A few thoughts on Cold Steel Recon 1, Lawman and mini-Lawman [AK-47 added]

[soapboxpreacher]

Steel: Japanese Aus 8A Stainless w/ Black Teflon® Finish



Yeah, he gets a dremel and smooths it out, then fills it in with some sort of bondo, then spray paints it black to match the G-10. Thats time, money and effort. Honestly, the 150 grit sandpaper does the same thing in 10 seconds. :thumbup:

Did you ever post your top-ten list of Knives? With all of your post and all the knives you have came across I would love to know what is in your top 10

 

[powernoodle]

Did you ever post your top-ten list of Knives?

Nah - better to keep the world guessing.

I added an AK-47 to the stable, so I thought I would throw it in here.

Its more akin to the Recon 1 than than the Lawman. Feels about the same in the hand as the Recon 1, and the clip point blade adds to the similarity.

The thump plate is not my favorite, but I can get used to it. Its possible to get your thumb a little too far forward (toward the pivot), which makes opening difficult. I assume also that its a pseudo wave feature, but I carry on my weak side so that doesn't work for me. But the thumb plate works fine, and I think would become second nature after using it a while.

I sanded the G10 under the pocket clip as I do with all CS folders, and need to slap a crazy mirror edge on this one. Thought about sending the blade off for hard chroming (I've seen it on pistols, but never a blade) or maybe the up-armor treatment which I find way cool.

The blade is centered, and its stupid sharp.

At first I thought I'd like to lose the little prong or extension that juts out from the pommel. But on further review, it tends to hold your pinkie in place when gripping the knife, and contributes to the sensation that the knife is grabbing your hand rather than vice versa.

All in all, I think I prefer the Lawman, Recon 1 and then AK-47 in that order. But the AK-47 is a fine piece of knife, especially for $55.39 shipped on ebay. Like each of the above-mentioned CS folders, its built like a tank, and I bet it would accept abuse better than 99.9% of folders out there at any price. Good stuff.

 

[DennisStrickland]

well powernoodle is no novice & i think we can safely assume his review is right up front. there are times when you have situations that really require a tough expendable knife . cold steel fills that category better than most.
dennis

 

[powernoodle]

You are right, Dennis, about what niche one is after. I received also today an FRN FFG Endura. Wonderful knife, but completely different than the AK-47 obviously. Slices like a light saber, and thin in the pocket. But not the kind of knife with which you would cut sod or dig through dry wall. Its all about what ones wants from a knife.

 

[dc50]

I was thinking, if we didn't have the Spydies and Benchmades, Cold Steel would be the main man, so to speak.
All prejudiced aside, CS makes a good knife, sure its not a Sebi, but its a knife worth keeping.

 

[scotchleaf]

One of the worst things about CS is their insistance on putting hideous lettering on their knives, imho.

 

[dc50]

One of the worst things about CS is their insistance on putting hideous lettering on their knives, imho.

ha ha, if you want hideous lettering Sog does a good job on that.
Come to think of lettering,how bout the BM Bone Collector

 

[J.Vervoorst]

powernoodle,
now that you have all three models, do you mind to repeat the comparison of locks I previously asked you about in a PM? Noticeable difference in lock geometry, ease of disengagement, how deep the lock tooth engages, the difference in size of the Tri-Ad mechanisms between the three knives?
Thanks a bunch!

 

[cutter17]

Here's the deal. I've been around here a while, but for whatever reason never paid a bit of attention to Cold Steel. It was probably the throwing stars, "Special Forces shovel", and other mall ninja horsecrap. And the videos of tough guys jamming folders through chain mail and cowboy boots. Its just not my kind of thing.

But for whatever reason, maybe it was Brother Ankerson's work, or nutnfancy's excellent youtube reviews, I decided to try a 2010 Recon 1.

Its pretty good stuff. Big folder. Built tough. Real tough. Light weight. Killer solid lock. And not spendy at around $60 to your mailbox if you look around. And the shape really grips your hand.

The new flavor of Recon 1 for 2010 is linerless. From what I have seen from others who have abused the knife, and my own experience, I find no downside to the linerless configuration. And as important, it saves a couple of ounces.

Minor downsides: the G10 is really grippy, which is fine and dandy for the most part. But it shreds your pocket in short order, especially with the very tight clip that comes on CS folders. So I sanded mine down with 150 grit. You can see it in the photos, but its not too noticeable unless you are looking for it. And it makes a big difference, especially if you loosen the clip just a tad. Deployment is easy, your pants are safe, and the knife is still secure enough that you won't lose it.

The black blade coating, which Cold Steel says is teflon, is not particularly durable. A little usage, and it starts to go. Thats ok with me, as I love a battle-scarred blade. But if you are looking to use a blade but keep the black intact, you might want to look elsewhere.



