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Fiddle with pivot screw.
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Is it just me or Cold Steel knives are general either low quality or overpriced ?
- Thread starter chipdouglas
- Start date
Fiddle with pivot screw.
Ankerson
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All I can say is they have been great to me, been using their knives since 1986. 
Here is my current beater folding knife, a 4" Voyager, it's been through a lot of hard use and tons of cardboard etc.
It's my primary cardboard blade and the VG-1 Steel holds an edge forever I can tell you, IMO you can't buy a knife at it's price that is better and that will take a lot of abuse. :thumbup:
Here is my current beater folding knife, a 4" Voyager, it's been through a lot of hard use and tons of cardboard etc.
It's my primary cardboard blade and the VG-1 Steel holds an edge forever I can tell you, IMO you can't buy a knife at it's price that is better and that will take a lot of abuse. :thumbup:
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I won't say it is just you, because I have heard the comment before.
However, IMO, Cold Steel sells some excellent blades that are worth what they ask.
Their Chinese blades are inexpensive.
Their Japanese blades are not.
Whether you agree with their marketing or like the owner is a different question than if the blades are overpriced.
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Both.
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Found why why there's play--the liner lock doesn't go deeper enough into the tang so to speak. When I press against it, the blade play is no more. For some reason, when I got it two days ago it wasn't like that.
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Try using a pencil on the tang where the liner lock hits it. This should allow the liner to slip in a bit further. The problem should self-correct when the liner wears in a bit.
I think that the reason people think or say cold steel is crap, or overpriced may be because of a few reasons. I could be wrong, but this is my take on all these cold steel is crap/overpriced threads.
1) about the quality - I think as many have said some of their knives are made in china, and some are made in Japan. I personally do not know which is better quality. I think however that there are quite a few people who think that if its not made in America, its no good. However they have a good reason to say this, as they have probably have no problems with the knives they own that were made in the USA, yet have had problems with their knives they have that are made in China or Japan.
On the contrary, there are many knives made outside of USA that are of good quality (and I'm not saying these people are too ignorant to recognise this, not at all). Fallkniven, some spyderco's, some benchmades I think.
2) I'm not sure if its true, but I think some people may be parroting what they have heard. I sure can put my hand up for thinking cold steel is crap simply because I've heard of a few people who's CS knife broke. Not sure about others, btu having no experience with CS knives, I think they are crap. However after reading reviews of a few ones like the recon scout or trailmaster for example, I've come to realise that they are actally pretty heavy duty knives, IMO. Take the trailmaster for example, the older version i think, its pretty darn thick at 1/4 inch EDIT: its actually 5/16 inches thick, so thats nearly 8 mm thick, which is bloody thick!, and I don't know which would win, but if it was compared to a ESEE RC3, for extreme use, would the CS or the ESEE win? and which one would you rather have if yor life depended on it.
3) regarding their overpricing - I guess it depends on what you have bought/seen before looking at CS knives, for example, the CS Mini Lawman and the BM Mini Grip.
The CS is 6.3 sm long, the mini grip, is about 7.3 cm long.
CS uses AUS8, and the mini grip uses 154cm
CS uses G10 as the handle material, whilst the BM uses Valox.
CS has no liners I think, whilst the mini grip does.
CS uses the triad lock, whilst the mini grip has the axis.
The CS is msrp'd at 79.99 whilst the BM is msrp'd at 95 bucks.
I guess if you didn't know knives you'd think the CS is a better bargain, with the the whole "triad lock AUS 8 steel g10 handles" not meaning much difference to you then the "Axis lock valox handles 154cm steel"
Also as its been pointed out on different threads, if Cold steel's products sucked that much, wouldn't they be out of business by now? how could they keep releasing new models/continue production if they weren't making money. This also branches out onto their marketing, and thats already been talked about in the other cold steel threads.
I guess what it comes down to, and this is how I interpret it, is that many people don't want a CS, as there are in many people's eyes, better offerings out there, and that ANY benchmade or spyderco knife for example, will beat a Cold steel regardless. Also I think that people don't have heaps of money to spend on a folding knife for EDC, or a Fixed blade for their next camping trip, and therefore want the best value for money, and in their eyes and many others Cold Steel does not represent this value. This I think isn't true. Whilst I will say, I would prefer a spyderco or benchmade folder over a Coldsteel one, IMHO, there are some Cold Steel Fixed Blades and folders that have been provent to be actually pretty decent, and at a reasonable pricepoint, which again depends on what your interpretation of a "reasonable pricepoint" is. To some spending 100 bucks on a spydie dragonfly is ridiculous, as its so small. So really up to the person themselves I think.
