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Cold Steel Spartan King of the poor man's large folder
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- May 21, 2000
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I purchased a Spartan a few months ago, and have been quite impressed. I'd have to say that the triad lock is the most effective and robust locking system that I have ever used.
The American Lawmen is a great looking knife and one that is on my list to get. I've started after it a couple of times but never got it, but I'm going to remeedy that ia a month or so.
Speaking of Mr. Demko, I would LOVE to see some of the CS designs done up in custom form by him. I imagine those would be awesome and would no doubt easily outdo s lot of other knives!
I'm assuming you're not referring to the XL here
That, or he is talking "tongue in cheek"!
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- Aug 27, 2004
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The American Lawmen is a great looking knife and one that is on my list to get. I've started after it a couple of times but never got it, but I'm going to remeedy that ia a month or so.
Speaking of Mr. Demko, I would LOVE to see some of the CS designs done up in custom form by him. I imagine those would be awesome and would no doubt easily outdo s lot of other knives!
Wasn't the AK-47 out in a custom? I thought so. Maybe not.
Thats another one that people sometimes make fun of that is actually quite a lot of knife and very capable. Truth be told I don't care for a lot of the designs, seeming to zero in on the less curvy handle more traditional 'Puukko style' knives for myself but sometimes I will venture into those with special grip features like the old discontinued Dodo or the new mini Lawman. That mini Lawman folder is now on order from NewGraham for me so I look forward to really looking it over when it arrives.
STR
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That, or he is talking "tongue in cheek"!
You'd be surprised at what some guys carry. Trust me when you get a number of Camillus Cuda Max full size models with requests for low riders it changes your perspective for what kind of pocket swords or pocket bowie knives people will not only use but carry as an EDC.
STR
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2007
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Reading this thread does my heart good. Over the last 20 or so years I've purchased about 75 CS products including swords, spears, tomahawks ,knives and a few other interesting products that I don't think any other company would bother to make. Most of them I've been very pleased with and I don't think I ever got anything that was junk.
I'm not a CS fanatic as I also have Emersons, Spydercos, ZT, BM, CRKT, Sog and one or two models of other brands.
As someone else said once on this forum; CS makes weapons we all lusted after as boys and now as men we can actually buy them- at generally affordable prices.
I was truly shocked when I first started to read posts on this forum and came across the hysterical attacks on Cold Steel. Pardon me if I'm wrong ladies, but I think a knife forum would cater to masculine tastes and what could be more hyper masculine than Cold Steel products? Don't get me wrong though, I'm personally more of a Walter Mitty type than a macho man.
One final thought; someone just wrote that CS products are great for the average working man and I agree absolutely. I've come across so many postings urging us all to buy Busse and Chris Reeve and other super expensive brands. I don't doubt these are great knives but you have to be quite well off, or be willing to sacrifice everything else in your life, to purchase them.
I'm not a CS fanatic as I also have Emersons, Spydercos, ZT, BM, CRKT, Sog and one or two models of other brands.
As someone else said once on this forum; CS makes weapons we all lusted after as boys and now as men we can actually buy them- at generally affordable prices.
I was truly shocked when I first started to read posts on this forum and came across the hysterical attacks on Cold Steel. Pardon me if I'm wrong ladies, but I think a knife forum would cater to masculine tastes and what could be more hyper masculine than Cold Steel products? Don't get me wrong though, I'm personally more of a Walter Mitty type than a macho man.
One final thought; someone just wrote that CS products are great for the average working man and I agree absolutely. I've come across so many postings urging us all to buy Busse and Chris Reeve and other super expensive brands. I don't doubt these are great knives but you have to be quite well off, or be willing to sacrifice everything else in your life, to purchase them.
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- Feb 13, 2006
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Just keep the Espada XL around long enough so I can purchase one next year!
I already have a Large Espada, and it is one great knife. Certainly have to keep in mind not to use it when around the sheeple though.
For the longest time I was into Liner locks and Axis Locks. But thanks to your Triad design, I am back into Back Locks again. Man, I just love the loud CLACK when you open these things.
Is there any way to make em louder?
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- Joined
- Feb 13, 2006
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Sure! Sprinkle iodine crystals in the works
I assume you've tried this questionable practice?
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- Nov 1, 2000
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- 28,365
Not with a knife... It would add to my deafness 
- Joined
- Feb 13, 2006
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- 1,527
Not with a knife... It would add to my deafness
You and me both. I lost my right ear in 1984, so I gotta be careful with the one I have left. And it aint workin to swell these days either. But sometimes being hard-of-hearing can be a good thing, knowhatimeanvern?
Refreshing to see a thread on CS that doesn't degenerate into the "I hate their marketing" and "LT is a fool" stuff. Never seen a more polarizing company.
Never really looked at the Spartan, maybe as it's got a very strange profile, still not sure I like the look, but I would need to handle one to see if I liked it.
Never really looked at the Spartan, maybe as it's got a very strange profile, still not sure I like the look, but I would need to handle one to see if I liked it.
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2000
- Messages
- 28,365
Hell yeah! I have some hearing loss due to mortars and lots of 5.56 and 7.62. I'm a tad deaf, but playing dumb is priceless.