A few things about the mini. Its a small knife, about the size of a Delica. And like the Recon 1, the shape really makes for a good grip. More than good. But there are a couple of downers that make this one a no-go for me. First, the clip is positioned in such a way that about one-third of the knife sticks out of your pocket. Being a small knife, that doesn't leave much ballast below the waterline to keep the knife in your pocket. There is just no way I'm going to carry this one using the clip, because it feels to me like its going to jump out of my pocket. And that would make Powernoodle sad.

Additionally, the convergence of the small blade, positioning of the thumb stud and the arc through which the blade swings, places your thumb very close to that killer sharp edge when you open the knife. So close, that I peeled my thumb as if a cheese slicer had touched it. No blood, but a missing layer of dermis. I'm very lucky that I did not fillet my thumb.

So, for me, the combination of the clip position and the skin off the thumb thing makes this one not recommended. But dang it, it still feels really good in the hand once deployed.

The Lawman falls somewhere in between. Ergos are good, though not as good as the Recon 1. And on my version, the Lawman is more difficult to open and to unlock than is the Recon 1. I don't know if all of them are like that, but the Lawman is just a little stiff to open, and sometimes the lock is a little sticky to disengage. Compare that to the Recon 1, which opens like a dream, thwacks loudly to signal engagement of the lock, and feels great in the hand.

Punchline: the Recon 1 may find itself on the highly coveted Powernoodle Top Ten List. If such a list existed. It has a lot going for it, and the rough G10 under the clip is a quickly corrected matter. I much prefer it over the Lawman, based primarily on the stiffness of opening and disengaging the Lawman. As for the mini-Lawman. Eh, no thanks. Nice little knife, and it feels great in the hand. But the clip position makes it a no thanks for me.

All this has made me a Cold Steel fan, and I look forward to the Voyager in 2011.

If you still have the mini AL, then this clip could possibly solve your problems. It is from usaknifemaker.com. It will fit that standard 3 hole clip CS used.

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[myowngod]

I gotta admit I am very impressed with my Recon 1... bought mostly because of you and Ankerson. Can you try to explain why you prefer the AL? I'm trying to decide if I should pick one up in addition to the recon...

 

[Nemo]

I gotta admit I am very impressed with my Recon 1... bought mostly because of you and Ankerson. Can you try to explain why you prefer the AL? I'm trying to decide if I should pick one up in addition to the recon...

I love my new Recon I Tanto. It's get razor sharp, can stand all a week end of chopping batonning and whittling in the woods. No play, no concerne with the Triadlock. The thick gryppy G10 handle is sandpaper friendly for adjustment and the sake of your trouser.
Great hardcore folder for a great price.

(Now CS makes great products which should desserve their own forum like the mighty Special Force Speitnaz Shovel. This is just a amazing tool for the great outdoors ! If it was sexy like a balisong and used in hollywood flicks and if our gouvenrments could imagine how fast and deadly that weapon can be they would ban that great shovel in a blink of an eye.
12 years ago we made a review with Fred Perrin about it... this is a versatile tool which can be used as a throwing axe ! Beware the CS showel. This is a very "addictive" item!)

Back to the Recon 1. I'm working on a review myself...

 

[powernoodle]

do you mind to repeat the comparison of locks

The Recon 1 is the easiest to disengage. The Lawman and AK-47 are each pretty stiff to disengage, but you become used to it. As far as lock geometry and so forth, I really can't tell much without disassembly but I'm guessing they are equal if not identical. Whatever the case, its a pretty stout lock.

It will fit that standard 3 hole clip CS used.

Hey, thanks. I'll have to get one of those.

 

[Sulaco]

I just got an AL and a ML recently and am liking them both as well. My AL is much easier to disengage than the ML but neither are too difficult for me. I like the AL a lot, but wish it didn't have the 2nd finger groove which splits the main grip section. I'd prefer it to resemble a grip more like the Kershaw JYD II which is a very similarly designed knife handle.

CS seems to know what they are doing (well, whatever firm in Taiwan is making their knives for them anyway) with AUS-8. I am seeing really good edge retention from mine and it takes the well-known super sharp edge of all good AUS-8. I am happy with it so far!

The Tri-Ad lock is a serious lock mechanism for sure. Both of mine lock up super tight with a loud "snap!". There's no denying these things are open and locked when you hear that sound!

 

[waykno]

I have owned CS over the years and they are always top notch. I have fixed and folders. Main complaint is the serrated versions are hard to sharpen as the grooves are so close together. I pay no attention to the ninja type marketing hype they sometimes use.

 

[waykno]

Additionally, I bought a Blackthorn walking stick some years ago when it was the real deal. Now it is a polyethylene or something. Still good but not the real deal. The stick is dual purpose as you can imagine and it is nifty. I bought but never use the CS Trail Master--that thing will demolish a house almost, I bet. The SRK and Master Hunter are two I would recommend as a fixed blade. And the Recon Scout. And last, but not least, the Recon Tanto.