Anyone Miss the Old Voyagers?

[Stargater]

I do.

I have nothing against the new knives. They're strong, tough and they cut a long time. The Tri-Ad locks are nearly the strength of full tang knives and even with no steel inserts, the Griv-Ex is virtually unbreakable. But they're thicker, and with their stone-washed finishes, they simply aren't as attractive, in my view.

I just got out one of my dated X2 plain-edge Voyagers and was surprised how light it was and how great the balance was in my hand. Also how attractive and formidable it was. (And perspective can be important in a scrape.) Holding the older knife felt better in the hand and the polished blade was, again in my view, far more attractive than the dull stone washed finish found in the new knives.

I think Cold Steel should keep their other lines of knives, but I would like to see it have one line of popular knives where the size and weight are kept down. The old Voyagers were strong enough and tough enough in my book. I wish Cold Steel would come out with a new design of smaller, lighter knives without the Tri-Ad locks and with high polished blades. (XHP or BD1)

ANYONE share these sentiments?

 

[DocJD]

I understand your feelings , but I'm personally more secure and happy with the Tri-Ad lock models . One of the best value , useful and under appreciated of all folders .

 

[nephron]

They fill a niche for me, namely a formidable size knife light enough to carry in shorts/sweat pants, light weight jackets/sweaters. My EDC's are all over the place from SafeMaker II to a Large Espada Aluminum Bolsters and even a San Mai Magnum Tanto IX so the Voyager's fill in nicely....ooh I am also a fan of shiny knives(especially Seki Japan, SOG also) except where the blackened blades usefullness is needed.

 

[oxman198]

Not a shot. The new voyagers are twice the knife. The old ones are nice looking blades but if cold steel dropped the current line of voyagers for something more quaint they would probably lose me as a customer. Besides, you can polish the stonewash off.

 

[nephron]

Not a shot. The new voyagers are twice the knife. The old ones are nice looking blades but if cold steel dropped the current line of voyagers for something more quaint they would probably lose me as a customer. Besides, you can polish the stonewash off.

Cold Steel ain't dumb, they know what and when to make their products, they are always looking to the future and doing a good job of it. Doesn't mean their older production is instantly obsolete with out its uses.

 

[GCG199]

The old Voyagers were good, but I like the new versions much better though.

 

[The Whip]

I do.

I have nothing against the new knives. They're strong, tough and they cut a long time. The Tri-Ad locks are nearly the strength of full tang knives and even with no steel inserts, the Griv-Ex is virtually unbreakable. But they're thicker, and with their stone-washed finishes, they simply aren't as attractive, in my view.

I just got out one of my dated X2 plain-edge Voyagers and was surprised how light it was and how great the balance was in my hand. Also how attractive and formidable it was. (And perspective can be important in a scrape.) Holding the older knife felt better in the hand and the polished blade was, again in my view, far more attractive than the dull stone washed finish found in the new knives.

I think Cold Steel should keep their other lines of knives, but I would like to see it have one line of popular knives where the size and weight are kept down. The old Voyagers were strong enough and tough enough in my book. I wish Cold Steel would come out with a new design of smaller, lighter knives without the Tri-Ad locks and with high polished blades. (XHP or BD1)

ANYONE share these sentiments?

I've actually been thinking about this topic quite a bit lately, as it pertains to a new thread that I'm working on and will post next week during the Thanksgiving holiday. I share some of your perspective, but not all of it. I do miss the availability of two of the old Voyagers, specifically these two, the XL Gunsite and the XL Clip Point.

They were beautiful knives that don't quite have direct successors in the current lineup. I especially like their size-to-weight and blade-to-handle ratios. And I agree that the satin-finish blades were very attractive.

That said, I don't really view the new Voyagers as the true replacements for these knives. For the Gunsite, probably the closest substitute is the limited-edition Rawles Voyager, not the standard version. The beauty of the DLC finish on the premium CTS-XHP steel blade lends the knife some of the Gunsite's panache.

But ergonomically, the Rawles is hands-down superior to the Gunsite. And as good as the Gunsite's lock was, it can't hold a candle to the Tri-Ad. If I had to pick one to bet my life on, I'd grab the Rawles every time. I only wish that Cold Steel had made these updated Gunsites that were proposed several years ago; then we would have had the best of all worlds!

For the XL Clip Point, I don't see the new Voyagers as replacements at all. Instead, I view these three as heirs apparent (in order of suitability), the large Espada, the XL Recon I, and the Broken Skull.

Size-wise, there really isn't too much difference. You actually gain half-an-inch with the Espada and Recon I blades, and you lose less than an inch with the Broken Skull. The Espada and Recon I even hold their own against the massive X2!

All three are as thin as, or thinner than, the Voyager. You can see that the old Voyager isn't really even that much thinner than the new Voyager. When it comes to closed width, differences are minimal. They're all a bit wide in the pocket--the trade-off for shearing ability and the strength of the Tri-Ad.

