Photos Cold Steel for utility vs weapon knives ?

[Wowbagger]

Cold Steel has many very practical , well built and more socially acceptable knife designs .

As one example I just bought a Ranch Boss (is a big assed Traditional Stockman . . . with very decently heat treated S35VN). I put it to my super steel test and it held up without rolling an edge or dulling
I have #297 of 600. This is years after it was introduced. They are still easily found new in box.

Just proves Practical doesn't necessarily sell. I would encourage anyone who has been on the fence to get one. Most definitely. Mine is a fine example; no problems !

In contrast just try to find one of the sprint runs in M4 with a compression lock NIB some where on a shelf years after it was introduced. Now we're dreaming as my Mom would say.

 

[Bad Ninja]

I'll ring it. Jarred Ha. Self defense with a karambit against a larger attacker. Clear case of self defense when all the facts came out (namely that Jarred had attempted to flee, and when this was impossible resorted first to hand to hand fighting, and did not pull out his knife until Graham was bashing Jarred's head into parked vehicles, and even then did not aim his slashes at Graham's vitals). But the facts were initially suppressed by the courts, and Ha was presented as the aggressor, and his karambit was used as supporting evidence. Because it clearly is the knife of someone out looking to hurt others.

Jarrod Ha started a fistfight with a group of girls (one was his neighbor), and stabbed the guy who came to help them after he punched them.

He was also aquitted on grounds of.....self defense.

 

[Wowbagger]

spear a water buffalo

OH Boy
Takes brass ones to try . . . or a weak tranq. dart first . . . off camera . . .
I have some soft spot some where for LT; I was kind of an outcast; not one of the CoolKids. I was enough of a hardcore athlete no one F'd with me.
Would have been different if I had been a fat kid.
I got lucky in the hormones / genes department. LT not so much.

 

[Wowbagger]

karambit . . . clearly is the knife of someone out looking to hurt others.

or harvest produce.
hahaha
Depends on the country.
Sorry couldn't help saying that.
I know what you mean . . .

 

[Wowbagger]

Currently I have a blue handled Tuff Lite that I reground to flat and I also ground off the peak between the finger grooves.

large Voyager clip point and mod it to be basically a Triad lock Millie

and my

Full flat ground (or convexed or FF and Wharncliffe) Ti Lite IVs (I have three now) . . . and a Razelized Ti Lite VI

Do they get the award for Most Frequently Modded Knife In The Industry ?

 

[GermanyChris]

As one example I just bought a Ranch Boss (is a big assed Traditional Stockman . . . with very decently heat treated S35VN). I put it to my super steel test and it held up without rolling an edge or dulling
I have #297 of 600. This is years after it was introduced. They are still easily found new in box.

Just proves Practical doesn't necessarily sell. I would encourage anyone who has been on the fence to get one. Most definitely. Mine is a fine example; no problems !

In contrast just try to find one of the sprint runs in M4 with a compression lock NIB some where on a shelf years after it was introduced. Now we're dreaming as my Mom would say.

I want one of those but I don’t want jigged bone

 

[David Mary]

As long as it doesn't move to W&C.

I stay far away from there, as I value my soul.

My fav Cold Steel work knives are [...]

• Voyager Large (was there ever a better knife at that price; I think not).

Indeed!

...

You weren't there, I wasn't there, but there are witnesses who deny it went down like you said. And as you admit, he was acquitted in a court of law. The prosecution tried to twist things to make Jarred Ha seem like some kind of savage, but he was still acquitted.

or harvest produce.
hahaha
Depends on the country.
Sorry couldn't help saying that.
I know what you mean . . .

As I understand, Filipinos had the karambit as an agricultural tool before they ever thought to use it in close combat. The inward curve is an aggressive cutter, and thus more dangerous to handle than a conventional blade, as it draws material into itself, rather than having a tendency to slide off. This makes the karambit "scary" to the uninitiated, and truly makes it an effective close combat weapon, if used as such.

 

[Bad Ninja]

You weren't there, I wasn't there, but there are witnesses who deny it went down like you said. And as you admit, he was acquitted in a court of law. The prosecution tried to twist things to make Jarred Ha seem like some kind of savage, but he was still acquitted.

There were witnesses that stated Ha instigated the attack, and one of the women was a neighbor that he had an ongoing dispute with.

He admitted verbal abuse of the group, and confronting them.
Street fighting with a group of women isn't legal.
Pulling a knife of gun after you engaged in a street fight isn't legal.
He was a criminal with a deadly weapon, and his actions weren't legal self defense.

This is MUCH different than legal carry, as discussed in this thread.

The blade type did not affect the outcome, and was Not a factor in Ha being charged, it was his illegal violent actions that got him arrested in the first place.

In the end, he still walked free and was aquitted.

If this is the best example you can find, You have failed.

 

[Bad Ninja]

You weren't there, I wasn't there, but there are witnesses who deny it went down like you said. And as you admit, he was acquitted in a court of law. The prosecution tried to twist things to make Jarred Ha seem like some kind of savage, but he was still acquitted.

