Attitude Change Toward Cold Steel

[fudo]

I have a number of CS knives. They are all Carbon V, except for a Taipan. They are all good knives at a good price. I wouldn't buy any of the 420 stuff though. :barf:

 

[James Y]

I own several CS knives and for the most part find them very well-made. I especially find the clip-pointed blades on their Voyager series to have excellent geometry and finish, my fave of those being the X2 Voyager. I also have a well-made Scimitar which has one of the more reliable and tough-to-unlock linerlock mechanisms I own, and awesome edge geometry.

I don't own any of their Carbon V knives, and own only own Taiwan-made CS knife, a Kobun. I have a friend who uses one of the older, Japan-made Kobuns in AUS-8 and his is much, much nicer. But mine is okay for what it is and I've not had any edge problems with it; it just looks cheap in comparison, what with the bead blast, etc.

Jim

 

[Orion]

the 420 steel they are using will be more than adequate for the vast majority of people on the forums. Very few actually use a knife to the point they are going beyond the abilities of the steel. Also, a low end steel with the proper grind and heat treat will actually perfrom very well and maintain an edge much longer than the keyboard metalurgists give it credit for.

Very correct.
The anti-420 snobbery here is ludicrous.
I own 2 of the CS 420 models... the ODA and the OSS. I chopped down 3 sweetgum trees, all over 6 inches in diameter, with the OSS and it still shaved afterwards. Needless to say the OSS is not designed as a chopper.
CS may be using what many have "heard" of as being a crappy steel (but few have actual experience with) but CS must be doing something right with their grinding and heat treating because the 420 knives that I have from them are fine.
I have over 20 CS products and I love my Carbon V stuff, but unless you're doing skyscraper demolition or something similar, the 420 knives will more than suffice.

Peace-
Cam