Are Cold Steel's newer steels any good ?

STR said:
I think Cold Steel knows that the average joe that buys and actually uses knives doesn't usually have a super edge on the thing after carrying it for a while. Since most real world users have a knife that still has somewhat of a decent edge that can cut if you lean into it and not one that pops hairs much at all after its been opened when new then whats the reasoning for selling them a harder to sharpen premium steel? All that does is make it higher priced. What they use has worked for them and is plenty tough, with moderate to good edge keeping for a working knife and certainly right in line with any competitor models in the same price point usually. Here in the last few years Cold Steel has stepped that up some because the VG1 steel is really a good steel. AUS8 is tried and true, basically made famous by Cold Steel actually, and the SK steel is at the least the equal if not a slightly better steel than the old Carbon V they used when Camillus was still in business.

Lots of folks find fault with Cold Steel and can't seem to rise above their own bias to actually look at the knives for what they are. The fact is most of them are tough as nails and something you can really wail away on getting totally abusive with and they take it usually asking for more. Their research and development team spends a great deal of time in the study of what needs to come together to make a sturdy, reliable, strong knife. Overall they do this repeatedly and for the most part you can say that now spanning years.

I've been saying for years that you can say a lot bad about this marketing company we all know as Cold Steel but one thing is for sure. They appeal to the working man in the real world, and they make a very stout, reliable, and strong folding knife lock mechanism regardless of type. Believe me I've had their knives apart as well as many others in this industry and I can tell you that inside where it counts they really have it going on. Looking at the knives by Cold Steel rating them overall forgetting the name or logo on the knives one can't help but see that they do indeed hold their own and certainly merit high praise in many instances regardless of your personal feelings about the company or the owner. This high praise is particularly deserving regarding Cold Steel's locks which in my own mind stand heads above many other companies in the industry with very few competitors consistently matching what they do at CS repeatedly time and time again. This has gone on since the first Voyager and Vaquero series of knives came out and little by little they have stepped things up every year with upgrades rising to the point they are at today where they can honestly look you in the eyes and say they make the strongest most reliable locks on the market period!

As for the steel they use in their blades, well of course this could be better but need not be to remain competitive. Part of their appeal is the price point they maintain and in their premium line they seem to be quite content with the San Mai laminate steel that has worked well for them for years. Japanese cutlery steels are quite good and the world knows it so you can't really find much to complain about here. There is nothing at all the matter with any of the steels Cold Steel is using at this time though and I feel they compare favorably with many companies they compete against. I always tell people if you just have to have a premium steel and still get a reliable strong lock then buy a Spyderco and be done with it. Spyderco is one of the few companies that can really stand neck and neck with Cold Steel for lock performance so there is no reason not to go with one of their products with a premium steel if that strikes your fancy.

STR
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Well said. :thumbup:
 
I don't think Opinel, Case, Victorinox, Randall, etc. plan on switching over. Camillus made Cold Steel's 'premium' Carbon V, used talonite, S30V, etc., and is no more.

I also think quality has a lot more involved than just the AISI designation, though steels are my personal focus.
 
I'd like to try the new Trailmaster made in Taiwan with SK-5 but it's very spendy compared to say the Kabar Heavy Bowie also made in Taiwan with a (more comfortable) kraton handle.
 
Steve/STR, I think you just made me want to go back and take a serious look at CS's American Lawman. Thanks for that writeup.
 
Splat said:
Steve/STR, I think you just made me want to go back and take a serious look at CS's American Lawman. Thanks for that writeup.
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the lawman is one of the toughest and useful lockback's I own. It will rival my emersons for strenth at less than half the price. My RCMP brother inlaw wanted one after seeing mine for a duty knife and 3 other guys on his shift have them now as well.
 
Brad "the butcher";7690213 said:
the lawman is one of the toughest and useful lockback's I own. It will rival my emersons for strenth at less than half the price.
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I believe you! I've had nothing but Trouble with my Snubby, even after EKI "repaired" it. I won't buy another Emerson ever again. I've got <$50 knives that are still reliable, and I trust to use, but the Emerson sits in a drawer in my desk. Tomorrow I'm going to try to handle a CS American Lawman. I really like the look of that knife.
 