Didn't need to be there.
I can read the court documents concerning the case.

Ha was a violent criminal.

There were witnesses that stated Ha instigated the attack, and one of the women was a neighbor that he had an ongoing dispute over parking with, (his nickname for the neighbor was "cheap bi***").

He admitted verbal abuse of the group, and confronting them.
There was a dispute over who struck first.
A passerby came to help the women Ha was beating, and got stabbed to death for it.

Street fighting with a group of women isn't legal.

Pulling a knife of gun after you engaged in a street fight also isn't legal.

He was a criminal with a deadly weapon, and his actions weren't legal self defense.

Race played a HUGE factor in the trial.

This is MUCH different than legal carry, as discussed in this thread.

In the end, the blade type did not affect the outcome, and was not a factor in Ha being charged, it was his illegal violent actions that got him arrested.

And he was still aquitted after all that.
In Seattle. Shocking.

If this is the best example you can find, You have failed miserably.

 

[herisson]

@ Bad Ninja : I think you made your point, abundantly and heavily. Now is time to let it slide and get back to knives.

@ slicecream : as promised, here is my Cold Steel stable. It was my first "kitchen" knives set. They did very well and I still use some of them. They certainly are the knives I will lend to people who cannot cut something without sawing into the board or the plate.

From top to bottom :
- Long Hunter : inspired by the trade blades (which were basically butcher knife blanks, imported in bundles from Sheffield) sold/traded to natives in the 18 th century. It makes for an excellent chef knife.
- Western Hunter : a buffalo skinner inspired knife. The ample belly makes for a perfect rocking motion, ideal for bread cutting (without cutting in the board) and fine hacking fresh herbs.
- Roach Belly : inspired by the trapper's patch knife. Good deboning knife.
- Finn Bear : inspired by the Finnish Puukko. Great for cutting air dried sausage.
- Canadian Belt Knife : excellent garlic knife, handy for peeling and the round belly makes for a great rocking motion for fine hacking. I bet the Grohmann family could be pissed by this one. It is more than "inspired". And yes, I rounded the peaky pommel because it didn't feel good in my hand.
- Pendleton Lite Hunter : the only "original" design in the bunch, a collab with Lloyd Pendleton. The design of the handle is very interesting with various ergonomic dimples to maximize the grip in different positions. A knife that allows to put great power into the (short) blade. Perfect for cutting/splitting hard cheese like Parmigiano.
The Roach Belly was my gateway drug. I had so much fun with that knife that I quickly bought the rest of what was Cold Steel's entry level offering. I can only recommend getting one if the pattern is attractive for a reason or another. For a few dollars you can get a feeling of "does it work or not in my hand". Example : the puukko pattern is not my stuff. The Roach Belly on the other hand... I have many knives now with that specific pattern.

 

[katanas]

I can only recommend getting one if the pattern is attractive for a reason or another. For a few dollars you can get a feeling of "does it work or not in my hand".

I had that same idea (great minds) about the Canadian belt knife. I didn't want to spend the money for the "real" thing because, though it was interesting, it seemed a bit odd. I now have the "real" one in my pack and the CS in my kitchen where it sees a good bit of use.

 

[herisson]

And... there is nothing like too much knives ! The Grohmann sure is a weird looking knife. While the pattern is really optimized for down cutting (like on a cutting board), I still don't get it as an outdoors knife. Those who use it outdoors, though, are quite enthusiastic about it.

 

[Icky Thump]

hahaha I thought you were going to say : with an image of a rattle snake engraved on it.

Engraved rattle snake would work, too..and a skull, maybe..

 

[herisson]

Engraved rattle snake would work, too..and a skull, maybe..

A broken skull with cobra fangs would do the trick. In black shade over black coating. Wow !

 

[David Mary]

@ slicecream : as promised, here is my Cold Steel stable. It was my first "kitchen" knives set. They did very well and I still use some of them. They certainly are the knives I will lend to people who cannot cut something without sawing into the board or the plate.

Haha!

From top to bottom :
- Long Hunter : inspired by the trade blades (which were basically butcher knife blanks, imported in bundles from Sheffield) sold/traded to natives in the 18 th century. It makes for an excellent chef knife.
- Western Hunter : a buffalo skinner inspired knife. The ample belly makes for a perfect rocking motion, ideal for bread cutting (without cutting in the board) and fine hacking fresh herbs.
- Roach Belly : inspired by the trapper's patch knife. Good deboning knife.
- Finn Bear : inspired by the Finnish Puukko. Great for cutting air dried sausage.
- Canadian Belt Knife : excellent garlic knife, handy for peeling and the round belly makes for a great rocking motion for fine hacking. I bet the Grohmann family could be pissed by this one. It is more than "inspired". And yes, I rounded the peaky pommel because it didn't feel good in my hand.
- Pendleton Lite Hunter : the only "original" design in the bunch, a collab with Lloyd Pendleton. The design of the handle is very interesting with various ergonomic dimples to maximize the grip in different positions. A knife that allows to put great power into the (short) blade. Perfect for cutting/splitting hard cheese like Parmigiano.

