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Finally got a cold steel...

TheChunk91

TheChunk91

Joined
Aug 15, 2013
Messages
4,897
Today I came home and opened up a package I was expecting, a cold steel xl voyager clip point emerged and WOW! this thing is impressive. I have been eyeing some of cold steel's mega folders for awhile now and finally gave in, I am very pleased with the overall quality and f&f of this beast, I cant find anything wrong with it. I am admittedly a spyderco nut (and will remain so) but cs definately has a place amongst my collection now, I look forward to buying and trying out more of them:D
 
I bought a new Mini-Lawman for a gift. It is a nice folder, but the spring is too strong on the overly-stout Tri-Ad locking mechanism. It is difficult to operate, IMO.
 
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Sonnydaze said:
I bought a new Mini-Lawman for my younger grandson, who has four or five other folders. He is not able to depress the back-lock. It is a nice folder, but seems to have a stout Tri-Ad locking mechanism which is difficult to operate...even for adult males. The knife went into a drawer.
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Yeah, I appreciate the strength of the mechanism, but for me ease of use is also an important factor in lock selection. I prefer the axis, arc and compression locks because they are plenty strong but still allow me to close the blade easily and quickly.

That said, I like a fair number of CS folders and congrats to the OP on his new knife!
 
Cold Steel knives are nothing to sneeze at.
A Cold Steel knife is what brought me into high-quality.
The fit and finish on my Mini AK-47 is awesome.
Even after being disassembled multiple times.
I took it apart one last time to scrape the coating off.
modifications001.jpg
 
I picked up a Tanto bladed Recon 1 on a whim.

The fit and finish are excellent. The knife feels very good in the hand and is well balanced.

I like it. It's a great knife.
 
Sonnydaze said:
...not able to depress the back-lock... Tri-Ad locking mechanism ...difficult to operate...
Click to expand...
i thought so too;
but after countless thumb aches, it now woks like a charm
....or maybe i grew some new thumb muscles in the process :-)
don't give up, a descent amount of workout will resolve the problem.
 
They make very stout, useable folders. The lock is hard to depress, but very positive. The AUS-8 is serviceable, but IMHO they'd sell more with, higher end steel. My Medium Voyager is a production favorite of mine.
 
So far I like how stout the tri ad is, I did some chopping on branches in the yard and its still perfectly solid. I do agree though that locks like the compression, axis, bbl, and arc are much more convenient any plenty strong. Im not a big fan of aus8 and zytel either but for what it is im completely fine with it, what I really want is for spyderco, benchmade or some other similar company (that would give us more high end materials) to give cs some competition with these huge folders. It is nice to get this much enjoyment out of such an inexpensive knife, most of that is because of the size (im a sucker for huge blades)
 
I have 3 CS knives. A Tuff Lite, a Tuff Lite Mini (both of these make great whittling knives) and a Mini Tac Skinner. No complaints about any of them. At some point I may buy a Lawman or AK-47, but honestly the CS lineup in general just doesn't appeal to me. That isn't a knock on CS, just personal preference. :)
 
You could probably clamp the blade in a vice then stand on the handle and not worry about breaking the lock.

I think the Axis, Arc, and Ball Bearing locks have a similar level of strength, inasmuch as you'd have to break the blade to disengage the lock.
 
Glad you like your knife! I haven't found the triad lock difficult to disengage, but it does needs to break in some and is not as user friendly as an Axis lock or a liner/frame lock imo. My last was an American Lawman. I had stripped the coating from the blade and lock bar, and tried to give it to a member here, but a UPS employee stole it somewhere in the shipping process. Sadly all I have left of it is this pic.

 
Sonnydaze said:
I bought a new Mini-Lawman for a gift. It is a nice folder, but the spring is too strong on the overly-stout Tri-Ad locking mechanism. It is difficult to operate, IMO.
Click to expand...

They all break in and get easier to depress with time.
 
I've got two Voyagers among my very large Cold Steel collection. I almost always have a Cold Steel piece being shipped to me at any given time. My favorite company, absolutely, with Spyderco close behind. Cold Steel makes very reliable, high-value knives with excellent fit & finish and good materials. Blades are generally evenly ground and the knives are well-designed. I don't have anything bad to say about Cold Steel. I am also a fan of their marketing videos, which set them apart in ways that are, in my opinion, positive.

I think the only knock you can really give Cold Steel is that they use AUS-8A as their primary steel, but I think this is a complaint exclusive to hardcore knife enthusiasts. I honestly don't think most knife users care. It's actually my favorite knife steel so far because of how easy it is to put a screaming sharp edge on it, and it lasts long enough if the steel is properly heat treated (and with Cold Steel, it is). It's just a good all-around steel that delivers excellent bang for your buck and doesn't suck at anything.
 
Kwon Kwang said:
I think the only knock you can really give Cold Steel is that they use AUS-8A as their primary steel, but I think this is a complaint exclusive to hardcore knife enthusiasts. I honestly don't think most knife users care.
Click to expand...

Lol, well, you do realize "most knife users" are the same ones who buy junky Chinese knives that will have lock failure and/or blade play in 2 weeks time, aye? I love Cold Steel, but I wouldn't use "most knife users" as a reference point for what's good and what's bad. My experience differs from yours in that while AUS8 does sharpen very easily, it's not very good at holding at edge, so it really needs to resharpen easily.
 
The XL Voyagers are some of my favorite CS knives. Very string and affordably priced. You definitely get your monies worth.

Next check out the HoldOut series. Light weight but also tough as nalls.

All the best!
 
I've always carried Spyderco and still do but now more often than not I also have a Cold Steel folder with me. Most of the time it's a Rajah lll but I also have a Lawman, XL Voyager Tanto and a Spartan. I like having the Cold Steel as a close alternative to a fixed blade.
They are the ultimate in medieval level hard use knives and easily among the strongest folders on the market regardless of price.
 
My favorite brand is Spyderco with so many I own and also like some BM and ZT as well but Cold Steel makes great knives. I am totally enamored with their triad lock and overall they are built very well.

The Recon1, Voyager, and Code4's as great as they are would be WORLD BEATERS if they decide to add a steel like S30v as an upgrade option. Do it CS!
 
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