Brad "the butcher";7690213 said:
the lawman is one of the toughest and useful lockback's I own. It will rival my emersons for strenth at less than half the price. My RCMP brother inlaw wanted one after seeing mine for a duty knife and 3 other guys on his shift have them now as well.
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There is no Emerson knife going to hold the same weight that American Lawman held. No where close. Even a strong liner lock is lucky to hold 100 lbs.

STR
 
STR said:
Even a strong liner lock is lucky to hold 100 lbs.

STR
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And cold steels folded-over liners are holding something like 130-150 lbs. They really do have good experience with locks and have had time to perfect them and make them tough as nails.

Then again, I haven't seen a big thick linerlock or a ti-framelock with 100 pounds sitting on its handle. Someone should start trying those tests on other knives.
 
I love Cold Steel's Tri-Ad Lock, but I prefer a noisy lock! And this one is just that, it will let everyone in a room know you just opened a knife, definitely not a plus for the stealth crowd.

The Large Espada I have been edcing since new, with AUS-8 steel from Japan, has been working out fine for me, and I do have many knives with "super steels". Currently they are all set aside and I am enjoying this AUS-8 Beast. I've sharpened it once since new, and that has been several months.

I'm happy, and saving for the XL Espada.:eek:
 
STR really gives a great summation of the cold steel product output. i have been there since cold steel started & had & still have some great users. like any major company they have cranked out some zeros but the overall record is good. we have to give thompson credit for some industry 1sts .he really got tantos off the ground & his trailmaster bowie was an earth shaker. i recently bought 2 kitchen knives very reasonable & am well pleased with the performance. i think lynn would do better if he let other persons [ not himself] do his videos. although he is a psysically capable person he is a loser in appearance.
 
VG10 said:
And cold steels folded-over liners are holding something like 130-150 lbs. They really do have good experience with locks and have had time to perfect them and make them tough as nails.

Then again, I haven't seen a big thick linerlock or a ti-framelock with 100 pounds sitting on its handle. Someone should start trying those tests on other knives.
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The Peerless lock is a great liner lock no doubt but I've seen some lesser than others depending on the model. Some of the early variations of that lock were not all that impressive really. Still I like it over most liner lock type folders myself and feel it is among the strongest available when done right. Some of the Peerless locks were holding 100 pounds in past years but I have not seen any lately of more being held by them. It would not surprise me though but seriously 100 pounds is a lot of weight on a liner lock or frame lock. For that matter strength is not exactly the frame locks forte`. Reliability and ease of use are the main appeal there. You stack free weight on a frame lock, particularly one with a thinned down lock cut in the back you may be in for some serious disappointment. Thats all I'm going to say about that though.

With that said, the static load test, while impressive in its own right really is not the test that I am as impressed with or as concerned with. Don't get me wrong its very impressive to see a lock hold a lot of weight, particularly when you can progressively stack weight after weight up to over 650 pounds and watch it continue to hold it like that Espada model pulled off! Its very exciting stuff but to me its not as important as shock tests! What really impresses me is the way you can hit all the known weak areas whacking that thing with sudden forceful shocks. The kind of shocks that would make even a well made lock defeat only to find that regardless of the shock force applied or the direction of the force energy the lock holds strong and true. Thats very impressive stuff IMO and it doesn't matter who made the knife or who designed it I'd have to say that it is impressive. What is also impressive is that this weight is being held by AUS8 steel so this too needs addressed and praised. This is not something indicative of a bad steel folks!

If it were crap I'd call it for what it is believe me. There are some makers and some companies I am not particularly fond of and often I don't agree with their actions past or present and other times I may not even like the people in question at all but in these cases you have to put your emotional blinders on and observe objectively unless you just want to make a fool of yourself. For some I'd love nothing more than to be able to say the stuff they make and offer to end line users is crap believe me but when I judge their knives I call it as I see it regardless of the trouble it may bring from others because of 'popular opinion' and regardless of my personal feelings for the company or maker that is behind the product. A spade is a spade and an ace is an ace. The Triad lock is aces in my book and I'll tell that to anyone because its just the way it is.

STR
 
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