Ever heard of GSM Outdoors? They just bought Cold steel.

SanLuisObispo said:
All I can say is "YEP!" Also, I'll note that I'm stunned at the number of M&A experts, mechanical engineers, metallurgists, psychologists and clairvoyants negatively opining on this thread. Largely because young Freddy from Xtra Clean of Ventura decided to answer a ringing phone while emptying wastepaper baskets, dusting and vacuuming the carpet in CS's office area on a Saturday morning.
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Well, someone at least bothered to call and get some real information, contraying to someone just hiding behind their keyboard, trying to bring down everyone else so they can feel better about themself.

You're annoyed by the words of that young man since he has said something you don't want to hear.

Even if he is cleaning there, it's still a job, he's making his money on fair way which should be respected - and unlike you, he's actually there!

So, can you please answer me who would you trust more?
a) Young man working there who has no reason to lie
b) Some random guy on the internet which will act like a child and insult everyone who has an argument against something he said

Also, what makes you think you have the right to comment on people's jobs?
Who are you to judge?
Talk about egos being big...

So, we have all evidence and facts pointing that they all lost their job.

Also, let me give you example of non supported claim:
It would be me saying that someone on here is touching themself thinking about LCT.

I am someone who never even met them IRL, and couldn't know if that was truth or not, and there's nothing pointing that they are indeed doing that.
So in that case I wouldn't be a reputable source and pretty much everyone would dismiss it, as it'd be obvious it's a lie or provocation.

Supported claim is however backed up by:
Multiple employees all saying the same thing.
Genleman on this forum who himself called to ask questions that bothered him.
The fact that it wouldn't be profitable to GSM to move all employees to Texas.
Sold Steel changing warranty back and forth.
Sudden choice of really cheap steel for large number of models.
Lynn looking like he's on gunpoint while reading the script...

At the other hand, you have no arguments, just insults for everyone that dared to disagree with you...

Things aren't black and white, the fact that LCT has done a lot for industry doesn't make him perfect, we all do good and bad things.
We all know LCT is very unlikley to skip a meal around Christmas, but we can't say the same about his employees.
 
Smiling said:
Well, someone at least bothered to call and get some real information, contraying to someone just hiding behind their keyboard, trying to bring down everyone else so they can feel better about themself...
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"Real" information? Really?

Anyway, you're speaking about those self-appointed experts attacking LCT? Yeah, I agree. It's disgusting.
 
Arathol said:
These "facts" don't really tell us anything other than somebody has been told not to release any information and public relations damage control measures have been put in place. It doesn't really tell us what is going on or why.....
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That speaks volumes in and of itself. Why would damage control be necessary; unless of course you had caused damage?

n2s
 
Arathol said:
I'm not missing anything except real facts....What "facts" are you referring to? Where exactly is the factual information about the disposition of the California facility and its employees? Please post a link to that information here in this thread. No announcement has been made yet by Cold Steel or GSM.....and only when that announcement comes will we know, not until. There is no use speculating about whats to come. It may be a worse case scenario where CS is stripped of its reputation and turned into another Chinese made Walmart brand, or it may be that GSM will turn CS into something better than it is now....we won't know until it happens.
How do you know who told Lynn Thompson to make the video? Prove it if you can, or post relevant facts directly here if you can...otherwise stop fearmongering......Cold Steel has been sold, its future is unknown and uncertain and the brand could go in any direction. That is what we know to be fact. Other than that.....?
Nobody is calling anybody a liar. The real fact here is an unknown person passed information that may or may not be true to a forum member. We don't know who that person was or if that information is valid, and that has no reflection on the forum member in question what so ever....
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But I'm calling you a troll. Your own post contradicts you. We do have an announcement: the video that even you refer to.

No one here disputes that we know little, and that the facts that we do have are peripheral at best. But multiple people here listed the few facts that we do have here concisely, for your benefit. Feel free to disagree with people all you want, but there is no need to be so hostile. If you are going to keep attacking them, I will start reporting you.
 
Informative thread. I'll continue to read as further facts unfold.

Not a CS fan, have owned only 2. I do like CS knives, just prefer other makes. I see it as a shame for this to happen though, seems like the impending demise of CS as we know it.

Got this Outdoorsman in the '90's, good knife.

Kxjjcgw.jpg
 
Arathol said:
So there are some who are making assumptions based on unconfirmed information, thats true. This will only affect the community if you let it and approach the issue with negativity and anger. It would seem the lynch mob is already in the street and being whipped up by the Cold Steel fanbois....



