A message from Lynn

Cold Steel Knives

Cold Steel Knives

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A message from Lynn C Thompson:

In 2015, Cold Steel announced a series of upgrades in materials and manufacturing, making an ongoing transition to American materials.
We introduced a range of new steels, including Carpenter CTS XHP and BD1, and also Crucible CPM 20CV and CPM-S35VN – providing superior edge retention, toughness, wear resistance and cutting potential!
This, combined with our groundbreaking research and development in lock strength, allows us to proudly provide what are arguably some of the safest, strongest and highest performance folding knives in the world!
With design collaborations with award-winning custom knife maker Andrew Demko, premium American powdered super steels, and the ultra-strong Tri-Ad lock – our knives truly offer game-changing performance while remaining affordable for almost any budget!

So, how do our folders compare to the competition?

comparison_social.jpg

Check out THIS LINK – and you’ll be amazed at the high value, high performance options that are available from Cold Steel!
I’m happy to say that in many cases, we offer comparable if not superior steel, bigger, thicker and wider blades, and a far, FAR stronger locking mechanism – at awesome prices!

Lynn C Thompson
President
Cold Steel Inc.
 
I am getting a bit tired of all these announcements, news and stuff while waiting for the d*mned special edition Hold Out I to be released.
Instead of doing all this bashing and comparing I think it'd be much more productive for CS to release their 2015 products BEFORE the end of 2015.

I have been months asking and discussing the HO I special edition release/distribution dates with both authorised dealers and CS Custom Service with no satisfactory answer, hint or information yet.
Thanks CS.

You may have enough time these holidays to rethink your policies and preferences for this upcoming 2016 and maybe that will really mean "stepping up your game" as many like to say you did this year. Of course, YMMV.
Have a nice dayq
 
I already had a conversation with you about the special edition Hold Out in another thread.
That item was sold exclusively to dealers. Not even Cold Steel had them in stock.
Check out Battle Merchant in Germany, I believe they have them
Thanks
 
Well I would say that Cold Steel definitely stepped up their game this year with the upgraded steels and asserting lock strength dominance over pretty much every other brand and lock type out there. Bravo Cold Steel and Andrew Demko.I knew the tri-ad lock strong but damn! The video of the voyager holding 460lbs before the BLADE snapped, not the lock, not the grivory...wow. Cant wait to see whats coming in 2016.
 
Awesome Lynn. My only advice, or feedback per se, is to have all of your hollow ground folding knives, ground by the maker, or on the same equipment as the Voyagers, and Code 4's are ground on. The gradual plunge grinds on knives like the Recon 1, the American Lawman, and the AK-47, do not allow the edge to come down to the sharpening choil.

The steep plunge on the Voyager, Code4, and the late Mackinac Hunter, made for more attractive blades, that allowed the edge to come all the way to the choil. It also makes for easier sharpening.

I know that with outside production, comes contracts, so I doubt that the move could be quick, if at all possible. Just an idea.
 
Looking through that list, the most obvious comparison to me, is the ZT 0630, vs the AK-47. The AK-47 really does not leave anything at for the ZT to hide behind there. But then again, in terms of performance, strength, and cost, Cold Steel's line is not leaving the entire production folding knife industry very much to hide behind.
 
I must admit that the specs war has been very informative.
I am more interested in seeing a cold steel "new vs old"
challenge.
Now that its been proven that there isn't any worthy competitor
Remotely close to what cold steel has to offer;
There has been continued product improvements on various existing models
All of which needs to be equally tested against the previous models
In a fair test.
(hell! Even the "terminator" had to face the t-3000 )
To solidify the undisputed proof of having raised the bar.
 
ursamajor said:
Looking through that list, the most obvious comparison to me, is the ZT 0630, vs the AK-47. The AK-47 really does not leave anything at for the ZT to hide behind there. But then again, in terms of performance, strength, and cost, Cold Steel's line is not leaving the entire production folding knife industry very much to hide behind.
Click to expand...

Agree and disagree. I honestly think the ZT 0630 is a much nicer knife than the AK. Better fit and finish, a numder of handsome aesthetic touches, and it's the rare collaboration that shows clear but unconflicting signs of it's heritage from both sides of the collab. It waves more easily and smoothly and adds a touch of class that, much as I dig it, the AK lacks. The problem is, I don't think the 0630 is a BETTER knife and it costs twice as much. I don't think it's quite an "the emperor has no clothes" situation, but I would personally opt for the $100 knife that will perform as well, or better in some ways, than the $200 one.
 
Check out our Youtube Channel (csknives) and you'll see us test an older model Recon 1 in AUS8A vs a newer model in XHP
Thanks
 
GIRLYmann said:
Now that its been proven that there isn't any worthy competitor
Remotely close to what cold steel has to offer;
Click to expand...

According to SOME people.
According to SOME measures...

