Any Recon 1 XL owners in the room?

DocJD said:
I don't have experience with either , but my guess is the the Max 5 will not be outdone for "hard use " strength ; but the Recon probably easier carry , more general purpose and "tactical " . 🤷‍♂️
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The 5Max is robust enough that I have had ZERO qualms carrying it in place of a fixed blade out and about on a hike. It's ridiculously overbuilt and clocks in at like 14oz. That thick stock blade and reinforced tip along with the very thick G10 scales and full steel liners....yeah, it's a chunker. The Recon 1 XL comes in around 8oz with the thinner stock, scales, and no liners.

I have a pretty good clutch of Cold Steel Mega Folders: 5Max, Mayhem, Counter Point XL, Voyager XL, and Hold Out 6. This one is actually one I have been wanting since I saw it back at the first of the year on a New for 2025 video. If they release this in a Tanto version, I'll have to have it too.
 
el gigantor said:
Basically I just need a little enabling. I love the standard Recon 1 and am looking for an excuse to grab it's big brother. Those who have one, how do you like it? Is it a pocket hog? Any input and photos are appreciated!
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Hmmmm...is it a pocket hog....well, let's see.

I carried it in-pocket at work and nobody noticed I had a giant knife with me, so I'd say it's good to go!

Also, mine came ultra sharp, and the ergonomics on the XL are far better than they have any right to be. No pics at current, as I'm not carrying it at the moment.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
I'm sure my wife bought mine when it was on sale over the shopping week. Currently sitting around $218, but I think I saw it dip below $189-199 thus why she probably bought it.

Kinda eager to see how it stacks up against my current winter time EDC the Max 5...which she bought me last year for Christmas. Love the length of the blade, but she's a heavy cuss.
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Your winter EDC is a 5-Max?! Steely, you are 100% more of a man than I am!
 
el gigantor said:
Your winter EDC is a 5-Max?! Steely, you are 100% more of a man than I am!
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It's a passive EDC, and most of my is day is spent sitting down ;) I carry it mostly because I get one of those, "why aren't your carrying that knife I got you that you just had to have?" from my wife ;) Also, keep in mind I cut my teeth on Khukuris where a 12" overall length is a little knife, 18" is the norm, and I have a couple around 25" pushing 4lbs ;) I might not be able to swing them like I could in my 20s, but that's still my perspective that most knives are measured against ;)

Honestly, as I have said in another thread, this time of year is when I catch up on mild yardwork regarding limbs that have come down out of my oak tree. The 5Max makes for a knife I can get to for lopping off a few springing bits so that I can stack them until I feel like getting my axe out. When I am wearing a coat, I can't access the stuff on my belt as easily as my pocket, so the 5Max comes along for the ride. Within reason, it can replace a fixed blade.

It actually carries better than my Mayhem which is hella WIDE. Honestly, I can't seem to figure out how to carry that pocket cleaver where it is practical. The 5Max, Counter Point, and Hold Out are all WAY easier to slip into the pocket and sorta forget about if you have the right belt on. The Mayhem remains a cool if expensive curiosity.

The Recon 1 XL should hit the sweet spot on a lot of things.
 
el gigantor el gigantor I owned a Recon 1 XL clip point, and two tantos. If you don't call attention to them, they will never be noticed. However, I got rid of them because it felt unjustifiable for me to have money tied up in knives that I was ultimately never actually taking out and using. And the few times I did, I was usually in the woods where a fixed blade made more sense for what I was doing. Are they fun to own? Very much so. Worth owning? That's for you to decide.
 
Hey man. Not a Recon 1 XL owner but I am a proud Voyager XL owner.

Well it’s huge, no way around that. But I kid you not, the Voyager XL wears decently in a jeans pocket. Like you couldn’t tell that I have a folding Kriegsmesser at all. With a sturdy pair of denim pants, you also barely feel the carry weight. It’s definitely heavier than your Spyderco Enduras though, for sure.

Deploying it one-handed is a bit awkward on account of the sheer size, but you get used to it. Opening it with both hands is safer.

I suspect the Recon 1 XL experience is very similar. Go for it!
 
DangerZone98 said:
Hey man. Not a Recon 1 XL owner but I am a proud Voyager XL owner.

Well it’s huge, no way around that. But I kid you not, the Voyager XL wears decently in a jeans pocket. Like you couldn’t tell that I have a folding Kriegsmesser at all. With a sturdy pair of denim pants, you also barely feel the carry weight. It’s definitely heavier than your Spyderco Enduras though, for sure.

