cold steel awesome

crom said:
components just good enough to be useful? can you expand on that one?
example, the American Lawman:
Adequate steel; tough, will not chip, holds edge reasonably. Undeniably the strongest lock on the market in a all G10 handle with perfectly symmetrical machining/sculpting. No wiggle in any direction on these models. Light and affordable, that to me is more than "good enough to be useful".
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What I mean is that they use materials that are not premium or even better than average but are good enough to be worth buying if you like the knife. Nothing really stands out from a materials stand point. They are functional knives that a decent value but generally what I'd consider an "average" quality knife. They just seem to lack the fit, finish, and quality of materials some other companies have. I think they are comparable to SOG, which isn't a bad thing.

I was trying to point out that companies like Spyderco, KAI...ect have better designs (IMO), better materials and less of the off putting marketing and styling. Granted, these are things that are a matter of taste from one person to the next but that's my opinion. If you are in the market for a knife you won't be getting a junk knife but I think there are better values for the price.
 
Please provide an example of fit and finish that has been lacking in a piece that you have owned/handled. The Taiwanese models I have owned may be even better made than the Japan models in terms of build quality. IMO, Cold Steel is a cut above SOG and priced better as well. Tell me where I can get a knife like the 4" Voyager for (what, $40?) what they cost and I will gladly buy it.
 
mcrow said:
What I mean is that they use materials that are not premium or even better than average but are good enough to be worth buying if you like the knife. Nothing really stands out from a materials stand point. They are functional knives that a decent value but generally what I'd consider an "average" quality knife. They just seem to lack the fit, finish, and quality of materials some other companies have. I think they are comparable to SOG, which isn't a bad thing.
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The materials are not high end that's true, but lacking fit and finish? I own a lot of CS stuff, and their fit and finish is dead on absolutely perfect. I've seen Benchmades with worse fit and finish than ANY of my CS products.

As for Spyderco having nicer designs, I guess that's just a personal taste thing, I really don't like their designs(or the hole opening, I much prefer thumbstuds) all that much. Quality knives sure, but very unappealing aesthetically.
 
Smokinape said:
This thread is short on pics.
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Heres you go. Just a few.
9d94d01f-d735-4077-b755-232969d949ba.jpg
 
A few of my favorites from CS.

I got the Rajah, Black Sable and Talwar when CS was closing them out.

RAJAHB.jpg


BLSAB2.jpg


TAL1.jpg


I bought the RJ II so I could keep the RJ I unused.

raj1.jpg


RAJ6B.jpg
 
I really like Cold Steel's products. To me the f&f is some of the best on the market. Not to mention that the blades are hair popping sharp right out of the box.
 
Cold Steel is the only knife I've ever broken in regular,non-abusive use :eek:....BUT they determined it was a factory defect (that thankfully didn't cause any damage to me when it failed,LOL!),and promptly replaced it with a nice apology letter and TWO new knives :D (a repacement for the folder that failed/broke...back in the early 90's and I hit my head really hard in '01,I can't remember what the name of it was*) and a new SRK (*I remember the name of that one cause I still have it somewhere :P). I've owned a few CS's besides those over the years,always liked them. Actually,I'm thinking of ordering a Bushman and Survival Edge next month...
 
I love'em. Will be adding a 4" blade Talwar and a couple others this year. The materials keeping prices under $100 for most of the models is something I like. The materials, build quality, and design/geometry of the blades and handles work well and are reliable and durable. It just depends what you are looking for. If you cut 200 boxes down per day and have a lust for titanium handles there are a bunch of other products from other companies ready to take your $200+.

I have had a looong time experience of thei AUS 8 blades giving me good edge retention, toughness, corrosion resistence, and easy as heck touch ups. In most people's day to day not going to notice the superiority of a $120+++ folder in one of those areas over the $35-70 CS folder. The grivory handles on the Voyagers have better impact resistance and dry conditions grip traction than G-10 and are about perfect for a working folder. Their thickness allows better comfort and pressure efficiency than the thin scales and slabs on a lot of competitors.

Enough rambling, gotta get back to the bat cave
 
mcrow said:
What I mean is that they use materials that are not premium or even better than average but are good enough to be worth buying if you like the knife. Nothing really stands out from a materials stand point. They are functional knives that a decent value but generally what I'd consider an "average" quality knife. They just seem to lack the fit, finish, and quality of materials some other companies have. I think they are comparable to SOG, which isn't a bad thing.

