Don't buy Cold Steel anymore!

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Madnumforce

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I know the title may be choking some, but i have good reasons: THEY STEAL DESIGNS!!!

We already knew the Kudu was a very common knife in Africa Lynn Thompson just copied and marked CS on it. But on the new 2008 catalog (avaible here ), it clearly appear he steal other designs.

First, his so-called "pocket bushman" is nothing more than the french Douk Douk slightly modified. The difference is: it's almost certainly made in asia, but sold for... 40$!!! Don't get fooled anymore, the genuine Douk made by Cognet in Thiers, France (which is a country in social charges are HUGE), cost 12E (say 18$) for the carbon version (decades reliability and effectiveness proven), and 17E (25$) for the stainless one. They steal the design, product in a low-cost country, and sell for a high price!

Then, the "finn wolf". It's a copy of the swedish (or finnish?) army knife called "sissipuuko". Of course, the quality is not the same (the original sissipuuko have got a kind of "full tang", and the plastic handle is molded around to cover it, the blade is 5mm thick, and the general conception make it a pry bar as well as a knife, but the price is not the same). For the use is not the same as the original copied knife , it is not so grave as for the Douk, but they could have at least mentionned this enormous inspiration they took.

Also, their new serie of knives they call "espada" are inspirated from the traditional spanish cutlery. The true name for this kind of knife is not "espada" (meaning "sword"), but "navaja". The town of Albacete make lot of them, handcrafted. Here also, CS deliberately use it's huge commercial spreading to take the market of honnest craftmen living from their art, trying to transmit centuries old craftmanships and knowledges.

Some may find me too extreme, but i am precisely an apprentice knifemaker from Thiers, and it really disgusts me to see that huge commercial society like CS, with their factories in China, can quietly copy model that often are the living of some people. Cognet in Thiers lives from the Douk, Albacete knifemakers lives from their navaja's production.

What do we want? That all the knifes in the world are made in China by exploited factory workers, and that the traditionnal, european, crafmanship disappear? So, i please you, at least, don't buy these copied designs knives, buy the original, genuine one, especially the Douk that is even more affordable than it's copy.


Related links:
Swedish or Finnish army knife: the Sissipuuko
About the Douk Douk (in french)
and where to find it: Coutellerie Tourangelle
CS 2008 catalog, price list, etc... (dealer corner of the main site)
 
Old news. Very old news. :rolleyes:
 
Old news but it keeps popping up. Seems like we've become "brand snobs" and can't wait to scream foul when a pattern is copied or modified. Look back through some of the old knife collector publications and you'll see multiple companies producing identical patterns. Canoe, sod buster, stockman and chetah patterns produced by Case, Remington, Eye Brand, Queen and on and on. In 35 years collecting I don't recall much about squawking over copies as much as debates over quality and workmanship. Stainless vs. Carbon blades, delrin vs. bone or wood handles. Lock failure and pivot pin wear. Perhaps comparisions of products rather than ridicule of the manufacturer would be benefical to us all.
 
How long will it take for somebody to mention that they also stole a design from strider?:eek:
 
Ooo, I'll do it! Rumor has it they stole a design from Strider. There, now that's out of the way.


I'll also say my Carbon V Master Hunter is one of my favorite knives to use.
 
Frankly who cares! Everybody copies everybody. If the designs are copyrighted or patented then there would be a problem. For years they paid license to BM for the axis design. I see a myriad of designs all over of knives that have been copied, acknowledged, not acknowledged, locks that are someone else's design some variations etc. etc. Look at all the Scagle copies, Randall copies, Loveless copies, this is beating a dead horse. keepem sharp
 
This horse has been dead for a long time....

1106.gif
 
hikeeba said:
Ooo, I'll do it! Rumor has it they stole a design from Strider. There, now that's out of the way.


I'll also say my Carbon V Master Hunter is one of my favorite knives to use.
Click to expand...


That was fast!:thumbup: There are also Cold Steels that I like (ti-lite, Trail Master)
 
Yes...the new line of CS knives (kudu, finn bear, roach belly, canadian belt knife etc) are blatant copies of other knives. However they offer a very reasonably priced alternative with very high quality. In the case of the Kudu...a superior product than the original Okapi actually. Knife companies steal designs all the time, CS just seems brazen enough to openly promote their products that way. Does that surprise anyone? I doubt it. I am not a CS fan...however, I have bought 4 of the "copies" and look forward to more of them coming out...really good knives for the money. I think they need to steal more designs...IMHO (no offence intended CS fans) I think their own designs are some of the ugliest knives out there.
 
I like the old CS stuff from Japan, I have two peacekeeper 1's and man they are nice...as to the new stuff, it seems alot of Cold Steel is one step up from Pakistani stuff.
 
Madnumforce said:
I know the title may be choking some, but i have good reasons: THEY STEAL DESIGNS!!!

We already knew the Kudu was a very common knife in Africa Lynn Thompson just copied and marked CS on it. But on the new 2008 catalog (avaible here ), it clearly appear he steal other designs.

First, his so-called "pocket bushman" is nothing more than the french Douk Douk slightly modified. The difference is: it's almost certainly made in asia, but sold for... 40$!!! Don't get fooled anymore, the genuine Douk made by Cognet in Thiers, France (which is a country in social charges are HUGE), cost 12E (say 18$) for the carbon version (decades reliability and effectiveness proven), and 17E (25$) for the stainless one. They steal the design, product in a low-cost country, and sell for a high price!

Then, the "finn wolf". It's a copy of the swedish (or finnish?) army knife called "sissipuuko". Of course, the quality is not the same (the original sissipuuko have got a kind of "full tang", and the plastic handle is molded around to cover it, the blade is 5mm thick, and the general conception make it a pry bar as well as a knife, but the price is not the same). For the use is not the same as the original copied knife , it is not so grave as for the Douk, but they could have at least mentionned this enormous inspiration they took.

