CS Trail Master fails miserably

Ankerson said:
I have owned 4 Trail Masters (Still have 2) and used them all for chopping and Battoning and none of them ever broke on me.
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Same with me, I love mine. But there's always a bad apple in every barrel, unfortunately.
 
sodak said:
Same with me, I love mine. But there's always a bad apple in every barrel, unfortunately.
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Yeah or so it seems if it's was a real TM... :confused:

Here is me torquing mine a little on video. That's an SK-5 Model here.

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Yep I agree with most all the above. I test knives, but I don't try to use them way past what they are made for. Some emergency acts may be needed with an outdoor/camp blade, but to use one to split firewood?????:rolleyes: Thats a job for a small or large axe. If one needs firewood there are alot of smaller chunks of wood for a camp knife to be used on. Shelters, spears, spits, brushclearing, ect, but they are not a wood maul. Oh and just a note, I tested my CS Trailmaster and it did just fine. enjoy. edgy:thumbup:
P.S. My Junglas did much better.!!!;)
 
2Edgy4u said:
Yep I agree with most all the above. I test knives, but I don't try to use them way past what they are made for. Some emergency acts may be needed with an outdoor/camp blade, but to use one to split firewood?????:rolleyes: Thats a job for a small or large axe. If one needs firewood there are alot of smaller chunks of wood for a camp knife to be used on. Shelters, spears, spits, brushclearing, ect, but they are not a wood maul. Oh and just a note, I tested my CS Trailmaster and it did just fine. enjoy. edgy:thumbup:
P.S. My Junglas did much better.!!!;)
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You can batton with them, but on a 9 1/2" blade I wouldn't split anything over 4" wide with it. That way you have plenty of space on both sides of the wood to hit the blade.

There are proper ways to do things.
 
1. You have a buddy with an obnoxious laugh and a video camera but no axe?
2. Why would you batton a log? To make littler logs? Observe what is in the guys right hand...

Just saying....
 
You can't stress enough the importance of good technique, check out the ksf artlicle on batoning. No matter how good the steel is you can't beat physics. Never have the blade tip higher than the handle!

It's just like when you use two close trees to break large branches. It's all about using leverage not the strength of the branch or you for that matter.
 
Are you surprised? It's Cold Steal. Don't willingly allow yourself to be robbed. You'd be better off flushing your money down the crapper (I'm prepared for the backlash, I just don't really care). Do yourself a favor and go ESEE or something similarly great.
 
Ankerson said:
You can batton with them, but on a 9 1/2" blade I wouldn't split anything over 4" wide with it. That way you have plenty of space on both sides of the wood to hit the blade.

There are proper ways to do things.
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Yep. I guess I should have put that in there. Agree 100% with ya. But that dudes goin way past that. 2x4s even 4x4s. But not 7,8,9in. timber. Yah. Enjoy edgy :thumbup:
 
Apebrains said:
Are you surprised? It's Cold Steal. Don't willingly allow yourself to be robbed. You'd be better off flushing your money down the crapper (I'm prepared for the backlash, I just don't really care). Do yourself a favor and go ESEE or something similarly great.
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I am very suprised as I have been using Trail Masters out in the field for over 20 years. Never broke a blade or snapped a tip off any of them.

That's starting with the orginal Carbon V models, now San Mai III and Sk-5 now.

I also own a lot of Busses too so don't even go there. ;)
 
Stelth said:
I don't believe that. Aren't axes and hatchets made with a softer steel so they can better absorb the impact?
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...yeah because axe handels NEVER break.

-Right tool for the job. ...That's why I take a chainsaw and a hydraulic log splitter with me when I go hiking. :rolleyes::p

Big knives are definately "cool" but more than that they are useful. Kind of a jack of all trade type of deal where they may not be perfect at any one task, but they are great at many. :) Battoning with a big knife works great for most people, and is very helpful if all the wood around you is soggy or larger than you need.

It is unfortunate that this can happen to a good knife, but and axe or machete can break just as easily if you miss a swing at the wrong momment.

...just saying.
 
I batonned the hell out of my old Cold Steel Master Tanto in San Mai steel(brass fittings; old school:)).
I batonned through wood so thick there was barely enough blade sticking out to hit; no problem.
That guy got a lemon. It happens.
 
Apebrains said:
Are you surprised? It's Cold Steal. Don't willingly allow yourself to be robbed. You'd be better off flushing your money down the crapper (I'm prepared for the backlash, I just don't really care). Do yourself a favor and go ESEE or something similarly great.
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Unless you can substantiate such a wildly far reaching claim with personal experience or some other points of data don't bother posting such obvious troll comments.

I've seen a thread on esee failure too where an rc3 chipped out with light duties. The difference is that everyone remembers that as a great costumer service story not a knife failure one.
 
Murphy's law ? Any knife can and will fail if put under perfectly severe circumstances for failure , doesnt matter who made the blade or how much you paid for it.

That video doesnt mean anything to me.

Tostig
 
BryFry said:
...yeah because axe handels NEVER break.
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I've never seen one of these break.
 
That's a funny vid. Can't really knock CS too bad, everyone puts out a crap knife once in a while....heat treating can be unforgiving if it's messed up.
Even the beloved Bark River has popped out a few brittle blades. It happens, move on...:)
Only thing I'll say is Cold Steel knives are over priced for what you get, they really should move up to some better steels.
 
That wasn't a knife failure, that was a user failure.

It's like saying a 230gr .45 ACP is a weak round because it didn't stop the angry grizzly from eating your dog.
 
Apebrains said:
Are you surprised? It's Cold Steal. Don't willingly allow yourself to be robbed. You'd be better off flushing your money down the crapper (I'm prepared for the backlash, I just don't really care). Do yourself a favor and go ESEE or something similarly great.
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Who are you to wave your finger? Ya must've been out your head. ;)

Seriously though, I'm not a big Cold Steel advocate, but they do make some solid products. You can't call everything they make garbage because it's just simply not true.
 
I have a $300 handsaw that I can break inside of 5 seconds if I use it improperly.
I have a zillion dollar slick (freakin' workhorse that makes the trailmaster look like a toothpick) that I can break inside of 5 seconds if I use it improperly.
I can even break a sledgehammer inside of 5 seconds.
Come to think of it I could break my car if I try to drive it through a field of boulders.
Most of these 'failure' videos irritate me, especially THIS one (that laugh... ugh).
Y'know... I think I'll buy a William Henry knife and see if it'll cut a quarter panel off of a car. If it fails, then I'll KNOW that W/H knives suck.
:rolleyes:
 
Funny. From the video

Heavy leather gloves
WD-40
Trailmaster

All to split wood

Dang...just pack an axe.
 
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