How about prying? I have a bunch of knives that could pry with more force than almost any Cold Steel knife.
If that were my measure of knife awesomeness, I could say that Cold Steel was sub par.

The one thing they've proven better than most others in is lock strength; that's it.
 
I will say that Cold Steel has certainly done a better job of producing a folding kukri.
The folding kukris that other manufacturers have put out don't do anything kukri-like at all.

So I'll give them the nod on that one; the Rajah 2 is pretty neat, and actually quite useful at times.:thumbup:

So I guess that's 2 things...strong locks and a decent folding kukri.
 
stabman said:
According to SOME people.
According to SOME measures...

How about prying? I have a bunch of knives that could pry with more force than almost any Cold Steel knife.
If that were my measure of knife awesomeness, I could say that Cold Steel was sub par.

The one thing they've proven better than most others in is lock strength; that's it.
Click to expand...

I will say that their designs in general are meant to offer the consumer the most performance for the dollar. Let's look at the Voyager, for instance. Very grippy handle, excellent materials for the price, strongest lock in the industry, great ergonomics and blade geometry.

Now, let's compare the Voyager to a Sebenza, a knife I love to compare others to (as per Chris Reeve's claim that it's the yardstick to which others are compared). I won't talk about lock strength, because there's no need to beat a dead horse. The clip point and Vaquero voyagers offer FFG geometry, whereas the Sebenza does not. They offer high traction handles, whereas the Sebenza does not. They offer ergonomics which lock your hand in, whereas the Sebenza does not.

And now let's take a look at what Cold Steel offers at a higher price point, the Espada:
-a big honkin' blade, even on the smallest model
-a wide blade with purposeful geometry conducive to slicing and pierce cutting
-custom quality fit and finish
-ergonomic handle meant to keep your hand on it
-wave opening on the larger models

Still less expensive than the Sebenza (which, I must say, has a rather ironic name considering most working class people around the world simply don't have the means to own one), and still offering much more to the consumer as far as performance is concerned.

I realize that's not the point of the Sebenza - it's pocket jewelry and a status item - but my point is that CS is a performance-oriented company, and that's their draw. That's what drew me to them initially when I first started getting into knives, and that's why I stick around as a CS fan still. I don't leave home without at least one CS blade on me because I know it'll do what I need it to when I need to call on an unfailingly reliable knife, whether it be to cut a sandwich for lunch or a seatbelt in an emergency.
 
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Kwon Kwang said:
I will say that their designs in general are meant to offer the consumer the most performance for the dollar. Let's look at the Voyager, for instance. Very grippy handle, excellent materials for the price, strongest lock in the industry, great ergonomics and blade geometry.

Now, let's compare the Voyager to a Sebenza, a knife I love to compare others to (as per Chris Reeve's claim that it's the yardstick to which others are compared). I won't talk about lock strength, because there's no need to beat a dead horse. The clip point and Vaquero voyagers offer FFG geometry, whereas the Sebenza does not. They offer high traction handles, whereas the Sebenza does not. They offer ergonomics which lock your hand in, whereas the Sebenza does not.

And now let's take a look at what Cold Steel offers at a higher price point, the Espada:
-a big honkin' blade, even on the smallest model
-a wide blade with purposeful geometry conducive to slicing and pierce cutting
-custom quality fit and finish
-ergonomic handle meant to keep your hand on it
-wave opening on the larger models

Still less expensive than the Sebenza (which, I must say, has a rather ironic name considering most working class people around the world simply don't have the means to own one), and still offering much more to the consumer as far as performance is concerned.

I realize that's not the point of the Sebenza - it's pocket jewelry and a status item - but my point is that CS is a performance-oriented company, and that's their draw. That's what drew me to them initially when I first started getting into knives, and that's why I stick around as a CS fan still. I don't leave home without at least one CS blade on me because I know it'll do what I need it to when I need to call on an unfailingly reliable knife, whether it be to cut a sandwich for lunch or a seatbelt in an emergency.
Click to expand...

+1 well said.

A lot of people seem to think that CS only cares about their lock strength, which is not true. IMO by saying that the only thing good about CS is their lock strength is simply delusional or being butt hurt.

For about $75-80 i can find a 2015 American Lawman that has CTS XHP steel, durable DLC finish(some company charge $15 extra for that, look at Manix 2) and high quality G-10 handle. It's stronger but lighter than most competitor of that size. Do you honestly think that the American Lawman cannot cut as well as the Sebenza, the Manix/Paramilitary 2, ZT0350/0562 or any Emerson? Oh let's not even talk about lock strength here...

Someone mentioned about AK47 vs ZT0630, i own both. Same blade thickness, XHP vs S35VN, G-10 Triad lock vs Titanium framelock, $95 vs $200. Does ZT 0630 cut better? Is it stronger? Lighter? Grippier? More balanced? ZT0630 may have more premium material and is made in USA, but is it a better knife even for the same price?

