Colt Carbon Steel Trapper Initial Impressions.

A

Amos Iron Wolf

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Mar 7, 2006
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I finally had to try out one of the Colt carbon steel knives with the titanium blade coating. So I picked up a trapper. It came in yesterday. The edges were okay for a factory knife. The spey blade a little sharper. Each were usable, but like many factory edges could use a sharpening. So I gave them my now standard sharpening routing for a working knife. I use the KME sharpener with the 300, 600, and 1500 Gold series diamond stones, then finish off with a kangaroo strop loaded with 4 micron CBN emulsion. I find this a good balance between a really nice, sharp edge, and not spending hours on a knife trying to split atoms. However, the sharpening is not what this is about. It's about the knife, the blades, and how they cut. (Note: Much of the text below is cut from a similar post I did on another forum. It's my text so it's not plagiarism. I just didn't want to type it all over again. Slight editing was fine for me.)

I know a few have asked and some have wondered about the new Colt carbon steel line. So I thought I'd post some info on the one I got.

A little bit ago I went out back with the dog and saw the hackberry stick laying there I'd been roughing around with and had already done some cuts on with the knife when it first came in. I thought, "Yeah, grab that Colt and see how it does now." So I did.



First I cut the leftmost notch. Several curling cuts then cuts down at the ends to separate the sliced parts. Then some smoothing cuts. Next I started on the right most section cutting the ramp. After the full cuts I started using the blade making smoothing cuts on the little ridges that remain as each slice comes off. I then flipped the blade to a 90 degree or so angle and started scraping. Finally I cut the center notch and cut a small twig on the back side of the branch at it's base. In case anyone isn't familiar with a hackberry bush, they're pretty tough. This schteek was cut last week when I was checking out another knife so it's not quite green, but not dry and seasoned eihter.

After the cutting I checked the edge and there was no rolling or chipping. I cut some phone book paper and slick paper from a catalog and it sliced neatly through it no problem and not catching. So far the blade is acting like good carbon tool steel that's been properly heat treated.

Lastly I reached for a section of belt blank strap I had loaded with green compound and did 4 or 5 stropping strokes per side alternating as I went. Yup, shaved some hair.

This isn't an exhaustive test to be sure, but if the blade was crap steel or the HT was off the edge wouldn't have held like it did. Notching and shaving a tough wood will tell you really fast if your edge sucks or is weak. Since the knives I've been carrying are stainless (Case, SAK) and I haven't put many to hard use in some time, I'd almost forgotten just how nice a carbon steel blade could be. Sure, I like 1095 for all the traditional reasons and have carried and used it plenty in the past. But even so, I'd not really given a good sharpening to a carbon steel blade and really used it in awhile. It's easy to forget the finer things along the way.

Dang it. I may have to carry this thing a bit. Unless it shows pimples later, I'd carry this thing and use it hard in the woods, shop, farm/ranch, if I had any of those to mess around in, or around the yard (and I ain't got much of that). It's nice enough to carry, but not not so much to worry about and not use. As you can see from the photo the coating on the blade held up well. Not sure what it would do over the long haul, but if it was weak it would have started showing wear on all the passes through the wood. The little spot at the spine near the pivot was there when I got it. That would probably wear in a pocket over time as well. The spot on the choil is from me nicking it with the stones a few times to many.

Maybe folks like Case or Queen will take notice and incorporate carbon steel blades with a similar coating into a workman series of blades. G10 and Micarta scales and coated carbon steel blades in some good working patterns at a decent price and maybe introduce some new folks to the cutting ability of carbon steel without them fretting over discoloration or corrosion as much. Yes, you still need to wipe the blade down and not leave the exposed edge bevels wet for long, but that takes little to do and a lot of neglect to even see discoloration.

I guess I need to find some hard jobs for this to see how well it holds up and if it develops blade wobble. We shall see.
 
I have been wondering about these. Are we sure the blade is actually carbon steel? How is the coating? Titanium per se (as it's named) would be a pretty rotten coating material. Titanium nitride on the other hand, could be interesting.
 
I'm guessing it's a titanium nitride type coating. Nothing I can find to say that, but it seems pretty functional.

