Is it time to rehabilitate Cold Steel? CONTROVERSIAL

I met Lynn at the Cold Steel Challenge a few years ago and he was super nice.
It was quite obvious that he is genuinely just as amped IRL about blades as we, the consumers, are :D
 
Cold Steel Knives said:
Thanks for all the kind words.
This was a fun post to read with my morning coffee :)

We have a lot of fun doing what we do.
We have been making these videos and doing live demos at events and shows ever since the early 80s.
To begin with it was simple, we just took our knives and subjected them to the same tests that were used for handmade swords.
Our knives were expensive, and Lynn's mission was to prove to all of our potential customers that this new brand was making good knives and that they were worth their hard earned dollars.

Very straightforward. No real marketing "strategy", just beat on the knife and show how tough it was.
We've basically kept to the same formula ever since. The budget has gone up and the product line has got more diverse but it's still the same basic formula.

As Lynn always says "we've got to back up our brag"

Many of the crew have been working together for over 20 years. They are all friends who train, hunt, shoot and hang out together, and they love making these videos and chopping stuff up.
Proof in itself is not only a hardcore testing video but also kind of one big in-joke between friends.
For example, the dramatic posing after each big cut. Back in the day we only had one camera, so the person doing the demo would be required to stand still while we got a close up of the edge on the knife. Now, we have multiple cameras but the guys still pose!

Many of the production meetings are based on "wouldn't it be fun if..."
We get to stop work for a week, chop things up with swords and convert the gym into a fake medieval castle. What's not to love? :D
We have fun making the videos and I think a lot of times that comes across in the DVD. It was entertaining to make and I hope that it's also entertaining to watch.
I'm often bewildered by people who think it's all deadly serious.

The tests are all 100% genuine. The feats are often tough as hell.
It's a grueling shoot - we film all of our products in the space of 7 days!. The team will train for up to a year before each video and they take all of the testing very seriously. It's dangerous stuff and we want to ensure that everyone stays safe BUT when all that is done there's no harm in slicing soda bottles or cutting up cardboard targets for the sheer fun of it.

We are shooting a new proof video here at HQ next week, and you can bet it will be bigger, crazier and more over-the-top than ever.

We are super proud of our products and we love to showcase what they do. Everyone here lives and breathes this stuff and we're excited about every new product.
Sure, Lynn can be outspoken sometimes, but he is far from the monster that certain forum members portray him as. When I see the immature and sometimes out and out offensive comments that some people think is acceptable on the internet I'm astounded. It just proves that those people don't know the guy at all.

Personally, I'm very excited by our new line up. We have a lot of really cool stuff planned for the next 4 years and it's going to be awesome.
The 01 and the CPM 3-V have tested REALLY well and that's just the beginning...

Also, for the record - I'm a proud Mall Ninja :p
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:D Great to see you post here! You're super proud of your products, and I'm super proud to own them, from my Kudu to my Gurkha Kukri! I'm loving what you guys are doing more and more by the year. I've got my awesome Code 4 in my pocket right now. :thumbup:

I can't wait to see what Cold Steel releases in the future, and I'm excited for the new Proof DVD. But before you release your 2014 lineup, I still need to get everything I want from the new 2013 releases!

philllll said:
Wow, really nice to see Cold Steel's response. I personally get a kick out of the videos. Who wouldn't spend all day chopping up various hanging meats with swords if they had the chance?
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My dream job is to work at Cold Steel. Just to be a part of it and everything they do. Alas, living on the opposite side of the continent isn't always fun.
 
Cold Steel Knives said:
Thanks for all the kind words.
This was a fun post to read with my morning coffee :)

We have a lot of fun doing what we do.
We have been making these videos and doing live demos at events and shows ever since the early 80s.
To begin with it was simple, we just took our knives and subjected them to the same tests that were used for handmade swords.
Our knives were expensive, and Lynn's mission was to prove to all of our potential customers that this new brand was making good knives and that they were worth their hard earned dollars.

