Did anyone receive the new Cold Steel DVD titled "absolute proof"?

B

Bill86

Joined
Jul 3, 2007
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First of all I'd like to say I've been drinking BUT, I've had this post on my mind for about 2-3 weeks. So here it goes.....

Ok a few months ago ISH I received a double dvd from cold steel entitled "absolute proof" now as a sane rational albeit drunk human being from time to time.... I can't help but notice a few things.

1. Every time they do something "crazy" with their knives the dude doing it.....NOT AN AVERAGE SIZE HUMAN BEING! Seriously 6 foot 250 lbs....not very average doesn't prove much at all. (They have about 3-4 guys this size)

2. Of course someone that weighs about 250 pounds has the force to cut ROPE with their knives. Does that really prove anything?

3. Why in the heck do they keep using Aus 8 steel? Does that bother anyone else? For the claims they make "strongest and sharpest" is Aus 8 really even close to a top steel? This has me not buying from them. Of course I did place ONE order for a few of their nightshade series and a machete for my old man to cut shit up in the back yard. BTW the machete....OWNED and that wasn't even me using it, not impressed.

4. The over the top ego's of saying they are the best even though EVERYONE, including themselves, knows they are not even close. "There is a huge difference between Cold Steel and our competitors - Cold steel has the "guts" to "PROVE" our knives" (See huge gigantic fat man putting all his strength to cut ....rope)

Again I have nothing against Cold Steel at all but their marketing.......PLEASE STOP!

If this offends anyone or starts a fanboy thing just close it. Just sayin' enough of this obvious BS and WAY over the top marketing.

-Bill
 
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Some of Cold Steel knives are good. But there are plenty other's better. If you don't like marketing, you can always vote by not buying them. I find those video's hilarious too, but they proove nothing but they have too much beefcake and not enough graymatter in marketing side.
 
You can close it yourself if it gets bad. Just go in the advance options and click in the box that says close thread after this post.
 
SteelSnob said:
You can close it yourself if it gets bad. Just go in the advance options and click in the box that says close thread after this post.
Click to expand...

ah thanks seems the thread is going fine, some of the topics sometimes are iffy. But yeah some people agree some people don't that is all I was looking to get out of it, as long as it doesn't start a problem still open for discussion.

monger4142 - I hear ya man. EVEN IF Microtech/Benchmade/Emerson did something like that it is still WAY too bold of a statement to make. The knife world is anyones game, there is no winner....all based on taste/application/opinion.
 
I like a little something from most companies. I really like Emerson and have owned them since 1998 and the Commander has always been my daily carry at work but I never really thought that they were the #1 hard use knives in the world (my ZT 0300 fills that role better I'd say) I own Spydercos, Benchmades, CRKT, Buck, CRK, Microtech, Randall etc. and have recently purchased a Cold Steel Sable and Talwar, I like them all.

Out of the box the two Cold Steels that I just purchased are the sharpest knives I've ever owned. Haven't cut anything with them yet so am not sure how well the edge will hold up but I like them just the same. I don't really care what their marketing is like as long as I find the knife appealing.

I've just recently watched their DVD's and thought they were odd to say the least but that has no baring on my purchase.
 
The thing is other companys do this type of testing behind closed doors. Cold Steel just saw a gap in the market. I find their marketing funny tough, but its sad that people think that CS is the only company 'testing' their knives.
 
Of course a company is going to test their knives. It seems cold steel is the only one that thinks other companies aren't doing it.

Cold steel is the only one that feels they need to prove something. No one else feels the need to dress up a fat man and have him hack up a dead animal...or boots with meat shoved in them.
 
There's been lots of hating on CS and Lynn Thompson in particular. In most other cases people would have told you to use Search, this is an old and abused topic. Lately, it's been significantly less, I hope this thread wasn't intended to start all that again.
I happen to like Cold Steel, even though I am not blind to their weak points. As for testing, I'm sure all brands do it.
I'd like to see those tests as well. :)
 
Yes the marketing is annoying to the point of being goofy, and no they're not the best knives available, even their top end models.

However, regarding AUS-8 being not a top steel-------the notion that one steel is "better" than another in all respects is one far too often parroted in the forums, magazines, and the knife industry in general. The different components in different alloys combine to give them different characteristics, which means that they'll perform well/poorly in different circumstances. It's much the same as saying that a corvette is better than a jeep. Well, that depends on what you're trying to do---if you're on a smooth, open road and trying to move quick, you're absolutely right. If the road is rocky, or nonexistent, suddenly that vette has become a piece of junk.

AUS-8's ability to resist dulling from abrasive cutting media is not on par with S30V, for example, nor is it quite as strong at the same hardness, so you will see more edge rolling. On the other hand, this greater ductility makes it perform much more like a non-stainless tool steel in terms of resisting damage from impact or lateral load--things that are more likely to create chipping or fracture in less flexible steels. Also, AUS-8 is one honey of a steel when it comes time to sharpen because it has high machinability for a stainless steel and takes a polish (or whatever edge you'd like to give your knife) readily. As the VAST majority of the knife buying public have embarrassingly poor sharpening skills, choosing a very cooperative alloy in this regard makes a lot of sense.

