A2 Steel Update

I was asking about the gurkha kukri but not if it's some nasty steel like that.... secondhand market I think.... :( these knives are the true "cold steel" and it was great that they did sk5 versions and higher end steel versions.. I suppose we will see................ .
 
o_O I can only conjecture that CS tried the higher quality road with their 3V DLC coated models ( just for example) and were apparently not rewarded by the market .

Same for many of CS higher end products .

The market is not always smart about favoring the products that perform the best or are the best value /quality . :(

Maybe CS decided to just give in and make junk if that's what sells at a decent profit ? :confused:

After all , lots of people still buy Al Mar , SOG , Gerber etc . :rolleyes:
 
This is mystifying. How do you replace a carbon tool steel with a low end stainless? According to my knife steel ap, 4034 has .45% carbon, 13% Cr, 1% Mn and that's it. This is going to be way below AUS8 in performance. Even 420hc is better on paper. The price better be extremely low.
Would I buy one? I suspect it will be hard to get sharp and not hold an edge because thats how cheap kitchen knives are. I can't rule out getting one completely. I'll wait for reviews.
This will make all the combat knives out there more valuable.
 
AntDog said:
Couldn’t get A2, so they decided to use liner material
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This is kinda tragic.
DocJD said:
CS best call it the "Trail Master Lite " :rolleyes:
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Or Trail Master Trainer - if they sell it dull with rounded tip, it'd be improvement over rubber trainers.
DocJD said:
Maybe you got some magical HT ?
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DocJD said:
I'm reserving final judgement until I see some actual test results , but not real hopeful about this direction for CS iconic models .
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I doubt that any HT can make very low end steel perform as well as something that much better, unless their O1 was poorly heat treated.
I'll also wait for testings and reviews, if this thing will be rolling like crazy and/or breaking - it'll be huge stain on Cold Steel name. And with composition and reputation of this steel, I'm not an optimist.

In any case, Cold Steel is getting roasted here right now, which I hope will have some influence on them.
I also still kinda hope it's a joke, because it does sound like something you'd hear at April 1.st...
 
Smiling said:
This is kinda tragic.

Or Trail Master Trainer - if they sell it dull with rounded tip, it'd be improvement over rubber trainers.


I doubt that any HT can make very low end steel perform as well as something that much better, unless their O1 was poorly heat treated.
I'll also wait for testings and reviews, if this thing will be rolling like crazy and/or breaking - it'll be huge stain on Cold Steel name. And with composition and reputation of this steel, I'm not an optimist.

In any case, Cold Steel is getting roasted here right now, which I hope will have some influence on them.
I also still kinda hope it's a joke, because it does sound like something you'd hear at April 1.st...
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Yeah , it does all seem like a cruel joke .

I wouldn't have so much problem if they wanted to start a cheap line for that market , but to use the Trail Master and other past CS great iconic knives with a junky steel is brand suicide .

CS buyers have high expectations for those models and won't be happy with poor performance .
 
2020 has turned into some kind of a sad joke for cold steel, i can only look forward to 2021. Depending on what they come up with, it could either be a redemption or the continued downhill of the brand(like Gerber).
In the meantime, it’s probably better to save up and spend that money to buy from Demko himself or any maker who had any sense of pride to their products.

Make CS great again.
 
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Let’s wait until we see the product before passing full judgement.

Cold Steel has shown us that they get the heat treat right in a multitude of steel choices.

Look what Buck does with 420hc. Ontario switched to 420 in the Woodsman and that thing performs on par with the previous 5160.

Yes, it’s not what us knife nuts wanted.

CPM-3V, O1, A2, 52100...definitely and unequivocally would have been better.

But before we get crazy and write off the brand let’s see the product and pricepoint, then test it out.

If it sucks...well...it won’t sell.
 
MolokaiRider said:
Let’s wait until we see the product before passing full judgement.

Cold Steel has shown us that they get the heat treat right in a multitude of steel choices.

Look what Buck does with 420hc. Ontario switched to 420 in the Woodsman and that thing performs on par with the previous 5160.

Yes, it’s not what us knife nuts wanted.

CPM-3V, O1, A2, 52100...definitely and unequivocally would have been better.

But before we get crazy and write off the brand let’s see the product and pricepoint, then test it out.

If it sucks...well...it won’t sell.
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In any case, well heat treated O1,52100 or SK-5 would perform better than well heat treated 4034... I won't even mention 3V
 
I'm a show-me-the-data kind of guy. If 4034 is "strong and tough" then show me the data. Because anything soft will come off as tough. But if it won't take an edge and hold an edge it's not a knife, it's a club. As far as I know at this point, 4034 is barely Target kitchen knife steel.
I wish AUS8 hadnt been beaten up by all these internet reviewers. In retrospect it was a great steel. Took a razor edge, held up decently, excellent toughness. You don't know what you've got till you lose it, as the song said.
 
I can see 4034 steel in a "well we have to have something to put on the shelves" answer in a situation where you don't really care about the end users satisfaction. Lynn, please don't try running ads about what a great steel it is and how well they perform. That would be insult to injury IMO. We have waited years for these A2 knives but most of us understand shit can happen. Of all the steels you can select why 4034 though? It's a steel for frames and liners not blades. There are so many other good steels available. Oh wait, are these PRC made? No wonder.

Joe
 
razorburn said:
I just don't get it. For Cold Steel in the last few years has upped their steels game which in turn has created a dedicated following.For this is a huge step backward.
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Most affordable 3V knives are Pnedleton Hunters.
Pricing of 52100 in Drop Forged series is amazing.

But, recently we can see more and more of AUS, 4116 and other such steels. Now 4034 seems to be "all the rage" for CS.
My guess is they got a bargain for large 4034 supply.
 
I'll wait till we see a few dozen user reviews of these 4034 knives, but it seems like an odd move. They probably won't be cheap enough to appease the the wall hanger and budget crowd, and the perceived steel quality drop loses the traditional buyers of these models. 52100 would've been an interesting change, and as mentioned, seems to be in decent supply because of the dropped forged line.

4034 just seems like a cost cutting measure.
 
Well, 4034 might be tough because it's soft, but looking at it's composition and carbon content... it won't hold an edge, and will still be weaker than some better steels. Like someone said - it's a liner material...

But for real:
52100 would be more than acceptable
O1 like before would be very nice
SK-5 would be pretty decent
1055 would still be better than 4034

All of these steels will outperform 4034 by large margin if they're both heat treated well...
So question is - Why not?!?!?!
 
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