This is the Cold Steel Spike, Drop Point, second generation.
Three things caught my attention when I looked at this knife:
1. The price. Only $25.
2. The grind. It ships with a proper scandi grind.
3. The weight. Only 2.5oz!
I decided to buy one and EDC it to see how it works. I've carried it for about three weeks now, and I've come to really like it.
As expected, it carves wood pretty nicely. The scandi grind lets it bite deep with ease, and the 4116 easily takes a razor sharp edge off my coarse or ultrafine stones.
The handle being so narrow is an obvious issue for prolonged use. While it makes the Spike carry much better than a wider, heavier design, it will induce hand fatigue when used over an extended period for heavy cutting.
Using it to strip bark from a branch I cut to make a walking stick, the cutting performance was high while comfort was low. Something with a more hand filling handle like a Spyderco Temperance would have worked better.
It was no slouch building a fire. It has the strength needed to baton through limbs to reach dry wood if needed, and carves excellent feather sticks. I made some fatwood shavings, then scraped some off into a powder, and ignited it with a ferro rod. The Spike threw excellent sparks.
For what it is I found The Spike to be pretty capable. Obviously its not what I'd bring with me if I planned to whittle for six hours, but its strength is how easily it can be EDC'd compared to heavier, larger knives.
). I just don't see any advantage over a Mora Companion....
