cold steel

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okie 46

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i have always heard a lot of bad things about cold steel knives and i think they made a good product. is it the owner lynn thompson. what kind of guy is he?
 
okie 46 said:
i have always heard a lot of bad things about cold steel knives and i think they made a good product. is it the owner lynn thompson. what kind of guy is he?
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if you search the forums you can find out about the owner. I'm not sure if the general forum is the best place to discuss him. with regard to cold steel, generally they were critized for using lower quality steel and inferior locks (I think their older knives used some variation of an axis lock), but now with Andrew Demko designing for them, they've got a nice lock and I've heard the stel isn't so bad anymore also. but, for my money, I'd rather go with Spyderco.
 
Mr. Thompson seems to be one of those folks who you quickly either like or strongly dislike. He puts himself "out there" in his approach to business, and that rubs some the wrong way. I'm mostly neutral about him; there are many others who irritate me a lot more.
He must be doing something right, CS has been around a long time.

As to the knives. I'm pleased with the ones I have, but I got most of them on closeout or discount. Some of the CS line is reasonably priced for the market and what they are, but I think many of the items are a bit over priced.
 
Cold Steel gets a bad rap around here, mostly because of their inflammatory marketing approach. They make it a point to directly insult other companies at times, which is really considered bad form no matter what industry you're working in. It's probably not the best choice they've made, but it's something they're apparently sticking to.

When you get right down to it though, what matters is the quality of the product, and Cold Steel has stepped up the quality of their products in recent years.

They use mid-range materials, but their engineering is excellent (and engineering is the more important variable in the equation of quality). Their overall product line is filled with some excellent items (inexpensive and well-made tomahawks, sheath knives such as the Trail Master and SRK, lightweight sturdy folders like the Voyager series and the new Demko designs, and excellent polypropelene training weapons). They also have some WTF items that make you wonder what the hell they were thinking (the Battle Ring, the $450 7.5" folding knife, and the $650 khukri).

I've met Lynn C. Thompson in person. He is quietly spoken and a very friendly fellow. From my limited experience interacting with him, he assumes the Chubby Braveheart persona only when marketing his products in the "Proof" video series.

Some of my best hard-use knives have come from Cold Steel. As with anything else, buying a good Cold Steel product is a matter of comparing each item they offer with equivalent alternatives from other competitors. Just be a responsible consumer - educate yourself and I think you'll come out happy with their products.
 
Well said. I for one would love to have the new mini-america lawman. There are some hard-use videos on the forums here showing the full-sized version holding up very well.
 
quality of many early knives was great. do'nt forget he started the tanto craze & also the legendary trailmaster bowie. his carbon 5 steel is even know well respected & the decent aus 8 certainly was'nt junk. i believe his personal manner & physical appearance in early videos gave an undeserved reputation to some really good knives.i used many of his knives in years past & never was disappointed. the vg1 alloy used in fairly recent knives cut cardboard right up with vg10.dennis
 
Lots of grossly overpriced products that just make you shake your head....some decent mid priced knives, nothing made in the USA.
My biggest gripe is when they use other companies design ideas and don't give any recognition at all. Mainly the Emmerson Opener's they incorporated into a few of their knives. Spyderco has no problem giving props and royalties to Emmerson....good business ethics go a long way.
 
CS has some very high quality products on the market and they stand behind them 100% and are one of the only ones who openly test them.

Not everyone agrees with their aggressive style of marketing, but it is working for them and has for a long time.

They produce a number of different items some I really like while others are just not for me.

Their products really are as tough as they say they are and show in their videos, it's not hype, it's truth.

They have products prices for most people in with different budgets from low to High range price wise. But the quality is there in all ranges they sell.

No, they currently don't have any products that are made in the USA, but then neither do some other companies sell all USA made products that are highly respected.

I personally have owned and used their products since 1986 so I can personally recommend their products with no doubts at all in my mind.

I am not a fanboy, but I do know a good product when I see and use them so I guess you could say I like them.

I don't care what LCT does personally as long as they keep putting out products as they have and are now.
 
They also have one of the worst warranty's in the market....for a company that boasts "the WORLDS strongest and sharpest blades" they don't back it up with a comparable warranty of their competition wich is lifetime for the original owner.
Cold Steel
Warranty: We stand behind our knives 100%. We subject them to the highest standards in the industry and strive to make each one as perfect as possible. Our fixed blade sheath knives have a five year warranty to the original owner against defects in material or workmanship. Our folding knives are warranted for one year.
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Kershaw
Limited Lifetime Warranty
Kershaw products are guaranteed for the lifetime of the original owner to be free of defects when received from the factory. Any product we find to be defective in its original material, construction, or workmanship will be repaired or replaced with the same item or one of equal value at no charge. (Of course, normal wear, abuse such as prying with the knife, or neglect are excluded from this non-transferable warranty.) For warranty service, please return product via UPS or insured mail. Include your name, address, telephone number, and a short explanation of the warranty service requested to the address below. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.
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Benchmade
Each new knife is packaged with written documentation of the Benchmade Warranty. Benchmade Knife Company, Inc. warrants to the original owner that the knife will be free from defects in materials and workmanship. Benchmade will without charge, repair or replace at our (Benchmade's) option, any knife returned for Warranty work and found to be defective by Benchmade.
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Spyderco
WARRANTY INFORMATION:
•Spyderco warrants that all of our products are free from defects in material and workmanship.
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I sent my faulty Police model to Spyderco and they replaced it with a new one. I sent my faulty Gurkha Kukri to Cold Steel and they also replaced it with a new one. I had a faulty CRKT once — back in the late nineties; and they gave me my money back.
 
cold steel makes great products if you ask me. and i always found the videos of the cold steel guys and lyn putting knives through car hoods and slashing sides of beef entertaining and whatnot. what put a bad taste in my mouth was that hunting video promo he released from one of his hunting trips. it was basically him standing around shoooting anything that moved just for the fun of it. i have no problem with hunting, but this particular video just seemed so disrespectful. it really bothered me. then there were the pics of him holding up the jaguar he had killed. hunting a deer or a boar and having a nice bbq i understand. killing an endangered animal like that just for show is upsetting.
 
