Cold Steel Voyager

Thomas J Ekman

Thomas J Ekman

Joined
Jul 29, 2000
Messages
555
I'm thinking about buying the Cold Steel Voyager XL (5 inch) folders, to use for defense. Should I buy the clip point blade, or the tanto, and why?
 
Well, Mick Strider says that a tanto is marginally better for SD uses. However, I would say get what you like. If it is just for SD it will be sharp and not ever get dulled. Belly is of little importance since it is not being used for utility. Mick says that a tanto is better because of the triangle of death the tanto point creates.
 
I've got the clip point in my pocket right now. I think that the handle on the clip point has a little more curvature to it and fits my hands a bit better. I think I would be just as happy with either blade configuration.

Although I have a lot of respect for Mick and his blades (and own some), if the "triangle" he's talking about is the blade cross section, I'm not sure that the "triangle" effect of the tanto would be very significant on the relatively thinner Voyager blades. Of course, the situation could be completely different on a thick fixed blade or a bayonet. It's possible that a thrust with those might open a more triangular wound channel and promote more rapid blood loss. I'll defer to Mick and others on that.

Bottom line, I'd pick the one that is more comfortable in your hand.
 
I carried a 4" tanto blade hald serrated Voyager for a coupl eyears as my EDC for utility work and defense. I never had to use it defensively, but felt better a few times for having it. I still own the knife (gave away the fully serrated and plain blade versions of the same model). It has been replaced by a Chris Reeves Small Sebenza when in dress (work) clothes or a Microtech Socom Elite when in more casual dress. I like both these knives more, but they do cost a lot more. That said, I still carry the CS when I'm traveling because I'm scared of losing the other two to an overzealous airport security drone (it goes in the check bag till I get where I'm going)so I do still use it periodically. The AUS8 takes a good edge but doesn't hold it as well as the BG42 or 154CM my other EDCs use. This is partially the steel's fault and partially attributable to the Cold Steel's rather thin (but sharp!) edge.

Overall the CS Voyagers offer a lot of bang for the buck. There are certainly better knives, but for little money, I think the Cold Steel offerings deliver the goods better than something like a CRKT M16.

Gerber has an SL 3.25G for not much more money with G10 scales and an ATS-34 blade if you decide on the drop point blade design. The liner lock seems a little thin, but the lockup has been tight on the knives I have handled.

If you can live with a slightly smaller knife, I have seen Microtech Mini Socoms available for around $100.00 new. This gets you into a 154CM blade, a solid Aluminum frame and an overall better knife than the budget choices mentioned above. Blade on the Mini is around 3" (the Socom Elite is a 4" blade but would raise the price a lot).

Of course if you can see your way to $100.00 for the mini Socom, but need a bigger knife, for only a few dollars more you can look at an AlMar SERE 2000 at around $129.00. It all depends on how far you want to go and what your priorities are.

Enjoy whatever you end up with.

jmx
 
The Voyagers have the reputation of being tough and value oriented folders, I like the design of the clip point voyager and i would consider buying one for utility work (if cold steel didnt do silly things like rip off ATC's name).

But i think if i was getting serious about deffence i would look else where, since there are more factors than size in a tactical folding knife.

I would recomend getting a benchmade TSEK, in axis or liner lock form, it is not much more expensive than the voyager, and it is a much better tactical/utility knife.

But on the CS tanto VS Clip point here are my thoughts-Tanto offers more tip strenth and since it is not as wide as the Clip point it will offer greater penetration, but the Clip point would make a bigger hole. So it would depend how hard you want to push.
 
I am thinking of giving up all my balisongs (including the one with tanto profile, marked only 440 stainless Japan) and get a 4 inch Voyager tanto.

Can anyone encourage me to do so? Or discourage?
Legality is no issue, and all my balisongs are on the price range of CS Voyagers.
 
I carried a 4 inch Voyager tanto, plain edge every day for years. I still have the knife, and except for scratches on the blade, it is in great shape.

