Deciding between Kershaw & Cold Steel

I have no real experience with Cold Steel (except for their zytel "specialities") but I can tell Kershaw makes some pretty fine knives. They are neat manufactured, nice looking and fun to operate.
However, if I were to pick a hard working folder, tough, reliable, comfortable and unexpensive, than it's Spyderco all the way.
 
i dont have any cold steel knives, so i cant really comment as far as comparisons go, but i just got the kershaw mini-cyclone, and junkyard dog and the leek is next on my list of "must have". kershaw makes top quality knives as far as im concerned, im definitely a fan.
 
I like the Avalanche but the Leek has the flipper. The Cyclones are the only ones right now with the on and off switch I am pretty sure. Kevin:) :)
 
my kershaw junkyard dog's liner lock folds like a french poodle with one smack to the spine.
 
shari556 this is the 2nd time you posted this. Did you not like the advice you received from your first post?

I'd love to see your knife, why don't you send it to me directly here at Kershaw, and I'll take care of you. I'll also follow up with the forum and let them know the results once I evaluate your knife.

Oh, and welcome to the forums...
 
kda89508 said:
I like the Avalanche but the Leek has the flipper. The Cyclones are the only ones right now with the on and off switch I am pretty sure. Kevin:) :)
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Does that mean the only way to open it is using the thumb stud?
 
Yes, The Avalanche does not have a flipper and the Leek does. Both are very fast. THANKS! Kevin:) Also either way you go Kershaw will TAKE CARE OF YOU! I have handled many Kershaws and have never seen a bad one yet!
 
Thomas W said:
shari556 this is the 2nd time you posted this. Did you not like the advise you received from your first post?

I'd love to see your knife, why don't you send it to me directly here at Kershaw, and I'll take care of you. I'll also follow up with the forum and let them know the results once I evaluate your knife.

Oh, and welcome to the forums...
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See that right there? that's Kershaw customer service. Simply amazing. :D
 
Kershaw and Cold Steel is really no comparison, I would chose Kershaw every time. If you want an assisted opener with a strong blade design, the Cyclone with it's drop point blade and inexpensive price is a great choice. If it just has to be fast, not assisted, the waved Spyderco Endura would be another great choice.
The more specific you can be as to your needs, the better the responses will be.
 
I dunno. I'm going to go against the general concensus here and say that between the Leek and the Ti-Lite, I'd kind of rather have the Ti-Lite. (I have both) I'm not a big fan of the Leek, personally. But that's just me. I'm more than aware of the reasons, political and otherwise, for hatin' on CS, and I've done more than my share of it. But the Ti-lite is actually a pretty good EDC knife. It worked fine for every task I put it up to back when I carried it, and I think it would be pretty decent for SD. I have all 3 versions, the 4" zytel, 6" zytel and the titanium framed version. I prefer the 4" zytel over the others. The 6" version is ridiculously, cartoon-style enormous, and the all-titanium version is too tight. The screws on it are so cheap that when I tried to disassemble the knife with a perfectly-sized gunsmithing screwdriver, they still stripped out. But my dad and both my brothers still EDC the 4" zytel ti-lite, and all really like it. I have a picture somewhere of all 4 of us at my brother's wedding with identical Ti-lites. I've always found the Leek to be kind of flimsy, though it is more sheeple friendly, and probably tough enough if you're not abusively hard on it.

But for the same amount of money, you can get a pretty nice Spyderco or maybe a Benchmade. I think the waved Endura is what you're really looking for. A Griptilian would be a good choice, too. Both the Endura and Griptilian are wicked fast, excellent knives.
 
In the last month I've gotten a Groove and the Junk Yard Dog II. Both of them are fantastic values. I love the quality. The G-10 has that just right texture and the pocket clips have the perfect tension. The flippers are now my favorite opening system. I have 9 high quality production folders and these although less expensive give up nothing in fit and finish!:thumbup: :thumbup:
 
A Griptilian would be a good choice, too. Both the Endura and Griptilian are wicked fast, excellent knives.
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I also think the Griptilian is a good suggestion. You get a good blade steel, axis lock, and Benchmade quality, all for a very reasonable price. There are also several different blade designs available to suit your taste, some with thumbstuds and some with thumbholes. A good solid knife that you won't be afraid to use.

http://www.benchmade.com/products/product_list.aspx?keyword=Griptilian&typeId=1
 
You will not be disappointed. I have one of these, and carry it frequently. The g-10 is very grippy, especially when wet- great for fishing trips.
 
Good to hear about choosing the Kershaw.

I think that the country of origin for (most) of the knives that come out of those two manufacturers says it all: Kershaw - made in USA; Cold Steel - made in China.

I was kind of surprised to see even one vote for the Cold Steel on here.

Be careful stabbing that leek into wood and stuff, personally, I wouldn't. They just aren't designed to handle that kind of use, no knife with a blade that narrow and thin is. Also, even though S30V is supposed to be pretty tough, it becomes brittle when it reaches a certain stress point, and on a knife with that blade geometry it would be pretty easy to get there stabbing into wood. Take it easy on it at first and definitely make sure not to push it over the limit as you could hurt yourself.

For hard use and lighting fast opening, on the expensive side is Emerson, and on the less expensive side is Spyderco (with Emerson's wave) with Benchmade (with the axis lock) probably somewhere in between.

For your next knife you might want to look for something with full liners and a thick blade (.15 minimum), and then whatever blade style suits you best (tanto maybe?).

Let us know how you like your leek!
 
i have a cold steel ti-lite, a titanium handle one. There was a ton of blade play, so i returned it. by my 3d return (due to too much blade play) i just lived with it. i would never buy another cold steel folder. My leek, on the other hand, is exellent. i have one with an aus-6 blade and ss handle (i think) and its always been good to me. the leek is too small to be a very heavy-duty knife, but its got a lot of cutting potential for its size. the first of many kershaws for me!
 
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