I tried to make this as non biast as possible.
1) about the quality - I think as many have said some of their knives are made in china, and some are made in Japan. I personally do not know which is better quality. I think however that there are quite a few people who think that if its not made in America, its no good. However they have a good reason to say this, as they have probably have no problems with the knives they own that were made in the USA, yet have had problems with their knives they have that are made in China or Japan.
On the contrary, there are many knives made outside of USA that are of good quality (and I'm not saying these people are too ignorant to recognise this, not at all). Fallkniven, some spyderco's, some benchmades I think.
2) I'm not sure if its true, but I think some people may be parroting what they have heard. I sure can put my hand up for thinking cold steel is crap simply because I've heard of a few people who's CS knife broke. Not sure about others, btu having no experience with CS knives, I think they are crap. However after reading reviews of a few ones like the recon scout or trailmaster for example, I've come to realise that they are actally pretty heavy duty knives, IMO. Take the trailmaster for example, the older version i think, its pretty darn thick at 1/4 inch EDIT: its actually 5/16 inches thick, so thats nearly 8 mm thick, which is bloody thick!, and I don't know which would win, but if it was compared to a ESEE RC3, for extreme use, would the CS or the ESEE win? and which one would you rather have if yor life depended on it.
3) regarding their overpricing - I guess it depends on what you have bought/seen before looking at CS knives, for example, the CS Mini Lawman and the BM Mini Grip.
The CS is 6.3 sm long, the mini grip, is about 7.3 cm long.
CS uses AUS8, and the mini grip uses 154cm
CS uses G10 as the handle material, whilst the BM uses Valox.
CS has no liners I think, whilst the mini grip does.
CS uses the triad lock, whilst the mini grip has the axis.
The CS is msrp'd at 79.99 whilst the BM is msrp'd at 95 bucks.
I guess if you didn't know knives you'd think the CS is a better bargain, with the the whole "triad lock AUS 8 steel g10 handles" not meaning much difference to you then the "Axis lock valox handles 154cm steel"
Also as its been pointed out on different threads, if Cold steel's products sucked that much, wouldn't they be out of business by now? how could they keep releasing new models/continue production if they weren't making money. This also branches out onto their marketing, and thats already been talked about in the other cold steel threads.
I guess what it comes down to, and this is how I interpret it, is that many people don't want a CS, as there are in many people's eyes, better offerings out there, and that ANY benchmade or spyderco knife for example, will beat a Cold steel regardless. Also I think that people don't have heaps of money to spend on a folding knife for EDC, or a Fixed blade for their next camping trip, and therefore want the best value for money, and in their eyes and many others Cold Steel does not represent this value. This I think isn't true. Whilst I will say, I would prefer a spyderco or benchmade folder over a Coldsteel one, IMHO, there are some Cold Steel Fixed Blades and folders that have been provent to be actually pretty decent, and at a reasonable pricepoint, which again depends on what your interpretation of a "reasonable pricepoint" is. To some spending 100 bucks on a spydie dragonfly is ridiculous, as its so small. So really up to the person themselves I think.
I tried to make this as non biast as possible.
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I have owned a few of their products and I have found if you choose what you want carefully and shop around for a good price you will not be disappointed. 
Ankerson
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I have owned a few of their products and I have found if you choose what you want carefully and shop around for a good price you will not be disappointed.
Exactly... :thumbup:
One should never have to pay the full retail price on any CS knife if they shop around because the street prices are much cheaper than the SRP on CS's website.
The street prices are right in line with other knives on the market.
CS sells knives that can be used hard and they work very well at those tasks so if you really use your knives and want a good value then CS is the company to buy from.
If one doesn't use them then any flea market or gas station $5 knife will do for opening mail, cleaning fingernails, slicing cheese and as a general pocket ornament or sitting around playing with them while watching TV or showing off to their friends for the OOOOOH AAAAAAHHH OOOOOOHHHH.
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I like throwing their hawks quite a bit, they're pretty rugged.
I like some CS folders, great value. Their fixed blades can be pretty tough as well, not my first steel choice on some of them but usually a pretty good value.