Also I recently had a ZT crave and bought 4 models: 0560, 0562CF, 0630 & 0801BW. I can tell you that Cold Steel's 2015 offering like the Swift has same level or even better fit and finish despite coming from Taiwan.
 
hkyew said:
A lot of people seem to think that CS only cares about their lock strength, which is not true. IMO by saying that the only thing good about CS is their lock strength is simply delusional or being butt hurt.
Click to expand...

My butt is just fine...thanks for your concern regarding it though. ;)

I still have more Cold Steel products than many of those who post here, so I'm speaking from experience.
On their huge knives, like my XL G-10 Espada, Large Espada (with bolsters), Rajah 2 and XL Vaquero Voyager, the "hugeosity" is unmatched by others, with the exception of the Spyderco Tatanka that I prefer over the Large Espada and Voyager (the Rajah still gets use though). The XL Espada got edge warp something fierce, and had to be fixed with a small brass hammer, and the Cold Steel rep said it wasn't meant for actual outdoors use like chopping (his words, not mine).

When it comes to their smaller offerings like the Recon series, Lawman and others in that size range, I have been thoroughly unimpressed.
They cut okay, but other manufacturers have produced knives with better ergonomics, you know, for when you actually use the knife for extended periods.

The only smaller knife of theirs I like at all is the Tuff Lite and Mini Tuff lite, both of which I have given to a friend because he needed a knife, and I prefer my other, non-Cold Steel knives in that size range.

Now I realize that a bunch of die-hard fans will reside around these parts; I get it.
I know that you probably want to congratulate each other on having the best knives EVER...but they aren't the best.
They are okay.

Deal with it.
 
And if they could build a sword cane that wasn't only good for short people, that would be great.
I'm going to have to build an extension for mine if I want to use it.
And if they could use quality O-rings instead of those shitty square things they use that like to tear, that would help.
 
stabman said:
Spyderco Tatanka that I prefer over the Large Espada and Voyager (the Rajah still gets use though)
Click to expand...
I love Spyderco (I think it's undeniable that Cold Steel would surely be a lesser company today without them), but I don't love the Tatanka. Simply put, despite that it's clearly meant to, it can't compete with Cold Steel's megafolders, which are lighter, stronger and a much higher value, even when more expensive.

stabman said:
The XL Espada got edge warp something fierce, and had to be fixed with a small brass hammer, and the Cold Steel rep said it wasn't meant for actual outdoors use like chopping (his words, not mine).
Click to expand...
I think we all know what the Espada series is meant for, and it isn't chopping wood. It's a very purpose-built design; you may as well try to use a sword like you would a machete and complain when it gets edge warp or is damaged in some other way.

stabman said:
When it comes to their smaller offerings like the Recon series, Lawman and others in that size range, I have been thoroughly unimpressed.
They cut okay, but other manufacturers have produced knives with better ergonomics, you know, for when you actually use the knife for extended periods.
Click to expand...
I feel as though you're trying to sell your opinion as fact, and while I've seen many of your posts over the years and generally found them to be level-headed, fair and well thought-out, I'm gonna have to call BS here. Let's take a look at a stock image of the Recon 1 series.

RECON%201%20SERIES_m.jpg


These ergonomics are very well-done. The handles provide a good grip on the knife, feel good in hand and that double choil functions as a pseudo sub hilt to keep that knife in your hand. Matter of fact, you're the first poster I've seen who doesn't seem to care for the Recon 1's ergos. The bottom line as far as Cold Steel is concerned with ergonomics is that they want to keep their knives in your hand for as long as you're using them. It's a design philosophy based entirely on performance. Even the tiny little Micro Recon 1 is designed that way.
As for "they cut okay", well...I think this image speaks for itself. Just look at the geometry. The geometry of Cold Steel's knives are highly conducive to slicing, shearing and piercing without sacrificing strength. I don't really know what else there is to say because a picture is worth 1000 words.

stabman said:
The only smaller knife of theirs I like at all is the Tuff Lite and Mini Tuff lite, both of which I have given to a friend because he needed a knife, and I prefer my other, non-Cold Steel knives in that size range.
Click to expand...
I generally prefer Spyderco when we're talking about folding knives with 3" blade length or less, because at that size I'm not looking for strength, I'm looking for as much cutting performance as I can get in that tiny EDC package.
Then again, Cold Steel delivers with small knives. I've been EDCing my Super Edge for years and put it through a lot of use. It's taken everything I've thrown at it very well and sharpens up nicely. Its ergonomics are great for a knife of that size, and best of all, it's a fixed blade.

stabman said:
Now I realize that a bunch of die-hard fans will reside around these parts; I get it.
I know that you probably want to congratulate each other on having the best knives EVER...but they aren't the best.
They are okay.

Deal with it.
Click to expand...
Again, trying to sell a subjective opinion as an objective fact, and it's not gonna fly.
 
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