Probably also true but the ultimate outcome is yet to be determined. However....
I have never been a CS fan, never owned one that I can remember. Most of the stuff seemed either over priced, over hyped or geared toward the mall ninja crowd or shall we say the less mature buyer. I don't need tactical combat gear either. I have been looking at recent offerings, things have not changed that much. Some expensive stuff thats a bit on the outrageously oversized side, some more expensive stuff that may or may not be useful (machetes and Khukris and the like do have their place), some somewhat expensive tactical gear as always, but still lots of inexpensive knives and other stuff that has little actual usefulness outside certain circles. I don't think that the majority of the catalog items would have to change all that much to fall into the Walmart blister pack category. Some of what I see is pretty close to being there already. But then again, there may be someone who doesn't see the company as a means to an end, ie to turn a profit at the expense of all else, and that someone may just keep the status quo and put some apparently much needed capital into the company. Maybe you might yet see those knives made from A2 steel. Just maybe the low end junk will be weeded out and the brand could be moved upscale instead of down, producing a smaller quantity of knives of a better quality. Or maybe not, we will need to wait and see.......Many that have claimed to be long time CS fans have jumped ship because things are getting a bit rough and are pointing their fingers at Thompson because they need to have somebody to blame for this. Maybe they should support him more at least until all the facts are known. I'm not taking sides here, and it doesn't bother me either way, it just seems like judgment has been passed without full disclosure. If information released or uncovered in the days to come is indicating a less than good outcome, only than should we resort to the pitchforks and torches.....
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Paragraphs. Are. Good.

As someone with no dog in this fight, it looks like you’re arguing just to see an imposing wall of text.

There’s no harm in speculative discussion. Give it a rest.
 
SanLuisObispo said:
"Real" information? Really?

Anyway, you're speaking about those self-appointed experts attacking LCT? Yeah, I agree. It's disgusting.
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Do you try to have a dismissive, insulting tone or does it just “happen”?

Folks are having an open discussion. There’s no harm being done. LCT doesn’t need you to ride in and rescue him.

Lighten up and enjoy the chatter.
 
Been a CS fan not for long, but I managed to pick up a couple of their folders and three fixed blades. They’re not as sleek as Spydercos and ZTs, but every knife is solidly built. It was mostly the Tri-Ad lock that I grew rather fond of.

I share the worries of some of the others here regarding CS going the super budget route. I’ve always associated the knife brand with quality “mid-tier” products, offering steels like Aus10a and S35VN (and for a time, CTS-XHP) at affordable prices. Now, there’s a possibility of products getting downgraded with inferior steels to cater to a budget market, and I can’t say I’m happy about that. This isn’t idle talk: we already know they have plans with 4034SS, which isn’t exactly an exciting steel. I wouldn’t bet my life on a cheap steel.

I’m also curious about what’s next for outsource manufacturing. I’ve been quite happy with the Taiwanese-made CS knives. Will this continue? Will we get US-made knives again? Will manufacturing move to PRC? I suppose we’ll soon find out.

We don’t know the whole story, but it was Lynn’s decision to sell the company. I wish his retirement well, and I also hope the former CS employees aren’t doing too bad, if they indeed lost their jobs. These are tough times.
 
Arathol said:
Maybe your reading comprehension just is not up to par, so I will try to keep it simple-
Most places don't conduct business on weekends. Today is Sunday. Tomorrow is Monday. Thats when most places begin their work week. So, once people get back to work on Monday maybe more information will be made available. Anything else you don't get don't be afraid to ask....
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Edited to keep this party polite.
 
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desmobob said:
I'm very interested to know where you got your degree in psychology... Amazing how you can make such analysis from my brief and simple opinion on this thread. :rolleyes:
One again, I merely offered my opinion (far more so on the tone of the posts here than the actual sale and associated outcome) but because it's different than yours, you can't accept it. I can't help that.

If you don't like my opinion, that's fine. If you don't like what LT does, start your own knife company. Neither he, or anyone else, owes you or I or anyone here anything. So far, the sale is absolutely typical of what has been seen forever with many other companies in many industries. People on this forum have been affected by similar sales or buy-outs.

The goal of the overwhelming majority of people in business is to make money, not to cater to a small minority of their customers who consider themselves enthusiasts (of which all of us here likely are). Business owners do what they want. If you're a preferred stock holder, you may get to voice your opinion with a vote. If you're not, or the business is privately held, whatever they do is none of your business. We really just have two choices: buy their products or don't buy their products.

Complaining is fruitless. Criticizing the business decisions of the founder of a very successful company is questionable. I don't know... maybe you have more business acumen than Mr. Thompson.
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All of this still reads like an ultra whiny defense of Lynn Thompson, which is odd because he doesn't need you white knighting for him. He just sold his company, and is about to ride off into the sunset with a big payday. Good for him, this fact is not in dispute. What people have concerns about* is the quality of the knives going down, because everyone except you, @Arathol and S SanLuisObispo understands that things ARE going to change, and almost certainly for the worse. I really don't know how the three of you don't get it, so I'm not going to bother trying to explain it for you further. All I know is that you seem really bungstung that people are discussing this deal using the facts as we know them, and yet you and a couple other folks seem really keen that we should stop discussing things "until we have all the facts" when the actually pertinent facts are already known.

You keep making this about Lynn Thompson, when really, the rest of us are talking about the quality level of future products.



* Those same concerns that you've made it clear you don't like people sharing, because...reasons.
 
