G10/American Lawman

MikeC

MikeC

Joined
Sep 16, 2005
Messages
1,364
I recently purchased a cold steel american lawman NIB off of flea bay, I got because of Ankerson's video test which of course were posted here. Thanks, Ankerson.

I really dislike maybe even HATE G10, that stuff feels cheap, plastic like and just plain ole sucks. I like the knife, I've always been hesitant to buy anything cold steel and even more so since the F&S best of the best bs, but Ankerson gave it a solid review and curiosity just plain ole got the best of me. So I broke down and got one. The knife is solidly built overall, good blade shape and the tri-ad lock is UNREAL and a winner no doubt about it, but the G10. Am I missing something because many on here really like this stuff?

It just feels cheap, I don't know how else to put it, also it seems brittle, notice I said seems, it may be very tough stuff but the perception I have after handling it is cheap brittle plastic like feel.




Help me like this stuff because I just don't see it.
 
I didn't like mine at first. I posted here about it, and I agree it feels cheap.

Having said that, I look at this way, I paid like $60 for a knife with a 3.5 inch blade, arguably the best lock, with a nice hollow grind that turns out to be both tough and excellent for cutting taskts. It has a nice choil as well (however, it would benefit from some forward jimping).

I ask myself, if I was putting my $140 kulgera or my $60 lawman in a contest for the better tool, I would have to go with the lawman...However the kulgera looks 10x better and feels nicer.

So I look on the bright side, its a very good knife at a very good price, lets love it for it, and not just because its supposed to be pretty.

I don't know if that helps. Btw, some people here have done some work on the scales to make them nicer. And to be honest, it isn't close to being one of my favorite knives.
 
G10 is not lacking for strengths. Carbon fiber is brittle and can break from shocks G10 would absorb based on my experiences. G10 is plenty rigid especially in the thickness Cold Steel uses. Based on the videos and some of the uses I've run my last remaining American Lawman folder through ( I had four at one time) I think its among the strongest production folders I've bought in my life. Just use the crap out of it Mike. It will prove itself over time to you.

STR
 
The list of objective problems with G10 is pretty short or non-existent. If one does not subjectively like the feel or look of it, thats one thing, but the list of objective complaints (claims that it cracks, it breaks, etc.) is darn short. JMO. :thumbup:
 
You think this is cheap and feels brittle? MmHmmm...
If you want to like it, carry it for a couple weeks. If that doesn't do it - get something you will like.
[youtube]jNV6gNrObu4[/youtube]
 
G10 handled knives were a mainstay of the "Tactical" knife revolution. The only issue G10 had was that the early knives used assembly screws directly screwed into the G10, and it doesn not take threading too well.

it is tough stuff. There's also stuff called G11, but it never caught on in the knife world.
 
It's OK I guess. I'm fine with it personally, like it when well-textured or attractively polished or textured (For example, Spyderco's G10 knives are very slip-resistant thanks to the texture; the CS Espada's smooth G10 is quite attractive, as is BM's charcoal G10 on the Rift. ) If not, I agree-it feels cheap. It is very strong, however.
 
I think it's the weight for the size knife that it is, along with the balance that is very good makes the knife feel like air in hand.

It's extremely tough and incredibly strong so it's one you can count on forever.
 
RevDevil said:
You think this is cheap and feels brittle? MmHmmm...
If you want to like it, carry it for a couple weeks. If that doesn't do it - get something you will like.
[youtube]jNV6gNrObu4[/youtube]
Click to expand...
The previous Demko demo video of the 1st gen version and Ankerson's hard use test aside, that is very impressive. :thumbup:
 
Have you had a knife with G10 before? Out of curiosity what are most of your handles made of?

