Cold Steel (biased?) I think I like them :P

[Kaizen1]

ignoramus, I am not a troll and have been reading the forum for years. I DO see a lot of posts from dissatisfied people that own Cold Steel products.

Read one Thread about how they are liers but the post never pointed out how?

I would just like to read the real end user stories not just hype or somebody told me so.

The part about a typo was not about you. I CAN see how you could take it that way but honestly I do use Google spell and stated so. I don't think that counts as "baggage you must be carrying" but that's OK. This Thread is not about you or me.

I want real info, stories, and, customer service from COLD STEEL.

Not trying to offend anyone but people use this forum as a tool for purchasing the tools we use everyday and somehow Cold Steel has a BAD rap but I don't know WHY?

So I don't "know everything" but working on it

I apologize if I misread or misunderstood what you were saying Banned. If I misunderstood what you meant, then I'm wrong and please accept my sincere apology.

There really is so much information on why some of the regulars on these forums feel so negatively towards, not so much CS products, but the CS owner and his marketing tactics. So to start another thread from your seemingly innocent standpoint is to stir up more negativity that can easily be avoided by doing a quick search.

If you read past the emotions, you'll find that a lot of people here agree that there are quite a few products that the company offers that has good to very good value for the money spent. I personally just agreed on the other thread that they have a pretty good niche on the cheap 5-6" bladed folders.

 

[Kaizen1]

I like the new Cold Steel NATCHEZ BOWIE. I don't care if it's good or bad I just want it. so HA HA HA

A lot of us want you to want more knives noss4, I personally like the destruction of stuff.

 

[averageguy]

"simply put....COLD STEAL SUCKS>>>>>> the marketing and the products...."

Yea but Busse sucks worse!

 

[Dr. Mudd]

Banned, you may want to haunt eBay and other online sources (?) for some of the slightly older Cold Steel knives made of what they called Carbon V steel. Those blades were made by the fine, old US company, Camillus, which is now out of business unfortunately. One year ago in their Christmas sale flyer (you should get on their mailing list immediately if not sooner) Cold Steel was selling out the remaining Carbon V knives, the SRK and the Recon Tanto I think they were. They were priced very reasonably and may have been "seconds." I have a number of older Cold Steel "seconds" and I've always been very happy with them and considered them excellent bargains. I've been buying and using knives and a few other products from Cold Steel for 15+ years and I would not part with mine. Even their cheap old Bushman is a good knife for very little money, though I don't hear such good reports on their newer Bowie version of the Bushman. I have one of their older 4-inch folders, a clip point plain edge Voyager, and it's a keeper, too. Rides well in my jeans back pocket. I've had a couple of the older Land & Sea Rescue folders, too, but I let them both get away from me. I hope to get one of them back one day. About 10 years ago I got a couple of cheap Latin-style machetes from Cold Steel that were too thin and whippy for my tastes, but they were the only knives from them that I was less than happy with. What they're making now in the way of machetes are much different I'll bet. I think you'll probably be happy with a Cold Steel knife. Their Christmas sale flyer comes out in November, so call or email them to get on their mailing list. If you find something you want in that flyer get it that day or they'll be sold out quickly in many cases.

 

[MassMatt]

Cold Steel is OK. Their marketing machine is both effective and off putting (depending on your taste in knives and salesmanship), but I like their specialty items for what they are.

This seems to sum things up very well re: people's reactions to CS, they hype and some people hate it, others buy. I have a tomahawk, a kukri machete, a medium Voyager (which I have edc'd for years) and a spearpoint Recon, I like them all.

The point about them not manufacturing their blades themselves seems naive, check Bernard Levine's knife ID pages, "brands" have been farmed out to manufacturers for many MANY years, whether this is good or bad is a matter of quality control.

A potentially more substantive issue is that they imitate designs originated by other makers without attribution, I am not knowledgeable enough to know who made what first or who copies whom but there's been a lot said about that.

 

[udtjim]

After a few thousand years of knife making, how many original designs could there be? Its hard not to imitate some prior desgn. Just like 100 percent of companies that make any products, some of the CS knives are a better value than others. I have never felt that I got less than I paid for with their products and thats about all I can ask or expect from anyone. For those who don't like their hype, here is an idea for you, DON'T WATCH IT.

 

[Kaizen1]

After a few thousand years of knife making, how many original designs could there be?

There have been quite a few new concepts just introduced to the knife world over the past 30 years.

Its hard not to imitate some prior desgn.

Sounds like a great excuse to take someone else's intellectual property. The concern about CS taking prior designs are about specific patents and blatant copies of designs created by honest knife designers, not general designs that everyone can use. Why do you think the complaints are about CS and not Kershaw, BM or Spyderco for example? Whether or not they're actually using someone else's intellectual property without permission is what the controversy is about.

