Cold Steel= flat out liars

[Horn Dog]

I know there are plenty of CS haters out there, but I carry and use my Voyager every day. It works. I like it. I like their machetes, too. I'll be the first to admit that some of their advertizing is bizarre and almost comical. Strongest, sharpest knives in the world? Strong enough and sharp enough, but "In the World"?

 

[Kaizen1]

I know there are plenty of CS haters out there, but I carry and use my Voyager every day. It works. I like it. I like their machetes, too. I'll be the first to admit that some of their advertizing is bizarre and almost comical. Strongest, sharpest knives in the world? Strong enough and sharp enough, but "In the World"?

If it weren't for the over the top advertising, I'm sure CS would have plenty more fans from the knowledgable knife folk. They do have quality knives that are a good value, especially in the Voyager and Vaquero series. Unfortunately the very advertising that most of us don't like, is what's bringing in so much more cash from others.

It does seem like people generally feel like they need to be on the defensive if they like a CS knife on these forums, and I don't think that's fair to the knife user. I'm not a fan of CS and after all the stuff being thrown back and forth from each "side", I'm not 100% sure what to make of the Thompson (as a business person). To each his own.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

It does seem like people generally feel like they need to be on the defensive if they like a CS knife on these forums, and I don't think that's fair to the knife user.

We didn't come up with this on our own. Thompson brought it on himself. Some people think there is no bad publicity or think offering a good product at a fair price is boring. They prefer soap opera.

Nobody here can stop you from buying what you like.

 

[Keith Montgomery]

There's nothing wrong with liking Cold Steel knives, I like a few myself. The way the company operates has turned me off, but that doesn't mean that I hate the knives they make. It just means that I would rather spend my money elsewhere.

 

[SIFU1A]

i agree with keith, really most of there fixed blades arent bad, & while i dont like the looks of FRN it works fine for a handle, imho the upper echelon CS folders are wayy overpriced for what ya get.

but mostly its the upper management i have problems with.

 

[Kaizen1]

We didn't come up with this on our own. Thompson brought it on himself. Some people think there is no bad publicity or think offering a good product at a fair price is boring. They prefer soap opera.

Nobody here can stop you from buying what you like.

Hey, I'm not a fan of the marketing either. I'm just saying that when a well meaning newbie comes along to share his enthusiasm of finally getting a "quality" knife to share with like-minded knife people, I don't think he should have to be defensive because his 1st quality knife came from a questionable business man. I think CS product lovers tend to give off a sense that they can't even be happy with a community that's small enough as it is. My 1st quality knife was a CS Recon Scout, and thanks to the knowledge and warm welcome from members in this community, I've bought from some great companies and no longer own any CS product.

I personally would be more than happy to give my money to Spyderco, BM, Kershaw, Buck and Leatherman over CS all day.

 

[SIFU1A]

i dont know, sometimes ya just have to take the good with the bad, i think i could post a positive review of virtually any folder (or fixed blade) around and ya are gonna have folks dispute that its any good lol, rightly or wrongly, thats just human nature.

 

[Kaizen1]

i dont know, sometimes ya just have to take the good with the bad, i think i could post a positive review of virtually any folder (or fixed blade) around and ya are gonna have folks dispute that its any good lol, rightly or wrongly, thats just human nature.

I'm certainly not say you're wrong here, but I think it happens a little more with people who like CS products.

I swear everytime I see a post about someone who likes their knives, it's like they're coming out of the closet with guns ablazin. It's almost always something like: "Okay, I admit it, I LIKE CS knives, anyone got a problem with it?" Like they're waiting for someone to take a shot at them.

Hey, I'm not saying that it's gotta stop, I just find it a little strange.

 

[SIFU1A]

some brands imho just inspire emotion, be it good or bad, emerson and strider both have very vocal supporters and detractors, sometimes it makes ya wonder if they are talking about the same knives lol, sebenzas are another one, imho due to the company owner CS seems to inspire more negative emotions than positive, if he would just keep his mouth shut lol, for the $$ usually they really arent a bad product, i dont know that they live up to the hype surrounding them though.

i agree its a weird deal, i too have seen posts that are defensive in nature about CS stuff lol.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Maybe if the CS posts didn't start off defensively and if the original poster ignored non-knife responses, it could stay close to the topic. We already know if you get into mutual recriminations over peripheral issues they will take over the discussion, repetitiously and acrimoniously. It's the same as dealing with any deliberate disruption: Don't Feed the Trolls.

 

[aleksandrov]

I am pretty new to knife collecting, but, for what it's worth, I have to give Cold Steel a thumb up for their Voyager X2 (which I own in serrated edge) and Grand Vaquero. These are both awesome knives, not only for their imposing size, but the sharpness, their solid build (I love the zero blade play and the authority with which the blade locks into place when you swing it open), unique and very ergonomic handles, and the excellent blade finish (especially on the X2), especially for the price (I got both for under $60). I love swinging (I know that's not quite the right word) the blade open once a day on either the X2 or Grand Vaquero.

