And, Cold Steel wins....... as usual

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Pointy81

Joined
May 22, 2018
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A while back I was watching videos of Cold Steel comparing the strength of their triad lock vs lock designs from other manufacturers.
I’ll admit, these videos have really bummed me out in a way. I like Cold Steel, I currently own a couple of their machetes, but I have seen locks buckle under pressure much earlier than I expected. I’ll mention a couple that really stand out, Chris Reeve Sebenza and the Hogue compression lock.
These tests disappoint me more with other manufacturers than it encourages me to buy Cold Steel. What are your thoughts on these videos?
 
My thoughts can be summed up as "Meh."

I mean, no disrespect to Cold Steel or to anyone who wants or needs ultimate lock strength, but I don't (in fact I'm a big fan of Spyderco's slip-joints :eek:). I believe any decent lock from a respectable manufacturer has more than sufficient strength for my uses. If I need something that absolutely won't fail, I'd just grab a fixed blade anyway, have lots of them. :)
 
Cold Steel wins in their own tests specifically designed for publicity of their own brand and to tar and feather other manufacturers for not designing their locks to meet the marketing niche CS has chosen for itself.

Who would have thought?
 
Pointy81 said:
The latest I found are about three years old, I didn’t pay attention to the date recorded. Probably the same list you found.
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Yeah you’re right the video I saw was old, thought there was something new.. as others hinted towards I’m not too concerned with their comparisons as I’m not really going to spine whack or weight test any folder.

It’s just marketing in my opinion, they wouldn’t put out anything that would make themselves look poorly.
 
Pointy81 said:
I was watching their Triad Lock comparison videos the other day showing how strong it is compared to lock designs from other manufacturers.
I’ll admit, these videos have really bummed me out in a way. I like Cold Steel, I currently own a couple of their machetes, but I have seen locks buckle under pressure much earlier than I expected. I’ll mention a couple that really stand out, Chris Reeve Sebenza and the Hogue Compression lock.
These tests disappoint me more with other manufacturers than it encourages me to buy Cold Steel. What are your thoughts on these videos?
Click to expand...

It doesn’t bother me at all. I am never doing things with a folding knife that require the lockup strength that cold steel delivers. It doesn’t bother me at all that my Sebenza or Hogue doesn’t hold up to the same static hanging weight a cold steel folder will.

Also the cold steel test only shows a resistant to a heavy weight slowly being applied then held there. This is not how a negative force on the blade is likely to be presented. Rather it is more likely that the force would be a heavy negative weight applied suddenly at full force and then suddenly stopping. Like if something heavy fell on the back of the blade while you were working with the knife locked open. Cold steel’s tests don’t show anything about how their lock will withstand this. Neither do they show anything about how strong their knives are with pressure applies laterally to the side of the blade.

Undoubtedly the triad is one of the strongest locks on the market. That doesn’t mean my other locking knives are unsafe. Just don’t baton with your folding knife. The only place where I would really want that cold steel lock strength would be in a potential self defense scenario. Even then there are other locks that should be plenty strong enough for that role like the Spyderco Martial Blade Concept rated locks or even their ball bearing lock.
 
inkynate said:
My thoughts can be summed up as "Meh."

I mean, no disrespect to Cold Steel or to anyone who wants or needs ultimate lock strength, but I don't (in fact I'm a big fan of Spyderco's slip-joints :eek:). I believe any decent lock from a respectable manufacturer has more than sufficient strength for my uses. If I need something that absolutely won't fail, I'd just grab a fixed blade anyway, have lots of them. :)
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Just what I thought, would rather have a full tang fixed blade if I’m looking for something like these tests are going for.
 
BadComrade said:
Are you saying you personally seen non-cold steel knives buckle under pressure?... im interested in how you saw that happen. The cold steel tests are using unrealistic amounts of force to break these locks.
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Never!!! Just in the videos.
 
Pointy81 said:
Never!!! Just in the videos.
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I’ll admit I’m a big CRK fan and I’m not bothered at all by the comparison, if I need something 100% in strength for a survival situation I’d go with a fixed blade and keep a folder too.

These ads seem gimmicky and the comments under the videos seem to love it, so they are just playing for their base. Nothing wrong with that, but I wouldn’t let it impact your view of the other brands.
 
