Early Cold Steel Tanto

[Benjamin Liu]

Is the crkt hisshou collectible rare? Or the set of three? I can’t find the shinbu or the sakimori

Yes, but when it comes to collectible knives, if you are trying to sell them they are really only worth what people at the time you are selling them are willing to pay you, and if you are trying to buy one they might be selling for much more than any price guide will list them at.

Many discontinued knives are very difficult to find, so a search could take years.

 

[JtotheK13]

Yes, but when it comes to collectible knives, if you are trying to sell them they are really only worth what people at the time you are selling them are willing to pay you, and if you are trying to buy one they might be selling for much more than any price guide will list them at.

Many discontinued knives are very difficult to find, so a search could take years.

I’ve just got back into knife collecting about a year and a half ago. 20 years ago it was a whole different ball game. If somebody knows you want something they will try any way they can to take advantage

 

[Benjamin Liu]

It's about the same for me, but I've been occasionally buying knives before 2021 when I got back into buying them on a regular basis again.

I no longer look for older knives and just buy new ones.

Back in 2003 I bought a Gerber Guardian II in good condition and just a little bit of the handle coating coming off for just $90.00, probably because few people knew what it was.

If you want to see real ripoffs check Amazon for martial arts books that went out of print, even recently. I've seen average, mediocre, and even low quality books selling for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

 

[JtotheK13]

It's about the same for me, but I've been occasionally buying knives before 2021 when I got back into buying them on a regular basis again.

I no longer look for older knives and just buy new ones.

Back in 2003 I bought a Gerber Guardian II in good condition and just a little bit of the handle coating coming off for just $90.00, probably because few people knew what it was.

If you want to see real ripoffs check Amazon for martial arts books that went out of print, even recently. I've seen average, mediocre, and even low quality books selling for hundreds or even thousands of dollars.

The internet has made everyone equal on knowing exactly what they have. It’s hard to find an old knife at a yard sale or combing through the pawn shops. I miss those dang it! A 5 year old kid can tell you just as much info on something that you have studied your whole life and retained the knowledge through either studying or through trial and error. Oh the good ol days. A seki Japan seal pup snagged me back into it. I’m pretty much the same as you on buying new knives. Everything is so mass produced these days I wonder will anything ever become “collectible”?

 

[The Whip]

The internet has made everyone equal on knowing exactly what they have. It’s hard to find an old knife at a yard sale or combing through the pawn shops. I miss those dang it! A 5 year old kid can tell you just as much info on something that you have studied your whole life and retained the knowledge through either studying or through trial and error. Oh the good ol days. A seki Japan seal pup snagged me back into it. I’m pretty much the same as you on buying new knives. Everything is so mass produced these days I wonder will anything ever become “collectible”?

Tell me about it! I've complained before here that people find the research painstakingly assembled over many years by knowledgable contributors on these boards and then use what they discover to create write-ups for their knife sales while inflating the prices on items that they knew nothing about prior to looking at Blade Forums.

It's discouraging, because I want to share information with my fellow knife enthusiasts, and I've certainly learned a tremendous amount from them myself. But I hate supplying fodder for those who are jacking up the prices of knives I might like to buy simply because they are capable of reading an Internet search return.

On the plus side, as the economy continues to tank, the ridiculous prices will eventually fade. When there's no extra money at the end of the month, even enthusiasts have to stop buying and armchair opportunists won't have anyone left to fleece.


-Steve

 

[The Whip]

https://imgur.com/a/IQjDG3r

Thank you for the extra photos. After looking at them, I'm inclined to say that Buck did not make those wide-strap sheaths.

Here's an example of the leather sheath work that Buck was producing during the time period in question.

The stitching spacing and pattern and the thread gauge don't match the Tanto sheath. Plus, since Buck was using rivets at the throats of its sheaths (a durability feature Cold Steel would incorporate on its Japanese sheaths), why doesn't the Tanto sheath have them?

In my opinion, overall that Tanto sheath just isn't built to the quality standards Buck was capable of at the time. It also doesn't match Ruiz's construction features or standards, either. It more closely resembles Cold Steel's Japanese sheaths, though import restrictions dictate that it should bear a country-of-origin stamp if that were the case.

So who made it? We may never know.


-Steve

 

[JtotheK13]

Thank you for the extra photos. After looking at them, I'm inclined to say that Buck did not make those wide-strap sheaths.

Here's an example of the leather sheath work that Buck was producing during the time period in question.

The stitching spacing and pattern and the thread gauge don't match the Tanto sheath. Plus, since Buck was using rivets at the throats of its sheaths (a durability feature Cold Steel would incorporate on its Japanese sheaths), why doesn't the Tanto sheath have them?

In my opinion, overall that Tanto sheath just isn't built to the quality standards Buck was capable of at the time. It also doesn't match Ruiz's construction features or standards, either. It more closely resembles Cold Steel's Japanese sheaths, though import restrictions dictate that it should bear a country-of-origin stamp if that were the case.

So who made it? We may never know.


