Cold Steel Mini Tanto- is it really San Mai III or.......

[Costas]

A friend of mine just gave me a Cold Steel folding knife, made about ten years ago. It is the smallest of a series of three models, and it has the size of a keyring knife (the blade is around one and a half inches long).

On the blade, it says "Cold Steel San Mai III"
If I'm not mistaken, San Mai III is the laminated steel that Cold Steel used a lot during that period.
I remember seing a fixed-blade Tanto with this steel, that had an obvious line separating the two layers of steel. I cannot see this line on the blade of my small folder, and it really does not look like laminated steel.
Am I wrong, or is someone pulling our leg here?

 

[yoda4561]

If I recall correctly, I looked at a few of those folders a couple years back. Yes it is san mai, but the layer is much harder to see than it is on their full size knives. try polishing it with a bit of flitz, this may make it easier to see. its possible that the knife has been sharpend past where the layers usually become visible on the grind also. Hope this helps

 

[Nakano 2]

Gasou Costas! Better hold on to your leg. According to the Cold Steel 1995 #10 catalog, the small clip point model #30CS with 1.5" blade is stated specifically as made of 8A stainless and sold at a closeout of $17.99. Its medium brother #30CM with 2 5/8" blade is made of San Mai III and sold for a closeout of $37.99. If yours is stamped San Mai III then better to check with Cold Steels (lack of) Customer Service.

L8r,
Nakano

PS- is yours the Clip Mates as indicated above or a Tanto point Shinobu model?

[This message has been edited by Nakano 2 (edited 04-02-2000).]

 

[SCAF]

Nakano 2 is only half right

By 1995 Cold Steel was offering those small keyring knives in Aus8A only. But when they first came out with that line of knives they were made of San Mai III, I know this because I bought one when they first came out. I am looking at it right now, it has the San Mai III stamp and demarcation line.

 

[Costas]

Well, I checked again.
My knife looks and feels like AUS8, it has no characteristic line like the other San Mai III knives that I have seen, and I believe that it is AUS8.
BUT it says San Mai III on the blade, and I find this strange...

 

[Velitrius]

Hey, I got one too. Mine says San Mai, but for the life of me, I can't see the line either. I have the box and paperwork it came with, and the paperwork lists the steel as "400 Series stainless". Which one is correct I don't know.

The Cold Steel Customer Service lady I talked to told me to hang on to it because it was a rare one. (I see that at least it ain't one-of-a-kind) Now, she didn't say what made it a rarity, whether it is San Mai or just a rare mis-marking, so I assumed it was mis-marked. I'd like to know the real story here though...

 

[Costas]

I understand that such a small knife would not really benefit from a 3-layer special steel, and I really have absolutelo no complaints about its quality and performance as it is.

On the other hand, I cannot really accept that it's OK to sell a knife that is marked inaccurately (if it really is "440 series" and not "San Mai III"). Imagine buying a knife stamped "ATS-34" only to find out later that it is AUS-6... What would your reaction be?

 

Costas:
How do you find out it's NOT ATS-34?

Some time ago, a steel which was later named 154-CM by Crucible,(and is the predecessor of ATS-34) was produced under the designation 440-C"mod". Please check "old" data sheets (e.g. Timken/Latrobe).

------------------
D.T. UTZINGER

 

[Costas]

Especially in the case of San Mai III, there is absolutely no way of a misunderstanding: either it is 3-layer laminated or not!

If there really was an early model of the same knife using San Mai III, then I could accept an honest mistake from Cold Steel (the steel was changed but the template of the marking was not), otherwise we are looking at a case of intentionally misleading the customer. I don't know if someone from Cold Steel is reading this...