date of American made to Taiwan?

[beachmaster]

Hey guys,
The first knife I EVER purchased was a cold steel. It was a true flight thrower. That was back probably in '97 when I was 7. I think i paid 10-15 bucks for it. I THINK it was made in the USA.
The coming Christmas, my dad snuck it to a still new bladetech, and had them make a kydex sheath for it... I need to get that knife back!
My dads most cherished knife has always been a cold steel trail master, from probably like 95 or earlier. The ricaso(I think that is what it is called) is loose now (actually for the last 10 years) but he still carries it everywhere. He has a bladetech sheath on it from when they had just opened, when they still used SUPER thick kydex.

Anyways, my next cold steel was a spike. I wanted it for years, finally got it, it was made in Taiwan and had NO edge, and I HATED it.

Looking at cold steel now, it looks like it is all Taiwan. I think i remember cold steel coming out with a Chinese line of knives in like 98 or 99, but when did they become predominantly Taiwan?

My cold steel true thrower is still with my parents(thats what happens when three parts of a family are deploying and pcsing all the time), so I cant look at it, but what are the chances that it was made i the USA?

 

[The Whip]

If you purchased your True Flight in 1997, it is certainly made in the United States. Camillus, which manufactured Cold Steel's Carbon V knives, didn't go out of business until February of 2007. Those Carbon V True Flights are great knives that do double duty as both throwers and general outdoors knives. With a custom Blade-Tech sheath, you've got a really nice setup. Hopefully you can retrieve that knife soon and start enjoying it again!

-Steve

 

[beachmaster]

Cool info! Thanks!

Yeah, the finish is most likely tore up, but I think ill strip the finish and patina it, redo the paracord(since paracord is part of my job!) And put a razors edge on it!

So did colt steel move completely to Taiwan after camillus went under?

 

[The Whip]

So did colt steel move completely to Taiwan after camillus went under?

Yeah, pretty much. Now most of its product line is made in Taiwan, except the San Mai knives and a few others that are made in Japan. While I certainly understand the move to Taiwanese manufacturing (the build quality and tolerances of the Taiwanese Cold Steel and Spyderco knives that I've purchased in the last couple of years is superb, and, loathe as I am to say it, rivals even some of the best of American construction), I still think it's sad, and I really wish that the company would move production back to U.S. manufacturers.

But at least Cold Steel's recent materials selections--G-10 and 3V, 0-1, and CTS XHP steels--have been sourced in America. Hopefully that's the start of an overall trend.

-Steve

 

[beachmaster]

My dad sent me his beat up old recon tanto made in Ventura California today. The carbon5 steel, to Tue best of my knowledge, is 1095cv, or 017... something... that kabar still uses...
I wish cold steel would bring production home under Ontario or Kabar... I am sure kabar wouldn't do it, although cold steel moving back to America and re introducing carbon v would be huge with fans.
Ontario might do it though, and if cold steel could use ontarios 5160 on some of their knives with better finishes that the ontarios, I think they would do really really well.
I love Ontario, I am not bashing them at all. But their knives are rough affordable AMERICAN users. There is room, I believe, for another American company to offer a knife of a higher level fit and finish the Ontario. Because outside of Ontario, we have what? Kabar and Esee? Cold steel has a completely different line up than both of those companies and Ontario.
Well... a man can dream.


Edit- there is Tops which is a similar company to cold steel, but with a different style, and I believe 3 buck knives that they would be competing with, but none of those are really the same as cold steel