Cold Steel Success

[Bama Joe]

SRK made in San Mai, but previous Voyager was just standard VG-1. Unless there was some option back when of which I am unaware?

- OS

Thanks OS. I didn't even know the older Voyager existed until I read about it maybe three weeks before I stumbled across one a couple of months ago.

As far as the other CS products I have which are 2 AUS 8 Voyagers, a Spartan, Rajah II, Kobun, and Leatherneck in SK-5, I have no complaints. I feel like I got my money's worth. I do not put them in the class of some of my other blades such as TOPS, ZT, Spyderco, ESEE or Kershaw but I never expected that from them.

I do wish more companies would use the triad lock or is that strictly a Cold Steel feature? I'm still learning.

 

[100eyes]

I'd prefer better steel than AUS-8, but I certainly don't mind AUS-8.

I don't know what some people do to claim they have to sharpen once a day.

 

[hank_rearden]

if you're the camp butcher and new hunt kills come every day for butchering, you'll have to sharpen your s30v everyday for sure.

 

[A.P.F.]

@ Bama Joe - The Tri-Ad lock is Cold Steel's baby.

 

[tikkidaddy]

The XL Espada actually make a nice folding chopper. Which isn't as odd of a concept as it might seem. In WW2 Case provided folding machetes to the Air Force for use in survival kits.

`supp 42---yeah its cs vet here! I hope u see this. I will never understand how 2 get the message across that if ya pay CS`S catalogue price 4 any knife they offer, you need a psychiatrist's assistance. The cheaper high carbon offerings will outperform any if not most Stainless blades, I dont care what they're made of. What I would love 2 see cs do is a sanmai carbon blade!! I have a CSTM thst is 25yrs+ old, rehandled/factory resharpened still kikkin' butt. U can find Cs at great prices u just need to know where 2 look. Sharpening is a matter DMT NEEDS TO ADDRESS 4 THICKER BLADED KNIVES. again supply/demand. Just like Spyderco. They have thier little spot in the web and its a Great One if you're lookin` 4 to 6in. or less. Bushcraft isnt cheap, but survival sells nowadays. CS was hacking thru brush w/ $20 machetes b4 discovery knew they were great tools. If you`re looking 4 fancy steel pocket knives that won't rust Spydie is a great choice. If you need to get your ass out of a hellacious situation---cold steel. I will never again look to Spydie as a serious shelter/fire/camping/yardchore blade unless I can find a NIB FORESTER for sale. Benchmade will always be my eye candy/edc wowie blade of choice. make your own decision, but don't say u werent warned if u needed cs and had something not up to snuff HOPE this helped u guys. 42 blades is a great guy to help w/cs products!

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

If you pay MSRP on stuff from any company your Google-fu needs help. I consider Cold Steel to be one of those companies that puts out some great values, but also some terrible values. You have to look past the company hype and pick and choose their models to get the good stuff, but I generally find that they make a lot of stuff no one else does so if you end up having a need that a Cold Steel product will fill, chances are there aren't a lot of other options out there that do the same thing.

As a whole I think Freak Show Scott hit the mark pretty close. I'm not holding my breath for any higher-end steel to come out at this point. I'm also concerned that the company is losing focus. Just look at their sword line for the past couple of years and you'll be left scratching your head. Why so friggin' many sabers? And why are most of those models from the time period when they became very nearly ornamental weapons? And why are they sinking the massive capital into producing those almost-wallhangers when it could be going towards better projects? All I can say is that they've been making some very strange choices, and I wish I could grab LCT's ear for a couple of hours and give him my input.

 

[Freak Show Scott]

@ Bama Joe - The Tri-Ad lock is Cold Steel's baby.

Well, that is close. the Tri Ad Lock is Andrew Demko's

After almost 3 decades in business I don't think it matters much anymore as he has made enough money to do pretty much anything he wants, whenever he wants and wherever he wants to do it.

In the end he has had a very successful business model and that's what CS is all about... Selling knives and they do sell a ton of them.

And that business model has consisted, in large, of the Biggest "Kettle" calling all the other "pots and pans" Black.

There is a huge, glaring difference between Cold Steel and our competitors in the knife industry and we want you to be aware of it. They are non-expert posers with no real world interest, experience, or ability with edged weapons. They rely on slick copy, gross exaggeration and the fulsome praise of their cohorts in the gun and knife magazines to separate you form your hard earned money.

In contrast, we at Cold Steel are real experts with vast knowledge and experience in all aspects of knives, sword and edged weapons and have the credentials and guts to prove it.

Outside of his Marketing, his private studio and his globe trotting ferral hog hunts What was that "Real World Experience" that LCT himself has?

 

[crom]

Freak Show, chill man, you're at it again. Whatever beef you got with CS, this isn't the thread to air it. And the Triad lock was developed by AD but as APF says, it is now a licensed CS feature. I'm not banging the drum for LT but he has been in the knife business just as long and in some cases longer than the big three and has been active in bringing functional weapons and tools to the market for decades now. I'm pretty sure he has himself enough real world experience.

