Cold Steel= flat out liars

I've always been satisfied with my Cold Steel knives. The folders lock up tight, and the fixed blades, well, they stay fixed :D . The edges come nicely sharpened with a good working edge that stays sharp for a considerable amount of time. I've never had a problem with corrosion or rust being a problem, but I always wipe my blades down with Birchwood-Casey Sheath to keep them protected. I don't use my knives for screwdivers, I use the proper tool. I don't use them for prybars, I use prybars instead. I don't use them for axes, saws or mini-machetes. I use all my knives for the one purpose they are meant for, and that is for cutting things, and in that respect, they perform flawlessly. I am tempted to try some torture tests on them though, just for chuckles. But not until I can afford replacements, because honestly, I'm doubtful as to the amount of abuse that they could take.
 
Ookami said:
(ain't that a girls' name? I am not a native speaker ...)
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Lynn is one of a number of names that work for both boys and girls, like Dana and Robin, and even Pearl. When it comes to nicknames, the list grows, for example, Sam for Samuel or Samantha.
 
Most of the guys with a beef about Cold Steel have trouble swallowing the hype and the owner's personality. In my experience I've never had folders I've worked as hard or beat up as much as Cold Steel knives and I've never once had to send one in for a repair as far as their folders go. I did send in a Warhead fixed blade they never got back to me about which is a big gripe I have with them but thats it.

I still have their products and recognize them for what they are; farily priced beater/user knives that take what you dish out and perform well for the most part. My Voyager and Vaquearo experiences have been nothing less than positive. Other than these folders and a couple of Trail Guides which are nice for gents knives but not of the same quality of the others I have, I have not explored a lot of the newer knives like the Ultra lock, which by the way is not the same as an axis lock. Look it up. It is different in how it works.

The Ultra lock is no more a clone of an axis lock than the nested compression lock is by Spyderco and all three have a different way of securing the blade opened. The Recon lock bar or pin that stops the blade sits lengthwise in the body of the folder and the axis blade bar or stop pin sits cross wise in the body. The springs are different also as well as the release mechanisms internal design. That is enough to make it different. Cold Steel didn't make the patent laws so you can't really blame them. The nested compression lock again uses a ball on a spring that is different than the spring on either of the other two mentioned as is the ball bearing vs a pin or bar stop. Just enough to make it different and that is all that is required to make it unique.

From the pratical standpoint of how ideas help create other ideas CS didn't do a thing wrong or illegal by coming out with the Ultra Lock and neither did Spyderco. It is no different than the way the liner lock led to the frame lock later on, or the lock back to the mid lock or the passenger car to the SUV. That is how it goes with anything new. We have seen it all before and not just in knives.

The main thing to remember when dealing with Cold Steel is that they really don't make anythihg. (execpt videos anyway) they have them made for them and they are just a marketing company. There is also some evidence out there that the steel they use is not consistantly the same in their Carbon V which means it apparently changes from time to time making each knife different. Other than these things I find little fault with the products from them that I have bought. I don't much care for the Lynn Thompson but I don't much care for Mick Strider either but they sell some good stuff that does the job. End rant.
 
Esav Benyamin said:
Lynn is one of a number of names that work for both boys and girls, like Dana and Robin, and even Pearl. When it comes to nicknames, the list grows, for example, Sam for Samuel or Samantha.
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Of course if you're a dude named Lynn, it probably means you're a ninja.
 
I personally don't understand the hate either.

If you don't like the product, then don't buy it. Pretty simple.

But some people on this forum, I've noticed, have a really deep resentment of Cold Steel, their products, and the owner. Some go out of their way to post some really negative stuff.

That has always struck me as bizarre.

I take Cold Steel for what it is: a company that produces some really good products, and some products that I really don't care for. I've never been disappointed with the CS products that I've bought.

Also, as another poster mentioned, they are the ONLY folk who make martial craft tools that can't be found with other companies. A fiberglass cane for la canne? Only cold steel. A Sjambok? Cold Steel. Cutlass? Cold Steel again.

As for the "beef", I frankly can't begin to understand it. I have personal theories, but other than that, I can't make it out for the life of me.

That said, I'm getting a CS Laredo for X-mas to put next to my Bagwells, Ontarios, and Fisk OVB's. It's a free country, so buy what you like.
 
I had a tanto Voyager a few years ago and really liked it. I gave it to a friend who never owned a pocket knife and he's still got it. After reading alot of these threads it seems some people have had genuine complaints about QC, some people just hate Lynn Thompson for whatever reason, and the rest just want to jump on the bandwagon. I think they're decent knives but only if you get them at a MUCH lower price than they list in their catalog. As far as the video goes and saying it's abuse, Master locks used to show the lock being shot with a rifle and still working. Do you think that if you did that to the lock and it failed, they'd replace it?
 
