Cold Steel Trailmaster

S

Swampbeast

Joined
Dec 5, 2002
Messages
2
Hello all, this is my first post.

I just recently bought a Cold Steel Trailmaster with the Carbon V blade.
I have used it to shatter concret blocks, repeatedly, undamaged.
Pounded the tip into concrete blocks, undamaged.
Perforated a car door (from the junk yard :D ) undamaged.
dug a hole in the ground 2 feet deep by 2 feet wide and two feet long. Basically, a two foot cube. The edge was still sharp enough to shave.
I then took it to the woods! I hacked, whacked, chopped and cut every piece of wood I could find and built the mother of all bonfires! It still retained a sharp edge, though it couldnt shave.
After that, I threw it exactly 25 times, (only managed to make it stick 15 times:( ) It was unaffected.
Overall performance? Excellent! The best bowie knife I have ever used, now I am going to buy a Busse Battle Mistress and see how they compare! I give it a five star rating. Anybody else got one?




:cool:
 
What do you expect from a massively over built knife? :confused:

Don't get me wrong, for some people and some uses, it is a great knife but, personally I like a knife that cuts better and doesn't weigh a ton.

If I need a crowbar, shovel or other tool, I generally have access to them so, a knife that is built like a crowbar and shovel combined lacks much appeal for me personally.

A small hatchet, Victornox Spartan and, larger lighter thinner blade for general camp prep work serve me better. YMMV :)
 
I like the Trailmaster too. Yes, they are a little overbuilt, and the edge can be ground thinner. That's why I picked up one used that Bill Siegle had flat ground thinner. This knife stays in my vehicle as a do-all kind of knife. I got bored one day, and decided to see how durable the thing was when throwing. I threw it at a wood target set up next to a tree, and was very impressed. The knife hit the tree, the target, the ground, etc... It hit point first, handle first, edge first, sideways, etc... No damage at all to the blade or guard. The tip got a little bit of dulling, but no bending or chipping. The only damage to the knife was the brass thong slid out of the rubber handle. No big deal, as I have since had the knife rehandled with green canvas micarta by our own forumite, Craig Camerer. Now, the knife is a little too pretty for me to be throwing into trees, but at least I know what the blade is capable of.
 
If you do get the Mistress, keep it away from the Master or you will find lots of little Battle Trails running around, and you do NOT want to step on them accidentally!
 
Why has Cold Steel started coating the Trailmaster's blade? It looks better with the satin finish.

Is the Recon Scout as tough as the Trailmaster?
 
Yes, the RS is as tough as a TM, only 2 inches less in length. As for the black coating, I agree. Go with a factory second, just as good as a first, and only $100. These babies are tough, although I wouldn't try some of the things that Swampbeast is describing.
 
Originally posted by swede79
Yes, the RS is as tough as a TM, only 2 inches less in length. As for the black coating, I agree. Go with a factory second, just as good as a first, and only $100. These babies are tough, although I wouldn't try some of the things that Swampbeast is describing.
Click to expand...

Cutlery Shoppe is selling them for $108...no need to buy a factory second. :D
 
and dispite the fact that the topic here is the Trailmaster, not the RS.....is the RS based on the material that is the same thickness?
Does any one know if it is possible/feasable/likely, etc.. to have some one (a Blade smith) tear away the grip of the TM or RS and replace with some micarta? What does the tang actually look like under that "rubber" surface?
 
I have 2 Trail Masters, one in Carbon V and the other in San Mai III.

The Carbon V is my beater, very good Bowie, one of the best Bowies on the market..(Most say it is the Best).
 
Swampbeast :

I am going to buy a Busse Battle Mistress and see how they compare!
Click to expand...

It won't dig a hole in the ground and remain shaving sharp, in fact it won't be sharp by any defination, nor will the tip take being pounded into a concrete block and remain undamaged. The edge will take visible impaction with even brief digging unless the ground is completely free of rock / dirt / sand , and the tip will take visible impaction upon striking the concrete block.

Sid the Trailmaster isn't that much thicker than most utility bowies. Common stock on such blades is 1/4", and the Trailmaster is only 1/16" more. The edge profile on the Trailmaster isn't that much thicker either. The one I had was ~0.040" and the Recon Scout ~ 0.060" . This is about standard for large production blades.

It is a decent heavy utility bowie. The tip is rather weak with its large clip point, but that is only a concern if you want to do heavy digging in wood and other really tip high load activities, you won't bend it by any type of cutting. The handle is the biggest drawback, it will fall apart under extended use. The guard is also problematic for utility use as it limits grips.

-Cliff
 
Blademan, your Re-work of the trailmaster is a substantial improvement.
If Cold Steel would offer such a design on one of their bowies I would have bought one years ago! Nice touch sir :)
 
I doubt it. Mine won't. Any accidental impact with concrete is going to cause some damage, on ANY knife.
 
Originally posted by 801Gnostic
Does any one know if it is possible/feasable/likely, etc.. to have some one (a Blade smith) tear away the grip of the TM or RS and replace with some micarta?
Click to expand...
Yes, it is possible. There are quite a few very talented makers who post here to BFC (see the Shop Talk forum) who would probably rehandle a Trailmaster for you. Alternatively, you could check with a local knife collector's club in your area. They should be able to put you in touch with a local craftsman who could do the job for you.

What does the tang actually look like under that "rubber" surface?
Click to expand...
There is a picture of a TM tang from Mike Turber's review here.
 
collecter :

Can this thing really chop a concrete block and still shave?
Click to expand...

Sure, as long as you shave with the part of the edge that didn't contact the block, otherwise no. Concrete has rocks in it, the rocks are harder than the steel in the knife, it can't cut them at all and it will be readily impacted, or in the case of the Trailmaster, chipped out. It is a decent knife all the same though.

-Cliff
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top