To give people an idea of where I am coming from, I also own six new MOD Watson Tridents, an Emerson Raven, SOG Pentagon Elite, SOG Mini X-Ray Vision, three Emerson Endura Waves, CRKT Hissatsu Folder, CRKT First Strike Olive Drab, CRKT Bear Claw, Cold Steel Gunsite, Kershaw Amphibian, Buck Alpha Hunter with Gut Hook (rubber blade), and a Cold Steel Voyager 5".

All of my knives are new and never sharpened. The Cold Steels and SOGs are the sharpest (on loose paper cutting and arm shaving tests).

The only Cold Steel I am not keen on keeping is the Voyager with 5" plain edge blade, as it doesn't look and feel as impressive as the others, plus it has a little bit of blade play.

My other favourites are both SOGs and the Kershaw Amphibian.

The MOD Trident is the most impressively built and has the most exotic feel, but I expected more sharpness out of the box. The Spyderco Endura Wave feels exceptionally well built for the price, but the wave feature doesn't excite me much (it actually annoys me if I clip it on my waste, or if I carry it inside the pocket, without clipping it on) and the blade isn't as sharp as I expected from reading the Spyderco hype on this forum.

 

[fighter1046]

I Got A Black Sable For My B-day A Few Months Back,its A Great Knife To Look At And To Show Of With Because It Does Look Very Impressive,mine Looks Like Crap Now After Only 3 Shifts At Work,if You Get It Make It A Just For Show Knife,

 

[Confederate]

I'm coming to like Cold Steel more and more as time goes by. They have solid products that come sharp out of the box; they're robust as Rugers, made from good materials that won't let one down in difficult situations. Their prices are going up, and some of their claims seem to be a bit over the top. But you dang well get what you pay for, and more most of the time.

I also love the fact that they offer great, dependable folding knives in five and six inches blade length. Who else is doing that?

 

[Kaizen1]

I'm coming to like Cold Steel more and more as time goes by. They have solid products that come sharp out of the box; they're robust as Rugers, made from good materials that won't let one down in difficult situations. Their prices are going up, and some of their claims seem to be a bit over the top. But you dang well get what you pay for, and more most of the time.

I also love the fact that they offer great, dependable folding knives in five and six inches blade length. Who else is doing that?

Yeah, the large Voyagers and Vaquero Grandes are a nice niche. They're one of the few that I would buy from CS if I wanted to spend money on their product.

 

[Confederate]

I understand what you're saying, but not buying something as a result of a moral decision has become not only impractical, but impossible. For example, I would love NOT to buy anything from China. Nothing. They're not our friends, and when one Chinese guy was asked why he knowingly added carcinogenic ingredients to food products bound for the United States, he shrugged and said, "Americans have a good health system."

Still, I buy Chinese because I really have no choice. I read labels and try not to buy, but just about everything electronic are made by the SOBs. To not buy something from Lynn Thompson sounds impractical in light of what we're doing with China and the corporations that are leaving the U.S. because they don't want to pay their people fairly or with benefits.

So if you want a Voyager or Vaquero Grande, I'd say go for it. At least Thompson has his headquarters here and he employs people here. He even has those ridiculous videos shot, edited and mass produced here. And yes, he does have his knives imported, but I haven't found anything that Cold Steel does that is so egregious that I wouldn't buy from them.

 

[Kaizen1]

I understand what you're saying, but not buying something as a result of a moral decision has become not only impractical, but impossible. For example, I would love NOT to buy anything from China. Nothing. They're not our friends, and when one Chinese guy was asked why he knowingly added carcinogenic ingredients to food products bound for the United States, he shrugged and said, "Americans have a good health system."

Still, I buy Chinese because I really have no choice. I read labels and try not to buy, but just about everything electronic are made by the SOBs. To not buy something from Lynn Thompson sounds impractical in light of what we're doing with China and the corporations that are leaving the U.S. because they don't want to pay their people fairly or with benefits.

So if you want a Voyager or Vaquero Grande, I'd say go for it. At least Thompson has his headquarters here and he employs people here. He even has those ridiculous videos shot, edited and mass produced here. And yes, he does have his knives imported, but I haven't found anything that Cold Steel does that is so egregious that I wouldn't buy from them.

You know, it's not a moral decision that stops me from buying a CS. It's just hard for me to go with the ones I'm interested in because it's competing with other knives when I have the money. If I wanted a huge folder and nothing else, I'd buy a Voyager X2 in no time. They're just fun to have and they are a good quality.