cold steel knives good or bad?

S

shank_101

Joined
May 30, 2004
Messages
5
I have been contemplating purchasing a couple of them and was wondering if anyone else owns or have owned any and would know of some links where they have been tested against other knives.
 
Hi shank,
Just do a search on this forum on the term "cold steel".......and I bet you'll have a lot of reading to do! :-)

In my opinion (I have 1 folder ad have handled a couple other folders from cold steel) they aren't bad knives, but a little overpriced.....
I thought my cold steel was a great knife until i got myself a Benchmade Griptilian!! The benchmade is a lot better, and doens't cost that much more

Anyways, If you like cold steel, I'm sure you won't be dissapointed with one of their products.......but there are a lot better knives on the market at a similar price point in my humble opinion

See ya, Davy
 
The most popular Cold Steel knives seem to be the large Voyagers and the Ti-Lites. I have a Ti-Lite and have been happy with it.
 
I've had a small CS Voyager tanto shaped blade in my collection of usable knives for several years, its always done the job, keeps a sharp edge and holds it well. Due to its small size, it always seems to find its way into one of my pockets, so I have had a lot of use from it over the years, its still a solid small knife that locks up tight with no blade movement.

My preference in the mass produced knives has always been Al Mar and Benchmade ( especially since the axis lock ), but I have no complaints with my only CS.
 
My experience is with the Master Hunter.That has always gotten very good comments. Both the Carbon V and the AUS-8 stainless blades are excellent.It is a very practical knife with well shaped blade and handle. Stay away from any CS with a blade of 420 steel.
 
The new model Trailmaster in Carbon five steel with the black finish is one of the best large blades for the money.

I am still surprised that C/S claim 8a steel is the best thing since sliced bread, when my own practical experience and tests shows that 8a is a reasonable steel but WAY behind steels like S30V, VG10 and RW-34

How they think they will fool people with the 440a and 420 grade steel range is beyond me! So it has a Cryo triple heat treat... Big deal! Low end is still low end! They omit to mention that such heat treats are normal nowerdays.

I'm not against C/S in fact I own several of there knives, the OTT manic even? Advertising and hype is more than a little annoying though.
 
If you go ahead and buy, you might want to avoid ordering from them directly. Their customer service doesn't answer their emails.
 
I have several CS knives and I really like them. I have had a Recon 1 since they came out and never had a problem w/it (its taken some abuse). one thing I have noticed is my recon 1 takes a little longer to sharpen than my other knives.
 
well Shank101

I guess its all in what you want..I have a Ti-Lite and the thing is friggin wicked great..Love the feel and balance..

I also have a Pro-lite..Great piece of steel, but I hate the feel of it..the blade is heavier then the handle giving it an unbalanced feel ( like its trying to fall outta my hand)

But thats what you get with resin (plastic) handles..lol :rolleyes:

Mike
 
As far as Cold Steel; The Carbon V blades are great cutters and strong to boot. I have never owned a San Mai blade so I will reserve judgement. I did buy several Zero Quench blades that are 420 Stainless as I understand. Simply put Cold Steel has made the potentally fatal business decision of resting on its laurels and building knives that will do the job for 90% of the jobs the average Joe needs them for. However, 420 stainless is not the "cold steel" that built thier business and reputation. We all expect a SUPERIOR product from Cold Steel. Innovative and time tested designs, faithfully executed in modern materials of the first quality.
If you want the cutting edge of cutlery look at other products with superior steels or get a vintage cold Steel knife off of E-Bay or from a private sale. If you like the Cold Steel stamp and are satisfied with softer steel Zero Quench is for you.
 
I have several.

Pros:

A lot of unique designs.
Consistently well made.
Decent prices.

Cons

Eventually everything they make will be 420 :p
Lack of an exceptionally strong lock (like the compression lock or Axis lock)

Thing about Cold Steel is they do make a lot of stuff their competitors wouldn't even try, like the Voyager X2.
 
thank you everyone for all the input actually I was almost decided on a becker bk-9 or brute but read a review that when the bk-9 tried to support a persons weight the tip broke and the blade broke in half which made me think the steel was a little brittle i am not a metalurgist I have recently moved near the sierra nevada mountains and plan on doing alot of camping in them and i would like a very good large fixed blade that will not fail me for around $100.00 dollars any suggestions would be appreciated thank you every one very much for your input
 
A Swamp Rat Howling Rat, or a Cold Steel SRK. I have both. The Howler is more expensive and nicer, but the SRK is great bang for the buck.

Thor
 
they are pretty good knives for the price you'll find on, say ebay--do not buy off their web site or catalog!. my favorite CS is the medium voyager. you can find one for about $35-$45, however like many have pointed out, for the same money you can get something better.
 
The only CS knife I own is the Scimitar. It's a great knife if your really into cool looking knives. I have abused the knife so much now that I'm embarresed to show it to people. :D But it refuses to break. Great knife.

I do agree that they are a bit overhyped, and I still wonder who they're trying to fool with that whole "420 sub zero" thing. I think the reason alot of people like CS despite this is that they make just about everything that has an edge, and they have unusual designs.
 
As I understand it, CS markets knives rather than produces them. As such, the quality varies. IMHO, most of the stainless stuff is almost ridiculously overpriced. A lot of people like the Voyagers. I have handled and used some nice Carbon V stuff, but the Recon Tanto was a junky design. The SRK is a classic. The 4xx, like the Recon 1, tends to not be so good - a friend of mine had a Recon 1 that fell apart very quickly. The zytel Ti-lite has a nice thin blade with solid lock up at a nice price - it needs occasional sharpening.

A lot of their marketing (hell, maybe all of it) is BS.

My rule of thumb for Cold Steel: if MSRP > $100 USD, do not buy it. It will probably be crap for that price. Otherwise, you might be getting a deal.
 
great blade designs and carbon v steel, just don't like how most of the good blades have Kraton handles. In dealing with choppers like the trail master and larger GK, they give my hand blisters, and during the summer they rub against skin and are irratating. And they are turning to cheap steels. If you want a good blade with excellent steel which is less expensive, check into Spyderco. Plus they have an the best customer service..No Questions Asked!
 
I own the the Ti-Lite (zytel). The lock is an awesome liner. I don't carry it much as the "hilt" design of the blade makes it a little tough to rest thumb for simple tasks.
 
I like the fixed blades and the grande vaquero is one helluva knife (nice piece to ward of muggers), but I don't like the folders. Many will agree
 
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