Cold Steel's all out venture into 3V steel... Your thoughts?

The best price ive seen online is 350 for the trailmaster and bout 310 for the recon scout in 3v but as i see it ,if they do materialize, it wont be untill next year. Im shocked we havent even seen the 4034 versions,either..
 
tess_lawrie_fan said:
Could you explain what was the problem?
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I posted a thread on it. When opened with authority the blade locked open so tight that it required pliers (or disassembly and removing the spring) to release the blade. I corrected it by carefully sanding the portion of the blade that contacts the locking pin until it fit properly. Took a couple hours. Reading reviews I see my problem was not unique.

In their defense it is easy to see how it could slip past quality control. The knife was otherwise absolutely perfect. Now, after fixing, it is 100% flawless.
 
PocketKnifeJimmy said:
When one realizes that 3V, which is a Crucible company, (of Syracuse NY), made tough specialty grade steel, is likely expensive... Then one also wonders why CS then chose to have these knives made in Italy, instead of Taiwan, which would have likely kept the prices down a bit, while still being done in a quality manner?
Anyhow, I can't wrap my head around their move to only using 3V with some of these model knives. Using 3V is perfectly fine, I applaud their use of higher end offerings, but to not include more traditional steel models as affordable options of those models... well, I just don't get that part of it at all.

Well, there's my long winded opinion on Cold Steel' latest venture into using 3V steel, and their choosing Italy as their source to have these knives made.

Now it's your turn...
What say you folks?
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I purchased a version of every trailmaster steel done, except for A2, which I have not seen and 3V. I am holding back on the 3V because I have no clue how good of an HT the steel has. And improperly HT'd 3V will get spanked by Rowen 1095 steel.
 
Cobalt said:
I purchased a version of every trailmaster steel done, except for A2, which I have not seen and 3V. I am holding back on the 3V because I have no clue how good of an HT the steel has. And improperly HT'd 3V will get spanked by Rowen 1095 steel.
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And you won't see the A2 according to LT.
The 3Vs made in Italy, maybe, eventually.
 
jbmonkey said:
I like the moves into 3v but not always the price points. the 4034 stuff im not so hyped up especially some of the price points I've been seeing.
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I agree, a 4034 steel blade should be priced similarly to a 420HC or 420J2 blade as those are the steels that it is most like. A TM out of this stuff should be running at around 140 ish.
 
So does anyone know which company in Italy is making the 3v blade? I wonder if it is the same as the company that made the spyderco tuff. Or whoever makes lionsteel 3v. I ask, because the heat treat is as or more important than the steel. 3v is worthless if done by some 2 bit outfit.
 
According to Demko from last year, the heat treating is being done by Peters in Pa then sent overseas for finishing.I also asked the question on how it was performing(i guess they had a few completed samples) he said outstanding....
 
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PocketKnifeJimmy said:
So, while looking through Cold Steel's 2021 catalog, I realized that certain well known CS models are/or will be in the marketplace in 3V form. But, many are no longer available in more traditional/more affordable steel grades.
I believe in the past, CS's method of offering popular models in both higher end AND basic traditional grade steels, was a great way to hit a wide range of customers.
I personally still feel it's the best way to go with their best known and popular sellers.
Well, now I see that such models as the Laredo, Natchez, and Trail Master Bowie knives, are only offered in premium or somewhat more exotic steels.
The Laredo & Natchez now only seem to be offered in the 3V, while the Trail Master is only offered in 3V or in VG-1 San Mai.
Also, while the 3V versions have MSRP's that don't seem way out of line with their usual MSRP's, the actual street pricing of these products are way higher than usual, they being listed for almost full MSRP... Ouch!
As an example of this, Knifecenter, which I feel to be a competitively priced and overall outstanding online knife vendor, has the Cold Steel 3V Italian made Trail Master priced at just under $460... That is not MSRP, but the actual selling price! Again... OUCH!
Now, this is not a knife that requires an exotic or expensive material handle, one that may have also required a good amount of human skill to install and fit & finish. Nope, it's CS's Kray-ex, which is injected molded and doesn't require any level of hand craftsmanship to make or install. I would likely not be far off to say that these handles likely cost less than three or four dollars to make and install on these knives, (and even that is likely a high estimated guess).
Yes, the blade steel is known to be a tough steel, and is an expensive steel to make because of it's state of the art manufacturing process that it involves, (over traditional knife steel methods), but in the end, these steel blades are mostly done by the CNC method. While they likely have some hands on work done to them, it's not like the Japan made San Mai Trail Master that requires true hands on craftsmanship after the bulk of the CNC machining is done in order to achieve that convexed blade shape and sharpening on it. This, btw, is the most likely reason that when CS moved their San Mai knife production to Taiwan, that the San Mai Trail Master was the only San Mai model to remain in Japan, since the Taiwan source was also great with their CNC product making abilities, but did not have their forte in the hand convexing required for the Trail Master's San Mai steel blade.
So, again... The Italian made 3V Trail Master has a very usable, but very inexpensive handle. An expensive steel, but mostly CNC made blade, (which I believe has a CNC done full flat grind done on them), and a price tag that almost approaches $500... OUCH!
When one realizes that 3V, which is a Crucible company, (of Syracuse NY), made tough specialty grade steel, is likely expensive... Then one also wonders why CS then chose to have these knives made in Italy, instead of Taiwan, which would have likely kept the prices down a bit, while still being done in a quality manner?
Anyhow, I can't wrap my head around their move to only using 3V with some of these model knives. Using 3V is perfectly fine, I applaud their use of higher end offerings, but to not include more traditional steel models as affordable options of those models... well, I just don't get that part of it at all.

