead-on. 👍


It's a bit of a pain, but I've just gotten in the habit of mailing the actual knife if there's even a hint of doubt. 🤷‍♂️
 
Alone said:
Dead-on. 👍


It's a bit of a pain, but I've just gotten in the habit of mailing the actual knife if there's even a hint of doubt. 🤷‍♂️
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Oh, you mean you think through decisions and make proper, albeit inconvenient, choices? How boring.🤯
 
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