I could do without seeing LT in bicycle shorts chopping up meat with a kukri, but honestly I don't care.
Honestly, for me, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on their fixed blades as I just spend a little more and buy Busse, but some of their folders are I really like.
I like some CS folders, great value. Their fixed blades can be pretty tough as well, not my first steel choice on some of them but usually a pretty good value.
I could do without seeing LT in bicycle shorts chopping up meat with a kukri, but honestly I don't care.
Honestly, for me, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on their fixed blades as I just spend a little more and buy Busse, but some of their folders are I really like.
I keep saying it and I'll say it again here. The 2010 Voyager is headed to be one of my all time favorite knives.
Yes, they've had a few duds. I generally find their stuff to be of acceptable quality though.
Most importantly they sell a lot of stuff you can't get anywhere else.
Yes, they've had a few duds. I generally find their stuff to be of acceptable quality though.
Most importantly they sell a lot of stuff you can't get anywhere else.
Ankerson
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the voyager knives where my first, bm and spydie they where all running neck to neck,they can not be beat on price...
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I just got a closeout Recon-1 folder and it's a beast of a folding knife. It's handle is long and curved which makes for using the ultra lock quite a bit more difficult than a Benchmade Axis.
That said: I keep whipping it out and can't believe what a big honking folder it is. I lubed it up good and the more I use it the more (I think) the ultra lock is breaking in.
I still need both of my fingers on both lock studs pulling back evenly to get it to close which is a trick when the butt is sliding off of your palm. Pulling on one side like a Benchmade won't allow it to release. Not that big of a deal but a minor nuisance.
Does it feel like it would go through a thin car hood - yes, but I won't be trying it though!
That said: I keep whipping it out and can't believe what a big honking folder it is. I lubed it up good and the more I use it the more (I think) the ultra lock is breaking in.
I still need both of my fingers on both lock studs pulling back evenly to get it to close which is a trick when the butt is sliding off of your palm. Pulling on one side like a Benchmade won't allow it to release. Not that big of a deal but a minor nuisance.
Does it feel like it would go through a thin car hood - yes, but I won't be trying it though!
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It took me a while to get a CS knife, their over the top advertising and claims kept me away from their products.
The first one I got was a Camillus made Carbon V Master Hunter, an excellent all around fixed blade. That was a few years ago, and I've since added a few folders (Voyager, American Lawman, Scimitar, etc.) to my CS collection and I'm pleased with them all.
IMHO, their middle price products are good but their top tier knives are a bit overpriced for what you get.
The first one I got was a Camillus made Carbon V Master Hunter, an excellent all around fixed blade. That was a few years ago, and I've since added a few folders (Voyager, American Lawman, Scimitar, etc.) to my CS collection and I'm pleased with them all.
IMHO, their middle price products are good but their top tier knives are a bit overpriced for what you get.
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I have a wide range of CS products including swords, spears ,hawks and of course knives. IMO they're virtually all good to excellent. [There's a thread around right now attesting to the excellent quality of the Rajah 1]
I kind of regret a few purchases like the Ring Dagger, not because it's not well made, but because it seems a little silly. It's an example however, of Cold Steel's willingness to offer products that almost no one else does.
I have an Emerson CQC 11 which I payed way too much for it because I really like the design. However the blade is so off centre, that there is actually a scuff mark on one side of the blade as it hits the liner when the knife is opened or closed.
I have five other Emersons where this is not the case, so I have NOT arrived at the conclusion that Emersons are poorly made knives, although I do think they are overpriced when compared to other brands.
The fact is ,I think, that there will always be a few individual knives that slip by quality control at any knife company, but that does not mean the whole brand is to be avoided.
I kind of regret a few purchases like the Ring Dagger, not because it's not well made, but because it seems a little silly. It's an example however, of Cold Steel's willingness to offer products that almost no one else does.
I have an Emerson CQC 11 which I payed way too much for it because I really like the design. However the blade is so off centre, that there is actually a scuff mark on one side of the blade as it hits the liner when the knife is opened or closed.
I have five other Emersons where this is not the case, so I have NOT arrived at the conclusion that Emersons are poorly made knives, although I do think they are overpriced when compared to other brands.
The fact is ,I think, that there will always be a few individual knives that slip by quality control at any knife company, but that does not mean the whole brand is to be avoided.