Very straightforward. No real marketing "strategy", just beat on the knife and show how tough it was.
We've basically kept to the same formula ever since. The budget has gone up and the product line has got more diverse but it's still the same basic formula.

As Lynn always says "we've got to back up our brag"

Many of the crew have been working together for over 20 years. They are all friends who train, hunt, shoot and hang out together, and they love making these videos and chopping stuff up.
Proof in itself is not only a hardcore testing video but also kind of one big in-joke between friends.
For example, the dramatic posing after each big cut. Back in the day we only had one camera, so the person doing the demo would be required to stand still while we got a close up of the edge on the knife. Now, we have multiple cameras but the guys still pose!

Many of the production meetings are based on "wouldn't it be fun if..."
We get to stop work for a week, chop things up with swords and convert the gym into a fake medieval castle. What's not to love? :D
We have fun making the videos and I think a lot of times that comes across in the DVD. It was entertaining to make and I hope that it's also entertaining to watch.
I'm often bewildered by people who think it's all deadly serious.

The tests are all 100% genuine. The feats are often tough as hell.
It's a grueling shoot - we film all of our products in the space of 7 days!. The team will train for up to a year before each video and they take all of the testing very seriously. It's dangerous stuff and we want to ensure that everyone stays safe BUT when all that is done there's no harm in slicing soda bottles or cutting up cardboard targets for the sheer fun of it.

We are shooting a new proof video here at HQ next week, and you can bet it will be bigger, crazier and more over-the-top than ever.

We are super proud of our products and we love to showcase what they do. Everyone here lives and breathes this stuff and we're excited about every new product.
Sure, Lynn can be outspoken sometimes, but he is far from the monster that certain forum members portray him as. When I see the immature and sometimes out and out offensive comments that some people think is acceptable on the internet I'm astounded. It just proves that those people don't know the guy at all.

Personally, I'm very excited by our new line up. We have a lot of really cool stuff planned for the next 4 years and it's going to be awesome.
The 01 and the CPM 3-V have tested REALLY well and that's just the beginning...

Also, for the record - I'm a proud Mall Ninja :p
Click to expand...

Thanks for your great response. I'm glad the thread has provided some elevenses entertainment!

Wow 3V! Will you be doing a 3V trail master? If you do, I would consider selling huge swathes of my other knives to get one!
 
Cold Steel Knives said:
Thanks for all the kind words. We are shooting a new proof video here at HQ next week, and you can bet it will be bigger, crazier and more over-the-top than ever. We are super proud of our products and we love to showcase what they do. Everyone here lives and breathes this stuff and we're excited about every new product. Personally, I'm very excited by our new line up. We have a lot of really cool stuff planned for the next 4 years and it's going to be awesome. The 01 and the CPM 3-V have tested REALLY well and that's just the beginning...
Click to expand...

Great post. Keep having fun and making outstanding products. People with an eye for quality and effective marketing appreciate your efforts.

Can't wait to see the offerings over the next four years!

MORE SWORDS!!!! I still need to pick up a Grosse Messer (sp) and Bastard Sword to make epic war on watermelons and other cuttable things.
 
Cold Steel doesn't make knives, they market stuff made for them, usually overseas now that Camillus (who made their "carbon v") went under. Maybe the regular turnover in manufacturing is reflected in their worst-in-the-industry warranty?

They do make lots of marketing videos.
 
What I find interesting, about some Cold Steel fans is that when Cold Steel "not-fans" state their opinions, the fans often resort to calling the "not-fans" "haters", claiming they are "...people who like to keep their knives in glass cases rather than in their pockets and on their belts." or that they are prepetrators of "knife snobbery."

I have seen that many, including myself, just don't like the Cold Steel "aesthetic." It's not blind hate, it's not "personal," it's a matter of taste. And it's not "snobbery" since many, including myself, are big fans of knives like Opinels and such. And guess what? I use my knives! :) (And I own a Cold Steel knife.)

Like I posted earlier, if Cold Steel shifted their design focus/philosophy to a different style...I'd certainly be more interested in them as a brand.

