Cold Steel Secure-Ex nightmare! Sheath issues still not adressed! Beware!

[Get to the Point]

I like their sheaths, but you definitely need to file down the nodules on the inside/spine side of the sheath for the added clearance... it's a tight

I like their sheaths, but you definitely need to file down the nodules on the inside/spine side of the sheath for the added c

That's what I will do. But I'm just making this thread to let people know that Cold Steel sheaths are useless. And to put this issue to the light as Cold Steel is refusing to acknowledge it.

Nobody is expecting sheaths to be perfect, but these ones aren't even usable. Yet you still pay for them when buying the knife. They should give people more options IMO, at least an option to pay less and buy a knife without crappy sheath.

Also it is sad that you cannot use the knife right away when you buy it, especially when it's from company that markets their knives as weapons.

Imagine getting a Cold Steel knife, taking it somewhere to wilderness or to battle to discover it has sharpness of a butter knife because of crappy sheath full of glass...

I'm not saying that all of their knives are getting dulled by the sheath, but Secure-ex does have lots of dulling potential and it will significantly dull your knife if you ever slide your blade against it. And it's always possible it will start to dull your knife with time. This is not just a polymer, this is full of glass fibers. Especially interior it seems.

Why would someone choose such a poor material is beyond me. But I'll at least tell people how bad it is.

Cold steel is overrated in my opinion, mind you I'm not into overpriced mall ninja knives with thick grinds that can't slice that come with cool looking but cheap feeling sheaths that dull what little effective edges they have.

 

[Get to the Point]

Think I’ve read the clips are intentionally tight so they don’t slip. They’re easy enough to bend out or repl

Cold steel is overrated in my opinion, mind you I'm not into overpriced mall ninja knives with thick grinds that can't slice that come with cool looking but cheap feeling sheaths that dull what little effective edges they have.

I also had no issued with Drop Forged Hunter, but I do have issues with SK-5 Recon Tanto which is interesting to know.

Poor sheath materials, and now affinity for poor blade materials (4034 stainless), combined with obvious drop in QC (quality control) is telling me that Cold Steel is cheapening out with time...

Had a Master Hunter in 3V that came with a dull and horribly uneven edge. Would have had to remove so much steel to make the grind even I would have shaved off a fifth of the knife. Sent that garbage rod back for a refund. Also still have a Code 4 that came dull as a politician but at least the grind was even so it was worth the time to sharpen. Now it just sits on a shelf because after getting the Spyderco bug Cold Steel just doesn't cut it ( literally ).

 

[Get to the Point]

I received my 3V Mini Pendleton Hunter yesterday, it also came dull, but there's a bigger issue I noticed today.

There's gap between kraton handle and the tang, meaning water and other liquids will get inside and there will be major corrosion with time as there is no way for me to prevent that given the fact liquid is inside the non removable handle.


Given all this, Cold Steel is no longer a brand I can reccomend.

Thinking of getting rid of my Cold Steels, they just sit on a shelf while my Spyderco knives get plenty of use. Selling them would at least give me money to buy more Spydies.

 

[Get to the Point]

Just buy the folders. They are almost like fixed blade anyway.

So go from a crappy sheath to knives with poorly designed over tight pocket clips that shred your pocket after you give yourself a wedgie trying to get it out of your pocket? And don't forget the tight blister inducing back lock......

 

[LostCause]

So go from a crappy sheath to knives with poorly designed over tight pocket clips that shred your pocket after you give yourself a wedgie trying to get it out of your pocket? And don't forget the tight blister inducing back lock......

Unscrewed the pocket clip of my Recon1, adjusted with pliers before screwing it back and it's perfect now. Used spear point Recon1 in the past and have tanto Recon1 now, had Voyager too - I never had a blister.

Sheaths however are indeed garbage. I had to make kydex sheaths for AK47, Recon Tanto and SRK-C.

However all 3 knives are good and cut well.

 

[shadmin]

Yeah, "Chops through a hog skull, dulls on plastic" doesn't have much marketing merit.

Glass filled plastic!

 

[Wowbagger]

I have a ton of Cold Steel starting with the Holdouts and TiLocks and Pendleton Hunters (their 3V is great ) and Spike. I won't list more but about half of them I reground to half the original blade thickness and way thinner behind the edge.

OK one more, their Voyagers with the heat treated aluminum liners are one of the best knives on the planet (IMO). I have many, most of them modded.

I must agree though about the #%&@ sheaths. They make me bang my head on the wall !

