cold steel

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I also own a few items by CS , all of which are worth every penny and then some.

My Bushman for example cost less than $30 , I abuse the hell out of that knife over and over and it just keeps springing back for more. I have an older Recon 1 folder that has been used hard many , many times , I've had the knife for near a decade.

CS sells value and quality and yea... some wtf items :D

I love em , as far as the haters ? I could care less about their opinion. :)


Tostig
 
It has already been said, but I will add my .02 or so.

I own probalby about 20 CS products. I have only ever sold one, a Trailmaster Bowie in SanMaiIII, which I used for 10 years, and sold when I stopped using it because I had a bigger nicer chopper.

I have only ever had one "failure" with a CS product. I recently bought a CS Black Rhino. I took it and carried it for a week or so, and the lock spring came loose, making the blade stop shutting all the way, and the lock up was not tight any more (because the lock spring had come forward from where it was supposed to be. I sent the knife back, and received a new one in the mail. It did take about 2 months or so.

The Axis lock they used earlier is a solid reliable lock, and I have one I have been using for 10 or so years.

CS makes some solid pieces for great value.

When you get up into their higher end knives, with the laminated steel, I might start steering you toward other manufactures at the same price point. Not because I don't love the laminated steel..........just the opposite. I love it. I love the the edge retention, and strength. What I don't love, are the Krayton handles. I have a few with that handle treatment that the rubber is too soft, and mooshy. Usually only after years of use and age. I wish they would switch to another handle material like Resiprine C, with more resistance to age/chemical/heat. That said, other manufacturers, who have stellar reps like Fallknives use Krayton on their handles as well.

Just shop the prices arround before buying.

I love their hawks for the price, and have even bought some crazy stuff occasionally (poll axe is one, I mounted it on a hickory pick handle and throw it).

If you see a design you like, buy it. Try it out.

The steel the use in some of of their knives is not super steel, like Aus8A, or Krupp stainless. But it has a good heat treat, and keep and edge reasonably well, and is plenty strong.

I am carying a pocket bushman a lot and just love the heck out of it, for the $30's it is a killer stong folder. Only improvement woudl be a better steel for the blade.
 
I always liked Cold Steel and have owned maybe 10 of their products, all lived up to expectations and really are generally tougher than most others. I've seen a lot of hard use and abuse with knives and I think its pretty obvious the owner has a preference for knives that can take this stuff. It might be a little harder finding a knife that looks very classy, or that has a handle that feels very ergonomic for you, but I think they are working on this stuff more now.

It was comforting that the guys in my unit who got a few from my recommendations never had any problems and usually purchased a couple more from their catalog. It's good fun to sit back and watch their DVD's sent in the mail also :)
 
This has been discussed many of times. You should really use the search function.


Problems people have in short:

The tests.
The arrogance of some of the people using their knives
The manner Linn commented on companies at a Blade show
The involvement of him bringing down strider knives
Mall NINJA!
COLD STEEL IS CRAP AND NO ONE CAN CHANGE MY OPINION

The pros mentioned by some:
Quality for the price
The tests
He is a no BS man that pushes the envelope
Mall NINJA!
CS IS THE BEST NO MATTER WHAT SOME SAY AND NO ONE CAN CHANGE MY OPINION

and then 30 pages later of the two last mentioned of pros and cons mind set start name calling and egos get drawn into the thread. This has been my assessment of many searched and read threads related to CS. Either YOU like them, YOU dislike them or dont care, its a knife.
 
marthinus said:
....Problems people have in short:

......
The arrogance of some of the people using their knives.......
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No problem with your post except that point, the arrogance of knife owners carries no weight in an arguement about the company itself. If that were true, many more companies would have bad wraps besides CS. Just saying.
 
ron_m80 said:
No problem with your post except that point, the arrogance of knife owners carries no weight in an arguement about the company itself. If that were true, many more companies would have bad wraps besides CS. Just saying.
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Valid point. :thumbup:
 
ron_m80 said:
No problem with your post except that point, the arrogance of knife owners carries no weight in an arguement about the company itself. If that were true, many more companies would have bad wraps besides CS. Just saying.
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True...but the OP is asking about the character of the owner...not about the knives. He already likes the knives.


...is it the owner lynn thompson. what kind of guy is he?
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I really question their San Mai III steel.

Traditionally, a laminated knife has a very hard center layer for edge holding, and tough outer layers.

So, then, what is the point of laminating together two otherwise very modest steels?
 
I think CS is moving forward in a good way. My first CS folder was a Scimitar back in 98. Wasn't impressed. Second CS folder was a Triple Action D/E, even less impressed. It fell apart after 2 months. Current CS knives are amazing in comparison.
 
kozak6 said:
I really question their San Mai III steel.

Traditionally, a laminated knife has a very hard center layer for edge holding, and tough outer layers.

So, then, what is the point of laminating together two otherwise very modest steels?
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Valid point. The VG1 is pretty much the same as AUS10. It's not like it's expensive steel, make the whole blade out of VG1 and be done with it :)
Then again, laminating like that can't add too much to production costs.....I still see laminated Mora's for $15, Fallkniven does it as well and their blades are reasonably priced.
 
