CS San Mai III Trailmaster Question

ccoast36

ccoast36

Joined
Jan 16, 2017
Messages
433
Hey fellow knife enthusiasts. I am torn between the San Mai Trailmaster and the 4 max folder. Is it true that the Trailmaster is prone to chipping. I like the look of the knife and like the knives made in Japan, but certain reviews of the knife have me worried about that blade steel's strength under heavy use conditions. Also, the 4 max had me excited about a nice overbuilt triad lock folder made in the U.S., but just as soon as Cold Steel decided to make a knife here, they changed their mind and went back overseas. Is the company really that concerned about squeezing every last bit of profit they can out of their knives? If so, it makes me hesitant to support them. Any info or advice is appreciated.
 
Earlier San Mai Trail Masters have an AUS8 core, while later versions have a VG-1 core. Neither steel is particularly chippy. The problem lies in the hamaguri grind. It makes for a very fine edge. While this is great for cutting, it is more prone to chipping. If your going to do heavy chopping/batoning, you may want to reprofile the edge to a sharper (stronger) radius.

The 4-Max has seemed to have problems from the get-go. Some of the very 1st made had problems with the edge grinds, but they seemed to get the problem ironed out quickly. The remainder of the 1st gen (with a step in the lockbar) were very good.

The second gen (sans lockbar step) had problems with the lockbar sitting too high. Cold Steel called this a "cosmetic defect" and replaced (repaired?) the lockbars. There were also problems with sticky lockbars that wouldn't engage.

The 3rd and latest gen (also a stepless lockbar) seem to be trouble free. I have two of these and they are great in fit, finish, and function.

I think they are moving production to Italy, because of all the problems they had with the US vendor.
 
That's a good question. If you get one from a private seller, you could have them inspect it. I got mine on Ebay.
Ebay has a money back guarantee and will even send you a return label (even if the seller doesn't offer returns)
Amazon has the same policy if the order is fulfilled by Amazon.
 
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