How come I keep coming back to Cold Steel

B

backpacker

Joined
Oct 2, 2000
Messages
201
I keep looking for an inexpensive mid size folder, but, the more I look, I just keep coming back to the Cold steel Medium Voyager. For the price range of $40-$60 the AUS8a steel is better than anything else I can find in this price range.

What do you think?
 
Spyderco Delica, Native, or Calypso Jr. lightweights. Same price range, but steels are ATS-55, CPM-440V, and VG-10, respectively.

Paul
 
I feel like I should copy /paste this sentence. "for the $$money you can't beat a cold steel voyager or gunsite".
I have several of these knives and they have always come through. The AUS8 blades with a plain edge are some of the easiest to re-sharpen. C/S = good value
 
Have any of you handled or own any of the new Recon 1s or the Ti stilletto? I don't hear any one raving about the Recon 1s or the Ti stilletto. Are they junk?
 
Paul,

Of all the steels you mentioned above, which is the best? How much better are they than the AUS8a?

One other thing about the Cold steel Blades is that I like the shape of the blades. They seem to be a more well rounded for a wide variety of tasks.
 
While AUS8 might not be THE best steel, it is a very good, and very strong working knife. When blade strength is an issue, CS voyagers (and AUS8) are hard to beat. Let's also not forget that you get a lot of steel with each knife, good thick blades that will take a lot of abuse. This is much more steel than ATS34 blades in the same price range.

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"Never let your morals get in the way of doing what's right" -Hari Seldon, Foundation, -Aasimov
 
I think you should buy what you like and ignore the preferences of others. It's valuable to get experience information from others but not preferences. Different strokes and all that sort of thing. Take care.



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Fred
Knife Outlet
http://www.knifeoutlet.com
 
"One other thing about the Cold steel Blades is that I like the shape of the blades. They seem to be a more well rounded for a wide variety of tasks."

I hope you're talking about the clip point baldes here, right? The functionality of a Tanto point is debatable.

You may want to also check out the new CUDA EDC, or the CRKT Point Guard, KFF, or the Zltel folders made by Outdoor edge, in clip & spear point.

 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by rogue_spear:
Have any of you handled or own any of the new Recon 1s or the Ti stilletto? </font>
Click to expand...

They're pretty new. I doubt many people have gotten hold of any of them. And they are way outside the price range $40-$60.

The Ti Lite especially may be a great piece of work, but it isn't exactly a great utility pattern.
 
Cold Steel, Spyderco, and CRKT are all supurb in your price range, plus they all come SHARP, right out of the box. I'm not a "steel snob". If it comes sharp, stays reasonably sharp in use, and resharpens well, that does it for me! All of those listed fill the bill.

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AKTI Member #A000934
"Always just one knife short of perfection!"
 
I have two Cold Steel Medium plain-edge Clip-Point Voyages (one is one of my "every day carry knives"), and I find them (as are all Cold Steel knives) to be excellent folders, and a great value.
smile.gif
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Dann Fassnacht
Aberdeen, WA
glockman99@hotmail.com
ICQ# 53675663
 
My vote goes to spyderco -- all the way. Their workmanship, customer service, materials, opening method, and blade shapes are all superior in the class you have specified. I STRONGLY recommend looking at a delica or beautifully flat ground calypso jr lightweight. The native is also quite a package. You cant beat spyderco, they have great heat treats and insane style :)

--defiant
 
Let's not overlook the issue of lock strength. Cold Steel markets its locking knives (agressively) as extremely strong, and that's a selling point for me. Yes, there are other companies who probably do just as well in this department, but they don't market it as loudly.

As for the Ti-Lite stiletto, it's a good-looking knife, and if I had a spare couple of hundred bucks, I'd buy one. Even then, though, I admit it wouldn't be the most useful knife in the world -- that stiletto shape just doesn't lend itself well to a wide range of mundane tasks.

-Razor

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AKTI #A000845
And tomorrow when you wake up it will be worse.
 
Although I currently only own a Cold Steel small tanto voyager, I must say that the lock on this knife is one of the strongest that I have experienced in a Zytel folder. When the knife is opened there is zero, and I mean ZERO blade play in any direction. Most of the Zytel Spydercos that I own have a tiny bit of play one way or another (except the Matriarch), and some even need to be returned for factory adjustment when I get around to it. I still prefer the designs and selection that Spyderco has to offer, by the way.

I have visibly flexed the blade of the Voyager and didn't feel any movement in the lock. Too bad mine is the old style with the crappy plastic clip that has long since broken off. I would probably get another of these (clip point this time) if I happened to see one at a good price and was in the right mood...

PM
 
backpacker,
Of the three steels I mentioned, CPM-440V holds an edge the longest. It is also the toughest to sharpen. They all hold an edge longer than anything I've had in AUS-8A (which is one of my favorite steels). The medium Voyager IS a knife I'm considering. My Delica in ATS-55 is what I've been carrying the most lately, for the same reasons you stated. Any of the three would be a good addition to your Voyager. Hope this helps.

Paul
 
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