Cold Steel's San Mai a Rip-Off

Outdoors Fanatic said:
Grow up buddy, I was going to buy this knife... till this thread.
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don't they make an SK 5 version of the bowie?
if you don't trust san mai take a look at that.
I would not shy away from one if i had the need/ found a decent price on it.
 
Cold Steel fans, if you really do like your brand, please offer some reasons instead of just flaming skeptics. Yes, Spyderco gets mentioned a lot in Cold Steel threads. But the opposite isn't true. That's because Spyderco fans tend to offer support for liking their brand. I've posted threads expressing my distrust of some Spyderco designs, and I've gotten solid responses. The result is that I've come to like the brand and have learned a lot about knives in the process. I feel like if I did the same for Cold Steel, I would be instantly flamed.
 
Deep down behind all that marketing and controversy, Cold Steel isn't that bad.
I'm looked at the form for a long time and whenever people mention controversy or failure or even the marketing, the haters seem to spring into action.
I'm pretty sure Cold Steel was thrown off balance once Camillus closed.
Carbon V was a staple and part of their marketing.
So basically they had to think up a new gimmick.
Cold Steel suffers too.
 
Still surprised how VG1 gets insulted in the same posts praising VG10 or SGPS. They are all Takefu cutlery steels.
 
Tsujigiri said:
Cold Steel fans, if you really do like your brand, please offer some reasons instead of just flaming skeptics. Yes, Spyderco gets mentioned a lot in Cold Steel threads. But the opposite isn't true. That's because Spyderco fans tend to offer support for liking their brand. I've posted threads expressing my distrust of some Spyderco designs, and I've gotten solid responses. The result is that I've come to like the brand and have learned a lot about knives in the process. I feel like if I did the same for Cold Steel, I would be instantly flamed.
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fan? am i really a Fanboi? maybe... hmm...

I like the locks on coldsteels folders

Ive yet to have an issue with any product i have gotten from them.

after reading up on Aus 8 on the interwebs i thought it would suck... when i got my knife i was pleasantly surprised, plenty tough holds an edge long enough and is easy enough to sharpen

I feel bragging on one brand above others is Pointless and often adds little to a discussion.

and what is up with the burden of proof fallacy?
 
I dont undertand all the hate of CS. Dont you use your knives every morning to cut your leather coat with meat in it. Tell me your spyderco can do that!
 
Ugg. Just finished my 20 pull ups on my Voyagers driven into the wall with a ball peen hammer. Bring on the morning all you haters!
 
Well while I don't think that Cold Steel are downright lying but rather this is a case where they are simply not telling the whole truth. They are using a high carbon steel in their composite, but a high carbon stainless steel. It's just another example of their marketing.
 
Sorry If I buy anything from them it has to be the old CarbonV stuff. I dont care for the marketing but I will say they got some great blades from Camillus. and it worked. Never should have went to the Mall ninja bull, but gotta give him props. He made a bundle off of it.
 
Nifelheim said:
Well while I don't think that Cold Steel are downright lying but rather this is a case where they are simply not telling the whole truth. They are using a high carbon steel in their composite, but a high carbon stainless steel. It's just another example of their marketing.
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So now they are guilty of the sin of omission? Let those among you who are without sin cast the first Bushman!

I just don't understand why people can't accept the fact that there is no 'best' steel, just different steel. Nor can I understand why individuals make a blanket generalization of a company or product. Individuals with half an ounce of brains, must surely have learned that generalizations fall apart when the group of items or people are viewed in singularity. Anyway, I digress.

What I like about the Voyager series of knives is the hollow grind, polished finish, texturing on the handles, solid lockup and the great variety of blade lengths. I also like VG-1 steel for it's ability to take a very fine edge and hold it, yet when it does need sharpening, it readily yields to Arkansas stones.

As far as the quality of manufacturing and design is concerned, I would encourage anyone to examine the CS Ultimate Hunter, or an American Lawman or a Recon 1, and tell me that they are junk. Are there certain CS models that don't appeal to me? Of course, but it is certainly not due to the design or workmanship.

Where San Mai steel is concerned, the concept is to use tougher steel on the outside, to support thinner steel on the inside. The thin cutting edge of the inner steel will do a better job than the much thicker profile of a conventional blade of the same steel. The net yield is a better cutting and more durable blade. Is there any requirement that the inner steel be significantly harder than it's standard treatment? No. What is important, is that the steel be treated to bring out the best of it's characteristics. Clearly CS is satisfied that the VG-1 core will perform properly with their normal treatment.

I could go on, but it would just wear me out and bore you silly. All that I would ask of the CS detractors, is that they give CS knives a thorough work-out before passing judgement. You just may find a knife that appeals to you.
 
