Coldsteel 4max question

R

ryosuke

Joined
Jun 27, 2006
Messages
359
hi everyone. I’m interested in the 4max folder from coldsteel. I know that they use
D shape pivot screws in newer generations and older ones come with a round pivot screw. If it did come with a round screw how difficult is it to take it apart？ is it impossible? Should I get the one with the D shape no matter what? Want to hear your opinion. I just don’t want to regret spending 350 dollars. Thank you.
 
I would get one with the d screw if you can I would also get one from a dealer with a good money back return,in case you have any issues.
 
goldie said:
I would get one with the d screw if you can I would also get one from a dealer with a good money back return,in case you have any issues.
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Are there many known problems with the 4max, or is it just because it's ridiculously expensive?
 
Rykjeklut said:
Are there many known problems with the 4max, or is it just because it's ridiculously expensive?
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https://www.bladeforums.com/search/14663480/?q=4Max&o=date&c[title_only]=1&c[node]=895

Heck of a beast if you need one . There's been some vendor problems but when done right they get rave reviews . ~$250 in the USA and you can pay a lot more to get much less . About as close as it gets to a folding fixed blade . Big , heavy and strongly built . Not very practical for most people for a casual EDC folder .
 
Rykjeklut said:
Are there many known problems with the 4max, or is it just because it's ridiculously expensive?
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There was one serious issue -- improper lockup. However, I BELIEVE that this issue was only found on the second gen 4Maxes. I THINK the first gen (with the dogleg lockbar) and the third gen Italian-mades should be OK.
 
It is a great design, but there were and are many quality control issues with this model.
 
My early Italian model (first run, in fact, as I had it on preorder before they came out) has a D pivot barrel and the little metal insert in the handle to act as a key for the pivot. The flat spot on the pivot barrel on mine does not mate up tight with the metal insert, but it does contact it more than adequately to hold the pivot in position when the pivot is loosened or tightened. Apparently this isn't the case on all the Italian ones, as we saw in jimislash's thread on the Italian MAX. I'm hoping whatever factory is doing these can clean up their QC, or that CS will move them to Taiwan if they don't. The current Italian MAX unfortunately seems a bit of a crap shoot at this point. Not cool for any knife, much less one at this price. I guess I was lucky with mine and I absolutely love it, but there appear to be enough issues (off-center blades, wonky locks, weird pivots) that I can't really comfortably recommend getting one at this point (I have no exp. with the American versions, so I can't comment on them).
 
Another odd thing that was shown was a thin Teflon washer that fit between the pivot screw and the hole in the handle. that is the 1st time ive ever seen a washer of any kind in the pivot hole. I think your better off with a recon 1 theres still some cts models out there,evwn the new s35 version is better than the 4max at this point. At least its tried and true.Its also a lot cheaper and better made.Cold Steel needs to contract Reate or someone who knows what they are doing,cause this is the second manufacturer whos messing up a pretty simple design,thats what I find the most puzzling....
 
Thanks to you all for the comments. I get so disappointed when I see awesome deigned models with flaws which are not hard to be fixed the first place before leaving the factory. Wonder why manufacturers don’t realise such simple mistakes before going into production.
 
ryosuke said:
I think I’ll get recon model for now.
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Depends on what you want. Both are great knives. The 4-Max is a beast that comes close to a fixed blade if you have a need for it...most probably don’t and the Recon may make more sense.
 
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