cold steel ti lite zytel

I've had one for a while now. I've always liked the look of those old italian stilletos, and thought the Ti-Lite might be a nice modernized version.

In short:

What I like: feels good in the hand, nice size, very light weight, nicely finished metalwork, locks up very well, sharper than my ex-wife's tongue.

What I don't like: the bass-ackwards cross-guard, grip thickness, scares sheeple, not very practical for EDC.

Now, the more long-winded version:

It does a good job at the "classic switchblade" look while using modern materials. The blade has a traditional bayonet grind, and is polished to a mirror-like sheen. The thumbstud is large and easy to use, or you can use the protruding cross-guard to flip it open (with a little practice). I've seen reference to folks using the guard like an Emerson "Wave" on the pocket edge, although I haven't really tried it.

The overall grip is more hand-filling than you'd think to look at it; this is both a good thing and a bad thing. Good, in that it's easy to get a good grip on it; bad in that the grip seem overly thick compared to the slim blade. I've even toyed with the idea of making new scales to make the thing ~3/16" thinner, which IMHO would make it one helluva sweet slim carry piece.

Pocket carry isn't bad, but that protruding cross-guard can hang up. Also, for some strange reason, the guard is backwards: the upper quillion arches backwards towards the grip, rather than forwards towards the blade tip. You can forget about pressing on it with your thumb for heavy cutting, or else what'll get cut is your thumb!

Then there are the social aspects. To the unwashed masses, it IS a switchblade. (Of course, I live in the People's Republic of New Jersey, where anything more threatening than nail clippers is suspect.) The blade came very sharp, and it's still that way, because I don't use it as a utility knife. With no belly on the that thin blade, it isn't a good slicer, and it's too thin and pointed for any sort of heavy cutting.

But DAMN, it looks nice! ;)
 
Zytel. Can't see the need for the Ti; the zytel is lighter and cheaper, and since it's not exactly a hard-use knife, the 440 blade is just fine with me.
 
seems so! of course, with the blue, it also depends on ho well the anodizing was done! Ive seen one that after some use the blue came off around the pivot are (outside that area, away from the pivot screw).
 
rev_jch said:
seems so! of course, with the blue, it also depends on ho well the anodizing was done! Ive seen one that after some use the blue came off around the pivot are (outside that area, away from the pivot screw).
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After use? That's your problem right there. The blue one's for display only. It looks good in the display case. :p
 
According to a post elsewhere on this forum, Cold Steel is coming out with a 6 inch blade Zytel version of the Ti-lite. I will be very interested in this one.
 
ld57 said:
According to a post elsewhere on this forum, Cold Steel is coming out with a 6 inch blade Zytel version of the Ti-lite. I will be very interested in this one.
Click to expand...


No? REALLY??
I WANT ONE!!!

Specs, where is "elsewhere" ?

Thanks
 
hey i got a sytel ti-lite for christmas. I like it. Its probably the best folder ive ever owned (considering that I havent owned many and the ones that i did were crappy 5 dollar P'sOS. I agree that the quillians do seem backward, but i thought they were made that way so if u clip it onto your pocket the quillian would catch on the side and open the blade. Other than it seeming a little bit fragile i have no complaints.

Brandon Jones
 
i have one

works well as an EDC just for the novelty of it. then again, all i do is cut food, peel fruit, and open boxes/mail. no heavy cutting.

usually i carry a BM551 grip for heavier cutting work.
 
"you can use the protruding cross-guard to flip it open (with a little practice). I've seen reference to folks using the guard like an Emerson "Wave" on the pocket edge"

Could someone clarify this? I have the knife and would like to try, but I really don't understand how you "flip it open" or what the emerson wave method is.
 
I have the Ti-Lite in Ti and Aus8 -- so the materials are a little different but the form is the same.

To snap the knife open while pulling it from your pocket: When the knife is clipped in your pocket, pull it out while letting the exposed guard drag hard over the edge of the pocket. This motion will snap the blade open.

The trick is to snap it open gently. If you snap it too hard, the liner lock can jam and make it difficult release the lock.

This is a nice feature once you get the hang of it. You can also drag the exposed guard over your pants leg or anything handy to open it quickly with one hand. You can also open it with one hand using the thumb stud, but that method is more awkard and slower.
 
there's a bit of the guard sticking out of the back of the handle. I like to slide my forefinger down the back of the spine to roll that guard in, at the same time flicking my wrist to open it all the way.
 
I have a Zytel ti-lite as my EDC, basically because it has the most useful point out of any knife I own.

I removed the thumbstud and just press the thumb stud to open. Or "wave" it. I hate the backwards horns but even if they were the correct way, it would still not be a good thumbrest because they are covered in spikey grooves.

Yes this knife scares people so a grain of discretion is advised. Oh, and my girlfriend keeps trying to steal this knife from me.

I want a SMALLER (2.5-3") version of this knife although the 6" is probably going to be a real piece of work.
 
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