Cold Steel Appreciation Thread

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Jan 23, 2011
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It's the end of an era. While we are all disappointed, let's take a moment to share what brought us to this forum, and what we like about the brand.

For me:
  • I never got a lemon from CS. I can expect a well made, strong knife.
  • Excellent price/performance ratio. You get a lot of bang for the buck
  • Their videos. Yes, they are over the top, but that is the fun part about them!
  • Practicality. They test and use everything they design. You can be sure the knife works for its intended purpose.
  • Tomahawks - CS was one of the only manufacturers mass producing these. I love 'em!
 
For me, my first exposure was an advert in an American gun magazine for a Recon Tanto. I was a young teen and it was the first I'd heard of a named steel (Carbon V).
I lusted after one of these 'preferred by SWAT' fixed blades.
The local gunshop them got some in (which I couldn't afford as a kid) and I resolved to buy one one day.
I bought one eventually but it was stolen before I got any use out of it.
About 5 years later I got a Recon 1 tanto - workman like finish, but you could tell it was a user. It was an early one, made in Japan, and I still have that scratched and scuffed awesome knife today.
Like many, if someone wants an affordable user that won't let them down, I always recommend Cold Steel.
 
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Showman Lynn Thompson and giant friggin's blades. That's an awesome combo.
 
Back in the early 90s, my college roommate came back from a break and had brought his knife collection to show me: Gerber Mark I, CS Terminator, and an original CS Recon Tanto (with the bead-blasted blade and brass fittings). Fell in love with the Mark I and Terminator, and that got me into "real" knives.

Been a fan of CS ever since, and was one of the first members of their own forum when it started back in 2009. Had heard from other members that everyone on BF hated CS, so never bothered to join over here, until they got their own sub-forum and it became clear that their own forum was going away. Wish I had joined sooner!

There was just always something about CS knives that I seemed to like better than most others. Never really cared for the marketing antics, but the combination of aesthetics, ergos, and price were hard to beat. Others had weird proportions, or were too expensive, etc. That's not to say I don't have others...about 60% of my collection is CS. As time has passed and I've been able to afford higher-end stuff, I have branched out into customs, like CPK and Redmeadow. But it was mainly CS that started and sustained me on this journey that began almost 30 years ago, and no one can take those memories away. Thanks Lynn!
 
Catalogs were great. In general I miss paper catalogs, just something about them. Theirs were always well done and something I enjoyed when they came in.

Really liked the medieval weapons they made and the machetes recently which were patterned after other blade types.

Their old Japanese Tantos were great and something that I'm glad I have.

Now off to find the machetes I don't have yet........

Oh, and their throwing stars and throwing knives!
 
I bought an original tanto the first year they came out. My wife came apart when she found out I spent a hundred on just a knife.
I carried the knife many years in a modified sheath behind a blue steel Smith model 10.
The knife was a legend around the precinct. It would stab through car hoods, tires, tops of cars, cut wire, anything that was needed it did. Back then we had Buck and the USMC in several variations and this knife stood out and above them.
the knife was with me until political correctness said you can't carry a knife out in the open.
By then the voyagers were out. Still my favorite lock blade of all time the tanto 34lt. The plastic pocket clip did not did dig into your palm like the metal ones did. The NEW thumb stud was a marvel. The blade never failed nor broke. I could not count the number of Buck 110, then the standard lock back, with broken blades and tips.
For years I looked forward to the sales. I will never forget the ODA's for $20. On sight I did not care for them, Then when I held it and used it, it was great.
Even through the issues and problems I have enjoyed using their products for years.
If I had not cared I would not have complained.
The over looked gunstock war club will pierce a tire or car door effortless. The bats are beyond what wood could do.
The new xl voyagers have cut countless vines, tree limbs and killed moles, rats and snakes as well as skinning deer.
The handle of the large voyager fits my hand better than any other.
The new scout is being tested brutally used and tested now. I sure wish I had a chance at a six inch blade one.
I hope to never need one of the canes I have bought. Wishful thinking.
I hope I have enough in my collection to satisfy my great grand sons.
 
The biggest complement I can give Lynn is that he was a true knifeman. In this industry there are businessmen, knifemen, and there are guys that are in the middle, every year the amount of the latter two gets smaller, and the former gets bigger, and that's a sad thing. The guys that really love knives are the ones that bring innovation and fun to this little thing of ours.
 
Thank you LT and Cold Steel for your enthusiastic support of self defense and combat knives. Thank you for working to ensure that everyone, including poor guys like I was when I bought my first Cold Steel, could get something really nice at a price anyone can afford. Thanks for being a personal inspiration to many of us.

I've been a fan for over thirty years. It was a good run. I wish you and your family nothing but the best.
 
These are my first Cold Steel knives, 2010-2011.
I'm sure Nutnfancy was the one that really got me excited about Cold Steel, and fueled the start of my value knife addiction.
I liked Cold Steel because they were 'cool', but rugged. Until Cold Steel, cool had always meant junk.
I unknowingly threw away the boxes for the Koban and large Voyager. Luckily, I learned to hold on to the boxes early on.
38G6d3L.jpg

Koban, AUS 8
XL Voyager, AUS8
Large Voyager, VG1
 
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CS knives always provided value for me. While collector pieces and pocket jewelry have their place, I view most knives first and foremost as tools - albeit with more of a personality than say a wrench or screwdriver. CS knives are very good tools and do have a personality - one of rugged, reliable performance.