Just like 100 percent of companies that make any products, some of the CS knives are a better value than others. I have never felt that I got less than I paid for with their products and thats about all I can ask or expect from anyone.

There are plenty of people on these forums who would agree that some of the CS product are an okay to great value for the prices. Again company ethos is the main concern.

For those who don't like their hype, here is an idea for you, DON'T WATCH IT.

The same can be said that if you don't like what people say about CS, don't read it. Some people don't like the image that the company gives because of the sensitivity of the sheeple majority. That image is representative of the entire knife industry in the eyes of the general public. This is the same reason why they don't like Dark Ops. And DO makes some pretty solid (but not practical IMO) products. It is this negative image that a lot of knife users are trying to erase from the psyche of the sheeple by educating them of the practical uses of this important tool. This type of marketing is a direct obstacle to that aim. If this is so, why shouldn't people voice their opinions about it?

 

[averageguy]

"Sounds like a great excuse to take someone else's intellectual property. The concern about CS taking prior designs are about specific patents and blatant copies of designs created by honest knife designers, not general designs that everyone can use. Why do you think the complaints are about CS and not Kershaw, BM or Spyderco for example? Whether or not they're actually using someone else's intellectual property without permission is what the controversy is about."


This strikes me as slander.

After a reasonably thorough search through the internet I'm unable to identify a single lawsuit against Cold Steel / Lynn Thompson for patent infringement.

Given this is the lawsuit happiest country in the world, I'll have to call the statements above referring to blatent copies and specific patents the BS that it is.

What I did find is that, aside from some children on this forum, real outdoorsmen and military personnel have found great satisfaction from their Cold Steel product.

You can voice your opinion about Lynn but don't slander him. Lynn may have a big mouth but he's a big guy and I'm sure he can back up what he says - I sure wouldn't slander him in person.

 

[Kaizen1]

"Sounds like a great excuse to take someone else's intellectual property. The concern about CS taking prior designs are about specific patents and blatant copies of designs created by honest knife designers, not general designs that everyone can use. Why do you think the complaints are about CS and not Kershaw, BM or Spyderco for example? Whether or not they're actually using someone else's intellectual property without permission is what the controversy is about."


This strikes me as slander.

After a reasonably thorough search through the internet I'm unable to identify a single lawsuit against Cold Steel / Lynn Thompson for patent infringement.

Given this is the lawsuit happiest country in the world, I'll have to call the statements above referring to blatent copies and specific patents the BS that it is.

I've stated a fact, not about whether or not CS has used a patent without permission, but that that's what the controversy is about. The "blatant copies" I was referring to was not about patents, but about knife designs. You misunderstood my point.

 

[mmmotorcycle]

"simply put....COLD STEAL SUCKS>>>>>> the marketing and the products...."

Yea but Busse sucks worse!

Huh? I'm not sure I heard you right, can you repeat that please?

Why must some make such inflamatory remarks?:thumbdn:

Busse knives are great...albeit well out of my price range. You pay for the steel (something like 34 dollars a pound), top of the line handle materials, and above all the warranty which is quite literally bullet proof. And yes you probably pay for the brand name a little too.

If I needed one large outdoor blade to accomplish all sorts of heavy tasks and money was no object I would have a FBM in my hands as I type.

As for Cold Steel. I have never even handled one of their products but that is mostly since I found Spyderco and Ranger knives first.

 

[redbar0n]

Banned, you may want to haunt eBay and other online sources (?) for some of the slightly older Cold Steel knives made of what they called Carbon V steel. Those blades were made by the fine, old US company, Camillus, which is now out of business unfortunately. One year ago in their Christmas sale flyer (you should get on their mailing list immediately if not sooner) Cold Steel was selling out the remaining Carbon V knives, the SRK and the Recon Tanto I think they were. They were priced very reasonably and may have been "seconds." I have a number of older Cold Steel "seconds" and I've always been very happy with them and considered them excellent bargains. I've been buying and using knives and a few other products from Cold Steel for 15+ years and I would not part with mine. Even their cheap old Bushman is a good knife for very little money, though I don't hear such good reports on their newer Bowie version of the Bushman. I have one of their older 4-inch folders, a clip point plain edge Voyager, and it's a keeper, too. Rides well in my jeans back pocket. I've had a couple of the older Land & Sea Rescue folders, too, but I let them both get away from me. I hope to get one of them back one day. About 10 years ago I got a couple of cheap Latin-style machetes from Cold Steel that were too thin and whippy for my tastes, but they were the only knives from them that I was less than happy with. What they're making now in the way of machetes are much different I'll bet. I think you'll probably be happy with a Cold Steel knife. Their Christmas sale flyer comes out in November, so call or email them to get on their mailing list. If you find something you want in that flyer get it that day or they'll be sold out quickly in many cases.

I managed to pick up a carbon V SRK and Recon Tanto right before they stopped making them.