I also got one out of curiosity. It is a fairly nice knife but I will probably end up trading it. The Triad may be strong but that doesn't necessarily equate to "best" for me. It is stiff and slow to open and close. It is borderline a 2 handed knife, at least to close, and I loosened the pivot on mine a little. I can't imagine it would be very good for self defense. I like a lock that is easy to open and close and doesn't require re-positioning of the hand to operate. I must have gotten old stock because mine has steel liners so it is fairly thick and probably weights more than the all G10 version. I like G10 but this stuff is especially rough. Not a big deal but I would imagine it would definitely tear up pockets.

My main concern is about the AUS-8A blade steel because I have not had good luck with it holding an edge for very long at all in the few examples I have owned. I don't know what kind of blade coating is used but I'm also not looking forward to it getting scratched off but that might not be a valid concern. The G10 extend past the liners so the back spacer, liners, and scales are all at different positions instead of being flat. Not a big deal on a working knife but not something I am used to with my other knives.

Out of curiosity I used my digital calipers to measure blade thickness at the tip on the CS AL and a hollow ground Manix 2. They both have the same thickness blade stock and they also have essentially the same thickness tip with a similar taper. I don't want to open that can of worms but it makes me curious why one broke and the other didn't in those videos that were so popular. Also makes me wonder about the observation I made in those threads about technique of testing.

Regardless, I'm sure it is a fine knife but since I have moved on to higher end steels I don't think I will use it. I have thought about keeping it as a beater to do all the things that you shouldn't do with a knife and to loan to people, I just don't know if I would actually carry it.

Sorry to go off on a tangent. As far as the G10, there are many people who love it and will only buy knives that use it. While it may have that plastic feel it is very durable. If it is going to be a user and is too rough for you, some sand paper should smooth it up without too much work. If you do that, then use wet/dry paper and do it under running water so you don't have to worry about dust. Good luck getting used to it.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
Have you had a knife with G10 before? Out of curiosity what are most of your handles made of?

I also got one out of curiosity. It is a fairly nice knife but I will probably end up trading it. The Triad may be strong but that doesn't necessarily equate to "best" for me. It is stiff and slow to open and close. It is borderline a 2 handed knife, at least to close, and I loosened the pivot on mine a little. I can't imagine it would be very good for self defense. I like a lock that is easy to open and close and doesn't require re-positioning of the hand to operate. I must have gotten old stock because mine has steel liners so it is fairly thick and probably weights more than the all G10 version. I like G10 but this stuff is especially rough. Not a big deal but I would imagine it would definitely tear up pockets.

My main concern is about the AUS-8A blade steel because I have not had good luck with it holding an edge for very long at all in the few examples I have owned. I don't know what kind of blade coating is used but I'm also not looking forward to it getting scratched off but that might not be a valid concern. The G10 extend past the liners so the back spacer, liners, and scales are all at different positions instead of being flat. Not a big deal on a working knife but not something I am used to with my other knives.

Out of curiosity I used my digital calipers to measure blade thickness at the tip on the CS AL and a hollow ground Manix 2. They both have the same thickness blade stock and they also have essentially the same thickness tip with a similar taper. I don't want to open that can of worms but it makes me curious why one broke and the other didn't in those videos that were so popular. Also makes me wonder about the observation I made in those threads about technique of testing.

Regardless, I'm sure it is a fine knife but since I have moved on to higher end steels I don't think I will use it. I have thought about keeping it as a beater to do all the things that you shouldn't do with a knife and to loan to people, I just don't know if I would actually carry it.

Sorry to go off on a tangent. As far as the G10, there are many people who love it and will only buy knives that use it. While it may have that plastic feel it is very durable. If it is going to be a user and is too rough for you, some sand paper should smooth it up without too much work. If you do that, then use wet/dry paper and do it under running water so you don't have to worry about dust. Good luck getting used to it.
Click to expand...


AUS8 is a tougher steel. I think its that simple really. When you get ready to sell or trade that let me know. I might want it.:thumbup:

STR
 
It is very easy to sand. I smoothed out the G10 under the pocket clip in each of these Cold Steel knives, which you can see if pretty easily. It takes about 10 seconds per knife, once you get the clip off.

