Cold Steel - Oyabun or Kobun?

J

Jeff/1911

Joined
Mar 22, 2001
Messages
1,224
Hi Folks,

I've been thinking of buying one of these...just for fun. Any thoughts on what they're like? I will likely buy the biggest one of the two...the Oyabun but I'm not sure. I thought it would be fun to strap one on during big game hunting season this year just to give the boys something to talk about, and maybe to cut the Kolbassa with in deer camp. I am interested in steel type comparison's, handling, etc. A big question, I know...sorry. Has anybody got one? Which one? Do you like it?

Thanks, Jeff/1911.
 
bmcneil,

Thanks for the feedback regarding the Recon tanto. I will consider one of those.

Jeff/1911.
 
I have a Carbon V Kobun.
It's a thin knife in the handle and to me it feels smaller than a knife with a 5 5/8" long blade. :eek:
Mine came with a scary sharp edge that Cold Steel always seems to have on their Carbon V knives.
The Kraton handle is well textured and is really grippy as you hold it. The abbreviated guard, while not the best, does help keep your hand off the blade.
I love the performance you get with Carbon V. Lots of cutting and very little sharpening needed.:D
And what I consider to be a good thing is this knife can be had for around $60.00. Not a bad price for a high performance fixed blade that is relatively easy to carry concealed.
I guess my one and only real beef is the fact that the waist/belt clip is plastic. It still works, but, it cannot be easily removed and relocated to allow for other carry options. A good multi-carry after market sheath for this baby and it would be an exceptional carry knife.
I'm not a real big fan of the Americanized tanto blade, but this knife has appealed to me and I'm glad I have it.
I'm confident that it will do whatever I may require of it.
 
Misque,

Thank you for the thorough, informative review of your Kobun. This is most hepful. In particular, I am most interested in your comments about Carbon V steel. If I were to decide on a Kobun, I was unsure whether to select the stainless model or the more expensive one in Carbon V. It sounds like Carbon V is the way to go...

Thanks, Jeff/1911.
 
Since your sold on the Carbon V steel... (which is a good thing, belive me!) You DEFINATLY want the Recon Tanto. I think in terms of fit and finish, and durabily it's much better then the Kobun. The Recon Tanto feels great in the hand and take any abuse you give it. (See my post "It's not a car hood but..." in the knife review and testing forum.

The cheapest place to get them is Boatach Tactical. Many people complain about their customer service, however I've never had a problem with them personally.

Good luck and enjoy your new knife!
 
bmcneil,

I read with much interest yesterday your post "It's not a car hood but..." I really got a kick out of your story, as I work on electronic equipment too, from time to time.

I am seriously considering the Recon Tanto, and the Oyabun. I like the idea that the Oyabun has a bit longer blade, although I realize it's not quite as thick (7" @ 3/16" for Recon Tanto vs 9" @ 5/32" for the Obayun). The Obayun is also not made with Carbon V. It does have a silver colored blade mated w/ a black handle however, which I really like.

It is becoming clear to me that if I wish to chop stuff, for the fun of it and to demonstrate the "ability" of the knife so as to impress my friends...then the Recon Tanto will likely perform much better between these two. I think I may probably just decide on the the biggest, beefiest knife I can afford. I have certainly also had my eye on the Carbon V Trailmaster. Grin.

I'm going to go down to my local dealer on Monday, and hopefully have the opportunity to handle a sample of each of these knives.

Thanks for your response. Jeff/1911.
 
If you do not like the black coating on the recon tanto, you can take it off easily with a wire wheel. When I stabbed the computer, it scratched the finish, so I turned on my bench grinder got all the black off. Pretty soon i'm giong to polish that. but it turned out nice.
 
bmcneil,

That's a good thought. I'm interested in that, as that may be what I decide to do.

I went down to my local shop today, and viewed the Recon Tanto, Kobun, the 7 1/2"? Oyabun and the Trailmaster. I am not as taken by the Kobun and the Oyabun as I was from pictures I'd seen (they're alright...), but I like the looks of the Recon Tanto ever more now. The fact that it could be converted to a silver colored blade later on, is a definite point of interest to me.

I think I may go ahead and buy the Recon Tanto, then save my nickels for a Trailmaster next; for the really big jobs. Man, are those things EVER thick at the top of the spine!

Thanks again for your counsel. Jeff/1911.
 
Your welcome,

And after you use a bench grinder and wire wheel to remove the epoxy coating, i think so Flitz would give you a nice smooth texture on the blade. Keep in mind, the chances of using a bench grinder on the knife means you'll probably end up sharpneing the edge!

Once you have a good texture down, an added option would be to blue the blade.
 
bmcneil,

These sound like good ideas you have. Perhaps you'd like to post a new thread once you've completed the "refinishing" of your Recon Tanto, to let us know what you found? I'm sure that there are others (besides me) who might be interested in your findings.

Cheers, Jeff/1911.
 