And you will find that Cold Steel will replace product that is defective even outside of the warranty period. CS is no better or no worse than the majority of knife warranties out there and they stand behind their products. You will find that they have set arbitrary limits to protect themselves from idiots, not to dilute their duties to the consumer. If you are on these forums long enough, you will hear warranty problems from virtually every manufacturer out there, perhaps with the notable exception of Buck and Kershaw.

I am always amused with the Cold Steel antagonists, as you would think that unless their knives are brought down from Heaven on a gilded pillow by little angels and warranted by God, they just aren't good enough. Please, buy a CS and use it hard. You will find that the performance is excellent.
 
A.P.F. said:
And you will find that Cold Steel will replace product that is defective even outside of the warranty period. CS is no better or no worse than the majority of knife warranties out there and they stand behind their products. You will find that they have set arbitrary limits to protect themselves from idiots, not to dilute their duties to the consumer. If you are on these forums long enough, you will hear warranty problems from virtually every manufacturer out there, perhaps with the notable exception of Buck and Kershaw.

I am always amused with the Cold Steel antagonists, as you would think that unless their knives are brought down from Heaven on a gilded pillow by little angels and warranted by God, they just aren't good enough. Please, buy a CS and use it hard. You will find that the performance is excellent.
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I like Cold Steel products , in fact I've got about 70 of their offerings, big and small. Next week my local knife store is bringing in the Trench Hawk and the two handed katana machete and I'm probably not going to be able to resist. That's another great feature of CS ; most of their stuff is priced so the average person can actually afford it.
As far as Lynn Thompson is concerned... there's another well known company out there whose owner strikes me as so close minded and smug,[ yeah he's conservative and proud] that I wouldnt buy his products if I thought that by not doing so, I would somehow" punish" him.[instead I have six of his folders] It's the product you're buying and if you like that product ,the owner doesn't really matter.
 
Larry Turko said:
I like Cold Steel products , in fact I've got about 70 of their offerings, big and small. Next week my local knife store is bringing in the Trench Hawk and the two handed katana machete and I'm probably not going to be able to resist. That's another great feature of CS ; most of their stuff is priced so the average person can actually afford it.
As far as Lynn Thompson is concerned... there's another well known company out there whose owner strikes me as so close minded and smug,[ yeah he's conservative and proud] that I wouldnt buy his products if I thought that by not doing so, I would somehow" punish" him.[instead I have six of his folders] It's the product you're buying and if you like that product ,the owner doesn't really matter.
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Exactly. :thumbup:

Unless the Owner etc personally treats me like crap or the company does I will buy their products if they are good. :thumbup:
 
TheBleedingEdge said:
Cold Steel gets a bad rap around here, mostly because of their inflammatory marketing approach. They make it a point to directly insult other companies at times, which is really considered bad form no matter what industry you're working in. It's probably not the best choice they've made, but it's something they're apparently sticking to.

When you get right down to it though, what matters is the quality of the product, and Cold Steel has stepped up the quality of their products in recent years.

They use mid-range materials, but their engineering is excellent (and engineering is the more important variable in the equation of quality). Their overall product line is filled with some excellent items (inexpensive and well-made tomahawks, sheath knives such as the Trail Master and SRK, lightweight sturdy folders like the Voyager series and the new Demko designs, and excellent polypropelene training weapons). They also have some WTF items that make you wonder what the hell they were thinking (the Battle Ring, the $450 7.5" folding knife, and the $650 khukri).

I've met Lynn C. Thompson in person. He is quietly spoken and a very friendly fellow. From my limited experience interacting with him, he assumes the Chubby Braveheart persona only when marketing his products in the "Proof" video series.

Some of my best hard-use knives have come from Cold Steel. As with anything else, buying a good Cold Steel product is a matter of comparing each item they offer with equivalent alternatives from other competitors. Just be a responsible consumer - educate yourself and I think you'll come out happy with their products.
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Very well put, that just about says it all right there. As for a business stand point, I sell allot of CS knives and they have always been a big seller. I never had an issue, compliant or a return. I have had them personaly in the past and was very pleased but just wanted to try other knives out for myself.
 
Ironically, the worst thing that can be said about Cold Steel is that they have very little trade value among knife enthusiasts because of the stigma attached to the company. You would have a hard time getting people to trade Spyders, Benchmades, or other knives for a Cold Steel knife because they are "inferior" ipso facto.

It's a shame really, because I've never been disappointed with anything I have bought from them.
 
What kind of guy is he?

He's a great dancer and his apple brown betty is to die for!

The knives he distributes? Eh. They're OK.
 
I own 2 CS fixed blades.
Very nice knives and i would like to have some more of their models.
I would definitely not bend my Black Bear Classic like they do in the video because i know it won't break but it also won't go back after a certain angle.
But thats marketing. If you just look at the product, not at the package, their knives are very good.
 
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