Cold Steel Trailmaster, Chinese any good?

S

Spydiefan04

Joined
Jan 8, 2005
Messages
819
I've seen the Cold Steel Trailmaster, the Chinese made one (carbon steel one) and it looked OK to me. I was just wondering if anyone has used these and if they are up to the standard of the American made ones? Was gonna get one to play with in the woods.
 
I have heard nothing but good reports on that one. That is strange around here where nearly everyone bashes CS.
 
I'm not a huge fan of Cold Steel, esp. their folders, but their fixed blades LOOK like a lot of knife for the money, I don't have one yet however.
 
I like most all of their stuff. I have read several reports here on that knife and all were pretty positive.
 
They don't appear to perform as well as the older Trailmasters (as evidenced in Cold Steel's own Proof videos) but at 1/2-1/3 the street price......they don't have to.
 
I am pretty sure Mike Sastre did a little review on the newer SK-5 models and found them to be very similar to the old Carbon V model.
 
I've got a Chinese made CS Trailmaster, and the thing just does what it should do: cutting and chopping.
It keeps sharp for a long time, and you can get it scary sharp too.

Just a great large blade for a good price.

CZ
 
SK-5 is a good blade steel. I extensively field tested a Laredo in SK-5 and was very pleased with the results. While the price of the knife was brought down significantly, the performance didn't fall off much at all. The Cold Steel SK-5 blades are great bang for the buck. Got a Laredo that lives in my truck, ready for any occasion.
 
I got a new SK-5 steel CS Gurkha Kukri and compared it to my older Carbon V one. It takes a good edge and seems to be the same. I didn't try to destroy it, though. There may be some difference that would show up in a destruction test. I'm guessing that the new Trailmaster would compare to the old one.
 
Yes it's China made but as been evidenced by other knives/manufactures they can and do make good (sometimes great) blades.

The CS SK-5 Trailmaster is one of them. Mine is next to bomb-proof, easy to sharpen, keeps a keen edge and dare I say it cheap :D

Buy one, you won't be disappointed.
 
pageophile said:
Yes it's China made but as been evidenced by other knives/manufactures they can and do make good (sometimes great) blades.
Click to expand...

That reminds me of the fact the the "Made in Germany" mark was enforced on German goods by the British Merchandise Marks Act of 1887. Germany was a low labor cost country then (sic!), and the warning was meant to protect the British industry. Only that customers eventually began to prefer goods with that mark.
The Chinese know this story very well, and the better ones of them try to produce quality at low cost. I have several Böker folders designed by CLB that were made in China. Had they been US or German made (I am German), I wouldn't have bought them for the prices they would have commanded, there wouldn't have been the same consumer market for those knives at high-end prices. Over here in Germany, there is much less bickering about those imports than in your country, because we know the feeling since 1887...
Michael
 
Whoa! Zombie thread!

It's alive!

ren21.gif
 
Spydiefan04 said:
I'm not a huge fan of Cold Steel, esp. their folders, but their fixed blades LOOK like a lot of knife for the money, I don't have one yet however.
Click to expand...

If you'd like to get a really good CS fixed blade, you can't go wrong with the Magnum Tanto IX with the VG1 San Mai blade.

They're pricey, but worth it. I got mine on the forums.

This is the knife:


CSMagTanIX.jpg
 
i got an sk5 one when it first came out, made in china, cuts great, very tough,& at the time i paid 75.00 for it,which is a bargain.the sk5 recon scout is well made,too.its very tough.the old sog tigershark that now goes for 200.00 or more was sk5, as well as the original sog bowie,going back to the early 90's.seemed like sk5 was a sleeper back then.
 
Political posts have been moved to the Dumbass thread in Whine & Cheese.
Any more politics in the General Knife Discussion will be asking for an infraction.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top