Cold Steel 2011 Voyager

I find the handle of the 2011 Voyager series to be one of the best ergonomic handle designs that I have ever come across.

Using it for cutting tasks is great and sharpening is all quite easy because of the handle shape.

It makes it easy to find the "sweet spot" when opening the knife, compared to the Cold Steel Spartan, which gets a lot of
complaints for opening stickiness.
 
I have every generation of voyagers in every style. I love them, especially for the price! I have moved to the recon. I feel the subzero aus8 is a better blade. Love the tri-ad and solid. Sharp! Can't go wrong with cold steel.
 
Maddogg774 said:
... I have moved to the recon. I feel the subzero aus8 is a better blade.
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Recon's AUS8A "sub zero quench, vacuum heat treated" is better than Voyager's AUS8A "near perfect heat treatment"?

Why do you think so? Do they do the Recon out in orbit somewhere? :)

- OS
 
The 2011 XL Voyager is definately big, but still not as large as the Rajah.
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I just ordered a large Voyager after handling a friends medium Voyager. I loved everything about it except the blade length.
 
I received my new Voyager today and thought I would post my initial impressions. Fit and finish out of the box I must admit is better than any of my FRN Spyderco knives. There are no sharp edges or over-molding anywhere on the knife. Ergonomics are very impressive! The knife absolutely feels like an extension of the hand and the grip just feels perfect. Sharpness out of the box is very good and it shaves arm hair with ease. The blade has a stone washed finish and the locking bar is bead blasted. The blade is almost perfectly centered. Lock-up is very solid and it locks very strongly with a loud click. There is zero blade play once locked. Un-locking pressure is not too hard but a bit sticky and a little rough feeling which should smooth out with a little usage. Overall it's a very impressive knife for what it cost which is about the same as a Syderco Endura.
 
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vwb563 said:
I received my new Voyager today and thought I would post my initial impressions. Fit and finish out of the box I must admit is better than any of my FRN Spyderco knives. There are no sharp edges or over-molding anywhere on the knife. Ergonomics are very impressive! The knife absolutely feels like an extension of the hand and the grip just feels perfect. Sharpness out of the box is very good and it shaves arm hair with ease. The blade has a stone washed finish and the locking bar is bead blasted. The blade is almost perfectly centered. Lock-up is very solid and it locks very strongly with a loud click. There is zero blade play once locked. Un-locking pressure is not too hard but a bit sticky and a little rough feeling which should smooth out with a little usage. Overall it's a very impressive knife for what it cost which is about the same as a Syderco Endura.
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Pretty much my impressions also. And yes the lock smooths out after a while. I just think that they are great and I'm getting more of them. I actually find them about 10-15 bucks cheaper than an Endura (which I like) around here, for this rock solid folder. Yes the Endura has better steel but I find no issue with the AUS8. I can slightly flex\pinch the middle of an Endura 4 but not my XL Voyager. I find the XL to be more of a novelty than a practical working tool, but it's fairly useful. I am definitely getting the 4 incher, maybe a couple of them because I already know that they will be great work, utilitarian, beater blades. They are so cheap that you aren't afraid to get rough with it, which is also part of their attraction. If the large is the same as the XL, then they are everything that I hoped they would be, while waiting for this release.
 
upnorth said:
Pretty much my impressions also. And yes the lock smooths out after a while. I just think that they are great and I'm getting more of them. I actually find them about 10-15 bucks cheaper than an Endura (which I like) around here, for this rock solid folder. Yes the Endura has better steel but I find no issue with the AUS8. I can slightly flex\pinch the middle of an Endura 4 but not my XL Voyager. I find the XL to be more of a novelty than a practical working tool, but it's fairly useful. I am definitely getting the 4 incher, maybe a couple of them because I already know that they will be great work, utilitarian, beater blades. They are so cheap that you aren't afraid to get rough with it, which is also part of their attraction. If the large is the same as the XL, then they are everything that I hoped they would be, while waiting for this release.
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The only thing I discovered that I didn't like was the edge angle. It was too steep. I have since re-profiled it down to much thinner edge and it now slices great. I like Cold Steels AUS8 steel. Holds a great edge and it's easy to re-sharpen!
 
