Cold Steel Spartan ? Any Imput

catochris

catochris

Joined
Jul 4, 2008
Messages
51
Hi . Been thinking about a C.S. Spartan .
It would be a work knife . hard use. does it come apart . handle and blade removal? ANY INFO Would be great cheapest I have seen is 55.95
thanks
Chris:cool:
 
Well, first off, it's a Cold Steel. Not many guys around here will recommend that knife just because of that. For $55.95, it's probably not a terrible knife. It's probably bigger than most of the knives in that price range. My thoughts are that it is overly large, bulky and clumsy. With AUS-8 steel and probably less than stellar heat treat, and a difficult to sharpen blade profile.

For a little bit more, you could get a Spyderco Manix 2, which is a far better hard-use folder, IMO.
 
Not familiar, and not all Cold Steel should be slammed,(Voyagers are terrific) but I think even $56 for AUS8 is a bit on the high side.
 
AUS-8 is a very good steel and Cold Steel manufacturers do a great job on the heat treat with these. Many on this forum have a disllike of CS products because they dislike Lynn Thompson, so they bash CS knives whenever they get the chance to. It is like Strider knives, we have all heard the controversy but that not mean the knives are of bad quality.

The Sparten is a large knife, no doubt about it but it very well made and well worth the price you listed. Did you know that the same company that does blades for Cold Steel also makes blades for many other brands of knives? Yep...many of the big name knife makers are jobbers, they outsource manufacturing.

AUS-8 is not a new steel...it has been around for some time yet it is still an excellent steel. It is easy to sharpen, holds an edge very well, is stain resistant...just a good steel overall.

The Spartan's Tri-ad lock is one of the strongest on the market today and has proven itself many times over. All in all I don't think you can go wrong if you want a big robust folder.
 
Get one if you like the style.! I actually think it's a Helluva' deal. I checked one out and was quite impressed with it. Solid lock-up, razor sharp, big and beefy. I'm just not that fond of the blade shape. My own likes and dislikes, ya' know? And I personally think Cold Steel does a great job with their Aus8. I may not like some things about CS, but when they do make a good knife, they REALLY make a good knife.
 
There is a vid on youtube reviewing the Spartan , I would watch it before making a purchasing decision - and not let biased opinions steer you away from a knife you might really like.

IMO , I think the handle is a bit odd and uncomfortable looking , but I dig the blade shape and am very impressed with the lockup and abuse it took during the video demo.
 
Absintheur said:
AUS-8 is a very good steel and Cold Steel manufacturers do a great job on the heat treat with these. Many on this forum have a disllike of CS products because they dislike Lynn Thompson, so they bash CS knives whenever they get the chance to. It is like Strider knives, we have all heard the controversy but that not mean the knives are of bad quality.

The Sparten is a large knife, no doubt about it but it very well made and well worth the price you listed. Did you know that the same company that does blades for Cold Steel also makes blades for many other brands of knives? Yep...many of the big name knife makers are jobbers, they outsource manufacturing.

AUS-8 is not a new steel...it has been around for some time yet it is still an excellent steel. It is easy to sharpen, holds an edge very well, is stain resistant...just a good steel overall.

The Spartan's Tri-ad lock is one of the strongest on the market today and has proven itself many times over. All in all I don't think you can go wrong if you want a big robust folder.
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I agree. In the past two months I have picked up a couple CS mega folders, an aluminum 6" Ti Lite, and a Rajah II, both have AUS8 blades. Both came razor sharp and have held their edges through use. Only thing I have done, and this is regular practice for me, is to hit the edges for 10 strrokes on my Sharpmaker w/white stones after using a knife that day. So far, no problems.
 
I don't have a Spartan, but I have gotten an American Lawman and a Rajah II. I assume the Spartan is made at the same plant.

For the money I paid, lower average I guess (you'll have to look about to determine what that is), I feel they were fair values.

Craftsmanship is pretty good on these. The Triad lock impresses me so far - time will tell. I'd like a better steel, but with that the price goes up. AUS-8 isn't my favorite steel, but it usually is good enough (I'm a fine grain carbon steel fan).

I don't like the handle design of the Spartan, but the blade looks useable.

There is a big guy with a video on YouTube that brings up some good points on the knife (he likes the knife, BTW).
 
CS knives are overpriced for what you get but they aren't total junk. If you like one enough to pay what the dealer wants go for it. I don't own a CS anymore just because I couldn't dig any of the designs. If they made something I actually liked I would probably buy it.
 
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Do you like it? There's nothing wrong with CS's AUS-8A, and that model has the Triad lock. For that price I believe it's worth it. If it appeals to you go for it.
 
catochris said:
Hi . Been thinking about a C.S. Spartan .
It would be a work knife . hard use. does it come apart . handle and blade removal? ANY INFO Would be great cheapest I have seen is 55.95
thanks
Chris:cool:
Click to expand...

Where'd you see it for that price?:confused: If ya don't mind me askin'.;)
 
First, if you buy them right, CS knives are not overpriced. They give you large, decent knives that are strong and reliable. The Triad-lock is the best lock to be found on any folders, but I have to say I like the Rajah II better than the Spartan. Neither has a polished blade, and that's why I'd rather go with a Voyager. Polished blades are almost a must with me. I just don't like satin finishes.

Neither knife is a decent EDC, in my view. Too big and bulky. Their strength makes them better suited for things you'd do with a fixed blade knife. The Spartan would make a great self defense or camping knife, but the Voyager or Gunsite are nearly as good in strength and in blade size, yet it's lighter and the blade is high gloss polished. The 6-inch plain edged Voyager is one of my all time favorites, but I also like the serrated blade for self defense and emergency. The smaller, lighter serration pattern is near perfect for my needs. I've had and carried a used Vaquero 5-inch where you can see the wear, yet it cuts just like a new knife and has never needed sharpening. With the little six-dollar CS serrated blade sharpener, it wouldn't be difficult if you did.

Bottom line: The Spartan is a good, tough, strong knife that will take a wicket edge and would be almost impossible to be taken from you because of the ferocious grip. It's not a sheeple-friendly knife and if you're seen using it, you could get in trouble.
 
I've never used or handled the knife in question but I'm not a fan of it's design. It looks a little too much like the swords from 300 for me to take it seriously but I guess that was the designer's intent.
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I think the Spartan is very cool. The handle grips the hand so well you can almost hold on just by spreading your fingers without wrapping them around the blade. Also.. I gotta say it; the Spartan is nothing like the little weenie Spyderco Manix 2! Even the old full sized Manix [ a knife I hope Spyderco brings back ] is significantly smaller.
 
The Spartan is an unusual but very well-built knife, and I think it's a very good value for what it is. AUS-8 is probably one of the most overlooked high-performance steels out there--it's actually pretty darn good stuff when it's treated right, and CS does a great job with the HT on it. The handle on the Spartan is remarkably comfortable, in spite of looking odd, and it's actually nice and flat in a pocket for something of its size. My one complaint with it (other than the bead blast finish--I can't stand those!) is that it seems to WANT to be a chopper, and it's ALMOST big/massive enough for it, but I think it's just shy of being really effective at the task, and the blade is too short to baton well (given the interference of the thumb plate) so I'm not sure what the point of putting the triad lock on it was. :confused:
 
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