Coldsteel Sold???

powernoodle said:
I hold no ill will against Cold Steel or Lynn Thompson, as some do. Cold Steel existed for the sole purpose of generating revenue for its shareholder(s) - not to make knives. It had no moral duty to make knives the way we wanted them made, nor to employ people at Christmas during a pandemic. It was solely a money-making enterprise, with the side benefit of placing cool knives in our pockets, creating a few jobs, etc.

No group of individuals likes to complain about everything as much as gun and knife guys do. But I suggest that the complainers go start your own knife company, so you can hire the downtrodden during a pandemic at Christmas. People who don't do that have no right to complain about how Lynn Thompson ran his business. It never existed for our benefit. It existed for Lynn Thompson. Now in his retirement years, he gets to sit on a giant Vanguard retirement fund, and to enjoy that awesome ranch of his. Good for him. We should all be so lucky - except that he made his own luck.
Click to expand...

Good observations.

As a current fan of Cold Steel due to the several models I have which have been high quality, particularly for the price, I was also dismayed to learn of the company s sale to a conglomerate not particularly interested in knives. But then I think, knives were only a part of Cold Steel s business.

I agree with PN that Lynn Thompson has earned my praise for providing me with the quality and price that has become increasingly rare in the knife enthusiast market. He deserves the retirement he has earned.
 
The Whip said:
I heartily agree with your sentiments, but I'll throw out a couple of counterpoints. Cold Steel was incorporated, but I don't believe it was ever a publicly traded corporation. I don't think there were any shareholders to satisfy.

Also, while Lynn certainly was a businessman, he was also a knife and weapons guy like most of us. I believe he genuinely loved developing, testing, and using his products. The fact that he was able to make such a successful business out of selling those products through hard work and savvy marketing is merely a testament to his fortitude and ethos. I never got the sense that it was "all about the money" for Lynn Thompson.


-Steve
Click to expand...
Neither did I.
 
Kind of sad to see Lynn sell his company. Obviously he's getting older but I wonder what else motivated him. Lynn was the soul of Cold Steel. This feels like the end.
 
If you were holding off on purchases to see what would happen, I would suggest that you hold off no more.

I have personally just now purchased a new G10 Espada and a XL Voyager Vaquero in plain edge flavor. Also tomorrow I will hit up my local shop for a 6" Hold Out that they have had gathering dust for the last few years.
 
I like my wife.

So, as I mentioned above, last night my wife ordered me a new G10 Espada and a plain edged Vaquero. I also said that we were gonna go to my local knife store where I would try and convince her to buy an old Hold Out that they had gathering dust for lord knows how long. She was cool with that. Then the owner of the store pulls out an equally old Cold Steel I had never seen before: an aluminum handled Paradox.

Odd knife. Cool, and perfectly named, but odd. My wife insists on buying both the Paradox and the Hold Out.

Which is why I like her. She puts up with my crazy BS.
 
jlauffer said:
What's up with that CS logo at the end?o_O
Click to expand...

I kinda like it.

Edit: on second viewing I am less impressed. I noticed it is no longer the worlds strongest and sharpest, or anytime anywhere... Apparently Cold Steel is now somewhat ready and only part of the time.
 
Last edited:
yep video is a good pr attempt to curb all the discontent. let see how they do with this...

I never like the 1980s styled fonts and art work cold steel used. any attempt to direct that a different way im good with.
 
The silence from the @Cold Steel Knives moderator for this forum is deafening. This and the two obviously "save face" videos, along with the 100% reversal on the warranty issue, says "We're in 100% damage control mode because we know absolutely nothing about the knife company we just bought, or its customers and fan base".

Hell, I don't even think they know they have a forum on BF!!!

Cold Steel is dead. :(

Long live Sold Steel. :poop:
 
evltcat said:
The silence from the @Cold Steel Knives moderator for this forum is deafening. This and the two obviously "save face" videos, along with the 100% reversal on the warranty issue, says "We're in 100% damage control mode because we know absolutely nothing about the knife company we just bought, or its customers and fan base".

Hell, I don't even think they know they have a forum on BF!!!

Cold Steel is dead. :(

Long live Sold Steel. :poop:
Click to expand...

I called the old Cold Steel customer service number in Ventura about an order and got one of those "this call cannot be completed because the number you have dialed is no longer valid" messages. Unless I mis-dialed 3 times in a row, I'm taking that as a sign that the CS offices are closed and no phones are left to answer. It's possible there is also no moderator left.
 
Storm Cloud, which is my EDC about 95% of the time. I am currently carrying two of them - one in my right front pocket and one in my left front pocket.

Reasons:

3.5" blade size is a good balance of usability, legality, and ease of opening with my thumb if necessary.

I like the ability to pocket open the knife.

I like having a knife that is designed to look nice when I pull it out.

Gentle on clothing unless pocket opened frequently.

Tri-Ad lock.

Handle that resists my hand sliding forward towards the blade.
 
My big concern is that the CS products I mostly buy are the non-knife ones, like spears, polearms, swords, sword machetes, shovels, etc... and I assume they won't just get cheapened, but they will just go away as not profitable enough. They always seemed like a labor of love by LT. There are only so many manufacturers of those items that are not just wall hangers, let alone reasonably priced. Yes, I have spear heads made in India where CS sources theirs and they are cheaper, but they come unsharpened, with no finish, and no shaft, while the CS versions are ready to go and more chest pounding impressive. Once I find a manufacturer I really like for a type of product, I'm pretty loyal to them. If these products go away, then customers like me will too.
 
Scott Deibler said:
My big concern is that the CS products I mostly buy are the non-knife ones, like spears, polearms, swords, sword machetes, shovels, etc... and I assume they won't just get cheapened, but they will just go away as not profitable enough. They always seemed like a labor of love by LT. There are only so many manufacturers of those items that are not just wall hangers, let alone reasonably priced. Yes, I have spear heads made in India where CS sources theirs and they are cheaper, but they come unsharpened, with no finish, and no shaft, while the CS versions are ready to go and more chest pounding impressive. Once I find a manufacturer I really like for a type of product, I'm pretty loyal to them. If these products go away, then customers like me will too.
Click to expand...
I just got a Big Bore blowgun, in case they stop selling, and man is it a blast! I too hope they don’t stop selling their fringe products and weapons.

Bought a handful of their knives as well, just in case. Another recon 1, a recon tanto, Bush Ranger folder, and a couple pro lites.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top