Cold Steel Triple Action Tanto - Initial Impression

A

Arizona

Joined
Jul 21, 1999
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200
In case anyone is interested, I thought I'd post my initial impression of the CS-TAT.
The knife arrived in a cardboard box wrapped in bubble wrap. First inspection of the aluminum handle revealed several scratches and scuff marks. Other than that, the handle is pretty nice, with a Bamboo design carved into it (ok, the bamboo part is a guess - could be a palm tree). The clip is positioned for tip-down carry and appears to be very sturdy.
Opening the TAT is definitely a two hand job, at least at this time. This might wear in with time and become a little easier. Anyway, the two handle pieces fold apart to about 95 degrees revealing the thumb stud on the blade. Swinging out the blade is really smooth. Then you fold the handle pieces back together.
The blade is totally serrated and razor sharp. Unlike my other serrated blades, this pattern has one large serration followed by 5 smaller ones that are so small, they kind of resemble a comb. All together there are 7 sets. The tip is the only part not serrated. The usual "shaving test" was not quite so easy to perform duw to the serration pattern. It did take the hair off but the comb-like serrations also took my skin off. So I decided to try paper slicing. Using just the tip (no serrations) it slices through paper like a hot knife through butter. Well, onto some rope. After cutting rope for 10 minutes, I noticed no difference in the effort required to cut another piece.
The lock is, well, as strong as you are. As long as you hold the handle, there is no way for the lock to fail. Closing the blade works just like opening. Two hands required to seperate the handle halfs. The blade slides nicely into the handle half that guards it. No scrubbing on either side, a flawless fit.
Usability: With the opening mechanism the way it is, it has no tactical value (unless you carry it opened in a special sheath). I bought it to cut seatbelts and the like (I'm a firefighter) as an alternative to the flimsy "Rescue Knives" I've seen. For that purpose, I think it will perform very well. One of my concerns would be that the comb-like serrations break off. I didn't want to test this theory, as I can't afford to buy another one if I'm right. Sharpening would be another problem. I'm not sure what I would use to sharpen this pattern. But for my intended use, I might not have to worry about it for a long time. It's not like I have to cut a heap of seatbelts on a dayly basis
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One other odd thing. There are 6 screws on the knife. One for the thumb stud, one for the clip, 2 for the handle pivot points and two for studs. One is a phillips head, the rest are hex, but three different sizes. So if you wanted to take the knife totally apart, you'll need 4 screwdrivers. So quick field stripping is out
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I think Nemo said that it could be flipped open quite fast with one hand, but it involved a "trick". I have never handled one, so do you feel that one handed opening is possible with practice?
 
There is a small metal dimple that probably will wear over time making one handed opening possible. If I move the handle halves past this dimple, I can proceed with one hand. I guess one could file it off, but then the handle could open in your pocket making it difficult to remove. My guess it that it will wear in time to a point that offers enough resistance to keep the halves together while allowing one handed operation. Still, it's not a tactical knife. One thing that I forgot to mention in my inital review was that where is no guard. So stabbing it into anything something hard (like a car door, tree, cranium...) will undoubtly resuly in serious cuts to your fingers.
 
If it is serrated with the same style as my voyger and it sounds like it is Cold Steel wont even resharpen them. Those little teeth do grab meat like a comb grabs hair. I don't know what one would do if they became dull or bent off I guess you are out the knife or you would have to do a new blade design like make it a plan edge. I am not an expert so I would defer this to those who are.
 
Unfortunately, I had that feeling. Once the teeth are gone, I might experiment with a new pattern. For the time being, I just hope it will last a bit.
 
The TAF that I handled was far too stiff for one-handed opening. I'm fairly capable at it, owning a cheap Jacob's Ladder knife, but I couldn't get the handles swinging on the CS. Once it happens, though, it's as slick as snot. Looks even more magical than a Bali Song.

As far as the serration pattern goes, you're right on all counts. CS does not resharpen them, and they do dull and break (more often just dull). It is an amazingly effective pattern while it lasts, however. The finer serrations start the cut a lot smoother than just having big jagged ones.

As for the guardless part, yup. But at least you don't have the double edge to worry about!
 
Appears to be a unique knife that would be difficult to open and close one handed. I wonder about the non-serrated edge retention and the ease of sharpening back to hair-popping level?
 
The Triple Action Folder is available in a non-serrated version, but it's not a tanto then. It'll be a double edged spear point blade I believe.
 
Cold Steel T.A.F. versus Leatherman Wave:

Both feature slippery guardless rectangular handles. Both have a sharp knife blade sticking out of one end. Both are theoretically one-handers, though both may be a bit awkward. Let's see how they stack up:

Advantages of the T.A.F. -

Greater reach (4" vs. 3")
Better blade steel (AUS-10 vs 420J2)
Possibly double-edged (spear-point)
A "lock as strong as you are" (is that good?)

Advantages of the Wave -

TWO blades, plain clip-point and serrated sheepsfoot
More utilitarian blade shapes
Slightly sloppy but solid Liner-locks
$80 (vs $150)
AND:
file
saw
pliers
wire-cutters
scissors
3 slotted screwdrivers
1 Phillips screwdriver
bottle opener


I just don't get the CS T.A.F. I find myself asking "that's a knife?" or "where are the tools?"

-Drew
 
Drew,
interesting comparison. However, I don't think it's quite fair to compare a knife to a multi-tool and ask why the knofe doesn't have any tools. Anything you carry has to fit what you intend to use it for and if you are better off with a multi-tool, then that's totally fine. For my intended purpose, (stated in my original post), I have absolutely no use for a file, screwdriver, toothpick or whatever else is on the multi-tool. All I was interested in was a tough, sharp blade for utilitarian purpose.
A comparison like yours is like asking what's better, a pickup or a Corvette. Just because they both have 4 wheels and an engine doesn't mean that a comparison is going to prove one better than the other. Again, it will depend on your intended use. Mudd boggin' in a Vette is going to be a relatively shortlived event, while Road Atlanta in the pickup would probably not fair so well either. In the end, you'll find that each has their place.
One more thing, I didn't pay but $82.00 for the TAT, so price is about the same
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Arizona, I remember reading posts on the forum where people said they were able to sharpen their CS serrations with Spyderco's sharpmaker sharpening kit (with the triangilar stones). You may want to check past posts or post a new topic in the general section asking how to sharpen CS serrations. That might actually prove more fruitful.
 
Crayola,
thanks for the tip. I did a search on that and read the threads. Looks like the Spyderco Sharpmaker is the way to go. One thing I'm not sure about though is, if the serrations on this TAT are the same as on the other CS knives. Nobody mentioned it specifically in any of the threads. When I look at them I can't help but think that there is no way of sharpening those without breaking or destroying the comb-like serrations. The larger ones are no problem (just work).
 
Arizona,

Probably should've planted my tongue more firmly in my cheek on that one. I wasn't seriously comparing the Wave to the T.A.F. Rather, I was pointing out that multi-tools, while handy, are fairly awkward and slow when they must serve as knives. So why in the world would I buy something just as slippery, slow, and ill-fitting in the hand if it didn't also have some tools involved?

-Drew
 
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