Cold Steel downhill?

Esav Benyamin said:
There is a BIG difference between one's core MORAL beliefs and one's core BUSINESS beliefs.
To call a change in BUSINESS plan HYPOCRISY is excessive.
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I don't feel my opinion on the matter is excessive at all, given the actions I'm talking about. If you contend quite vocally that a certain style of knife is inferior and that those who make it are just doing so to make a 'quick buck,' only to produce and sell one yourself, you are, in my opinion, a big freakin' hypocrite! If you contend quite vocally that companies who market their knives as being used by the Military are wrong to do so, only to turn around and state in your own ad copy that one of your models is "the best selling, non-issue cobat knife of the Iraqi War," and state in your ad video that one of your models is "standard issue to Navy SEALs attending BUD/S Training," then in my opinion, once again, you're a big freakin' hypocrite! Hey, I just call it as I see it.

Regards,
3G
 
That might depend on whether you see everything that's going on. I believe the SRK was issued for BUD/S.

If you overstate his opposition to certain models or practices, of course it makes it sound worse when he changes his mind. Also known as learning, adapting, growing ... rather than hypocrisy.

But go ahead, we can always use another preacher here at Bladeforums. What did you say the name of your cult church was? :)
 
Esav Benyamin said:
That might depend on whether you see everything that's going on. I believe the SRK was issued for BUD/S.
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20/15 vision in both eyes, buddy.;) I'm not saying that the SRK wasn't issued for BUD/S. I'm saying CS advertised that fact after Lynn's rant about other makers advertising their products as being used by the Military, and stating that Cold Steel has never done so. Can you name one manufacturer or maker that competes with CS that doesn't have at least one model or another that's used by the Military? Nope. Neither can I.
Esav Benyamin said:
If you overstate his opposition to certain models or practices, of course it makes it sound worse when he changes his mind. Also known as learning, adapting, growing ... rather than hypocrisy.
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"Learning, adapting, and growing," to me, is listening to your ELUs, adding nested steel liners where warranted, trying out new steels, and trying out new handle configurations, not saying a certain style of knife "ain't all that" (yup, he said it) and then selling one.
And as far as "overstating" goes, that's the beauty of Lynn Thompson. He makes "overstating" difficult to do. If you feel I'm "overstating," here's something you might be interested in reading. If that doesn't do it for you, here's some other stuff worth reading.
Esav Benyamin said:
But go ahead, we can always use another preacher here at Bladeforums. What did you say the name of your cult church was? :)
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The Church of the Tactical Tooth.......I thought you'd like that one.:D C'mon, Esav, I've been on the same soap box for now on 5 years, it ain't like I'm sayin' anything I haven't said before.:)

Regards,
3G
 
This needs to be read!

Regards,
3G

Edited to add: Gotta love how he refers to himself in the third person in the section about "Locks.":D
 
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I didn't read that, Frank. I read that JTW said CS "did so in a half-assed way," which I took to mean the fact that they had talked karambits down before making one themselves
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that is what I was referring to , thanks.

I still don't see what you are whining about.
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It's discussion , sorry if I offended your favorite knife marketing business.
Get a grip.
 
The one thing that bothers me is that they market the knives they make with videos of severe abuse but they won't cover abuse under their warrantee.

If they would I'd buy one. Even if it was just to give that stuff a try.

But since they don't they can kiss my sparse knife pennies goodbye.
 
3Guardsmen said:
This needs to be read!

Regards,
3G

Edited to add: Gotta love how he refers to himself in the third person in the section about "Locks.":D
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Hey look they are boycotting the BLADE show!

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/csstoreonline/article7.pdf

Honestly this is the same old, same old for Cold Steel. Personally I would take any of their old Carbon V knives over any of the newer ones. My old SRK & Kuhkri in Carbon V are what made me continue to buy Cold Steel way back when. I was impressed with how well these knives performed for how little I paid for them. Nowadays there is just not much in their line that I can't find an alternative to that I like better. Either I can find something with a steel I like better or at a better price. Personally I wish Cold Steel would let the performance of the knife sell itself, rather than all the flashy P.T. Barnum advertising.
 
It's pointless arguing over the same old nonsense that folks have been ragging on CS for years. The litany of atrocities committed by Cold Steel are legion, and typically easily neutralized or debunked:

Cold Steel steals designs!
Cold Steel makes junk knives!
Cold Steel doesn't make knives!
Cold Steel makes icky ads!
Cold Steel only wants to make money!
Lynn Thompson is mean!
Lynn Thompson is unethical!
Lynn Thompson is fat!
and so on, etc...

When one criticism is neutralized the next inevitably pops up. Throw enough crap against the wall and hope some of it will stick.

I feel like I'm one of the biggest CS defenders on the forum, not because I'm all that fond of their products, but because the attacks are so heartfelt AND silly. It's a disconnect from reality that can only come from being a knife nut. Or just a nut.
 