Ergonomically, I find all of the newer knives (including the new Voyager) superior to the XL Clip Point and the X2. I realize that ergonomics, like beauty, lies in the eyes of the beholder, but I've always found the X2 a bit awkward to manipulate. The XL Voyager is better than the X2, but not even close to the comfort of the Recon I or Espada.

When it comes to weight, there is no argument that the old Voyagers were superior. But even they can't compare with the Broken Skull, which is one of the reasons that I included it as a contender for a substitute (for the XL Clip Point, not for the X2). Here is the breakdown of weight according to my kitchen scale.

XL Gunsite Voyager 5.25 oz.
New XL Voyager Tanto 8 oz.
Rawles Voyager 7.5 oz.
XL Voyager Clip Point 5 oz.
X2 Voyager 6.5 oz.
Large Espada 8.5 oz.
XL Recon I 7.5 oz.
New XL Voyager Clip Point 7.25 oz
Broken Skull 3 oz.


I guess that all of this is my way of saying that while there are elements of the old Voyagers that I miss, the features of Cold Steel's new offerings more than make up for those missing attributes.

-Steve

 

[DocJD]

I've actually been thinking about this topic quite a bit lately, as it pertains to a new thread that I'm working on and will post next week during the Thanksgiving holiday. I share some of your perspective, but not all of it. I do miss the availability of two of the old Voyagers, specifically these two, the XL Gunsite and the XL Clip Point.

They were beautiful knives that don't quite have direct successors in the current lineup. I especially like their size-to-weight and blade-to-handle ratios. And I agree that the satin-finish blades were very attractive.

That said, I don't really view the new Voyagers as the true replacements for these knives. For the Gunsite, probably the closest substitute is the limited-edition Rawles Voyager, not the standard version. The beauty of the DLC finish on the premium CTS-XHP steel blade lends the knife some of the Gunsite's panache.

But ergonomically, the Rawles is hands-down superior to the Gunsite. And as good as the Gunsite's lock was, it can't hold a candle to the Tri-Ad. If I had to pick one to bet my life on, I'd grab the Rawles every time. I only wish that Cold Steel had made these updated Gunsites that were proposed several years ago; then we would have had the best of all worlds!

For the XL Clip Point, I don't see the new Voyagers as replacements at all. Instead, I view these three as heirs apparent (in order of suitability), the large Espada, the XL Recon I, and the Broken Skull.

Size-wise, there really isn't too much difference. You actually gain half-an-inch with the Espada and Recon I blades, and you lose less than an inch with the Broken Skull. The Espada and Recon I even hold their own against the massive X2!

All three are as thin as, or thinner than, the Voyager. You can see that the old Voyager isn't really even that much thinner than the new Voyager. When it comes to closed width, differences are minimal. They're all a bit wide in the pocket--the trade-off for shearing ability and the strength of the Tri-Ad.

Ergonomically, I find all of the newer knives (including the new Voyager) superior to the XL Clip Point and the X2. I realize that ergonomics, like beauty, lies in the eyes of the beholder, but I've always found the X2 a bit awkward to manipulate. The XL Voyager is better than the X2, but not even close to the comfort of the Recon I or Espada.

When it comes to weight, there is no argument that the old Voyagers were superior. But even they can't compare with the Broken Skull, which is one of the reasons that I included it as a contender for a substitute (for the XL Clip Point, not for the X2). Here is the breakdown of weight according to my kitchen scale.

XL Gunsite Voyager 5.25 oz.
New XL Voyager Tanto 8 oz.
Rawles Voyager 7.5 oz.
XL Voyager Clip Point 5 oz.
X2 Voyager 6.5 oz.
Large Espada 8.5 oz.
XL Recon I 7.5 oz.
New XL Voyager Clip Point 7.25 oz
Broken Skull 3 oz.


I guess that all of this is my way of saying that while there are elements of the old Voyagers that I miss, the features of Cold Steel's new offerings more than make up for those missing attributes.

-Steve

Thanks for great comparative pics and info . And for your insights on new vs old CS .

 

[The Whip]

Thanks for great comparative pics and info . And for your insights on new vs old CS .

My pleasure! These kinds of discussions, in my view, are what Blade Forums is all about.

-Steve

 

[mwhich50]

The old and new Voyagers are completely different knives. The new version is much safer if you "hard use" your knives...I don't. I would love to see the old version in VG1 come back on a limited basis. IMO, three models would be adequate: Med, Lg, XL, Bowie, plain edge. I didn't like the tanto version in the old model.

 

[Stargater]

Love the posts and the photos. I love the old Gunsite and it's presently my EDC. The old 5-inch Voyager also rides as an alternative to my Gunsite. As my favorite megastar, Dame Edna is find of saying...spooky!

