CS Recon 1

Great site and review, CanDo! When you mention that it may be too much for an EDC, are you just referring to weight, or size as well?
 
Thanks A.P.F.! Whether it's too much for EDC is purely a personal thing - it actually happens to be my EDC right now. Weight may be a concern to some (those without belts), and the size is an issue only so far as sheeple are concerned.
 
How do you think such a knife would fare with the older, 440A steel? And how about the newer VG-1? Do you have any experience with similarly testing these steels? Also, of what real significance is the "cryogenically quenched stainless-steel" bit? Aren't most modern blades by major manufacturers sub-zero quenched in one way or the other? Oh, and speaking of blades, you mentioned removing the teflon coating. How would you do that? It would also require a thorough polishing, too, wouldn't it?

Also, how do you think Cold Steel's serrations would have affected your tests? Or blade configurations (tanto, spear point)? I know I'm asking for guesses, but if you have any views, I'd like hearing them.

I realize that G10 makes for great handles, but until I get one of these newer knives, I won't be able to tell whether I like the older Zytel or the G10. On the AK-47 axis lock knife by Cold Steel, I very much prefer the aluminum handles to the G10. I do like the axis lock much more than I thought I would, and I now think it's the strongest locking mechanism to be found on any folding knife. Certainly better than even the Lake and Walker Knife Safety, which I also like. Cold Steel advertises that it will take up to 200 pounds without failing. (That means it probably failed the ultimate "Lynn Thompson" test, but hey, one can't have everything!) It's probably the closest thing to having a fixed blade in a folder.

Thanks for the review, it was superb. And also thanks to KnifeShopOnline.com for providing the knife.

Here's a photo of the older version with the Zytel handle, not the G10:

DSC05717.jpg
 
You're welcome on the review, I'll be glad to do more for any knives you send my way ;)

I'm really not the best guy to ask on steels, as I don't have a whole lot of experience. Yes, I imagine that all AUS 8 is hardened similarly; I can't compare it to others, but I am quite impressed without how it worked out for the Recon 1.

I'm not a fan of serrations on a knife like this, they take up valuable space on the blade, aren't very useful, and are a pain to sharpen. As you can see in my review, if your knife is sharp, serrations aren't necessary to cut rope. Aside, I do carry a LM Wave with a fully serrated blade. Serrations would have made whittling the spindle, shaving the spruce, and splitting the wood all the more difficult because much less of the blade could be used. This rules out spear point (as it only comes in combo edge). Tanto is a personal thing, I don't like the looks of it, the feel of it as it slices, and it also removes the striking surface on the back of the blade for using the knife to split wood.

As mentioned in the review, I love the G-10, and it beats the plastic feel of zytel in my opinion. If you do decide to buy the knife, knifeshoponline.com really is a great place to get it.
 
Thanks for taking the time to do this review.

I personally would question the raison d'etre of this knife. If I was packing a knife for a camping trip, with no issues about discreet carry, I would far rather take a fixed blade for chores like chopping, food prep, etc with a SAK as back-up.

While I don't doubt the Recon I can do the things it did, it seems to be to a knife that's caught between a rock and a hard place:-

Too big for street carry (especially with that clip positioned where it is) and not really the best choice for the great outdoors (where one can choose from several dozen fixed blade options from Cold Steel and others).

Personally I think it could be scaled down a notch to make a good choice for a budget EDC that can be hammered hard with no regrets.

Mark
 
I read you on the serrations, CanDo. As to the size concerns, I personally like the feel of this knife. It makes the blade seem a bit larger than it actually is. Why Cold Steel would place the serrations where they did I don't know.

Carrying it is a pain and is best suited for in-the-pocket of jeans or in coats. Many of the larger knives ride high. I wish someone would sell leather holsters for these knives.

I don't carry concealed guns when forbidden, but I'm a bit bolder in carrying knives with longer blades.
 
I've been pondering getting one of these for awhile, one thing about the knife I cant find info on. Are the washers bronze or do they use the cheapo teflon washers? Thanks
 
great review CanDo. i had one of these once and i loved it. i got p.o.'ed at L.T.'s sales tactics and sold all my cold steels. but i have to say it was one tough knife! I might just have to get another one after reading your review.,,thanks again,,VWB.
 
I have one of the older Recon1's with the zytel handle and Plain tanto point. I have carried it every day for about 6 years. I have used it a lot, and am very very happy with it. The only thing I would change about it is to have the newer G-10 handles. They look and feel nicer, and make it stronger.
The older Zytel handled one supports 150lbs, the new one with the G-10 handles holds 200 pounds.
 
shigawire4sure

Cold Steel gave credit to benchmade on their boxes when the ultra lock was first released. Since then Benchmade and Cold steel came to certain terms.

CanDo

Cant wait for more reviews
 
I have both the old Zytel version and the newer AUS8 G10 version, and I like them both. There are times when the G10's aggressive bite doesn't suit me well, so it's nice to have a smoother surface to grasp. With all the praise Buck and other knives receive regarding their excellent heat treats of their steels, I think Cold Steel is underrated in their blade quality. Its AUS8 stainless is about as good as any of its type anywhere, and I've found CS's 440A to come out of the box sharp++ and it retains an edge better than I would have ever thought. In fact, all of their blades tend to be sharp, the knives well finished and tight and the blades to be consistently well ground and free from tool marks. (I recently bought an American-made CRKT that had a thumb print along the top of one side of the blade and an index finger smudge on the other!)It's really a testament to CS's quality when there's a consistent demand for their "seconds." And frequently when they have seasonal promotions, if they run out of their older stocks of seconds or discontinued items, they'll substitute better models at no additional charge. For example, I wanted to order four of their discontinued Pro-Lites (seconds) to give as gifts. They informed me that they no longer were in stock, but offered the more expensive Voyagers (large) in their stead. They could have just as easily told me they were out of stock, but it was a nice gesture. Four brand new large Voyagers for a hundred bucks. Merry Christmas.Finally, I like serrations. They cut through cord, light vegetation and other things that might otherwise require some aggressive cutting -- cutting that might quickly dull a plain blade.
 
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