I recently bought a 5 inch Voyager clip point, plain edge. I like it too, but, this is a rather large knife. If carried in my back pocket, it protrudes a bit. This knife is very sharp. and opens with authority.

I chose the clip point because it is easier to sharpen than the tanto and as was mentioned in an earlier post, I prefer the curvature of the handle on the clip point style.

Are you aware you can now get a 6 inch Voyager clip point? Not the Vaquero, but a Voyager.
 
I believe the triangle of death Mick refers to is the point where the two edges meet.
 
That's really interesting----I'll have to search the Strider Forum for Mick's thoughts on that. In the past, I've always heard people speak of the somewhat more triangular cross section of a thick tanto blade. Thanks for the new information!
 
I had a small tanto Voyager and hated it. Wished I had the clip, wound up trading it away.

If you think you will ever, ever use it for anything but SD (chances are you will), the clip is the way to go. You have a larger area to cut with. With the tanto, on a cut or slash, you are only cutting at one place - the secondary point. And once it dulls, how do you sharpen it without rounding it?

Something else worth mentioning - (this might only apply to the small ones) the new style handle is very thin/narrow, and the lockback action stiff. I found it hard to get purchase on the handle to thumb out the blade. Certainly locks up tight, though.
 
This is a SD knife. It does not matter if it rounds with repeated sharpening, it is only going to be used once. Carry a utility blade as well, but keep the SD blade for SD.
 
Originally posted by RH
Something else worth mentioning - (this might only apply to the small ones) the new style handle is very thin/narrow, and the lockback action stiff. I found it hard to get purchase on the handle to thumb out the blade. Certainly locks up tight, though.
Click to expand...

It does only apply to the small versions. (They call 'em "medium" BTW) And the new handles are not that thin. Many manufacters (sp) have thinner handles on their knives; earier to carry, harder to hold. The med Voyagers do not have much height to the handles though, I find the 4" Large to be much more "hand filling." Something CS could do is call the 3" 'small', leave the 4" 'large', and make a 3.5" called 'medium'. 3.5" is a good size when 4" is too much and 3" is not enough.
 
one2gofst,

I greatly appreciate the reference to Mick's comments. I never read that thread because I figured I'd "heard it all" on that often-debated issue. Thanks again!
 
Dang good knives. I have two, a clip and a tanto, both large (4"). Both lock up solid and display absolutely no wobble after thousands of openings. Never had a chipping problem in hard use or any corrosion with the AUS8 steel, despite carrying next to the skin (jogging) on countless occasions. Sharpen easily to a scary sharp edge and hold a good edge, too. I doubt if anyone would want to be cut by either:) .
 
I got a 5" plainedge clippoint Voyager, oldstyle with an integrated clip. Then the X2 6" model came out! so I got that too. The 5" stays in the kitchen -- there is nothing you can't slice with it. One push and it goes completely through a bagel or a grapefruit. The 6" is replacing my Vaquero Grande in the woods, as a light machete.

These Voyagers and their Vaquero cousins are very tough blades, and I don't worry about abusing something so relatively inexpensive.

I used a small CS tanto, pre-Voyager style that they called an Ultralock. It was an excellent utility knife or art knife, giving me a more precise cutting point than a clip would have. Overall I like a clip, though, or a drop point, better than a tanto.
 
Thomas,

I don't know if you have ever seen or held an XL Cold Steel clip-point plain-edge Voyager, but it IS a rather impressive folder. It will remind you of a folding Bowie-knife!.:).
 
Originally posted by Thomas J Ekman
a Vaquero Grande, which should be of similar size.
Click to expand...
The Vaquero Grande and the X2 Voyager have the same length blade and exactly the same handle, down to the design of the grip pattern.

The difference between the knives is that the VG is flatground and miniserrated, the X2 is hollowground and plainedged. The actual shapes of the blades don't look all that different, held side by side. The belly on the VG drops down slightly further.

Either one is great for selfdefense, if you're allowed to carry a concealed cutlass.
 
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