Well, there's my long winded opinion on Cold Steel' latest venture into using 3V steel, and their choosing Italy as their source to have these knives made.

Now it's your turn...
What say you folks?
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I totally agree about including affordable options such as 01, A2, and even 52100. Who can afford the price of knives like the Trailmaster and Recon Scout in 3V?.
 
jc862 said:
I totally agree about including affordable options such as 01, A2, and even 52100. Who can afford the price of knives like the Trailmaster and Recon Scout in 3V?.
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Hardcore collectors most likely. At those prices, you might as well just save up a bit more for a Carothers or a Busse.
 
I believe they'll eventually offer both 4034 and 3V versions of their 5/16" knives. 3V is a far better choice than San Mai for there top shelf knives.
 
Imagine......it's 1985 again. A man walks up to you claiming to know the future. He says "In the year 2021, a knife, made in TAIWAN, will cost $400."

Any of us would tell this man he was stone cold nuts. Mentally deranged. Nutty as a fruitcake! HA!

Think about where these companies have led us to......lunacy.

If we actually found out what it cost GSM Cold Steel to produce a Taiwanese 3V knife and then what they are charging the consumer, we would be mighty angry.
 
I put it down to the change in ownership for the most part.
However, nice to see they still have good value kit like the leatherneck knives in D2 & the Wild West Bowie (even if it is 1080 instead of 1090). These are what keep me on-side with Coldsteel.
 
jc862 said:
I put it down to the change in ownership for the most part.
However, nice to see they still have good value kit like the leatherneck knives in D2 & the Wild West Bowie (even if it is 1080 instead of 1090). These are what keep me on-side with Coldsteel.
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I guess I see it differently JC. In the transition, they have to keep things cool so they don't lose all of Cold Steel's customers. But all the bad signs are there of what's coming- Flea Market steel 4034 knives for $200, eliminating the excellent Outdoorsman Lite budget knife in 4116, getting rid of the Warcraft Tanto in 3V and then charging almost as much for a horrid 4034 version. Bad customer service. They are just keeping people pacified with videos right now that make them not seem politically correct and think that things will continue like normal. They will not. GSM is owned by big Wall Street investors. I predict they will kill off Cold Steel as we know it, or, will make Cold Steel the next MTech. Basically, a joke. Hang onto to your pre-GSM stuff because it will be like gold in the future.
 
I won’t buy a 3V steel knife from Taiwan for the prices they are asking. They don’t even seem to know where their steel comes from…

Taiwan
USA
Italy

Seen them all listed, in just the ads for SRK and Master Hunter. Gimme a break. May as well be three different companies’ knives. I’ll buy used when they show up, eventually, so I can see where mine is actually coming from @ $175+.
 
coloradowildman said:
I guess I see it differently JC. In the transition, they have to keep things cool so they don't lose all of Cold Steel's customers. But all the bad signs are there of what's coming- Flea Market steel 4034 knives for $200, eliminating the excellent Outdoorsman Lite budget knife in 4116, getting rid of the Warcraft Tanto in 3V and then charging almost as much for a horrid 4034 version. Bad customer service. They are just keeping people pacified with videos right now that make them not seem politically correct and think that things will continue like normal. They will not. GSM is owned by big Wall Street investors. I predict they will kill off Cold Steel as we know it, or, will make Cold Steel the next MTech. Basically, a joke. Hang onto to your pre-GSM stuff because it will be like gold in the future.
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I basically agree that it’s going down hill & the videos are quite phony.
I try to imagine their production strategy & I guess that with certain product lines there’s no reason to change the production method (Leatherneck SF/ drop forged series), or to lie about the steel, so I’ll probably buy a couple of these before I quit Coldsteel.
 
When I looked at the new for 2022 offerings yesterday, I was shocked by the absurdly high MSRPs for the Bowies in 3V. WTF?!

I'm sure street prices will be much lower, but still . . . ridiculous sticker prices. You could get a really nice custom or semi-custom from a variety of skilled makers in the steel of your choice for the same or less.
 
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