The Rawles Voyager had a nice color to its scales. The CTS-XHP also is a very decent steel. Just got a Frenzy to replace my Gunsite, but at $120 it's pricey. Cold Steel is doing everything it can to remain one of the most innovative knife companies ever! And they continue to offer budget knives that are superb. SOG's budget knives are horrible, made with poorly heat treated 440A steel. So it's nice when a company can offer budget knives that have great designs and superb heat treat!

The only thing I wish CS would go back to is polished, mirror bright blades. Last Thanksgiving (2016) I showed someone my CS Gunsite II and I almost didn't get it back! To most people who aren't into knives, CS makes huge folders, and the Gunsite 5-inch is (to many) monstrous. It's also beautiful.

I afraid I going to have to pick up a Rawles if they're still available. And what of the Gunsite and other vintage knives? Are they likely to become collector's items? I've got an X2 Voyager and don't know whether to save it in it's new condition or go ahead and use it. Is it likely to acquire collector status? How about the old Pro-Lites and Night Forces? Or the Recon Ones?

A 6-inch blade isn't all that unusual with today's knives, but the X2 Voyager is designed to enhance the long perpective of the knife's frame and body. Even though the new Bowie Voyager is technically almost as long, it lacks the slender look of the older knife, and that can be handy in an altercation! Besides, it adds to the looks, is more compact and is plenty strong without the Tri-Ad lock.

 

[Stargater]

I do miss the availability of two of the old Voyagers, specifically these two, the XL Gunsite and the XL Clip Point.

The steel used in Voyagers had gone from AUS8A (which I liked) to VG-1 to CTS-BD1. Which of the two latter steels are best? CS did cutting tests between AUS8A and CTS-XHP and the CTS-XHP did substantially better; however, they haven't done tests between AUS8A and CTS-BD1, which leads me to think there may not be a substantial difference.

Cold Steel has treated VG-1 as a super steel, using it as the core of their San Mai (which I think is ridiculous). It's beautiful steel effect (I bought several of some of their knives at a substantial discount, but because of their beauty). The VG-1 core doesn't need to be sandwiched to be tough. Knives made of VG-1 hold up fine in tough field tests, so why they make it like that must be for looks. The San Mai knives I got were viciously sharp.

 

[Stargater]

Duplicate

 

[Lahav970]

I personally enjoyed the older voyagers, but I also really liked their axis lock al and recon 1 models. If they bring back the axis lock I would have stayed with them.

 

[whp]

I m glad I never saw an older version of the Voyager. That may be part of why I m happy with the current version of the one I own.

 

[willc]

The old Voyagers were definitely cool.
I still have 2 with the molded clips and a Gunsite.
It would be great to get a run of the old style with maybe XHP steel.

 

[Stargater]

The Tri-Ad locks have definitely added bulk to the design. The older Voyagers were slim, trim and were very strong. The largest ones had 6-inch blades which were tapered to look long and (from the North end) menacing. I think they changed the blade length because Texas and other states limited the blade length to 5.5 inches. That half inch doesn't sound like much, but it provided some extra length to the overall knife. Unfortunately, as you can tell from all the dead images on this site, Photobucket went commercial and few people wanted to pay their high prices to maintain their heretofore FREE posting. It's unfortunate because this site has turned into a photo grave yard.

The old Voyagers also featured beautifully polished blades that were almost mirror. Then they went to the current stone washed finish which is better than satin but still not nearly as beautiful as the high polish that used to come standard. I know polishing is expensive, but geesh those knives were beautiful. And the old AUS8A really took a blisteringly sharp edge. The CTS-XHP steel is better, but it doesn't come nearly as sharp as the older steel. It's also harder to sharpen than AUS8A. Still, I can't deny that it holds its edge remarkably well. I recently bought a Frenzy for $120. The old Voyagers usually went for $65 (6-inch) and I could get the edge back in eighteen seconds on my Spyderco Sharpmaker.

 

[nephron]

I also like the recessed lettering on the early ones as well as the TiLites, you could polish the blade or coat it and not lose them. I thought the jimping was done quite well too. I carry it a lot and rarely have to use it but when I do it does the job, at least until I can get to my Trailmaster or Magnum Tanto XII.

 

[Work Truck Man]

I recently rescued this old Voyager from my co-worker for only 10 dollars.

He was cutting a box with it and I was surprised that he had a Cold Steel knife, so I said, “Is that a Cold Steel ?”...He didn’t even know what a Cold Steel was and the blade had rust on it. So I checked it out and it had no blade play what so ever, so I asked him how much would he sell it for and he charged 10 dollars.

I knocked all the rust off the blade with Liquid Wrench spray but haven’t sharpened it yet.

 

[THE PUNISHER]

Old Cold Steel,,some of the best slicers,they can still be found,I do not think it would be a wise move on CS part.