Cold steel trail master san mai 3 Japan version

[KIRKHILLS86]

Awesome mate ive not seen any of the spears I don’t think I have anyways I’d love a spear and I feel the same about this axe it’s not ever going to be used for anything other then gazing at I just love the look of it it’s a exciting day for me for these cold steel products i won’t lie im absolutely buzzed about them arriving today

 

[KIRKHILLS86]

https://imgur.com/a/dO1ABGh

 

[KIRKHILLS86]

https://imgur.com/a/sqKJFqF

 

[KIRKHILLS86]

https://imgur.com/a/Q3KajA2

 

[KIRKHILLS86]

https://imgur.com/a/gNUZ6Mv

 

[jbmonkey]

https://imgur.com/a/sqKJFqF

nice. they look good.

plus love that ya got the snacks right by your chair.......that's convenient.....

 

[KIRKHILLS86]

Thank you jb im quite fond off the coating on these blades it makes them really stand out

lol I eat to many of them salted caramel clubs there awesome

 

[Haggler]

I should also mention some vendors haven't changed their listings to show made in Taiwan instead of made in Japan. you might want to verify they have the made in Japan one still in stock, if that matters to you.

both versions are made well. Japan made uses a vg1 core san mai. Taiwan made uses a vg10 core san mai. so its basically a preference thing of where made and which san mai. both work fine though.

The Taiwan made also has a VG1 core, not VG10 as you've stated.

There's a noticeable performance difference between VG1 and VG10, and VG1 isn't that great of a performer. Cold Steel used it on a number of their knives, folders like the Voyager series, The Gunsite series, the Scimitar, etc. They became available in VG1 but It was a lackluster upgrade from AUS8A, a minor improvement in performance but that's all.

VG1 now is not a steel to be recommended, but VG10 is a decent enough steel but not particularly special and it's used in some fairly cheap knives nowadays.

The Cold Steel San Mai Trailmaster should've had an upgrade of the core steel years and years ago. I would've been great if they'd upgraded it to S35VN, even S30V as that's still no slouch, but I believe that it was written into the contract with Ichiro Hattori in Seki city Japan that VG1 was to used until the contract ran out.

GSM Outdoors are just being cheap by sticking with VG1, it's just another display of how they're destroying the brand and not moving with the times.
If they'd upgraded to VG10 as the core steel, well that would've been something, but realistically it still wouldn't have been enough, not for the well informed amongst the Cold Steel collector and/or users.
I have collected and used Cold Steel knives since the early 1990's and since Lynn sold the company everything about the brand is going bad, which obviously is a crying shame but that's GSM for you, they're bean counters, and I'm being polite when I state that about them!

 

[jbmonkey]

The Taiwan made also has a VG1 core, not VG10 as you've stated.

There's a noticeable performance difference between VG1 and VG10, and VG1 isn't that great of a performer. Cold Steel used it on a number of their knives, folders like the Voyager series, The Gunsite series, the Scimitar, etc. They became available in VG1 but It was a lackluster upgrade from AUS8A, a minor improvement in performance but that's all.

VG1 now is not a steel to be recommended, but VG10 is a decent enough steel but not particularly special and it's used in some fairly cheap knives nowadays.

The Cold Steel San Mai Trailmaster should've had an upgrade of the core steel years and years ago. I would've been great if they'd upgraded it to S35VN, even S30V as that's still no slouch, but I believe that it was written into the contract with Ichiro Hattori in Seki city Japan that VG1 was to used until the contract ran out.

GSM Outdoors are just being cheap by sticking with VG1, it's just another display of how they're destroying the brand and not moving with the times.
If they'd upgraded to VG10 as the core steel, well that would've been something, but realistically it still wouldn't have been enough, not for the well informed amongst the Cold Steel collector and/or users.
I have collected and used Cold Steel knives since the early 1990's and since Lynn sold the company everything about the brand is going bad, which obviously is a crying shame but that's GSM for you, they're bean counters, and I'm being polite when I state that about them!

you sure about that? everything ive read has said vg10 core in the Taiwan made san mai knives.....

 

[jlauffer]

you sure about that? everything ive read has said vg10 core in the Taiwan made san mai knives.....

Correct. AUS8 core up until 2006, marked as "San Mai III", and then it changed to VG-1, marked as "VG-1 San Mai III". Then in 2018 the Taiwan San Mai came out, marked as just "San Mai". Don't believe the catalogs say it's VG-10, but their website does:

 

[Haggler]

you sure about that? everything ive read has said vg10 core in the Taiwan made san mai knives.....

Apologies for my late reply.
The San mai III Trailmaster that is made in Taiwan has a VG1 core steel. It's not VG10. Knife Center has it correctly listed, although many suppliers don't, and GSM don't even have it in print on the box, it just reads San mai.

Here's another example. The San mai Master Hunter made in Taiwan has VG1 as the core steel aswel.

GSM are an underhanded conglomerate, and they are utterly ruining the brand of Cold Steel.

If knife buyers took it upon themselves to carry out their own research they would be saving themselves alot of money by not potentially wasting it on very poorly made knives. It is a gamble at its best and the odds are stacked against the buyer of them getting a well made knife without any defects.

I would be much happier to be able to state otherwise, but I would be lying if I did so.

The saying " You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. " springs to mind because of the sheer amount of folks that refuse to get it with GSM Cold Steel.
It really isn't that hard to find the specifications on the Taiwan made San mai III VG1 Trailmaster as it's the only San mai III Trailmaster that GSM Cold Steel now manufacture, they don't produce a San mai III VG10 version.

The Taiwan made San mai blades are on the whole very poorly made and the reason is because GSM aren't contracting the best facilities/factories in Taiwan to make the knives which have highly trained, skilled, and experienced staff.

 

[jlauffer]

Does seem odd that the TM is still listed as VG1. Would have thought when they switched to Taiwan it would have gone to VG10 like the rest of the san mai offerings.

Not sure what the deal is with the Master Hunter. CS and some dealers say VG10, while others say VG1. Would be nice to know which is actually correct.

 

[jbmonkey]

Apologies for my late reply.
The San mai III Trailmaster that is made in Taiwan has a VG1 core steel. It's not VG10. Knife Center has it correctly listed, although many suppliers don't, and GSM don't even have it in print on the box, it just reads San mai.

Here's another example. The San mai Master Hunter made in Taiwan has VG1 as the core steel aswel.

GSM are an underhanded conglomerate, and they are utterly ruining the brand of Cold Steel.

If knife buyers took it upon themselves to carry out their own research they would be saving themselves alot of money by not potentially wasting it on very poorly made knives. It is a gamble at its best and the odds are stacked against the buyer of them getting a well made knife without any defects.

I would be much happier to be able to state otherwise, but I would be lying if I did so.

The saying " You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. " springs to mind because of the sheer amount of folks that refuse to get it with GSM Cold Steel.
It really isn't that hard to find the specifications on the Taiwan made San mai III VG1 Trailmaster as it's the only San mai III Trailmaster that GSM Cold Steel now manufacture, they don't produce a San mai III VG10 version.

The Taiwan made San mai blades are on the whole very poorly made and the reason is because GSM aren't contracting the best facilities/factories in Taiwan to make the knives which have highly trained, skilled, and experienced staff.

good info thanks for following up for us all.

I think we are all in agreement on your take on gsm's handling of the company.......

plus we all know what gsm really stands for.......