I found a CS vendor with a NOS O1 steel Laredo, so... I took the plunge and ordered it!

PocketKnifeJimmy

PocketKnifeJimmy

Joined
Aug 4, 2013
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I paid a little more than what it usually could be had for before they were discontinued, but, not much more.
Anyhow, the Natchez model never really called out to me, but the Laredo always did.
I always thought that the turn off reason for never having purchased one before, was the cable tang construction. But, as I have diversified my collection, the cable tang now seems like it would make for a unique addition to my eclectic collection.

It will have the black micarta handle, brass guard, an 01 carbon steel blade, and the secure ex sheath. The box shown in it's description was the light blue box with the tiger graphics on it.
Not sure what year it's from, but it was listed as NOS.

My fingers are crossed that this "Old Steel" product turns out to be a real nice specimen 🤞🤞
 
They're very nice but they're kind of pricey. However they are attractive and you are only going to be on this Earth one time. Enjoy your knife. I'm looking at a Ken Richardson Bowie knife. They're cheaper than a cold steel but they're pretty good I've had one in the past. Actually your kind of lucky that you got it because finding anything is very scarce. I can't get my hands on enough cold Steel knives. I think I need to go see a shrink. I'm always on the prowl for another cold steel knife.
 
tess_lawrie_fan said:
Another "Pocket" Knife, Jimmy? 😄

Waiting for the pics... 🙂
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What, the Laredo is not a folding pocket knife?!... I must have misunderstood it's description, lol! 😆

Well, some years ago, when I first considered ordering one, I tried looking up the history of the cable tang method of construction.
But, almost everything would lead me right back to Cold Steel' Bowie knives that used this system.
I ran across tons of discussions about them, and a lot of it revolved around controversy... TONS of opinions.
I, at the time, got tired of searching for the method's history, and for other examples of it's use by other firms or individuals.
So, with my constantly running into a brick wall when trying to simply better inform myself about cable tangs, I eventually just gave up on the idea altogether of getting the Laredo model, which was the one that always caught my eye, (over the Natchez model).
Fast forward to 2021, and I have found myself in a buying spree of some Cold Steel products, many of which I have looked into possibly buying in the past, but never pulled the trigger on. Of course we all know that the end of 2020 brought news to the knife buying community that Cold Steel was sold to a new owners, that being GSM. That is what obviously sparked my "maybe now or never" buying spree of their products, since the GSM ownership could bring changes in that we would not have expected from it when owned by Lynn Thompson.
My having recently purchased a Japanese made Trail Master in VG1 SM3, is part of that "maybe now or never" Cold Steel buying spree that I've been involved in this year.
The Laredo being one of those CS products that I have on and off desired, was not going to be done now by my getting a 3V version that Knifecenter currently has listed on their website. They have it over there for around $470, and that price is higher than I would want to go with in order to get myself a specimen to add into my collection. Also, with them being on backorder, not having been received and released yet, well... they could even wind up becoming vapor-ware.
The model I ordered is a "new old stock" O1 steel version Laredo Bowie that will come in the slightly older light blue/tiger graphics box. I don't know when, but I guess the O1 steel version was discontinued.
The fact that it's "new old stock", and that the pricing that I could now get it for was just over $200 less than the current 3V model is being listed for on Knifecenter, made me think to myself... "Okay, it's maybe now or never. I know the price is not exactly a bargain, but it's acceptable to me, especially considering the the current market situation we are in."

Yup, the cost of my incoming Laredo set me back $260 + S&H and Tax.
These O1 Latedo knives were, (I believe), selling in the $170 to $230 street price range before being discontinued. So, I wound up paying a bit of a premium over that price range, but the options are not exactly many if the Laredo knife is what I am seeking to get right now. I don't think that waiting it out any longer would have helped me much, since I see those prices likely rising, not dropping.

Of course if the Italian made 3V versions ever make it to shore, their close to $500 street pricing could swing things one way or another... People either jumping on them because the world has gone that crazy, or them eventually being drastically lowered in their street price because of a lack of sales.
If they ever do drop favorably in price, who knows, maybe there will someday be one of those 3V models in my collection as well 😁
 
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It may be a few more days before I receive my latest acquisition purchase. That said, I was hoping that maybe I could get someone here to help me in figuring something out. Here are a few pics of the knife I'm getting, (borrowed from the website I purchased it from)... maybe someone could chime in and give me an idea of when it was that Cold Steel last used this style of packaging?
As I had posted above, Cold Steel' last catalog to list the O1 steel Laredo, was for the year 2018. But, the packaging may predate that, so I'm trying to narrow down it's actual vintage range.
Thanks in advance 😊




 
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KenHash said:
The San Mai III TM I and San Mai III Laredo. and SM Kukri bought in 2014/2015 had that box.
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Thanks for sharing 👍
I wonder what the tiger thing on the box is all about? I mean, it seems quite random.

I've continued searching online to find more information pertaining to cable tangs. I love looking into, and learning, about things that pertain to my collecting hobby.
Thus far, my searches all lead me back to the two Cold Steel models that use that type of tang construction, but I can't imagine that Cold Steel were the originators of this construction design.
So, I am hoping to eventually run across info that gives some insight into it's history, maybe even discovering it's inventor. I have read that there have been custom knife makers that have, or do, use this method, and maybe finding one of their websites could give even further insight on the subject.
 
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PocketKnifeJimmy said:
Thanks for sharing 👍
I wonder what the tiger thing on the box is all about? I mean, it seems quite random.
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Yes it does. Seems like someone in charge of package box design justifying his salary....lol
One of the odd things about CS is that their products have been and continue to be heavily counterfeited.
To the point that CS had a page on their site showing comparison photos.
Yet, CS constantly made minor product changes and package changes without letting the
consumers know, leaving them wondering if they purchased a legitimate CS knife.
 