-Steve

If anybody runs into Lynn Thompson we’ve got some questions. Haha. It is crazy to me that there aren’t any books or some kind of cold steel site that gives any insight into this kind of stuff. You guys literally are the cold steel history. I thank everybody on here for being so helpful to me right out of the gate. Question. What kind of knives are y’all into at the moment? What kind do you collect? All kinds? Specific? There is something about a knife that puts a smile on my face. I love being able to tell somebody a little bit about there knife they are carrying but most of all I love to learn about one I’m carrying. I hope to have all the early cold steel tanto’s some day. Is there a special knife y’all are after. My name is a Jeremy and I’m 41 years old and I’m from Arkansas. It’s hard to find a good blade show where I am. They have gun and knife shows all the time but the knives are junk. Pakistan Damascus and they market them as hand made knives and jack the price way up. What a joke. Shisters. I can’t stand people like that. They give knives a bad name.

 

[JtotheK13]

The recon tanto sheath I have is stamped Japan. Was the recon made in the us?

It says made in the usa on it, but wasn't it made in like1986? I thought they had everything in japan still....it's confusing. SOrry for the late reply

 

[1stID]

If anybody runs into Lynn Thompson we’ve got some questions. Haha. It is crazy to me that there aren’t any books or some kind of cold steel site that gives any insight into this kind of stuff. You guys literally are the cold steel history. I thank everybody on here for being so helpful to me right out of the gate. Question. What kind of knives are y’all into at the moment? What kind do you collect? All kinds? Specific? There is something about a knife that puts a smile on my face. I love being able to tell somebody a little bit about there knife they are carrying but most of all I love to learn about one I’m carrying. I hope to have all the early cold steel tanto’s some day. Is there a special knife y’all are after. My name is a Jeremy and I’m 41 years old and I’m from Arkansas. It’s hard to find a good blade show where I am. They have gun and knife shows all the time but the knives are junk. Pakistan Damascus and they market them as hand made knives and jack the price way up. What a joke. Shisters. I can’t stand people like that. They give knives a bad name.

Hey there. I'm a bit older, in my 50's, so I spent (wasted) my days of youth looking at Cold Steel ads in Solider of Fortune and Shotgun News, when I should have been out chasing girls.

I collect the classic Japan and US made versions, and have quite a few, as show on my topic post.

As for what I'm still looking for, there are a few still left. I need:

An Urban Pal, one of the first knives CS made - the little push dagger that's just all steel, no sissy rubber grip or such. They don't show up very often, and usuall get snatched up quickly.

I want an Imperia Tai Pan - the one with the Damasucs steel. I have a tanto like that, and need the Tai Pan to round out the set.

Been looking for a Flight of the Intruder Trailmaster - bid on one on eBay but it got too high for me at the time.

How about you, what are you looking for? Are you going to focus on the Tanto line, and branch out from there?

 

[JtotheK13]

Does anyone know about the Cold steel Recon tanto, solid black, all info on one side. Made in usa

 

[JtotheK13]

Hmm, that's interesting that the wider strap sheath isn't labeled as being made in Japan. I have one, as well; I'll have to dig mine out and see if mine is labeled. Cold Steel used Ruiz Industries, a sheath maker out of California, for the earliest leather sheaths. Since you have your knife handy, would you post a picture of the back of the Buck Tanto sheath? There may be some clues in its rear construction/configuration.

I hadn't considered whether Buck may have made sheaths for Cold Steel while it made the Tanto. I prefer facts to opinions, but that Cold Steel/Buck history is very murky, so educated guesses might be all we have for now.

jlauffer , @jbmonkey--any insights? It's certainly true that the wider leather keeper strap was a Buck feature, a la the 119 leather sheaths. Also, @KenHash, do you know whether it was possible to export unlabeled leather sheaths out of Japan? All those I've ever seen from Al Mar, Cold Steel, etc. were stamped "Japan."


-Steve

Does anyone know about the Cold steel Recon tanto, solid black, all info on one side. Made in usa

 

[not2sharp]

Regarding post 10, does anyone recall the name of the top knife?

IIRC those were Cold Steel’s first venture into folding knives (c. 1986-87) and advertising simply referred to them as “folding Tantos” at the time.

Edited to add:
Was it the Shinobu series? Btw, they had laminated blades.

N2s

 

[Benjamin Liu]

Yes, they were the Shinobu series.

 

[jlauffer]

Does anyone know about the Cold steel Recon tanto, solid black, all info on one side. Made in usa

Some info here:

Mini History of Cold Steel SRK and Recon Tanto

Quickly threw this together based on catalog info...not planning to add any pics. Have included model numbers, blade steel, blade finish, and type of sheath. SRK: Introduced in 1990...I have a copy of the "New Products for 1990" flyer that announces it. Early models had markings on one side...

www.bladeforums.com

 

[JtotheK13]

Hey there. I'm a bit older, in my 50's, so I spent (wasted) my days of youth looking at Cold Steel ads in Solider of Fortune and Shotgun News, when I should have been out chasing girls.

I collect the classic Japan and US made versions, and have quite a few, as show on my topic post.

As for what I'm still looking for, there are a few still left. I need:

An Urban Pal, one of the first knives CS made - the little push dagger that's just all steel, no sissy rubber grip or such. They don't show up very often, and usuall get snatched up quickly.

I want an Imperia Tai Pan - the one with the Damasucs steel. I have a tanto like that, and need the Tai Pan to round out the set.

Been looking for a Flight of the Intruder Trailmaster - bid on one on eBay but it got too high for me at the time.

How about you, what are you looking for? Are you going to focus on the Tanto line, and branch out from there?

Sorry. Just saw this. I like them all. I’m going to try to get the early CS when I can come across them. I’m drawn to them somehow I guess.