Deploying it one-handed is a bit awkward on account of the sheer size, but you get used to it. Opening it with both hands is safer.

I suspect the Recon 1 XL experience is very similar. Go for it!
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Those Voyagers are nice. I have misplaced mine, which is kinda funny for a knife that size :D

I put a Snaggletooth on a my Hold Out 6, standard Recon 1, and Mayhem, but I sorta find them to cause the blade to deploy so reliably that it's hard to get them out of my pocket and NOT have them open, Especially the Mayhem because it doesn't have that Triad lock to overcome. I think I'll leave such opening to Emerson.

I honestly like to just give them a good wrist flick if I NEED to open them fast. Other than that, a two handed grip is preferred for safety. Lotta sharp steel to come crashing down if it gets away from ya.
 
Steely_Gunz said:
I honestly like to just give them a good wrist flick if I NEED to open them fast.
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If el gigantor el gigantor and I do that in front of the wrong cop, we'll find ourselves in court arguing the legality of manual opening knife designs that also happen to be easy to open with inertia (which the wrong cop will mislabel as centrifugal or gravity opening).
 
Steely_Gunz said:
Those Voyagers are nice. I have misplaced mine, which is kinda funny for a knife that size :D

I put a Snaggletooth on a my Hold Out 6, standard Recon 1, and Mayhem, but I sorta find them to cause the blade to deploy so reliably that it's hard to get them out of my pocket and NOT have them open, Especially the Mayhem because it doesn't have that Triad lock to overcome. I think I'll leave such opening to Emerson.

I honestly like to just give them a good wrist flick if I NEED to open them fast. Other than that, a two handed grip is preferred for safety. Lotta sharp steel to come crashing down if it gets away from ya.
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Sir, how on earth did you misplace the folding Great Sword of Lynn Thompson? 😨

Yeah, I’m not brave enough to wrist flick any knife lmao. Heck, I wouldn’t do anything crazy with a Spyderco Dragonfly.
 
David Mary said:
This is the main reason these mega folders should have a tip down carry option.
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Fortunately both the Spyderco Resilience and Military both have tip down options.

The Resilience feels perfectly fine tip up though. Also 100% comfy deploying it one-handed. Not so with muh Cold Steels lol.
 
David Mary said:
If el gigantor el gigantor and I do that in front of the wrong cop, we'll find ourselves in court arguing the legality of manual opening knife designs that also happen to be easy to open with inertia (which the wrong cop will mislabel as centrifugal or gravity opening).
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Well if I am pressed enough to be in a situation where I HAVE pop open 5+" blade with a wrist-flick in front of the police, the cop better get off his duff and help me out ;) 99% of the time I am opening them two handed and quietly to keep from tearing them up or having to readjust the pivot.

Honestly, I usually sorta spidy-drop them most of the time if I'm needing to open them with one hand. Not as much of a THWACK and less chance to not overcome the detent and send that heavy blade screaming down and gives you a nice pinch grip on the spine for finer cuts.
 
David Mary said:
This is the main reason these mega folders should have a tip down carry option.
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No , nope... a thousand times NO ! :eek:

Two best , fastest , easiest ways to open these bigguns, are wave opening and gravity / inertial .


Wave requires tip up . 🤠👍
David Mary said:
wrong
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places to live !

But sure ... OK to have a "tip down option " . ;) For them that need that .
 
DocJD said:
option
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That's all I said. :)

DocJD said:
Two best , fastest , easiest ways to open these bigguns, are wave opening and gravity / inertial .
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I don't necessarily associate fastest with best, you see.

Also, gravity is not correct for the way you are referring to opening it. The proof is that you could open it the same way in zero G, because of mass and momentum, aka inertia. Don't call it gravity, or you just embolden our overzealous law enforcers up here.
 
Also, even if I wanted to open a megafolder with inertia, I'm going to want to hold it closer to the front of the handle rather than rear of the handle, because it gives me better control, both for the opening action, and for subsequent use of the knife. And to do that faster (not that such things are supremely important to me), and more conveniently (which is supremely important to me), I would want tip down carry so I'm not doing the "knife grip adjustment shuffle" every time.
 
Martial arts and survival are serious "hobbies" of mine .

But, I'm certainly not into making any public displays . Quite the opposite !

Most people never take any special note of me at all . Just as intended .

I don't normally "open carry " or brandish , any obvious weapon in public . Never have , except as necessary .

Surprise is a wonderful tactical advantage . Why spoil it ? :cool:
 
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