I was trying to point out that companies like Spyderco, KAI...ect have better designs (IMO), better materials and less of the off putting marketing and styling. Granted, these are things that are a matter of taste from one person to the next but that's my opinion. If you are in the market for a knife you won't be getting a junk knife but I think there are better values for the price.
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Real quick...would guarantee more Spydies and especially more Kershaw/ZT go in for service/repair because of screws, springs, typical liner and framelock issues, etc. Build quality and design go hand in hand. Higher price for the blade steel, handle materials, etc. don't mean better long term durability and reliability.
 
image.jpgThe cold steel fight lol
Imho they are decent on par with spyderco and benchmade no . There are a few decent designs but more mall ninja designs(folding knife with 8 inch blade) But for a workhorse beater knife they are one of the best. But I dont think you can say there fit and finish is on par with forementioned. I have a Recon 1 and its awesome, but can you say good fit and finish with a coating you can almost rub off with your hand.
 
Cold Steel fans get a bit testy when you don't think as highly of them as other brands..lol.

As Topcat says, they are not on par with Spyderco/ZT in materials, fit or finish but the make decent everyday use knife that you don't mind beating on. I'm not saying they are bad knives just that some knives cost less because they use lesser materials and less time is spent on manufacturing and they generally don't collaborate with top designers. These are not always negatives because sometimes you just don't want/need all the extra costs that a premium knives have involved.

Now, most of the Spyderco/ZT models are very durable knives as well so I wouldn't have much issue with most of them being an everyday work knife.

Just keep in mind that most of the time if you are paying less for a knife there is a good reason.
 
OrdnanceBubbaUSMC said:
Real quick...would guarantee more Spydies and especially more Kershaw/ZT go in for service/repair because of screws, springs, typical liner and framelock issues, etc. Build quality and design go hand in hand. Higher price for the blade steel, handle materials, etc. don't mean better long term durability and reliability.
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What exactly are you basing this claim on?! If you don't have any facts about warranty statistics and repairs then it may be better to just refrain from making negative, unfounded assumptions about two of the leading knife companies in the industry. It's one thing to say you have personally had an issue requiring warranty or repair on a knife, but it's quite another to make the claim that both companies have more quality control issues without any facts to back your assertion.

Better design collaborations with well-known custom makers, better materials, and better quality control put Spyderco and the Kershaw ZT line a big step up from all but the highest priced Cold Steel blades. This isn't to say Cold Steel is bad, in fact I rather like some of their blades, but most of catalogue seems to generally use lower grade steels and cheaper materials than either Spyderco or ZT in my experience. In that regard they are much like SOG. They undoubtably put out a decent product but it's by no means the best in the industry.
 
new members, attention: don't listen to mrcrow. this is called disinformation.
 
Do searches for the issues I mentioned

Here is one recent thread I was looking through just yesterday http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1010949-What-is-rock-lock?highlight=rock+lock

Reports of Spydies not so much, and not usually the classics - but there are ones with screw problems or lock bar/tab issues that pop up off and on the past few years. Kershaw/ZT reports of spring problems and lock-up issues since forever... It's not to say you have a big chance of getting a turd with either one, especially Spyderco - but your chances of getting a properly working, long-term durable CS Tri-Ad folder are very high. You have to dig harder to find issues even though they have sold like hot-cakes the past 4-5 years and many find no hesitation in abusing them.

Blade steel and handle material has nothing to do with it, especially if you get one of the higher end folders with bad heat treat which you might also find on searching. A simple design that was properly engineered and tested before distribution and has proven to be reliable and durable trumps fancy, high-end, cool. Designer name and more expensive materials does not keep there from being issues reported regularly for the 05-- ZT models which were, and are still, insanely hyped.

My real life experience backs up the impressions gathered from the faceless masses and personal contacts. I would trust a Spyderco Endura, Delica, Native, Military, or Paramilitary as well as any CS Tri-Ad folder to last at least a couple years of real, daily, sometimes rough usage much more than a Spydie model of the month or any Kershaw/ZT.
 
