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Is anyone else as dissappointed in CS 420 cryo as me?

T

ToolHead

Joined
Nov 21, 2001
Messages
82
Hi Everyone,
About a year ago, I had the displeasure of purchasing not one, but 2 of cold Steel's 420 sub-zero crap blades on e-bay. When I bought them, I didn't know a thing about steels, but had owned a Cold Steel Bush Ranger and LTC Khukri in Carbon V. The Ranger and LTC were the best production knives I had ever used (the ranger way outperforms my Buck Nighthawk) so I looked at the OSS and Kobun in 420 and though to myself "Well, they are Cold Steels, so they should be really good..."

Big mistake. The OSS came with a hair popping edge that dulled after I dropped it on a carpet covered floor! The kobun was no better. I am surprised at Cold Steel for having the gall to produce knives with steel this poor in quality. I used my LTC to clear half an acre of brush and small trees and I only needed to resharpen once. I checked the Bush Ranger last night. It was stored in the sheath for a year - minimal tarnish on the still sharp edge. 6 passes on each side across DMT and it shaved hair. What's the deal? Why create one knife that performs outstandingly well (for a mass-produced knife) and then create on that is complete crap?

In their defence, I still intend to buy a Cold Steel knife here and there - but ONLY in Carbon V. 420 should stay where it belons - in cheap pakistan knives....

Tim
 
Ok think about this for a second ok. I got my Kobun(420 steel) new for $60 canadian on sale at a local shop. Now when you are making a knife that cheap you have to make sacrifices. I'm in the proccess of ordering a Custom right now that the Steel alone cost more than twice what i paid for the Kobun. Think about it this way, What do you think there budget for steel for a knife like that is? maybe $15? Now think what steel you can buy with $15 Canadian. I mean i agree with, the steel blows but you have to look at the price, you arnt going to get anyhting with a decent steel for that price. If you dont like it you could have always paid the extra $$$ and got Carbon V(for the Kobun). I think CS offers good Performance for the $$$, I mean i would liek to see there 420 replaced with something like S30V or 440V but in there price range that just isnt going to happen. Especially since when you go to a harder steel the cost of making/shapeing it goes through the roof as well since its harder to grind/cut so it takes more belts/time.
 
Fair enough - the Carbon V kobun retails (you know how accurate the CS retail price is) at 40$ more than the than the 420 kobun. My point is that with the reputation Cold Steel has built, they have no business making blades with a steel that has this low of quality. It's deceptive to the public who has come to expect something from Cold Steel. It's a sucker punch that I was suckered into and I want to prevent anyone else from falling into this trap.

Also, I find it amusing that the OSS is more expensive than the Bush Ranger when I can shave the OSS's edge off with the Bush Ranger.

Tim
 
I own some cold steel knives, there is nothing worng with them, but COLD STEEL SUCKS! look what they are doing with ATC's name.

There is little point in cryo-ing 420, the cryo treatment is for more complex steels like D2.

Carbon V knives are great because they are Camillus knives, i would buy a camillus before a CS.

60 bucks is a alot for a 420 blade, spend a little more and you can get a spyderco fixed blade in VG-10
 
I think you got some lemons. I have an OSS and a UWK. I have chopped down 4" sweet gum trees with the spine of the OSS and it still shaves.

Peace-
Cam
 
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