I started spending serious money on knives just this summer. Most of that was spent on Cold Steel:
ER-1
Bushman
Gunsite Folder
Vaquero Grande
Magnum Tanto XII
Stag Trailmaster
The cheapest dealers I've found are Wholesale Hunter and Top of Texas. They seem good and reliable, answering all my e-mail questions.
I also have my dad's SRK, and just ordered a Black Bear Classic over the weekend.
The ER-1 would make a heavy cardboard knife and goes through rolled newspaper, but I can't keep those serrations sharp. It no longer shaves.
The look of the $10 one piece, hollow handled Bushman was cheesy out of the box, and surprisingly, it was not sharp (the only one). That was easily fixed. Now it's a razor, and part of my emergency survival kit. It's a little machete. It would make a nice spearhead. You simply must try one, just for the novelty of a good $10 carbon steel knife, claimed to take two tons of pressure at the blade/handle, as opposed to that CAT Tanto.
Finding my dad's SRK in the closet after he died was a surprise, and the reason I bought Cold Steel this year. The blade felt thick and clumsy at the time, and I didn't like the blackened blade. The tip felt blunt. However, it was surprisingly sharp, and makes a light wood chopper. The only real disappointment was the cheap look and feel of the kraton handle. I carry it in my car for emergencies.
The Vaquero Grande in particular proved itself slicing through rolled up newspapers hundreds of times with its needle sharp serrations. I have not been able to sharpen it to satisfaction since however, even with a Spyderco Tri-Angle Sharpmaker 204. Now at least, it's not good for harder material, either. I tried sawing some heavy cardboard roll just last night. It's a great bread knife. I'm sure it's a fine fighting knife when sharp. I still wear it around the house. Flicks open fine, and locks tight. I love the grip size and shape.
The Gunsite can take the finest of hair off my wrist and back of my hand without effort, but makes a poor slasher of my rolled up newspapers, even with a semi-serrated edge. Of course it's terrific on soft material and food. I'm afraid I don't understand why some people say a tanto tip is a poor stabber. I'm sure the Gunsite folder can go through a car roof undamaged, as Cold Steel claims. The lock is a little tight. It takes a little practice to flick open. Locks open tight. The Zytel handles look and feel cheap. The clip is a molded part of the handle. I like the VG metal clip better. I leave it unused for best performance if I ever need it to defend my house.
The Magnum Tanto XII is a great toy. It shaved easily and can go through banana tree without resistance. Next time I go home, I want to try slashing manila rope. I don't know how, but it got dull and scratched after my light testing. The kraton grip makes it look cheap, but feels ok. The balance is good for me. The steel pommel would hurt. I doubt the 12 inch tanto can be put trough a car door without bending or damage, like the six inch. The sheath is stiff and cheap looking.
Until I picked up a custom made Japanese hunting knife, a Saji Kamui, my stag handled Trailmaster was my favorite knife to look at and hold. The brass tarnished rather quickly, and now that I know the stag handled has just a 1/3 length stub tang, I won't use it for chopping 2x4s or breaking concrete blocks, like the kraton handled in the CS video. It is one of my special knives kept for display. Carbon V needs to be kept oiled.
I played with some Scimitars at the Seki Cutlery Festival last month. The shape is nice, but it feels cheap.
The twin edge Black Bear Classic will be my new wear around the house knife, in place of my SOG bowie.
Cold Steel is a great value. If only the handles weren't Zytel plastic or kraton rubber, and they used more durable steel in the stainless models, I'd have no complaints. Now I'm waiting for my Busses and Mad Dogs to come in to compare CS to tough knives twice the price.
Eric Takabayashi
Fukuyama, Japan