I also forgot to mention that overall fit and finish is pretty good and the liners are brass. Both blades have double swedges and they seem to be pretty well centered. The G10 scales fit a little proud at the bolsters and there is a slight gap (less than a fingernail) between the back of the scale and the bolster on the side shown in the photo.

The blade sharpens and acts like carbon steel. You do have to watch though as the similar looking Colt line that is actually called the Titanium series is 440A with a coating and black, jigged bone scales. That's a little confusing. This is the CT608. The Titanium series is CT3xx and CT2xx IIRC.
 
Interesting, looks to be a solid value for the money, thanks for sharing. I can't help but wonder, specifically what steel it is, but it doesn't appear to be half bad. The Colts I've handled, have seemed very respectable in terms of fit and finish. I'd say a little better than Rough Rider. For some reason these less expensive ( I.E. RR, Colt, Boker-plus, Marbles) slipjoints, interest me. Your dollar goes a long ways with them, for a lot of people knives like these are ideal. I like them, and I've spent much, much, more on traditional folders that are less than perfect.
 
Fit and finish on both of mine a Colt carbon steel Trapper and Canoe are good, I haven't put the steel through it's paces. In essence it's a notch above rough riders in quality and fit and finish in my opinion from comparing them to the 2 rough riders I own. They don't get much pocket time though as these have some pretty thick blades at about 1/8in and I love the 1/16in blades on my rough riders. Though these do feel like they were built like tanks. Both blades snap with some authority and came decently sharp out of the box, on par with the rough riders and these were lightly and evenly coated in oil.

The 2 I have now show wear even though they don't get pocket time due to using an ultrasonic cleaner on them when I first got them, I didn't expect that. If I remember correctly the dye in the handles have worn a bit and isn't quite a nice now as it begun to fade. And on one knife I suspect the titanium nitride coating wasn't done properly as it was removed in some areas, that has never happened despite throwing a few other knives in there with this coating. Can't really knock a knife for this, especially for the handles as they weren't designed for this but I felt it was worth noting.

Easy to tell if you have the carbon steel blades it says "High Carbon Steel" on the box and there is a warning label that it will sharpen quicker and stay sharper longer at the risk of rust.
 
Thought another update and pic would be nice.

Okay, so I'm getting in this habit of going out back and sitting with this knife at least once a day and whittling on the ever drying and hardening hackberry sticks I've got sitting by the chair with this Colt carbon steel bladed trapper.

I pulled the Colt out of my pocket which so far has only been given a short freehand stropping each time after the two earlier whittling sessions. Today I went ahead and did a few cuts through phone book paper after doing a fuzz stick and took a photo showing both the stick, paper, and edge of the knife together. Notice that some of the longer, top cuts go into a knot on the branch. Also see how thin the stick has gotten at the bottom of the curls.



With a 20X lighted loupe you can't see any changes from the side, but if you light it right and look down on the edge I was using to cut you can see a little bit of difference. After 20 freehand strpping strokes per side, alternating as always, you can't tell where the shiney spots were with a straight on the edge look with the lighted loupe.

So far I have to say they got the carbon steel in this thing right. I am liking this knife a lot.
 
I think Colt did a fine job in lending their name yo a good product. If only S&W could do the same!
 
cchu518 said:
I think Colt did a fine job in lending their name yo a good product. If only S&W could do the same!
Click to expand...

Well, that ship sailed!

Few folks know that S&W started selling knives under their own label made here in the USA. According to the S&W collector's forum they started sometime in the late 70s. They made knives that looked a lot like Pete Gerber's initial offerings with a couple of traditional patterns in the mix. They were nice knives, but really expensive, no doubt trading off the S&W name. I still see them at the gun shows from time to time and you can still find them on the net.

I don't know when they went over to the dark side of cheap, poorly made junk, but they really committed to that end. I have a couple of amigos that have heard through their sources that they are trying to turn their image around and are actually making a few decent knives now. I don't know how long it would take to get over the bad taste they have left in knife community after 30 years of making junk.