PocketKnifeJimmy said:
It may be a few more days before I receive my latest acquisition purchase. That said, I was hoping that maybe I could get someone here to help me in figuring something out. Here are a few pics of the knife I'm getting, (borrowed from the website I purchased it from)... maybe someone could chime in and give me an idea of when it was that Cold Steel last used this style of packaging?
As I had posted above, Cold Steel' last catalog to list the O1 steel Laredo, was for the year 2018. But, the packaging may predate that, so I'm trying to narrow down it's actual vintage range.
Thanks in advance 😊




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The packaging looks like for its from a few years ago. I think it's genuine. That's a very nice knife too by the way. Prices are only going to go up on these
 
I don't have a lot to add here, but I'll chime in with a couple of things:

1) You won't be disappointed in your purchase, Jimmy. The Laredo is a great knife. In my opinion, it's one of the finest commercial fighting bowies ever made. But that's what it is--a fighting bowie. The people who complained about it took it to the woods and beat on it until it broke. It was never intended for that.

Also, I think you paid a fair price. It may seem steep by yesterday's standards, but we're living in a new era of short supply and rampant inflation. That model, even if it becomes available again in O-1, will never be sold at those earlier prices.


2) To my knowledge, Cold Steel is the only production company to have employed the cable tang. I'm fairly certain it came out of the custom world, but I don't know who first employed it, and in fact I've never even seen a maker mention using that construction method. Everything that wasn't full-tang was always rat-tail.

Since a cable tang is significantly more difficult (and presumably more expensive) to make than a rat-tail, I have to believe that Cold Steel used it because it worked better. The vibration-dampening argument for the cable tang always made sense to me. It seems to be effective in buildings and suspension bridges, why not in fighting-knife handles?


3) You can't determine a Cold Steel knife's manufacture date based its box. The best you'll get is a date range, but even that is sketchy. As far as I can tell, Cold Steel used old boxes until the supply ran out, even when the knife inside had undergone design changes from year to year. That practice seems to be continuing to this day.


4) Nothing that I've read mentioned the tiger campaign. Despite the apparent dichotomy, a lot of hunters are animal conservationists. I always assumed that the tiger fund was a pet project of Lynn.


Enjoy your Laredo, Jimmy! We expect pictures, please! Oh, and don't rule out the Natchez. You can't appreciate that knife until you get one in hand. At least I didn't. Another amazing fighting bowie!


-Steve
 
The Whip said:
I don't have a lot to add here, but I'll chime in with a couple of things:

1) You won't be disappointed in your purchase, Jimmy. The Laredo is a great knife. In my opinion, it's one of the finest commercial fighting bowies ever made. But that's what it is--a fighting bowie. The people who complained about it took it to the woods and beat on it until it broke. It was never intended for that.

Also, I think you paid a fair price. It may seem steep by yesterday's standards, but we're living in a new era of short supply and rampant inflation. That model, even if it becomes available again in O-1, will never be sold at those earlier prices.


2) To my knowledge, Cold Steel is the only production company to have employed the cable tang. I'm fairly certain it came out of the custom world, but I don't know who first employed it, and in fact I've never even seen a maker mention using that construction method. Everything that wasn't full-tang was always rat-tail.

Since a cable tang is significantly more difficult (and presumably more expensive) to make than a rat-tail, I have to believe that Cold Steel used it because it worked better. The vibration-dampening argument for the cable tang always made sense to me. It seems to be effective in buildings and suspension bridges, why not in fighting-knife handles?


3) You can't determine a Cold Steel knife's manufacture date based its box. The best you'll get is a date range, but even that is sketchy. As far as I can tell, Cold Steel used old boxes until the supply ran out, even when the knife inside had undergone design changes from year to year. That practice seems to be continuing to this day.


4) Nothing that I've read mentioned the tiger campaign. Despite the apparent dichotomy, a lot of hunters are animal conservationists. I always assumed that the tiger fund was a pet project of Lynn.


Enjoy your Laredo, Jimmy! We expect pictures, please! Oh, and don't rule out the Natchez. You can't appreciate that knife until you get one in hand. At least I didn't. Another amazing fighting bowie!


-Steve
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Thank you very much for sharing your insight and opinions concerning this subject... Really appreciate it! 👍😊👍
 
While I was perusing the web, looking for possible other knives that have used the cable tang method of construction, I ran across this picture and wanted to share it here.
It seems to be a modified/customized Laredo Bowie.
I don't think the person that did the work on the handle actually replaced the original one, I believe they simply did a bit of reshaping and inlet the handle to accept the rectangular shield and faux acting pins.
In any case, I wanted to share the pic here because it does seem they did a pretty nifty job at jazzing it up 👍

 
a good find there. great knife looks wise. probably great for fighting too, but I wouldn't need it for that.

whats the plan.....mount in a case and show it off? if so be quite an eye catcher as its a good looker.
 
jbmonkey said:
a good find there. great knife looks wise. probably great for fighting too, but I wouldn't need it for that.

whats the plan.....mount in a case and show it off? if so be quite an eye catcher as its a good looker.
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99% of my knife acquisitions are for my 'Interesting Objects Collection', and will therefore wind up being behind glass somewhere in my domain's decor 👍😁👍
 
The Whip said:
Oh, and don't rule out the Natchez. You can't appreciate that knife until you get one in hand. At least I didn't. Another amazing fighting bowie!


-Steve
Click to expand...

I was just thinking, with my having ordered my incoming specimen of a CS Laredo Bowie, and already having specimens of the CS 1917 Frontier Bowie and CS Trail master, maybe a CS Natchez Bowie will someday have to make it's way into my collection as well 😉


 
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