I have the Oyabun in a 7 1/2 inch blade (older version) to my knowledge they only make it now in the 9 inch (give or take:) ) I will say that I really like the knife. It is without a doubt the sharpest knife that I've owned...hell felt for that matter. I bought it because I gave away my more expensive c/s tanto. I like the silver blade much better than black, however, I also have a full size Carbon 5 Kukuri non=coated blade and it will rust very easily. So, I would make sure if you get a Recon and remove the black finish that that knife is well cared for. The Recon seems more "beafy" but 9+ inch blade is really cool:eek:
 
Centurian,

I agree that the 9 inch blade is really cool. I also prefer the rounded handle style of the Oyabun to the "western style" handle of the Recon Tanto. What do you think of the steel used in your Oyabun? Is it AUS-8? It seems that in thicker Carbon V, the Recon Tanto might be a bit more robust, versatile. Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I think I may have to buy one of each.

Jeff/1911.
 
I have a question... How does "420 sub zero quenched" steel stack up to others? Is it in the same league as "Carbon V"?

I think; all things considered that I am better off w/ the Recon Tanto than one of the Oyabun's. Carbon V steel, non rusting blade, thicker blade,...

Jeff/1911.
 
Hey Guy,
Carbon V steel will rust while your looking at it if it doesn't have a coating or you don't keep it oiled or Tuff-Clothed.
Carbon V, IMHO, is in the top 10% of high performance steels.
420 *whatever* is not.
420J2 works well as a butter knife.
420HC, when properly heat treated, is a decent steel but not in the same league as Carbon V or Infi or 52100 or...

The Recon Tanto is a bit thick for my tastes but it works and works well enough and that is what's important.

Personally, I'd like to see a Kobun type knife in a drop point, spear point or straight back format.
I have several of CS's tantos, but I'm not that big of a fan of the Americanized tanto design. But, it does have it's place in the cutlery scheme of things and works in certain applications.

I doubt you'll be disappointed. Cold Steel makes great working fixed blades.
 
i have the kobun.
its not GREAT but im not dissapointed in it either.
its easy to carry,even concealed. holds a good edge. the handle is comfortable,too. not bad at all.

im thinking of grinding the edge down,and make it a big-ass scalpel. i dont know about that,though,as im carrying it in my car,and who knows what i may need it for.
 
Fellows,

Thank you for your comments. I bought a Recon Tanto today. This is some capable looking knife. It's definitely all business. Well, of course I think it's handsome as well and I intend to enjoy playing with it. For fun when I first got it, I set an apple on top of one of my sporting goods catalogs and "lightly" chopped it in half. The ease at which this was accomplished utterly amazed me. That, and the fact that I unintentionally sliced through about twenty pages of "fishing accessories". Next time I'll use the Sears wish book.

After washing off the factory goop that was on the edge, I recoated it lightly with my mineral/clove oil blend that I use on all of my other knives. We'll see how that does for rust prevention.

It's a really neat knife...or mini sword. By the way, this knife easily shaved my arm hair upon removing it from the box. Wow. By the way, when the time comes to sharpen this knife should I do it up at 20 plus 20 (40 total) degrees? I figure so. I will be using a Spyderco model 204 Sharpmaker.

This knife came with a Kydex sheath that has a ballistic nylon belt loop assy' screwed onto it. Does anyone know if there is an accesory belt clip that I can buy for it? The kydex sheath has an array of mounting holes along both sides that will accomodate a variety of mounting options, it seems. I've already removed the belt loop which I'll reinstall come hunting season for use on the outside of my pants, but for now I'd like to carry it IWB. I may have to make up a belt clip myself.

Jeff/1911.
 
JEFF, I'M NEW TO THIS SITE AND I'M ENJOYING IT VERY MUCH. YOU'VE MADE A GOOD CHOICE.ALTHOUGH I WOULDN'T MIND ANY ONE OF THE OTHER TWO BUT THE RECON TANTO IS GREAT. I'VE CHOPPED WOOD,CLEARED MY YARD OF HEAVY VINES ABOUT 2"'S THICK WITH ONE OR TWO WHACKS. I LOVE IT.VERY EASY TO PUT AN EDGE BACK ON TOO.I'M SURE EVERYONE HAS THIER OWN SYSTEM OF SHARPENING.I CARRY IT ALL THE TIME IN MY FANNY PAK JUST IN CASE,IN ADDITION TO MY TANTO VOYAGER. GOOD LUCK :cool:
 
Justright,

Welcome to the forums. I'm glad to hear another recommendation for the Recon Tanto. I think that I am going to like using it a lot, too. Like you, I plan to use mine for various work (or play) tasks and also feel comfortable having it tucked away somewhere "just in case". I always have at least one Spyderco folder w/ me for all around use, but a big fixed blade like this is an fine companion to have nearby. I was interested to hear about your experience chopping vines, as this is something I have been wondering about. I figured it would be a capable chopper, as it has a bit of blade-heavy balance that should assist with this activity.

Glockman99 - As it turns out, I looked at that very knife (thanks for the link)today, before buying the Recon Tanto. I had a bit of a tough decision as the Ontario spec plus 8 was less money, and I've heard they're good knives...but in the end I decided I liked the styling better of the Cold Steel RT model. I kind of had already decided what I was going to buy before I arrived at the store.

Cheers, Jeff/1911.
 
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