Colt did the same thing about 20 years when it teamed up with United Cutlery and simply allowed them to stamp their name (or etch it) onto different pieces of their existing knife inventory. Someone wizened up, and decided to make a good quality knife and just charge a bit more for it than a comparable model for their competitors. The remaining Colt I have from 20 years ago is a piece of cr!p and I bought it mail order based on the Colt name. The Colt knife I bought a year or two ago after reading the reviews here on BF is a completely different knife in terms of quality on all aspects.

I just don't think S&W can pull back from their current reputation.

Robert
 
thanks for the review. Ive been thinking about ordering one of the Colt Carbon Canoes. May just do that now.
 
I have the Colt Peanut in 440a. I will tell you I was impressed with it enough to give it to a coworker who I've known for 8 years and not feel like I gave him a piece of junk. Excellent FF just like the OP's carbon trapper. Excellent cutting ability. The only sacrifice was not so great edge retention, but the blades are so thin that it doesn't take very long to freshen up. Btw, I whittle some green wood with that little peanut with no detriment to it in ff after. After the whittling session I was sold that it wasn't just some cheap knife with a gunmaker's brand stamped on it even though it sells online for dirt cheap!

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Just got the canoe in the mail. I gotta run out but I'll post pics and more details later. I have to say though its a very fine knife. Shaving sharp out the box, strong pull and snap, no notable gaps, no hot spots and no play at all. There's almost a bit of rub between the blades but nothing that seems to be scratching. Its heavy but comfortable and'll make a great whittler.
 
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Glad to hear others are having good specimens. I'd pretty much written anything with Colt on a knife from the United Days, but I'm really happy to see these new ones. Best I can tell SMKW owns the name along with Rough Rider and they seem to be very involved in keeping an eye on things.

In the moderns and traditionals pairing you can see the Colt CT591 modern in D2 paired with a SAK Alox Farmer. Well now that modern Colt rides in my hip pocket, a Boker Arbolito stag fixed blade in a pocket sheath in my front pocket, and the Farmer in belt case with some other goodies tucked in it.

I now have three of the Colt traditionals. Two in Black Stag and stainless, a 175th Anniversary Barlow and a non-etched Congress, and the carbon Trapper.

Now if Colt would do a Mini-Trapper in D2 (a Wharncliffe blade might be asking too much) that kept the same standard I've seen so far I'd have to really take a look at that. As it is, I'll be open to picking up a few more in the future.
 
I'm looking forward to them doing a carbon steel stockman. I could take or leave the titanium coating, but I guess I understand their rationale. Its a compromise. Make a carbon steel knife for the mass market, but try to limit the risk of rust from neglect by folks who aren't used to knife care. Anyways it seems like it'll strop off over time.
 
The coating may eventually come off, but I've shoved the blade through wood and in trying out field expedient stropping I've stropped it on a section of stick cut mostly smooth and against the barked portion and not a scratch. As Bob noted above though, using something like an ultrasonic cleaner will mess up the coating.

Maybe over time the coating will give way slowly and a patina develops on the exposed areas. Could make for some interesting patterns.

I do like that they left off the word Titanium or anything else off the blade. With a coat of mineral oil the coated blades sort of look like the grey of a well, albeit way too even, patina'd blade. It's not so much that it's going to fool anyone familiar or that the coating is really intended to fake a patina. I think it's more about having the coating at least compliment the carbon steel and tipping a hat to the look of a bare carbon steel blade over time. It ain't ugly at least and some weird color.

While it's not pure traditional I do like that the coating, and the scales for that matter, make for the cutting and edge retention of a carbon blade that you can knock about, carry in sweaty pockets and rain with a lot less worry about blades and scales, and is pretty much a working knife that can be packed along in harsh conditions. I thought at first I wouldn't like the coated blades simply because it's "not traditional." But, I have come to appreciate that if it gets some people introduced to the crisp cutting of carbon steel blades who have always been stainless for fear of rusting carbon, it's not all bad.
 
yeah I dont mind it at all and i figure it would keep scratches down too. I have an eka 38 carbon with blue scales and black coated blade and I like that one too. The blue and black is nice together. The blue on those scales is just really pleasing to the eye.
 
I'd love to see the carbon Colts offered in a black or grey bone. The G10 scales are good in the use it dirty and hard way of thinking, but some bone would be nice in the more traditional sense.
 
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