Cold Steel Colossus 2

[Quiet]

The Talwar is my favorite CS giant folder. Really excellent slicer and way more comfortable in hand than it looks.

I am going to have to get my hands on a Talwar XL, but wonder if it might be too much of a good thing, because the "small" 4-inch blade Talwar is damn near perfect. I have been carrying it as a primary knife or secondary with something else almost constantly since I got it. It makes an excellent EDC knife, plus it's no slouch with food prep either. If I ever had to actually wave it out in a moment of personal defense, I think it'd be good there as well.

 

[SharpBits]

I am going to have to get my hands on a Talwar XL, but wonder if it might be too much of a good thing, because the "small" 4-inch blade Talwar is damn near perfect. I have been carrying it as a primary knife or secondary with something else almost constantly since I got it. It makes an excellent EDC knife, plus it's no slouch with food prep either. If I ever had to actually wave it out in a moment of personal defense, I think it'd be good there as well.

My first Talwar was back when they were clearing the AUS-8 version out. It’s the big version with serrations. One heck of a slicer. That big wide blade allows for good geometry. The 4-inch version is a better general use knife, IMO. The big’un is just for fun, for me anyway.

 

[DocJD]

Carried these two , right and left front pocket , for years .

Carry an XL Espada for a month and everything else folderwise seems small .

It's just a matter of habituation .

But huge folders are not usually necessary for normal EDC and not well accepted for use in public , many places .

4" blade is , IMO , a good compromise .

 

[Quiet]

Carried these two , right and left front pocket , for years .

Carry an XL Espada for a month and everything else folderwise seems small .

It's just a matter of habituation .

But huge folders are not usually necessary for normal EDC and not well accepted for use in public , many places .

4" blade is , IMO , a good compromise .

Absolutely. As you say, the smaller ones are easier to live with in a professional setting. I've used my Talwar to cut a sandwich sitting at my desk with no eyebrows raised from passersby, whereas if I was using a large 5 inch bladed folder, it probably would. Cold Steel is hands down the best at doing large folders that have both excellent ergonomics as well as great blade grinds geared towards being great cutting tools. Other makers make some larger knives, but they tend to have thicker blades, or some other compromise to the design that overall devalues the whole thing. Large (and XL) CS folding knives are indisputably in a class of their own.