Also, their new serie of knives they call "espada" are inspirated from the traditional spanish cutlery. The true name for this kind of knife is not "espada" (meaning "sword"), but "navaja". The town of Albacete make lot of them, handcrafted. Here also, CS deliberately use it's huge commercial spreading to take the market of honnest craftmen living from their art, trying to transmit centuries old craftmanships and knowledges.

Some may find me too extreme, but i am precisely an apprentice knifemaker from Thiers, and it really disgusts me to see that huge commercial society like CS, with their factories in China, can quietly copy model that often are the living of some people. Cognet in Thiers lives from the Douk, Albacete knifemakers lives from their navaja's production.

What do we want? That all the knifes in the world are made in China by exploited factory workers, and that the traditionnal, european, crafmanship disappear? So, i please you, at least, don't buy these copied designs knives, buy the original, genuine one, especially the Douk that is even more affordable than it's copy.


Related links:
Swedish or Finnish army knife: the Sissipuuko
About the Douk Douk (in french)
and where to find it: Coutellerie Tourangelle
CS 2008 catalog, price list, etc... (dealer corner of the main site)
Click to expand...

While CS certainly does borrow designs (Talon vs. Spyderco Civilian) and concepts (Emerson Wave vs. AK-47 Thumbdisk Hook), the examples above are borderline at best. While the Kudu may be legitimate, its no more so than the endless copies of the Buck Folding Hunter, which is copied by virtually every knife company in existence. The Navaja is a centuries old design made many places, as are the Puukko designs, so claiming exclusivity to a design that originated in a country like Spain or Finnland is akin to claiming exclusivity to the French Chef's design or the Bowie design, which CS also makes. The example of the Douk Douk and Pocket Bushman should not have been included, since what CS did by adding features is called improvement, not copying. Also, While few would argue that you have a legitimate claim in CS copying/stealing designs, the examples above are not the best to make the case. It also seems the biggest selling point is the European craftsmanship for the knives made in the areas you mention. If that is the case, you have nothing to worry about, since CS has no European craftsmanship. I note that CS also makes kukri knives, but traditional designs hand crafted in Nepal to very high standards for cheaper prices, primarily due to cheap labor, are still very popular. Check out the H.I. Cantina under the manufacturers forum to see what I mean. Many there would rather fight than change, or do without than buy the overpriced versions CS sells.
 
TorzJohnson said:
...and in other news, Generalissimo Francisco Franco is still dead.
Click to expand...

YAWN!!

Yeah, why don't some of you folks just ask the administrator to let you have an :

"I hate Lynn Thompson" subforum, and quit beating this dead horse on the general forum??? :D:D

Cold Steel offers some damn good knives at very fair prices. If they've infringed on someone else's patent, then that's what patent attorneys are for! Let the courts decide :p
 
Yep I agree.
Those KABAR people too. Geez its terrible how they stole that blade design. Not to mention SOG who really ripped off Fairbairn with that blade on the Desert Dagger. When will it end?


:rolleyes:
 
Everything's not about patents and laws. There is something called respect, and honour. It seems that Lynn Thompson really thinks he's a "warrior", with the matching "high moral standards" (look at his interview in the "published articles" section of the CS site), and he's in fact the first to cry and moan about "counterfeits". It seems he's a "do-what-i-say-not-what-i-do" guy. And it's certainly very easy for a huge american company to steal the traditionnal design of a french familly factory. CS have nothing to loose. But if you don't care this so-called american company don't produce a single knife in America, sell it with certainly bigger benefits than honnest companies that try to produce in America (or in their respective country of origin), and simply steal designs (traditionnals or from other companies or knifemakers) with the certainty that their commercial success is the best defence, it's not my business after all. For me, honour mean much more than money. But maybe, it's not with guys like me that America became #1 in the world.
 
Madnumforce said:
I know the title may be choking some, but i have good reasons: THEY STEAL DESIGNS!!!
Click to expand...

This has to be a joke by a member sock puppet. Madnumforce takes all the usual CS bitch and moan, and adds another layer of silliness. Really, "Douk Douk slightly modified"? How about highly modified. So much so that it's a Sebenza copy, according to the usual bedwetters. Copies of copy of "swedish (or finnish?)" knives? Copies of navajas? This can't be taken seriously.
 
Madnumforce said:
Everything's not about patents and laws. There is something called respect, and honour. It seems that Lynn Thompson really thinks he's a "warrior", with the matching "high moral standards" (look at his interview in the "published articles" section of the CS site), and he's in fact the first to cry and moan about "counterfeits". It seems he's a "do-what-i-say-not-what-i-do" guy. And it's certainly very easy for a huge american company to steal the traditionnal design of a french familly factory. CS have nothing to loose. But if you don't care this so-called american company don't produce a single knife in America, sell it with certainly bigger benefits than honnest companies that try to produce in America (or in their respective country of origin), and simply steal designs (traditionnals or from other companies or knifemakers) with the certainty that their commercial success is the best defence, it's not my business after all. For me, honour mean much more than money. But maybe, it's not with guys like me that America became #1 in the world.
Click to expand...

No offense, but you still haven't said anything that hasn't been said 100 times or more on this forum. This topic has been rehashed over and over and over. The reason you aren't getting any sympathy is because the regulars here are sick of it.

Let go of your anger, browse some other parts of the forum and find something positive to talk about. You don't have to spend all your time here with your panties in a bunch about Cold Steel (who will be unaffected in any way by your posts...they'll still keep on selling plenty of knives).
 
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