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Steely_Gunz said:
But many of us are not simply offering opinions here. We are inferring through known quantities based on the information given as well as personal experience working in business and applying the track record of other companies purchased by similar investing firms. Many of us are using logic to postulate (yes postulate, not prove) that we are concerned how this purchasing is going to affect OUR community. I really don't care how LT's bank account is doing or how he sleeps at night or if he hopes i say a little prayer for him for spearheading a company that designed knives I wanted to buy. I dont owe him any more than he owed me what I ordered and received.

Cold Steel, after expense and cost of goods sold, has probably earned a couple thousand dollars from my purchasing directly. So while I may be putting in more than 2 cents worth, I'm not bashing the company nor wishing anyone who enjoys the product ill will. I, like others, are applying experience to the situation at hand. We are poorer as a community to not have a CS owned by LT, but this is where we are.

I simply think that its wishful thinking and whistling past graveyards that this buy out is going to end in any other way short of a lesser product not aimed at US but aimed at those who may recognize a brand and care nothing for quality and pedigree of what came before.

The long and the short of it is that LT made Cold Steel what it is. Loud, proud, and over the top. LT personified his very company: a larger than life dude that was larger than average that tested his products onscreen and was clearly having a good time doing so. I can respect the hell out of that. But that's over now. At the absolute best, we can hope that LT stays on and helps the new design team keep the CS brand on scope. However, he is no longer the boss, the big dog. He's now just an employee and CS simply cannot be what it was without his lunatic genius steering the S.S. Hog-Whack to warm sands.

In my humble, honest, and educated opinion working in the business world with companies often purchased by investment firms, CS as we know it will never be as good as it was last week. We can tilt against windmills and "well we just don't KNOW!" all we like. It doesn't make it any less likely to be the outcome that we want.

The king is dead. Long live the king...in a blister pack on a sporting goods shelf.
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Excellent post. I really hope the three folks who believe that none of us could possibly have any experience in these exact situations and therefore need to stop talking about it reads this as many times as it takes to get the point.
 
SanLuisObispo said:
"Real" information? Really?

Anyway, you're speaking about those self-appointed experts attacking LCT? Yeah, I agree. It's disgusting.
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I'm still waiting for one of you to have the courage to simply tell Eli Chaps Eli Chaps that you don't believe him, or that young man he spoke with. The three of you keep dancing around it, and talking about opinions and this handwringing "Well, we need to wait and seeeee"...even though the employees have already been laid off, and the new contact information for Cold Steel now points to Irving, TX and not Ventura CA. Why not just be an adult and speak plainly? Eli Chaps Eli Chaps , these dudes think you're a liar with an agenda, simple as that.
 
Quiet said:
I'm still waiting for one of you to have the courage to simply tell Eli Chaps Eli Chaps that you don't believe him, or that young man he spoke with. The three of you keep dancing around it, and talking about opinions and this handwringing "Well, we need to wait and seeeee"...even though the employees have already been laid off, and the new contact information for Cold Steel now points to Irving, TX and not Ventura CA. Why not just be an adult and speak plainly? Eli Chaps Eli Chaps , these dudes think you're a liar with an agenda, simple as that.
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1-800-255-4716

:)
 
So to try to keep things on track, let's go back to the most updated warranty language.

The GSM portion of the warranty states the following:

"At GSM Outdoors, our customers are our number one priority and we want them to know we stand proudly behind every item bearing our name. Tampering with or altering the unit will void the warranty. Any unauthorized service will void the warranty."

A few questions with this -
1. Does anyone feel that this is saying that disassembly/regular maintenance voids the warranty? Its vaguely written, probably intentionally so.
2. Was there anything similar to this in previous versions of the Cold Steel warranty?

Regarding warranty policy in general, I've personally never needed Cold Steel's warranty. I currently own 11 Cold Steel knives and I've owned at least that many more in the past. I have however needed warranties from other companies for legitimate reasons and rarely has it been within 1 or even 5 years. I recently sent a knife to Strider for warranty work and the knife was made in 2004. It was also fixed for free not including shipping. It's nice to have a company that really does stand behind their products because things do happen, and more often than not its many years later if they may a solid product to begin with.

I don't really have a dog in this fight. I have all the Cold Steels I want and I never carry them anyway because I prefer other brands to actually use. However, corporate buyouts and sales rarely translate to better products for the end user and that just sucks. Hopefully things stay basically the same when it comes to quality and innovation for Cold Steel, but only time will tell.
 
Smiling said:
Lynn can make some really sharp knives...

His knives are so sharp he successfully cut off all of his employees and entire fan base in single move LOL
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:)

This is a frustrating time for Cold Steel fans, their (former?) employees, and Lynn Thompson. The guy has been an energetic extrovert promoting his products, self defense and the knife industry for decades and now must sit by, biting his lips, as his baby is dismantled by the new owners. I sincerely hope he is able to take a vacation and put this stuff behind him.

I am looking forward to their next Proof video, although at this point, it may be more spoof then proof.

n2s
 
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