So with great power comes... a great slice of cheese? Count me in!

I had always wondered about the Canadian Belt Knife, it's such a weird shape! But what you said makes perfect sense. I live near a Canadian Forces Base, and a soldier I met at the bike shop was carrying a (probably Grohman) Canadian Belt knife on his.... belt.

There is a lot to be said for Cold Steel's "cheap" knives. And thanks for explaining how you use each one.

I had a Point Guard, before it was renamed the Pro Guard, and then discontinued. I kind of regret selling it now, though it was a novelty for me, and a bit too long to be useful as an edc wharncliffe. I think wharnies approaching 3 inches kind of push the limit of usefulness, and IIRC the Point Guard was 4". I have had the Thai Machete, which I did not find much use for so I gave it away. I still have the Gladius Machete, and I'll be honest, I have no use for it either (I now like my machetes less tacticool), and it is likely just a matter of time before I give that away too. I still have a Pendleton Hunter with the Krayton handle and VG1 steel. I reprofiled the tip to be nice and pointy, and I carried and used it at work years ago, and now it sits in a drawer. I'll probably give it away. I have the Eland, which is the up sized version of the ring locking Kudu knife, the cheap cold steel Okapi. I modded the Eland for one handed opening and closing, and replaced the ring with paracord. Um, it sits in a drawer too.

The Roach Belly was my gateway drug. I had so much fun with that knife that I quickly bought the rest of what was Cold Steel's entry level offering. I can only recommend getting one if the pattern is attractive for a reason or another. For a few dollars you can get a feeling of "does it work or not in my hand". Example : the puukko pattern is not my stuff. The Roach Belly on the other hand... I have many knives now with that specific pattern.

I always like the look of the Roach Belly, though I never took the plunge. The blade shape is very similar to the Military, a shape that I have come to find very useful for edc. If I had a Roach Belly, I'm sure it wouldn't last long in my possession before I flat ground it!

 

[herisson]

Yes, all four knives at the bottom would benefit from being flat ground. As soon as I get a real belt sander they are good to go !

 

[David Mary]

herisson

Be careful with the Pendleton Light Hunter. If the geometry is anything like the Pendleton Hunter, you stand to lose a lot of spine thickness, given the abrupt transition between ridiculously thick and very thin. Not that there is anything wrong with that, a knife is not a prybar. But it might look a little weird to see a thick tang and a thin blade. It'll cut way better though. And you probably already know to grind it bare handed so you can feel when the blade begins to heat up and dunk it in water to cool it (which will likely be just about every pass on the abrasive). And you will want ceramic belts, because they cut better for longer, while generating less heat - a very helpful characteristic for grinding hardened steel.

 

[David Mary]

herisson

Speaking of the Roach Belly pattern, I just realized that one of my favourite knife patterns to make is very similar. These are some knives and blanks I have in the works from 1080ish sawmill blade steel.

 

[herisson]

@ slicecream : Thanks a lot for the hints. I do monitor very closely the temperature of the blades I reprofile the edge on. If I regrind a whole blade, I will be (at least) double that cautious. I like a lot your Roach Bellys. However, as with the Cold Steel iteration, I think they would be much more versatile with an (almost) straight handle. Sorry, I'm a straight handles fan.

 

[David Mary]

herisson

No problem, and thanks!

I cannot think of a task that a negative blade angle cannot accomplish as well as a straight knife, however, it will require a different technique. I don't mind using the forward section of the blade for slicing in the kitchen, for example. I agree they would be more versatile with a straight handle, but what they give up in versatility, they more than make up for in aggressive cutting ability.

I use my cheap 8 inch chef knife for almost everything in the kitchen anyway. It is almost always dull, but I gave it a thin primary bevel that cuts food regardless. Now and again I need a sharp knife in the kitchen, and it ends up being one of my voyagers, or my military. The negative blade angle on the military is great for cutting packages of bacon open. I cut a third of the package right off, and take the bacon out and lay it right on the pan. Then I dispose of the paper inside, and use the end of the bag to close up the package, and stick it back in the fridge. The next day, I cut what is left of the package in half, rinse and repeat. A straight handle knife would get the job done, but would require more force and a more canted wrist. A lot of my cutting tasks are like that (I cut a lot of cardboard, which also benefits from a lower tip for more efficient piercing), hence my preference for the negative blade angle. I love the cutting power of recurves, but I don't like maintaining them, so this is my chosen alternative. I realize it is subjective, and there is nothing wrong with straight handled knives. More of the blade can be used on cutting boards which is a plus, and a reason I would never want a chef knife designed any other way than a straight, elevated handle.

FYI: when you put a space between your @ and the username, I don't get the notification. I only knew because I had subscribed to the thread. I hope it helps.