So, if I'm having a skinning or boat knife made in a stainless steel, the S30V, S90V, BG-42 end of the spectrum is absolutely where I want to land. If it's a larger fixed blade or any knife that might be subjected to rougher use---and for some reason I want it in stainless steel---the AUS-8, 12c27, 420HC range is where I'm looking. As Cold Steel has decided to market towards the "tough" end of things, and they're wanting to stick with stainless steels to appeal to the mass market, AUS-8 is a very solid choice.

My snobbery for better overall materials (not just blade steels) and the like has led me to other companies/makers; but for their price point, Cold Steel has some pretty good deals, and they actually do understand that even tough knives need to cut, and reflect that fact with their blade geometries.
 
Could somebody post the "kicking a dead horse" smilie?

I've bought and sold Cold Steel products, still have a few Trailmasters and a City Stick, sjambok, assegai, etc. They are good quality and I got good deals on them.

Has anyone ever seen a marketing campaign from any brand that states "HEY, BUY OUR STUFF! WE'RE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE!" :confused:

Bill86....I'd think a Gold member that had been around a few years would realize that this topic has been hashed, rehashed, hashed some more, and generally worn out in every conceivable way.
 
Cold Steel makes some pretty good knives, they also make some great knives.

I enjoy the DVDs. I'm sure most folks here do (they don,t watcg them because they are masochists).

CS also has what has been described as the strongest/toughest lock available on a folding knife (patented by one of our fellow forumites).

CS also makets a lot of the 'grown-up' toys we hoped to have as kids: Blow Guns, Swords, throwing knives and more which no other knife company cares to be involved with.

Bottom line, the knife industry is much better off by having Cold Steel as an active company.
 
CombatGrappler said:
Could somebody post the "kicking a dead horse" smilie?

I've bought and sold Cold Steel products, still have a few Trailmasters and a City Stick, sjambok, assegai, etc. They are good quality and I got good deals on them.

Has anyone ever seen a marketing campaign from any brand that states "HEY, BUY OUR STUFF! WE'RE JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE!" :confused:

Bill86....I'd think a Gold member that had been around a few years would realize that this topic has been hashed, rehashed, hashed some more, and generally worn out in every conceivable way.
Click to expand...

ask and ye shall receive :D
deadhorse.gif
 
OrangeJoe is spot-on about the 'grown-up toys' comment. There are a number of Cold Steel knives that are great deals and extremely functional -- but, that Lynn Thompson is willing to, in this PC-paranoid world, make a dolla' and a cent by splitting open cow-skulls with a hatchet is something I can giggle about.
 
I thought it was strange that CS was not at the Blade Show, apparently they didn't do it last year either. Their videos keep me from buying also, but I would love to get one just to see how it stacks up against others.
 
I don't mind having Cold Steel around with their videos and other stuff. I've had my share of CS knives, and ironically, it was Cold Steel and Lynn Thompson's rants about Busse knives that lead me to research and brought me to bladeforums back in 98, and discovery of Busse knives.

Anyway, other companies test their knives too, but not many void warranty for attempting the same tests. AFAIK cold steel is one of those.

Their VG-1 San Mai stuff is clearly not the best price/performance ratio.
Last knife I considered buying from CS was Rajah 1, until I saw the price, well over 200$, for AUS-8 folder???
 
I dont see how the size of the guy cutting the rope has anything to do with it. The knife still has to have a decent edge to cut that rope cleanly even if the dude swinging it is big ol boy. The guys testing for their Journeyman Smith also have to cut a free-hanging one inch rope, among other things, so its a pretty valid test of a knife's edge. Although I think repeated cuts of a rope is even more valid. The thing is the blade needs to still slice paper afterwards, which shows the edge-holding.

As to AUS8 yeah so it's not the world's greatest supersteel but it's not as bad as some think either.

I don't know, CS is CS. Whaddaya gonna do? Buy their knives, or dont buy 'em. Its a free world! (sort of).
 
Some of the most impressive cuts in the DVD were done by Andrew Demko. He's not a giant. He's a man of average height and text book perfect cutting form.
 
I have the DVD, and I watch it when I get bored, because I get a kick out of it! I noticed a few things.
1. They don't hit the knives in the spine-wack/ over-strike tests, hard at all. They used to really whack those knives, but know it's more like a tap, just seems like they don't trust their knives enough.
2. In the middle of the Natchez Bowie video, there is a kid that's my age, like 15-16 cutting a bunch of meat. I WANT his job!! Playing with knives and cutting things all day? Heck yeah!!
3. I wish they would do the same tests on all the knives, instead of picking/choosing the ones they want. I know this wouldn't work for them, as it would show the weaknesses of the knives, but it would help me want to buy the knives.

These are just my opinions!
 
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