There is a guy on the big river selling nice (for the price), USA hand made, black leather with black stitching (about the only kind I'll carry) sheaths for small in pocket fixed blades.Search for "holster" or " holder" for five inch knife. Thomas Jr. OK I'm getting into trouble better stop.

I bought a few from him. I soak them in warm water, wrap up the knife in plastic, insert and let it dry. Takes days to dry. Makes a nice custom fit . . . the knife just clicks into place. Among others I have one for my full thickness Mini Pendleton Hunter in 3V and my same knife ground to 1.5mm. Another for my cheepy CS older black dot Kitchen Classic paring knife (bigger handle than the PH) a near perfect knife for me if it only had M4 or 3V alloy.

Cold Steel : I like your knives.
LEARN HOW TO MAKE A REASONABLE SHEATH !
charge extra for it as an optional accessory if you must.
i'd be buying 'em.

 

[The True North]

People are still buying Cold Steel knives?

 

[270ultimate]

People are still buying Cold Steel knives?

Sorting fixed blades by popularity at bladehq, 4 of the top 10 are Cold Steel.

So, yeah.

 

[The True North]

Sorting fixed blades by popularity at bladehq, 4 of the top 10 are Cold Steel.

So, yeah.

United Cutlery seems to still be a perennial best seller as well, for what I assume are similar reasons.



The fact is, and indeed this is the point of this thread, they don't care about supplying well-designed and useful sheaths. Which makes their knives useless unless you purchase aftermarket. Which puts the price category into the territory of manufacturers who CAN be bothered to supply their knives with good sheaths.

 

[DMG]

United Cutlery seems to still be a perennial best seller as well, for what I assume are similar reasons.



The fact is, and indeed this is the point of this thread, they don't care about supplying well-designed and useful sheaths. Which makes their knives useless unless you purchase aftermarket. Which puts the price category into the territory of manufacturers who CAN be bothered to supply their knives with good sheaths.

There is no valid comparison between united and CS.

 

[Oil Stone Guru. I'm Not.]

I just use cheap cordura sheaths I buy from a knife company. Or make one from duct tape. I don't like kydex, leather, or Secure Ex.

Laugh all you want. But at least I don't deal with paying too much for a sheath or scratching and dulling my blade.

 

[The True North]

There is no valid comparison between united and CS.

If you say so.

 

[jbmonkey]

There is no valid comparison between united and CS.

If you say so.

if we're talking about gsm cold steel moving stuff to China, and putting out low end generic looking products into box stores.....true north ain't far off, and i can see his point.

if we're talking old cold steel models still being made in Taiwan that havent been ruined yet, then I agree with Dmg.

 

[The True North]

if we're talking about gsm cold steel moving stuff to China, and putting out low end generic looking products into box stores.....true north ain't far off, and i can see his point.

if we're talking old cold steel models still being made in Taiwan that havent been ruined yet, then I agree with Dmg.

Fair enough brother.

 

[beeinak]

Spending $30 for a very nice kydex sheath online to go with cpm3v SRK or Master Hunter that can be bought for $96-125 is still a great buy imo.

 

[Boru13]

I just use cheap cordura sheaths I buy from a knife company. Or make one from duct tape. I don't like kydex, leather, or Secure Ex.

Laugh all you want. But at least I don't deal with paying too much for a sheath or scratching and dulling my blade.

Curious, what do you use for a liner?

 

[DMG]

if we're talking about gsm cold steel moving stuff to China, and putting out low end generic looking products into box stores.....true north ain't far off, and i can see his point.

if we're talking old cold steel models still being made in Taiwan that havent been ruined yet, then I agree with Dmg.

Hasn’t CS always has some low price Chinese products? Anyway, United products look like knives but don’t really want to do knife things.

 

[jlauffer]

Curious, what do you use for a liner?

Liner? We don't need no stinkin liner!

 

[jbmonkey]

Hasn’t CS always has some low price Chinese products? Anyway, United products look like knives but don’t really want to do knife things.

sure, but now they are putting out some generic looking stuff that won't hold up. Lynn would never had done that. as an example this 2 pack sold at box stores in 3cr13 steel.....


and moving the machetes from a decent steel 1055 and s. Africa to China, and 65mn and so far hasn't shown they are built to handle the work the s. African machetes could. things like this.

I think true norths point was and I'm paraphrasing it my own way...Lynn would test product and never let complete junk fly through.....gsm doesn't care and if it looks sharp and pointy it's good enough. much like united cutlery does......