I like cold steel. Had many of the carbon v versions. Never broke any to date. I been looking at the rajah II.
I have nothing but good to say about CS. I own many other brands and customs but all have their place.
 
Ive got lots of knives including some pretty expensive ones. My go to folder now is a CS Large AK-47. I like that it has the wave feature. I absolutely love the Demko designed Triad lock. Its one of the only folder locks that I completely trust. I like the steel they use and their heat treatment. Its not the latest 'wonder steel' but its tough and its easy to maintain. Thats a big deal in the field. I like that they are modestly priced. Unlike with some of my expensive knives, I can use them hard without concern. I don't have recent experience with a lot of CS knives, but I think the lrg AK-47 is a real winner in a folding knife.
 
OrdnanceBubbaUSMC said:
Do searches for the issues I mentioned

Here is one recent thread I was looking through just yesterday http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1010949-What-is-rock-lock?highlight=rock+lock

Reports of Spydies not so much, and not usually the classics - but there are ones with screw problems or lock bar/tab issues that pop up off and on the past few years. Kershaw/ZT reports of spring problems and lock-up issues since forever... It's not to say you have a big chance of getting a turd with either one, especially Spyderco - but your chances of getting a properly working, long-term durable CS Tri-Ad folder are very high. You have to dig harder to find issues even though they have sold like hot-cakes the past 4-5 years and many find no hesitation in abusing them.

Blade steel and handle material has nothing to do with it, especially if you get one of the higher end folders with bad heat treat which you might also find on searching. A simple design that was properly engineered and tested before distribution and has proven to be reliable and durable trumps fancy, high-end, cool. Designer name and more expensive materials does not keep there from being issues reported regularly for the 05-- ZT models which were, and are still, insanely hyped.

My real life experience backs up the impressions gathered from the faceless masses and personal contacts. I would trust a Spyderco Endura, Delica, Native, Military, or Paramilitary as well as any CS Tri-Ad folder to last at least a couple years of real, daily, sometimes rough usage much more than a Spydie model of the month or any Kershaw/ZT.
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You realize that a few folks complaints on a forum where Spyderco and Benchmade both have an actual corporate presence versus Cold Steel which doesn't have any official presence here skews those results a little, right? Spyderco and Benchmade both handle their own knife manufacturing too which, as far as I know, Cold Steel outsources. To be frank, your "real life experience" means very little in the face of the overwhelming recommendations made every single day for both Spyderco and ZT products on this very forum, let alone all the other subforums and other blade-related forums on the web. If those issues were as common as you claim those brands would not be nearly as popular and widely recommended as they are.
 
crom said:
new members, attention: don't listen to mrcrow. this is called disinformation.
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Disinformation? So, CS uses steels as good as ZT or many Spdies? The CS knives I held in my hand don't generally hold up to what I see in Spyderco or ZT as far as quality build and fit/finish.

Of course some of this is a matter of taste and opinion. I'm not saying anyone shouldn't buy CS just that IMO (take it or leave it) they are not as high quality as some other knives. They are as good as SOG,CRKT,and Ontario which are all companies that make good knives but IMO (again, yours may differ and that's OK) Benchmade, Spyderco, and ZT are generally making better knives.

You may disagree, but that doesn't mean i'm spreading disinformation. It's a fact that the companies I mentioned use better materials. Whether or not you like or need the more expensive materials is for the buyer to decide. I have no doubt there are a lot of people who have gotten a lot of good use out of CS knives but my point wasn't that they are poorly built knives just not as good as some other brands.

Either way, I'm done discussing this because apparently people can't have people disagree with them without getting butthurt.
 
Pointshoot777 said:
Ive got lots of knives including some pretty expensive ones. My go to folder now is a CS Large AK-47. I like that it has the wave feature. I absolutely love the Demko designed Triad lock. Its one of the only folder locks that I completely trust. I like the steel they use and their heat treatment. Its not the latest 'wonder steel' but its tough and its easy to maintain. Thats a big deal in the field. I like that they are modestly priced. Unlike with some of my expensive knives, I can use them hard without concern. I don't have recent experience with a lot of CS knives, but I think the lrg AK-47 is a real winner in a folding knife.
Click to expand...

+2 for tri-ad lock!
Feels solid!
 
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