Ok I've carried and used the Voyager for a little over a week now and thought I would post another follow up. My overall impression is it is a well built, super strong, worth every penny, knife. I was a bit concerned at first that it would be a little hard to pocket since it is a bit more bulky than my normal edc, a Spyderco Endura, but I was worried for nothing. It carried unnoticed in my pocket just like my Endura. Edge holding has been superb even though most knife nuts consider AUS8 a junk steel. I say they've never tried Cold Steels AUS8 steel. This has to be toughest folding knife I've ever carried. Now the older Voyagers were tough knives but these new Voyagers with the TRI-AD locks just blow the old ones and I'd say 99.9% all other folding knives out of the water. I used this knife to chop, yes I said chop, limbs and light brush out of my back yard with no damage to the knife or lock. One of the limbs was about as big around as my wrist. This knife took the abuse with no gripes. After approx 30 minutes of this clean up work my arm got tired so I stopped and took the knife inside for inspection. There was no damage to knife and it locked up as tight as it did when I first took it from its box. It was hair poping sharp when I started and would still shave hair when I was through although I could detect a minor loss of sharpness. This knife gets a two thumbs up from me! I say buy one! I believe you'll be impressed!
 
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vwb563 said:
The only thing I discovered that I didn't like was the edge angle. It was too steep. I have since re-profiled it down to much thinner edge and it now slices great. I like Cold Steels AUS8 steel. Holds a great edge and it's easy to re-sharpen!
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Touched mine up a bit with the Sharp Maker and it zips through paper. Getting some 4 inchers now. A clip and a tanto. And when the XL tanto comes out, I'll get that also. Sure some of them will be paper weights. But hey, it's fun.
:D
 
vwb563 said:
Ok I've carried and used the Voyager for a little over a week now and thought I would post another follow up. My overall impression is it is a well built, super strong, worth every penny, knife. I was a bit concerned at first that it would be a little hard to pocket since it is a bit more bulky than my normal edc, a Spyderco Endura, but I was worried for nothing. It carried unnoticed in my pocket just like my Endura. Edge holding has been superb even though most knife nuts consider AUS8 a junk steel. I say they've never tried Cold Steels AUS8 steel. This has to be toughest folding knife I've ever carried. Now the older Voyagers were tough knives but these new Voyagers with the TRI-AD locks just blow the old ones and I'd say 99.9% all other folding knives out of the water. I used this knife to chop, yes I said chop, limbs and light brush out of my back yard with no damage to the knife or lock. One of the limbs was about as big around as my wrist. This knife took the abuse with no gripes. After approx 30 minutes of this clean up work my arm got tired so I stopped and took the knife inside for inspection. There was no damage to knife and it locked up as tight as it did when I first took it from its box. It was hair poping sharp when I started and would still shave hair when I was through although I could detect a minor loss of sharpness. This knife gets a two thumbs up from me! I say buy one! I believe you'll be impressed!
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That sounds good!
Could you post some pics (Large Voyager vs. Endura) for comparison?
 
Hopefully someone can get you an Endura\large Voyager pic. I do however have an Endura\XL Voyager shot.
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vortex said:
That sounds good!
Could you post some pics (Large Voyager vs. Endura) for comparison?
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Here ya go. Endura on top and a Stretch on the bottom. Then the last pic is the Endura and Voyager together for a thickness comparison. The Voyager is about 50% thicker measuring .640 in overall thickness to the Endura's .435 Look at the lockbars of both knives in the last pic. The Endura's lockbar measures .120 in thickness and the Voyager's measures .145
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Thank you! :thumbup: I've just placed the large Voyager on my wishlist! :)
The thickness of my BM 550 is around .640 too.
 
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vortex said:
Thank you! :thumbup: I've just placed the large Voyager on my wishlist! :)
The thickness of my BM 550 is around .640 too.
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You're very welcome. I believe you will like it. I sure like mine!
 
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I picked up the XL Voyager Clip a couple weeks ago and I agree it is a piece of work. Tough as nails. I also have a 15-20 year old large Voyager tanto with the plastic clip. It is solid today as it was the day I got it, even without the triad lock and internal aluminum liners. I have a large Rajah III with the steel liners on order. I am expecting great toughness out of that knife as well.
 
FYI, the stonewashed finish comes off easy with a little Flitz & a paper towel if you want a satin finish. I've taken 2 apart & did the blades & lock bar & they look great.
 
jeffphansen77 said:
FYI, the stonewashed finish comes off easy with a little Flitz & a paper towel if you want a satin finish. I've taken 2 apart & did the blades & lock bar & they look great.
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Sounds good. Would it be possible to post pics of the new finish? Thanks.
 
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