 

[averageguy]

I understand Ig - I'm just using your post because it does express a common sentiment about CS. I am not at all sure there is a concrete foundation for these views.

 

[averageguy]

Not meaning to inflame you Mmmotorclycle just taking a jab at VTW.

 

[Bkultra]

"Cold Steel is a marketing company and does not make any of their knives. Their knives are produced in many places: most items are made in Japan, Taiwan, or China. This makes quality control very hard to track and very inconsistent. They are cheaply manufactured knives that have a hyped up marketing company behind them.

*** If you are after a inexpensive beater then they are fine."



That's a bunch of BS.

Fact: Cold Steel is just that a marketing Co. and does not manufacture their knives.

Fact: Their knives are made from many different sources. Most of which are based in Japan, Taiwan, and China.

Fact: Having many different manufactures making your knives does make it very hard to keep each model on the same level of quality... Why do you think even fans of their knives say things like "Try and track down one of their older Model X made of X steel"

Fact: These knives are inexpensive and hence produced at a low cost.

So I ask what part of this was BS?

 

[Unsub]

Here is my view of CS
First the good

They make awesome machete's and Hawks and sell them in every dinky little mall knife store so I can get them even in saskatchawan. The quality of their cheap knives is very good as far as value per dollar. I especially like the shovel and the norse(the most basic) hawk as well as the Finn Beaar and Bushman knives.

They introduce a lot of people to knives and knife collecting. I know a LOT of people who's first interesting knife was a CS.

Entertainment value. The knives themselves ,the adverts and especially Lynn.

Carbon V- I know it is gone but those were some good knives. I still have my CS pro throw in Carbon V(new ones are 1050) and once I rewrapped it and profiled the edge it became a first rate survival knife. I had a good kydex sheath made for it(thanks Rainwalker) and now it is one of my favourite camp knives.

Now the bad

Cold Steal- it is one thing to make a version of a popular knife that has been around for years it is quite another to blatantly rip off another persons hard work. The Ti Lite is a nice knife but I would never buy one because they stole the Wave feature from Emerson.
They also made a 1050 version of a Strider design AND took a cheap shot at Mick and Duane at the same time.

Their "nice" knives are incredibly overpriced for what you get.
The one CS I liked recently was the SISU scandi knife and it was at least 4 times(400$)
what it was worth. It was also a blatant rip off of a classic Finn knife from a noted designer.
Here is the original.


I understand why people hate CS and I understand why people like their products.
I have made a personal decision to not buy any more from them because I don't like some of their business practices but if you like their stuff it is not my place to tell you not to.

Now I am going to download some unreleased movies off pirate bay.
I never claimed to be consistent.

 

[A.P.F.]

Let's talk about ripoffs.

Cold Steal 'Canadian Belt Knife'.

The original 'Canadian Belt Knife' as made by Grohman in Canada. The design was used without permission, by Cold Steel.

 

[ashtxsniper]

I own Several San Mai III Trailmasters and several Carbon V Trailmasters. They are awesome knives that are worth way more than I paid for them. I also own Peacekeeper's, OSS's, Peacemaker's, Vaquero's, and a carbon V UWK and they are all worth every penny I paid for them. Bottom line is they make some very good knives and some so so knives. I would recommend holding any model before ordering them so you are not disappointed. Also Lynn is a dork and his marketing is very mall ninja-ish. I Like some of their products and some I wouldn't take for free. As far as the politics of CS I really don't care.

 

[John R. Fraps]

APF,
Lets otherwise talk about "perception of value"...
I f a person thinks they have received the value expected when they purchase a product, that is between them and the vendor.....

If a person likes or doesn't like a vendor or product for any reason, then I hope they wouldn't buy from that vendor or buy that product.

Not to be corny, but that is free enterprise and free market in this wonderful Country!

Are there pruducts or producers I will never ever ever buy from....OH YES!
Who they are is my concern and why is my concern......it isn't always the products themselves......it could be because of the way they were less than gentlemen at a knife show we both attended.......and, yes "Mall Ninjas" are totally foolish to me.....especially on a TV VCR tape for 3 days at a show I have a right to not see/hear.....and I "ain't" even going there about some totally stupid Dumb-Ass cracking a bullwhip in the aisles at the Blade Show 2 to 4 years ago.......I really was hoping some mall security guy had shot that son of a piece of shit!

By the way, anything I post is my post...I don't represent any organization I may be a member of when I post...I represent only me when I post........

 

[rifon2]

Let's talk about ripoffs.

Cold Steal 'Canadian Belt Knife'.

The original 'Canadian Belt Knife' as made by Grohman in Canada. The design was used without permission, by Cold Steel.

How do you know the design was used without permission?

 

[KevinR]

anyone use the cs kukri machete? looks like it would make a good beater...