I got a Spartan recently and I quite like it:
http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=65947&p=1429079#p1429079
Cold Steel Spartan, next to Buck Kalinga.
Just recently gave in to my inner mall ninja and bought the Spartan. Showed up in my mailbox yesterday. It's a heavy, solidly built, razor sharp knife. I like it, like the blade shape, like the ergonomics of the Grivory (cold steel for "plastic") handle, like the solidity of the lock, but I probably won't EDC it like I'd planned.
The c-clamp shaped handle feels very secure in a variety of holds, I'm confident there will be no slip cuts. I'm also quite confident the lock will never fail and close on me during any remotely reasonable use of this knife. It's also just small enough to fit into a jeans pocket ok. I don't like the "catch it on your pocket edge" opening stud. Sometimes I don't want to open my knife like lightning as it comes out of my pocket, and with this knife you have to be careful not to pop it open with your pants when you whip it out. What I do like about the big square opening stud is that it gives my thumb or forefinger (depending on grip) a solid platform on which to rest. For a ot of jobs, I tend to place my thumb of first finger on the spine, for better control. The big square platform helps that sort of grip, and enhances the feel of control and stability. One big disappointment is the lock. It's so tight and so bank vault secure that I have a hard time closing the knife. The lock release has to be pressed way down into the handle, requiring so much pressure I need to use both of my weak girlish hands to do it. This isn't safe, it's just asking for the thing to close on my precious fingers when I put it away. I thought, "oh well, I'll just lube it (two drops of CLP on the pivot and lock surfaces) and open and close it a bunch of times, it will loosen up." That's when it bit me - and I've owned it less than a day.
Barely touched my finger, made a deep clean little cut. Several ZSers recommended more reasonable edc knives. Guess this is my karma for not listening to them.
Nice irony that where I live, the big ole Spartan is legal to carry discreetly, but the same size Buck isn't legal to carry that way, even with a CCW. The Spartan is one of few folders I've owned that I feel might do the work of a similarly sized fixed blade.
http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=8982&start=432
ETA: the lock has smoothed out nicely WRT opening and closing, yet stays just as tight and secure in the locked position as ever. This knife is growing on me.
Some people have reported rust issues with he Spartan and with other bead-blast finished knives. I prefer polished or black coated blades myself, not crazy about the bead blast. But I've had no rust issues at all. When I got the knife,
I sprayed a thin layer of Dupont teflon-silicon on the blade and let it dry, then wiped off the excess. I carry this knife in jeans, all day, in the muggy North Carolina heat, thus getting corrosive crotch sweat all over it. Surprised at how well it's held up, rust wise.
http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=65947&p=1429079#p1429079
Cold Steel Spartan, next to Buck Kalinga.
Just recently gave in to my inner mall ninja and bought the Spartan. Showed up in my mailbox yesterday. It's a heavy, solidly built, razor sharp knife. I like it, like the blade shape, like the ergonomics of the Grivory (cold steel for "plastic") handle, like the solidity of the lock, but I probably won't EDC it like I'd planned.
The c-clamp shaped handle feels very secure in a variety of holds, I'm confident there will be no slip cuts. I'm also quite confident the lock will never fail and close on me during any remotely reasonable use of this knife. It's also just small enough to fit into a jeans pocket ok. I don't like the "catch it on your pocket edge" opening stud. Sometimes I don't want to open my knife like lightning as it comes out of my pocket, and with this knife you have to be careful not to pop it open with your pants when you whip it out. What I do like about the big square opening stud is that it gives my thumb or forefinger (depending on grip) a solid platform on which to rest. For a ot of jobs, I tend to place my thumb of first finger on the spine, for better control. The big square platform helps that sort of grip, and enhances the feel of control and stability. One big disappointment is the lock. It's so tight and so bank vault secure that I have a hard time closing the knife. The lock release has to be pressed way down into the handle, requiring so much pressure I need to use both of my weak girlish hands to do it. This isn't safe, it's just asking for the thing to close on my precious fingers when I put it away. I thought, "oh well, I'll just lube it (two drops of CLP on the pivot and lock surfaces) and open and close it a bunch of times, it will loosen up." That's when it bit me - and I've owned it less than a day.
Barely touched my finger, made a deep clean little cut. Several ZSers recommended more reasonable edc knives. Guess this is my karma for not listening to them.
Nice irony that where I live, the big ole Spartan is legal to carry discreetly, but the same size Buck isn't legal to carry that way, even with a CCW. The Spartan is one of few folders I've owned that I feel might do the work of a similarly sized fixed blade.
http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=33&t=8982&start=432
ETA: the lock has smoothed out nicely WRT opening and closing, yet stays just as tight and secure in the locked position as ever. This knife is growing on me.
Some people have reported rust issues with he Spartan and with other bead-blast finished knives. I prefer polished or black coated blades myself, not crazy about the bead blast. But I've had no rust issues at all. When I got the knife,
I sprayed a thin layer of Dupont teflon-silicon on the blade and let it dry, then wiped off the excess. I carry this knife in jeans, all day, in the muggy North Carolina heat, thus getting corrosive crotch sweat all over it. Surprised at how well it's held up, rust wise.