IMG_8188.jpg
 
manix 3.15mm
CS AL 3.4 mm blade , tip much thinner on Manix2

G10 great stuff !!!
 
What handle materials do you like, then? If anything, I think FRN feels the most "cheap," yet it's my favorite. G10 is usually nicely machined and has texture; it doesn't even feel like a plastic. I don't see how it seems cheap.
 
Of the complaints I could possibly come up with about G10, feeling cheap doesn't even make the list. FRN, Santoprene, Polyimide, Zytel...those all feel cheap to me. G10 is my preferred handle material (with the possible exception of titanium framelocks, then I prefer actual solid titanium), with carbon fiber and the various takes on micarta coming in right behind.
 
mine were both a little stiff to open when they were new. but being the person i am, i almost immediately disassembled them. i have one with liners (thx!) and one of the all g10 models.

after cleaning off the grit and putting some grease on the washers, they can almost be thumb flicked open w/o wrist action.

like most knives, they get smoother after some use.

the coating is teflon, and comes off pretty easily. it is soft and even cutting cardboard will have a noticeable effect. oddly, i had to soak for about 24 hours in chemical stripper to get it off. so its chemical resistant, but not use resistant.

i would also like a better steel, vg10 or ats34 would suit me just fine.
 
MikeC said:
I recently purchased a cold steel american lawman NIB off of flea bay, I got because of Ankerson's video test which of course were posted here. Thanks, Ankerson.

I really dislike maybe even HATE G10, that stuff feels cheap, plastic like and just plain ole sucks. I like the knife, I've always been hesitant to buy anything cold steel and even more so since the F&S best of the best bs, but Ankerson gave it a solid review and curiosity just plain ole got the best of me. So I broke down and got one. The knife is solidly built overall, good blade shape and the tri-ad lock is UNREAL and a winner no doubt about it, but the G10. Am I missing something because many on here really like this stuff?

It just feels cheap, I don't know how else to put it, also it seems brittle, notice I said seems, it may be very tough stuff but the perception I have after handling it is cheap brittle plastic like feel.




Help me like this stuff because I just don't see it.
Click to expand...

We use it for structural applications and for stuff that has to be ultra tough on boats. Doesn't matter how it feels to you, it's quality material. Hard to beat for long term hard use applications.
Seriously, that stuff is VERY tough.
 
trix2004 said:
manix 3.15mm
CS AL 3.4 mm blade , tip much thinner on Manix2

G10 great stuff !!!
Click to expand...

I'm not real sure what your point is but that is a 0.25 mm difference. That is equal to 0.00984". Ten thousandths of an inch is not "much" of anything. Plus that measurement is not the tip but the blade stock thickness of the CS AL. My Manix 2 blade stock is right at 3.2mm (since when do we use metric in the US?). You can't see the difference in blade thickness by looking at it and it probably comes from the blade coating on the AL.

All that doesn't even really matter since it has nothing to do with actual tip thickness which are almost identical as well as the rate of taper to the tip.
 
THG said:
What handle materials do you like, then? If anything, I think FRN feels the most "cheap," yet it's my favorite. G10 is usually nicely machined and has texture; it doesn't even feel like a plastic. I don't see how it seems cheap.
Click to expand...

Agree 1000%

FRN and the similiar materials on many popular knives by Spyderco and Kershaw and Benchmade and Cold steel has always felt cheap to me , I guess we equal that cheap feeling with plastic and all of those materials feel like plastic.

G10 however does not feel like plastic at all. I'm not sure how anyone could compare the texture of even polished G10 to FRN and similiar since there is no comparison.

The Endura for example - Fine knife. Well loved and respected and rightfully so. The handle to me however feels cheap.
If it were a G10 version of the Endura, there would be a difference in how the handle feels and its not just the texturing used on the particular knife.

Tostig
 
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