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AUS-8 gets a bad rap for some reason...but in my experience it's quite solid stuff. It's not the latest and greatest, and it's not expensive, but it holds an edge reasonably well, is easy to sharpen, and has a good degree of corrosion resistance. It's just fine for me. :shrug:
 
Tsujigiri said:
This is why Cold Steel is considered a good brand by mall ninjas, and Spyderco is preferred here. Real knife nuts chase good steel; mall ninjas buy based on advertising.
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Hmm...If I'm a cop, and I carry Cold Steel, does that make me a Mall Cop?:p If a Mall Cop and a Mall Ninja square off and both are carrying Cold Steel who wins? Does the universe cease to be?

Who is the toughest? Mall Ninjas, Mall Cops or Keyboard Commandos?:D

Honestly though I carry a Cold Steel AK-47 while on duty for a couple of reasons, mainly the Tri-Ad locking mechanism and the price. It is easier for me to replace a $70.00 AK than a $455.00 Sebbie. Believe it or not I didn't base my purchase on the ability of Lynn Thompson to stab the knife through medieval chain mail.
 
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AUS-8a, may not be the latest and greatest, but has anybody seen that nutnfancy vid where he pounds the doo doo out of a tanto Recon 1 by batoning it into a log??? Say what you want about CS, but you'll never see that amount of abuse taken by many (if any) manufacturers. Fast forward to minute 17:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TojmirPhBn8
 
Doesn't beating up Lynn and Cold Steel get at least a little bit old??? Ever??? Really??? Its seems as though now, you don't even have to buy an actual Cold Steel knife and have a failure to bad mouth it. All you have to do is look at the website and surmise that there "could" be a "possible" problem, "maybe..." What I think most people can't get over is that Lynn just says, buy it or go fly a kite. He also does things with his knives and challenges you to do it with yours.

Funny thing.......... I don't see many people taking their pretty knives and back yard combat knives out and doing the same things. Today, after reading the "mall ninja" BS for the 4000th time, I searched the internet and youtube for similar tests and guess what???? There are none. Oh wait let me guess, Lynn probably uses a new knife for each shot! Or the hemp rope is really hollow! Or it was cut 3/4 of the way through before the shot! Or that wasn't a real car hood! Bla bla bla.

Buy a fricken Cold Steel knife and actually use it or please, for the love of Pete, shut up! Or just go buy something else and enjoy it. But please, stop with the same old nonseneical mall ninja stuff.

Take a plane over to Iraq or Afganistan and take a look at what "real" troops wear in the field and you will find that if they get to choose, they choose a high percentage of plain old Cold Steel and Ka-Bar products. Thats because they actually work and if they fail, Cold Steel replaces them. Granted you will usually find the SK-5 versions out there rather than the high dollar VG-1 stuff but that is the way it is on their pay. Cold Steel products work, just as stated in their videos. That is more than likely what pisses people off more than anything else, he says they are good, and they are! And you can't find anything better no matter how many knives you buy or how much you spend. And no matter how many posts you make, you can't get the masses to hate their products!

Oh yeah, there is the little thing about probably less than one in ten of these Cold Steel compainers actually go more than 4 feet from their computer and really use their knives! The real CS users "can" be found on youtube with scratched up, banged up, worn knives that are still kicking. They use them side by side with other "real" knives and while each person may have a preference, the CS knives are always in the hunt for best in class! What more can you ask for?

So reader beware! You might want to think about who these people are that are making these comments before you listen to them and repeat it.

Walk softly and carry a CS Recon Scout! JMHO... ;)
Bill
Virginia
 
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Tsujigiri said:
This is why Cold Steel is considered a good brand by mall ninjas, and Spyderco is preferred here. Real knife nuts chase good steel; mall ninjas buy based on advertising.
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There are many great designs that are made by Cold Steel that have no competitor on the market from Spyderco such as their OSS line of sub-hilt fighting knives. Because your post is so ignorant and inflammatory if I was a moderator I would lock your account for a few days to let you do some learning.
With that time you could even learn the whole scope of the Spyderco product line so that you might notice that they do not make every knife type on the planet.
 
Or because they are easily affordable.... ;)

shortwinger said:
Take a plane over to Iraq or Afganistan and take a look at what "real" troops wear in the field and you will find that if they get to choose, they choose a high percentage of plain old Cold Steel and Ka-Bar products. Thats because they actually work and if they fail, Cold Steel replaces them.
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Where San Mai steel is concerned, the concept is to use tougher steel on the outside, to support thinner steel on the inside.
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Never heard it explained that way. Everyone else seems to think the idea is to support harder and more brittle steel with tougher steel. Maybe you have something there.
 
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