Lapedog said:
It doesn’t bother me at all. I am never doing things with a folding knife that require the lockup strength that cold steel delivers. It doesn’t bother me at all that my Sebenza or Hogue doesn’t hold up to the same static hanging weight a cold steel folder will.

Also the cold steel test only shows a resistant to a heavy weight slowly being applied then held there. This is not how a negative force on the blade is likely to be presented. Rather it is more likely that the force would be a heavy negative weight applied suddenly at full force and then suddenly stopping. Like if something heavy fell on the back of the blade while you were working with the knife locked open. Cold steel’s tests don’t show anything about how their lock will withstand this. Neither do they show anything about how strong their knives are with pressure applies laterally to the side of the blade.

Undoubtedly the triad is one of the strongest locks on the market. That doesn’t mean my other locking knives are unsafe. Just don’t baton with your folding knife. The only place where I would really want that cold steel lock strength would be in a potential self defense scenario. Even then there are other locks that should be plenty strong enough for that role like the Spyderco Martial Blade Concept rated locks or even their ball bearing lock.
Click to expand...
They do a spine whack test as well, that simulates pretty much exactly what you're talking about.

That said, I don't think the tests are rigged or bad, just that they're not terribly important. I think the ambition to build stronger, more reliable locks is great, honestly, and if all other things were equal, I would always pick a locking folder with a stronger, more reliable lock (assuming I was buying a locking folder).

But all other things are never equal and there are a lot of factors that are a lot more important to me than lock strength. Heck, I carry a Hogue EX-01 more than any of my Cold Steel knives and it's more than tough enough, but the lock on it is also much easier to use and more fun than the Triad.

Cold Steel is, pretty literally, playing to their strength. Nothing wrong with that, and it doesn't bother or offend me, just a thing that I note with mild interest, then look at the other properties of the knives that have a lot more impact on my buying decision.
 
Pointy81 said:
What are your thoughts on these videos?
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My thoughts? A marketing campaign by a company that markets and sells knives. Nothing wrong with it. Although the forces applied are rather unrealistic for real world use.

I just don't need absolute lock strength in a folder. I choose folders with other criteria in mind.

Such as the knife in my pocket right now can be opened, used, and closed with my company supplied work gloves on. It is incredibly ergonomic, slices very well, has high end steel, and is made here in the US by the company whose name is stamped on the blade.
Not just sold by them.

Others criteria for their knife choices will be differant than mine.
 
The folder that was my only knife while overseas for nearly 10 years would have failed the spine whack test or weight-bearing test every time, yet not once did it ever close on me during use, because I treated it as a folding knife. That knife was a Victorinox Spartan SAK.

Stronger locks are a great thing, but I've never had any of my CRKs come even close to closing on me during use, and I've used a couple of them pretty hard.

The absolute worst injury I've ever received from operating a knife was from my Cold steel Code 4. *Admittedly it was 100% due to user error in my part.*. BUT, it happened, nonetheless. While foolishly closing the Code 4 one-handed, the blade swung closed very suddenly, like a guillotine, on my right index finger, at the last knuckle near the fingernail. The tendon was cut badly and cost me four months of work (my profession requires the use of both hands), and more months of rehab. Lock strength is only 50% the equation of lock safety. I was dumb enough to try to one-hand close it, but that never would have happened with any of my CRKs.

Something to consider.

Jim
 
Pointy81 said:
A while back I was watching videos of Cold Steel comparing the strength of their triad lock vs lock designs from other manufacturers.
I’ll admit, these videos have really bummed me out in a way. I like Cold Steel, I currently own a couple of their machetes, but I have seen locks buckle under pressure much earlier than I expected. I’ll mention a couple that really stand out, Chris Reeve Sebenza and the Hogue compression lock.
These tests disappoint me more with other manufacturers than it encourages me to buy Cold Steel. What are your thoughts on these videos?
Click to expand...

Fakery. Demko torqued a bolt through the Sebenzas and pre-sprung the lockbars. Lotta shady stuff in Lenny's meat dungeon.
 
Cold Steel video about Cold Steel superiority in lock strength? Of course Cold Steel is going to win in that video! Buy yourself a Cold Steel if you ever need to hack your way out of a car, with the spine of your knife... I think it's just all biased marketing and advertising. Look! Our lock is stronger than a $400 CRK, ours is WAY better; is the message they are trying to portray. Take it for what it is and that may be a bunch of different things in different peoples' eyes.
 
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