Cold Steel always good for a laugh

While I agree that their advertising is based on hype and narcisisim bordering on psychotic, some of their knives are worth the money.
I have even had pretty good experience with them in the past. From what I have read on this forum it seems I am one of the lucky few. I am not a big fan of their line but I plan to pick up one or two pieces before putting my money elsewhere(besides I can't wait 2 years for a Busse)
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Just my $0.04(inflation and all)
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God bless!

Romans 10:9-10

"Military" Fans Unite!!
 
James Mattis' point is excellent. Sure, we may have many reasons to own a particular knife; we need not share _all_ of those reasons with just anyone who asks. Being tactful is not "surrendering to PC thought," it's a way of maintaining casual relationships pleasant. Having an in-line point, for instance, truthfully allows us better control of the knife and less chance of unwanted penetration. Any other reasons may be shared with those you trust.
 
Having owned many CS knives and other products, I do like the Carbon 5 and the out of the box sharpness. But the Kraton handles are HORRIBLE! I just had one crack and fall off my Recon scout, and a friends' Trailmaster has started to crack. I say to Mr. Thompson: stop all the rope cutting and tip bending. We know the blades are strong and sharp already, how about a good handle material? Enough with the ego! End of sermon.
 
I haven't met anyone that liked the CS ad campaigns. Don't think I ever will. They completely turned me off. Of the 45 tactical folders I own you'll find not one CS and not because they lack quality.

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Long live Bladeforums!

Al

 
What other makers do we all have gripes against? If we are going to continue bashing, let's be fair and start bashing all makers who make bold statements or who do things that make you go hmmmm!! CS is definitelly not the only one.

 
Every company has its pros and cons. I merely brought up Cold Steel because their major "con" can also be source of some genuinely funny reading, if you take it light-heartedly.

-Corduroy
 
I don't have the time to read most of the forums until I have a day off and by then most people have quit posting to them, but here goes. Lynn has been making his claims and issuing his challenges for almost as long as he has been in business. If I can remember correctly, he first started against the ABS. He merely took their tests, cutting free hanging rope, flexibility etc.) and proved that a commercially produced knife could be equal or superior to a hand forge one. He recieved so much criticism for that by all the eletists and wannabes at Blade mag (at the time) that he went on the defensive and has not goten off. I don't even notice his claims any more. I met Lynn briefly at the SHOT show in Dallas in 96 and he seems to be a nice guy who truly believes in his products. Anyway, he makes a pretty good knife for those that like them.
 
People have made great points here. Personally, I jumped the gun and got too defensive of Lynn Thompson, which got me bogged down in individual points. Here's the real point.

Cold Steel makes some of the best knives in the world, bar none, if you judge a knife by performance, cost, availability, safety, strength and comfort. I know some people will object to the fact that I factor in cost and availability, but that's the way the real world works. A knife that delivers about the same performance for higher cost and is harder to obtain is an inferior knife. A knife that delivers inferior performance for the same cost is likewise inferior. By this logic, Cold Steel may make the best products in its industry. If we admit that it's possible to argue that Lynn Thompson's company makes the best products in the industry, it becomes difficult to fault him for claiming as much, does it not?
 
I agree that Cold Steel makes some of the best fixed blades and some pretty good mid-range folders, and I never faulted Mr. Thompson for claiming as much. I faulted him for claiming that his competitors don't make a decent product, for shameless self-aggrandizement, and for using senseless if not downright misleading arguments about knife use as an excuse to plug his products.

This all started over an article in which Mr. Thompson attacks the entire class of "tactical knives" because they lack the fighting abilities of a Trailmaster Bowie. This is a deliberate misunderstanding of the place of these knives as utility blades or as defensive knives for real-world urban encounters; I say it is deliberate because Mr. Thompson's company does not make any high-end knives in this class and his competitors do. He would lead the reader astray with irrelevant nonsense like showing them how a tactical folder cannot parry a kukkri, while at the same time shamelessly plugging his own large knives. He would have the reader believe that they should buy a Trailmaster instead of an AFCK by showing how the Trailmaster would offer the advantage in a duel. It is akin to selling an SUV to someone who went looking for an urban economy car by showing them endless tapes of offroad tests. This sort of comparison is funny at best, deceptive and dangerous at worst. When the buyer who heeds Mr. Thompson's advice finds himself being jumped by some punk behind a nightclub, I wonder if he will think briefly of this article and the Trailmaster Bowie that he had to leave in his car?