As i've said before, i have had nothing but good experience with my cold steel knives. So what if their over hyped? Sure that might p!ss some people off but get over it. Their high end stuff isn't worth it i think but some others are very worth it. For example: Trailmaster bowie, Voyager line, Scimitar, Vaquero knives, Bushman, A few others as well but thats some that i can think of off the top of my head.
 
got a CS Recon Tanto that I have tried my level best to abuse for going on 2.5 years and it's just now starting to show some play in the lockup , ripped off or not. I love my Bushmaster , neat idea IMO.
Yea the gimmickry is cheesy but pick up an issue of Blade and theres tons of cheesy hype from plenty other folks.
Hey everyone wants to sell thier product right ? :rolleyes:
I've had minimal bad luck with the knives i've purchased , thankfully.
The original poster of this thread , one thing you gotta understand is many of the folks on this forum are genuine snobs when it comes to knives and the material used in making them (that's not an insult by the way).
A lot of folks who use knives I think just want something that'll cut for a while , no matter if its made in Chi-com country or wherever as long as they arent paying over $30.00 for it.
A lot of the painters I worked with in the past used cheap Pakistani pos's for work because after it got all dirty and paint , etc , why buy something "uber" for a true beater ?
CS is popular because they sell lower middle road knives for not a lot of cash.
We all know were not going to buy a CS with Oosik used in the handle or blades made from Talonite or what have you so.... I guess we get what we pay for :)
Cost is a huge facter in almost everyone's life and when it comes down to school clothes for the kids and gas for the Tahoe , the 500$$ Sebenza gets replaced with the 25$$ CS ... hehe
and , there you have it.
 
I have a taste for push knife style blades and own a couple of CS models in
that form. The safekeepers are decent, but the Desperado is a much better
design. A fixed blade Vaquero makes a fine push knife especially if you have
the handle redesigned.

I have broked a Tanto and chipped the heck out of a Gunsite folder, but no
other problems really.
 
I have been buying CS knives since Lynn Thompson started the company back in 1980. I literally used to purchase knives from the trunk of Lynn's car. I too do not care much for Lynn's egotistical attitude. I have seen him at knife shows, the parking lot sale the last 2 years, and other events. He treats his employees like sh#t and is constantly barking demands at them. He must pay his people VERY WELL for them to put of with that kind of abuse. If I based my knife purchasing decisions on that, I would not own a single CS blade.
Believe it or not there is a good side to Lynn Thompson. He donates thousands and thousands of knives to the military. Sure he's a prick, but he also has a tremendous heart. In the first Gulf war I wrote him a letter asking if he could donate a couple of knives to my son's unit. Two weeks later my son received some 2000 knives for his unit, yes I said 2000! All this from just 1 letter. I later found out that he produced entire production runs just to donate to the soldiers.
I don't know about you, but I take care of those who take care of our own. God bless America!
 
I get the feeling that no one even reads more than 2-3 posts. We all say basically the same thing with slight variations and yet we get these threads all the time. If people actually read these threads they wouldn't be so prevalent. Then again, nobody is reading this so why am I posting it?
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
How did you come to this conclusion?
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that ain't no conclusion, pal! :D
the German knife magazine "messer magazin" had those two mystery steels infi and carbonv analysed in a lab, and that's what they came up with.

Ookami
 
I think another reason for the hate is that some of the most rabid CS haters are rabid fans of other knife companies who want those companies to have the kind of ubiquitousness that CS has. Notice that most CS haters are also huge Strider, Busse, and Swamp Rat fans.

I'm a fan of Busse and Swamp Rat, as they make tough knives and have a warranty to back it up. But that doesn't mean I'm an EXCLUSIVE fan of these companies, as I'd be short-changing myself by doing so.

It's a capitalist country. Pick and choose what you like.
 
4 Ranges said:
I think another reason for the hate is that some of the most rabid CS haters are rabid fans of other knife companies who want those companies to have the kind of ubiquitousness that CS has. Notice that most CS haters are also huge Strider, Busse, and Swamp Rat fans.

I'm a fan of Busse and Swamp Rat, as they make tough knives and have a warranty to back it up. But that doesn't mean I'm an EXCLUSIVE fan of these companies, as I'd be short-changing myself by doing so.

It's a capitalist country. Pick and choose what you like.
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I agree with that pretty much, I do not hate CS products, and my one dealing with their product was substandard, that scared me off years ago. It could have been a freak deal, but I just don’t have the cash lying around to find out. I do despise the owner for things he has been party to that are despicable to say the least. I just find it amusing that one hand you have CS which has a product that may be a good beater but not that great, no customer service, but supports the military, and the owner is an ass.

On the other hand you got makers who have a great product if pricey, great customer service, support the military (and no matter what other say were in the military), but whose co owner may be a bit rough around the edges.

One gets 3 pages the other gets 43 was it?

I also don’t own a Busse but would like to get one, would probably get something from Ranger knives though.

And the best statement of your post

It's a capitalist country. Pick and choose what you like. :D
 
Horned Toad:

Busses are great. Good investment for hard-use utility knives.

Personally, I like double-duty knives that can be fighters and workers also, but leaning more towards fighters. That's why I purchase some CS products: they're double-duty. I'm really looking forward to getting a laredo this x-mas, as I think it'd be a great double-duty fighter/worker.
 
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