Hey, OrdnanceBubbaUSMC, you wouldn't be an armorer by any chance? I just find it curious, because I was an armorer many years ago and I have a liking for CS knives. Coincidence?
 
I was an armorer among other things, not in service any more though. My father was a machinist and part time knife maker and now engineer, I get my love of knives, guns, martial arts, etc. from him and have similar tastes. He also loves the Cold Steel products that he owns.

My main thing I would like different is like a lot of people, I do wish CS had some American made knives. It's not a bad idea though to beat the crap out of the foreign made goods that are less expensive and have a few nice, more attractive looking American made ones also.

I think the VG-1 laminated blades are fine since it is the design and actual production of the blades that matters most. If it works as planned that it is still very tough and does have increase in edge retention it is all that matters. They might get better results than just differential heat treatment from whatever factories they use.
 
On their website they claim San Mai III to be 25% stronger than Any stainless steel. I find that highly dubious.
 
I have a bunch of Cold Steel polypropylene practice weapons. I use them to hit the heavy bag in my garage. Lots of fun and a pretty decent workout too. :p I think I only have one Cold Steel folder. I have a preference for small folders and Cold Steel seems to specilaize in large folders and fixed blades. Based on the products I've handled, I think they are as good as any of their competitors in similar price categories. Their videos are pretty outrageous but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy them. I went to their last parking lot sale and I plan to go to the next one. I don't know what sort of man Lynn Thompson is but based on what I've seen and read I think he is a man who truly loves his job. I also think he is a genuine martial artist that knows how to use the items he sells.
 
I never noticed it on the website when I looked before, but this pretty much answers the OP as well as possible. http://tv.coldsteel.com/Box/Default.aspx?VidID=LCT-01

Goes with everything I have heard/read about him before. Don't agree with everything he says, same with all other people, but I do like that he has his own zingy personality and not afraid to show it...its risky but its honest, kind of refreshing. I would definitely rather have a few more of him in this country than a lot of other types.
 
OrdnanceBubbaUSMC said:
I never noticed it on the website when I looked before, but this pretty much answers the OP as well as possible. http://tv.coldsteel.com/Box/Default.aspx?VidID=LCT-01

Goes with everything I have heard/read about him before. Don't agree with everything he says, same with all other people, but I do like that he has his own zingy personality and not afraid to show it...its risky but its honest, kind of refreshing. I would definitely rather have a few more of him in this country than a lot of other types.
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Great vid! Sooo much fail :) That was good for a laugh :D
 
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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I think he is like a lot of people in the USA. A bit of an over eater, tries to stay active in hunting, and some mixed martial arts training as well as knife designing.

He seems to sometimes get surrounded by some controversy but otherwise seems amiable enough in person to his customers and thats really all you can expect.

His products are usually made inexpensively but well done for the most part and quite a lot of attention is paid to locking mechanisms. Lynn doesn't like whimpy locks and it shows in his products which at this time are some of the most impressive locking folders to hit the market in a long time. Some consider his products cheap but thats because they usually are for the most of what is sold. Cheap does not necessarily mean they lack toughness or that they are ineffective or poorly done though. In fact the inexpensive part of the equation is what makes them so great because the average working man can buy a knife he can rely on thats tough as nails and it won't break the wallet.

Here where I live if you mention Emerson, or Strider or other known tough knives to those of us here people look at you like huh? But if you mention Cold Steel they instantly light up because they recognize it and have some of their own in a lot of cases. I know several police officers that carry Cold Steel here in town and routinely beat the crap out of them using them for any manner of what would probably ruin lesser knives. They may not cut much anymore in a lot of cases but hey, if you are using them to pry open sliding doors or pick locks in gates to lift latches and other such things like cutting wire and metal mesh screens I guess you can't expect to keep an edge for too long! :D

STR
 
This is my personal opinion and my opinion only and it does not mean its true.

I personaly belive CS sucks. Their knives are made for people who drool over their magizenes and have never owned a knife. Their knives are made for a really cheep price over seas and sold for a really high price in the states. You can find 3 better made by Americans for a better price for every one of their knives but most dont study the market enough. Their cowboy type bowies are cheep made and only have short tangs and the outdoor bowies are too thin and not of the best stuff.

Lots here like them but I am guessing they dont know better or they just dont care about great products. CS has a great marketing department and that is what CS is....a great marketing department.

Here is waht cold steel is.

They go to the far east and have a knife made for 6 bucks. Its made semi cheep and sent to the U.S., then here it is put in the magazine with a few fancy pictures and sold for 180 bucks. They are very selfish and greedy. Most go to far east markets so we can buy the knife cheeper but they charge more then an American made knife.

So they spend about 6 bucks and sell for 180 bucks. Thats no friend of mine.

In America a good BK9 probably cost a good 15 or 20 bucks (I am guessing the prices I dont know actual cost) to make and they only sell it for 80 bucks.

Now if Ka-Bar was to take it overseas and got it made cheeper then our cost would probably be cheeper. Such as if they took it to the far east to be made it would coast them 6 bucks to make each one and then they would sell it for 59 bucks. They actually pass the savings on to us.

In my opinion CS is a rip off and only suckers buy thier stuff.

How the owner acts or is preceived I really dont care. Heck, the owner of Ka-Bar can wear a dress and kick old ladies for all I care. I buy quality products not the owner.
 
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