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-Corduroy
(Why else would a bear want a pocket?)
 
Although Lynn Thompson didn't say it in his article, but I believe he was addressing more toward the military personnel. These guys don't have to worry about concealment and such upon deployment. Why carry a "tactical folder" when you can carry a real fighting knife? I think that was his point.

For civilian applications, then naturally the folders have some limited applications.

A lot of military personnel, especially the young ones, don't know any better. They read "tactical folder" this and that from knifezines and pay boo-coo bucks for these next to useless knives. For the price of these expensive "tactical folders", they could get a good Swiss Army or any other run-of-the-mill pocket knives PLUS a good-sized and quality fighting knife.
 
While I agree that CS marketing tactics are pretty amusing, I must disagree with most people here and say that I do commend Lynn Thompson for being so crude, brutish,politically incorrect,etc with his advertising. While self defense may not be a glorious or pretty thing, its a serious part of life that must be adressed sometimes if we are to be properly prepared for that moment. I just think it's time some people in the gun and knife world start having a little more intestinal fortitude.

Sure, some people will tell me that its best not to shove this kind of thing in the anti's faces and "force" it upon them by talking candidly about it, because it may anger them even more. Personally, I think we should fight fire with fire. Are they not being even more forceful and overbearing when they try to attack our lifestyle?

Also, we've been trying the "keep it quiet, dont be vocal, and dont piss the anti's off" method for years. And what have we gotten out of it? Pointless Magazine capacity limits, nonsensical assault weapons bans, ignorant blade length laws, and illogical banning of certain blade types, just to name a few. Obviously our meek and mild tactics aint working! While Im not saying for sure that this approach will help anything, I think we owe it to our kids to try standing up to these folks at least a little bit.

So lets all be good little children and drink our milk so we can strengthen our bones, especially the ones in our backs.
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Anyway, sorry to get all worked up and off subject. Guess Ill have to read the new issue of Special Projects to get a few laughs and calm me down!
 
I don't like CS folding knives at all.....(sweating here
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).....I'll just sneak out of this post now.....
 
I bought a CS Trailmaster awhile back and heres my test, I took it with me for a full hunting season, I butchered two deers and one bear,hacked through tree limbs and snare wire I also used it to chip through ice to get at water and generally beat the hell out of it. I must say it performed very well and only need to be touched up once or twice. Now if I had of read the CS ad's before hand I probably would not have purchased one and missed out on an a very effective and well made tool.

Walt (the other walter)
 
So the AK-47 goes with you wherever you go? I carry 3 items. A knife, a gun and a **** load of self confidense.

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Best Regards,
Mike Turber
BladeForums Site Owner and Administrator
Do it! Do it right! Do it right NOW!
www.wowinc.com




 
The Cold Steel advertising is unique, to say the least. I find it refreshing to see an enterpreneur who gives it straight from the gut,not washed and sanitized by control- groups and ad agency spins from people who don`t even know knives.If that leaves it a little rough,so be it.It beats ads where the product could be interchanged from Summer`s Eve to Ford Explorers without missing a beat.

BE SHARP,
David
 
Wellll, the AK doesn't go with me everywhere. I would just prefer to have it. Actually, I would prefer to not be in a confrontation. My defensive tools for just such an instance are knives. No concealed firearms in Ohio.
 
Hey, Dirk?

Not for long. CCW vote is, allegedly, gonna come up sooner or later, and it looks likely to pass.

The poll was pre-columbine, however, so who knows how the sheep have moved since then.

Mike


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Hey! Uncle Sam!

(_!_) Nyah nyah nyah!

Refund! You lose! :)


 
Not for laughs but to settle some pretty heated counter advertising between Cold Steel and Busse. I for one can not wait to see the results of the testing on the Battle Mistress they claim to have acquired.
I only hope they video tape it in real time with some credible impartial witnesses present or the cycle will never cease.
Perhaps it never will, after all what better way to advertise. "Ours is better, No ours is. Well now you(the consumer) just have to go out and get them both to see for yourself."
Slick advertising and free.

I personally like most of Cold Steel's knives and would love to get my hands on a Busse with INFI.
Oh well.
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JMHO

Regards

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God bless!

Romans 10:9-10

"Military" Fans Unite!!
 
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