 

[Ankerson]

Outside of his Marketing, his private studio and his globe trotting ferral hog hunts What was that "Real World Experience" that LCT himself has?

Don't know as I haven't been following him around for the past 30+ years.

Marketing is what it is no matter what industry it is.

 

[akula83]

Agree with that.

Most of Cold Steel success comes from having affordable knives in the $40-$60 range that are good quality and very rugged. If they were to use better steel and bump up
the prices to say around the $100 range than they would have to compete with Spydero and Benchmade and I don't see them being successful in that arena.

 

[Freak Show Scott]

Marketing is what it is no matter what industry it is.

Tell that to Sal Glesser, Michael Jaunch or Bo Randall. None of them have resorted to that sort of low slander. That sort of logic can justify pretty much anything anyone says.

Yes, Cold Steel has sold some good knives, Cold Steel has sold a lot of knives. LCT say "I don't like my competitors, but I love my customers". He likes his competitor's designs well enough to copy them and as I said before these days he sure does love his customers money by make ever cheaper and smaller knives (does there really need to be 18 variations on the voyager but all made with one steel?). There is a change going on in Ventura and it has to do with counting beans. If you don't think there is just look at the prices in 4th of July Sale flyer this year. In almost every instance those sale items were higher than internet prices. I can tell you from experience that was not always the case in the past.

 

[djjonny]

Outside of his Marketing, his private studio and his globe trotting ferral hog hunts What was that "Real World Experience" that LCT himself has?

Apparently "vast sparring experience" and making a real world ass of himself.

Think about it. They make decent "tactical knives" if I can all it that
eg: As far as "real world experience" how many street stories have you heard where LT actially defended himself with one of the CS knives using all his MA knowledge.

 

[powernoodle]

I would have kept my AK-47 if it had better steel, i had to sharpen it daily

I believe you, but what kind of use were giving it to dull it on a daily basis?

 

[100eyes]

Apparently "vast sparring experience" and making a real world ass of himself.

Think about it. They make decent "tactical knives" if I can all it that
eg: As far as "real world experience" how many street stories have you heard where LT actially defended himself with one of the CS knives using all his MA knowledge.

People like you are ridiculous. How many knife makers do you think have actual combat experience? And regardless of their experience, people like you will always claim to know better. At the very least, Lynn has owned a knife company for over 30 years. Something I doubt more than a handful of people can say on this entire forum.

Let's hear what credibility the skeptics have?

 

[cziv]

I would buy some of their knives... however judging by the prices of their knives that are in steels better than AUS-8 like their vg-10 or vg-1 knives, S30V and M390 blades would be in the $300-$600 range.

I have a Voyager that has VG-1 before they switched over to AUS8. It's a real scalpel and tough enough for edc use.

Is VG-1 a proprietary steel owned by CS, or is it a steel that's available to other knife makers? I've never seen it in anything but a Cold Steel offering.

 

[100eyes]

I have a Voyager that has VG-1 before they switched over to AUS8. It's a real scalpel and tough enough for edc use.

Is VG-1 a proprietary steel owned by CS, or is it a steel that's available to other knife makers? I've never seen it in anything but a Cold Steel offering.

VG-1 is owned by Takefu, same company that makes VG-10.

 

[philwar]

Is VG-1 a proprietary steel owned by CS, or is it a steel that's available to other knife makers? I've never seen it in anything but a Cold Steel offering.

It's a Japanese-made steel, and apparently they do not export it.

 

[Freak Show Scott]

Let's hear what credibility the skeptics have?

The difference is that none forumites here are claiming a "vast knowledge and experience in all aspects of knives" while slandering others as "non-expert posers with no real world interest, experience, or ability with edged weapons." Maybe you can tell us what and where he got this vast knowledge and experience is that none of the other knife makers have? Many of them have been making knives just as long if not longer. What? you think they couldn't figure out how to stab the hood of a car or cut trashcans full of water in half?

I will concede that Lynn Thompson has been selling knives for over 30 years and that he is very good at it. In as much as he has jobbed out the production of those knives for nearly all that time I would have to say that as a knifemaker he is probably a "non-expert poser with little real 'knife making' interest".

 

[Ankerson]

I will concede that Lynn Thompson has been selling knives for over 30 years and that he is very good at it. In as much as he has jobbed out the production of those knives for nearly all that time I would have to say that as a knifemaker he is probably a "non-expert poser with little real 'knife making' interest".

Cold Steel doesn't make knives, they never have, they have the knives made and they sell knives.

 

[Gator97]

How many knife makers do you think have actual combat experience?

Dunno, but not many makers claim things Lynn does.

At the very least, Lynn has owned a knife company for over 30 years...

Let's hear what credibility the skeptics have?

I fail to see the connection between owning a knife company and being an expert in knife(or having ANY credibility) fighting. For that matter, owning a knife company absolutely doesn't mean Lynn automatically is a good knife maker either.
Skeptics and critics(yeah, they can be irritating to some or many, depending on the critic) are just that, skeptics and critics. Otherwise, only knifemakers can criticize knifemakers, only movie makers can criticize movies and so on...