I also feel like I'm one of the biggest CS defenders on the forum, not because I'm all that fond of the company, but because the attacks are so clumsy they're embarrassing.
 
knarfeng said:
If you aren't in their target audience, don't buy the knives. (And I say this as an outsider. The only Cold Steel knives I currently own are slip joints.)


John T Wylie Jr said:
that is what I was referring to , thanks.

It's discussion , sorry if I offended your favorite knife marketing business.
Get a grip.
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Esav Benyamin said:
I also feel like I'm one of the biggest CS defenders on the forum, not because I'm all that fond of the company, but because the attacks are so clumsy they're embarrassing.
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Apparently we both mis-read each others posts. I own a couple of Cold Steel slipjoints. That hardly makes me a Cold Steel fan. I find myself in Esav's camp. I am not a fan of the company. I merely feel you attack the company for weird reasons that do not make sense.
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I think most are jealous and envious of Lynn Thompson. He is
100 times richer than they are and could whip their behind
in a split second. Not to mention he is ugly and gets more
women because of the money. Just my 2 cents. ;)
 
yerscattergun said:
I think most are jealous and envious of Lynn Thompson. He is
100 times richer than they are and could whip their behind
in a split second. Not to mention he is ugly and gets more
women because of the money. Just my 2 cents. ;)
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LOL:D

Regards,
3G
 
Esav Benyamin said:
I also feel like I'm one of the biggest CS defenders on the forum, not because I'm all that fond of the company, but because the attacks are so clumsy they're embarrassing.
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Well, Esav, you stated earlier that I was "overstating," yet after I posted those links, I didn't see you continue down that path. So, was I overstating what CS said or wasn't I?

Regards,
3G
 
shecky said:
It's pointless arguing over the same old nonsense that folks have been ragging on CS for years. The litany of atrocities committed by Cold Steel are legion, and typically easily neutralized or debunked:

Cold Steel steals designs!
Cold Steel makes junk knives!
Cold Steel doesn't make knives!
Cold Steel makes icky ads!
Cold Steel only wants to make money!
Lynn Thompson is mean!
Lynn Thompson is unethical!
Lynn Thompson is fat!
and so on, etc...

When one criticism is neutralized the next inevitably pops up. Throw enough crap against the wall and hope some of it will stick.

I feel like I'm one of the biggest CS defenders on the forum, not because I'm all that fond of their products, but because the attacks are so heartfelt AND silly. It's a disconnect from reality that can only come from being a knife nut. Or just a nut.
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Shecky,
I didn't see you debunk the criticism I made, that I feel CS is a hypocritical company. That has been my main criticism of that company for years now, and aside from an occasional post like Esav's, very few actually try to debunk that one. I wonder why? Can you do it?

Regards,
3G
 
There is a certain rule of thumb I use when buying pretty much anything. If it has a corny or over the top name, I won't get it. For example, I wouldn't buy a Dodge "Avenger", or Chevy Aveo or Nissan Murano-bad, silly names.

Knife makers such as Cold Steel, Dark Ops, or Zero Tolerance, I won't even consider buying, because the name is trying too hard to sound cool. I'm sure they have products as good as or even better than some other makers, but the name makes them sound cheap, IMHO.

The brand name is so important to the image of the company, that a bad one can sink it, a good one will keep it going for decades.(of course has to be backed up with good products)

Spyderco, Benchmade, and Buck, now those are good names for a knifemaker.
 
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shecky said:
It's pointless arguing over the same old nonsense that folks have been ragging on CS for years. The litany of atrocities committed by Cold Steel are legion, and typically easily neutralized or debunked:

Cold Steel steals designs!
Cold Steel makes junk knives!
Cold Steel doesn't make knives!
Cold Steel makes icky ads!
Cold Steel only wants to make money!
Lynn Thompson is mean!
Lynn Thompson is unethical!
Lynn Thompson is fat!
and so on, etc...
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You forgot to mention that CS knives are heat treated on the smoldering bodies of endangered species, and tempered by the woeful tears of abused orphans...

Oh, and LT kicks puppies for fun too...

Why oh why?
 
Esav Benyamin said:
The article is from 1998.
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I know, but Cold Steel still attends the BLADE show even though the knives are still judged the same. Just adding some more evidence to 3Guardsmen's claim.

I agree though, it is the same old Cold Steel bashing. We know that L.T. and the advertising is over the top. We know that no matter what steel the knife is made out of, it is the best there is for that knife's intended role. Would not surprise me to one day read something about how the new Cold Steel knife was hammered out of only the best car bumpers.

Back onto the main topic. Is Cold Steel going downhill? As I said in my 1st post, personally I feel that their early knives in Carbon V are better than anything they have in their current line up. But I believe their knives are marketed very well so I assume their business is still doing well. So knives made from less expensive steels, or imported from other countries for less, yet business is still good. So if we define "Downhill" by the quality of the knife (overall, not individually), then I would answer yes. If we define it by profit, then I would say no.
 
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