Cold Steel (FXG) Nightshade Knife Series

[vagabonding]

Originally, I was going to buy the Cold Steel Safe Maker I but then a more experienced CS consumer turned me onto the FXG knife series. When I first read their description, I thought they were blunt trainers but that assumption seems to be wrong.

They are very cheap, "plastic", and extraordinarily light weight.

So I guess my questions are: Do any of your own these blades? What do you use them for? What do feel are their pros and cons relative to their steel counterparts? Can the be effectively used for cutting/stabbing tasks including self-defense? If used properly are these effective and deadly self-defense weapons? Can these blades be easily and effectively concealed (boot, neck knife etc.)

Thank you in advance for you comments!

$13
VS

$60

 

[knarfeng]

They are good for stabbing only. No cutting except maybe letter opening.

 

[3mptin3ss]

the nightshade series is what it is, small plastic weapons meant for stabbing. the punch dagger may have trouble penetrating a thick coat or jacket, not sure. either way, the cold steel urban pal is a steel push dagger with a sheath for less tha than 20 dollars, id take that one over the fgx one any day. if you are willing to spend a bit more, i recommend the cold steel safemaker 2, i think its probably their best one, its around 50 dollars, great weapons inmop.

 

[antonio_luiz]

There are legal implications in carry and use of a knife for "self-defence" as knives are more effective as covert weapons of attack than for defence and that would be even truer for the FGX's. They are cheap, light and rustproof but better at piercing rather than slicing. The FGX's were designed for covert carry as they will not be picked up by a metal detector so I would not like to be in your shoes if you are caught taking one into a secure area at an airport or any venue with a "sharps" ban, given the current fight against terrorism.

 

[Absintheur]

These are sold as an emergency knife cheap enough you can stash them everywhere. In reality they are made to defeat metal detectors. This is not a Cold Steel original idea, it has been around a long time. I still have one of the original C.I.A. letter openers around the house somewhere as well as one of the C.I.A. Executive Ice Scrapers. The Ice scraper was sold with instruction that warned against hitting people with it as it would "result in gashes requiring a trip to the emergency room for stitches to close the resulting 2-3 inch gashes".

Carrying one of these past security check points in an airport is now considered a felony.

 

[steelscout30]

If you plan on slicing or cutting, rather than stabbing, I respectfully recommend that you carry a real knife. They are worthless as utilitarian tools and don't boast useable edges. They cannot be sharpened, have no sheath, and have serious legal implications when used as intended by their design.

 

[lava_lamp]

See this post re: a similar inquiry: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=384062

 

[xKaidoh]

I actually have two, the Karambit and the Skean Dhu. I do like to use them as trainers since they are the perfect replications of the actual knives, which make them great for learning how to handle the size and flow of the actual knives. The main problem I have is that the weight is too light which kind of throws me off. They can't be used for sparring practice, as they are too sharp. They aren't made to slice, but can definitely tear you up pretty bad, though in my experience, with the Skean Dhu, due to the blade design actually is more than capable of cutting.

 

[res1cue]

There are legal implications in carry and use of a knife for "self-defence" as knives are more effective as covert weapons of attack than for defence and that would be even truer for the FGX's. They are cheap, light and rustproof but better at piercing rather than slicing. The FGX's were designed for covert carry as they will not be picked up by a metal detector so I would not like to be in your shoes if you are caught taking one into a secure area at an airport or any venue with a "sharps" ban, given the current fight against terrorism.

QFT. They are more trouble than they are worth in my opinion. Maybe 20% of the function of a steel knife for 500% the risk.

 

[stoffi]

They also add metal dust to the commercial Grivory mix, so you can't successfully take it through a metal detector.
Only the CIA, ninjas or people like that can get the real stuff. Or so I've heard (sound logical too).

 

[marcinek]

They also add metal dust to the commercial Grivory mix, so you can't successfully take it through a metal detector.
Only the CIA, ninjas or people like that can get the real stuff. Or so I've heard (sound logical too).

That makes one wonder what the point is at all, other than that they are cheap. But so's a shard of broken glass with some duct tape wrapped around it.

 

[res1cue]

That makes one wonder what the point is at all, other than that they are cheap. But so's a shard of broken glass with some duct tape wrapped around it.

And you can actually cut stuff with glass

 

[stoffi]

That makes one wonder what the point is at all, other than that they are cheap. But so's a shard of broken glass with some duct tape wrapped around it.

They're cheap, so you get to fondle something at a bargain... and they are tacticool.

I had a CS pushdagger in Grivory once and they actually hold up well for stabbing stuff, but I didn't see the point in having one and sold it on;
I just got one when I ordered a bunch of other stuff, because it was so cheap and I wanted to dilute the expensive shipping rate over more products.

I get the point of it being Grivory if you actually have a job which requires you to use such an item, but for us regular Joes there is no real use for it, compared to a steel version.