My AD-10 is probably my very favorite folder, in a different way than the Sebenzas I have - to include a Box Elder large Sebenza that was a gift. My Master Hunter makes short work of field dressing deer and and larger game - it's my go to field dressing knife despite the fact that I have more fixed blades than I could ever use.

Then there's the drop forged line; talk about knives that one can use and abuse with abandon! In fact, several of my CS knives were the use and abuse go to blades, like the large Voyagers I picked up when AUS8 was on closeout deals.

Now, sadly, I give slight pause to using them the way I did because in the back of my mind I sense that they will be irreplaceable. The (previous) warranty and the fact that one could readily and generally reasonably pick up a replacement were favorable characteristics of CS knives.
 
I always liked the marketing videos, and I also always perceived CS as a great value for tough knives.

My Carbon V Trail Master is an absolute beast. And there are so many other great knives in the line. I've got about a dozen of them now and I love every one.
 
SALTY said:
CS knives always provided value for me. While collector pieces and pocket jewelry have their place, I view most knives first and foremost as tools - albeit with more of a personality than say a wrench or screwdriver. CS knives are very good tools and do have a personality - one of rugged, reliable performance.

My AD-10 is probably my very favorite folder, in a different way than the Sebenzas I have - to include a Box Elder large Sebenza that was a gift. My Master Hunter makes short work of field dressing deer and and larger game - it's my go to field dressing knife despite the fact that I have more fixed blades than I could ever use.

Then there's the drop forged line; talk about knives that one can use and abuse with abandon! In fact, several of my CS knives were the use and abuse go to blades, like the large Voyagers I picked up when AUS8 was on closeout deals.

Now, sadly, I give slight pause to using them the way I did because in the back of my mind I sense that they will be irreplaceable. The (previous) warranty and the fact that one could readily and generally reasonably pick up a replacement were favorable characteristics of CS knives.
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A lot of this sounds like my experience or perspective also. I tended to go toward outdoor use cutting tools such as ESEE knives, Swedish axes etc. I gravitated to C.S. For the ruggedness, quality, and value. I also dove in when they where dumping the AUS8. I have a pile of XL Voyagers, XL Recon 1, Spartan, 6 inch hold out etc. They where too good a deal to pass up. I don't find it burdensome to touch an edge up now and then, it's a cutting tool.
 
I started my law enforcement career many years ago. I retired in 2008. I carried several different knives including a few Cold Steel models. I always liked the Cold Steel knives. They served me well. I recommended them to several other Officers. I will not go into any detail here, but on a couple occasions I sure was glad to have that Cold Steel knife on my duty belt. Now that I am retired, I still carry Cold Steel products. I say products, because I also have a walking stick that I keep in my vehicle. Thanks to all the Cold Steel employees for providing us with quality products at a fair price.
 
Design: CS knives are well designed. A few, like the Laredo Bowie, in my opinion, are without equal in the production knives arena.
Size: CS never seemed to skimp on blade length. They sure had some huge blades. That was due to LT, I'm sure.
Knives as weapons: From bowies to tantos to wakizashis, CS was never shy about advertising their big knives as weapons. I thought that was refreshing in this industry. Again, that was LT's doing.
Fixation on Toughness: Another LT thing. Obsessed with toughness because that's how he got into knife manufacturing: trying to make knives that won't fail under heavy use.
Last, CS made a lot of stuff that no other knife company dared to make. That counts for a lot in my book.
 
The Hawk said:
I started my law enforcement career many years ago. I retired in 2008. I carried several different knives including a few Cold Steel models. I always liked the Cold Steel knives. They served me well. I recommended them to several other Officers. I will not go into any detail here, but on a couple occasions I sure was glad to have that Cold Steel knife on my duty belt. Now that I am retired, I still carry Cold Steel products. I say products, because I also have a walking stick that I keep in my vehicle. Thanks to all the Cold Steel employees for providing us with quality products at a fair price.
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I had the African walking stick and gave it away. I tried the axe head cane and found that it jiggled/vibrated when a walked with it. (6'2, 250) so I didn't buy. I got that Walkabout, or whatever it's called, and Bingo, perfect. I drilled a small hole just below the ball for some para cord. It relieves me from having to grip it as tightly. Although tempted, and I still might get, the pistol grip City Stick, I wanted something oriented more to rough outdoor use. That Walkabout is an extra leg going down steep hill sides while metal detecting, or for knocking Horseshoe fungus off of Birch trees, etc. I have almost no cartilage in some of my lower vertebra from motorcycle accidents many years ago. Day to day life usually no stick. But over 3 plus hours on my feet I feel it. The stick is pretty handy at times. And yes thank you L.T., and his old crew, for highly useful and affordable products, whatever form they came in.
 
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