That said, Cold Steel would be cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs crazy to shift their design focus/philosophy. It's a gold mine and more power to them. It's just not my cup of tea. De gustibus.
 
Rat Finkenstein said:
Cold Steel doesn't make knives, they market stuff made for them, usually overseas now that Camillus (who made their "carbon v") went under. Maybe the regular turnover in manufacturing is reflected in their worst-in-the-industry warranty?

They do make lots of marketing videos.
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For a while now their warranty pretty has pretty much been a lifetime warranty. On the box of my Leatherneck SF:

"We stand behind our knives and swords 100%. We subject them to the highest standards in the industry and strive to make each product as perfect as possible. We warrant that our folding knives, fixed blade sheath knives and swords are free of defects in workmanship and materials. This warranty does not cover normal wear and tear, resharpening of the blade, damage caused by misuse, lack of normal maintenance, or disassembly. Remember, any knife or sword can break or fail if subjected to sufficient abuse. So please, do not use our knives and swords inappropriately, and remember: No knife or sword should be used as an axe, hatchet, screwdriver or pry bar."

Sounds pretty fair to me.
 
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Oakengroves said:
Am the only person who finds Cold Steel's intentionally over-the-top, light-heart marketing preferable to what has become boilerplate "HARD USE TACTICAL OPERATOR" marketing by dozens of manufacturers? Strider, Microtech, Protech, and Hinderer lead the market with distasteful and boring marketing practices, imo.

Cold Steel's silly marketing videos are enjoyable. I'd rather watch Lynn Thompson chop through a meat-boot than read about how a knife is designed for "elite special force use." Cheesy heavy metal riffs are preferable to exaggerated, boring claims about how a knife is going to turn its user into Solid Snake.

Some may disagree, but: Cold Steel makes the best budget-conscious and cost-to-performance folders on the market today. I own CRKs, Benchmades, Spyderos, Mcustas, Kershaws, and ZTs, but when I need a cheap beater that will get a nasty job done, I reach for a Voyager or Recon-1.

Cold Steel needs no rehabilitation because they make outstanding products that have sold well for a long time
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Bravo! Well said. I haven't had enough coffee to say anything else :)
 
To be fair, Spyderco has what, 3-4 models that are US made in a US factory? Kershaw is moving a ton of manufacturing overseas, It would be nice to have more US made folders but this is the present day reality in manufacturing.
 
Hate to bust in on the "yes men" convention, but what is it about CS fan boy threads bashing other brands?

From my experience I have not seen so much other brand knocking as I have in the CS threads / sub forum.

Is it little man syndrome?

If you guys are so happy with your knife choice then by all means, celebrate it for what it's worth, let it stand on its own merits, share a yarn and a pic.

With this CS fan boy behaviour of other brand bashing it appears many of you fan boys are not content with your knife choice.
 
Has there been band bashing? I've not seen it yet, it's pretty civil so far. For the record I own pieces from many companies and if I had to take a census, I have more Kershaws than anything else.
 
Jaytaylor said:
Hate to bust in on the "yes men" convention, but what is it about CS fan boy threads bashing other brands?

From my experience I have not seen so much other brand knocking as I have in the CS threads / sub forum.

Is it little man syndrome?

If you guys are so happy with your knife choice then by all means, celebrate it for what it's worth, let it stand on its own merits, share a yarn and a pic.

With this CS fan boy behaviour of other brand bashing it appears many of you fan boys are not content with your knife choice.
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http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1071824-Cold-Steel-Chaos-has-arrived Seems like a whole lot of other fanboys bashing Cold Steel in that thread... I think I even see a couple from you. :D
 
I met Mr. Thompson at one of their parking lot sales and he was a really friendly, cool dude who was happy to take time and talk knives with me. :thumbup:

I'm going to the woods today and this thread has inspired me to bring along the Trailmaster. Stoked to hear about the new Trailmasters. :cool:
 
I like how Cold Steel has a wide range of products.
And they're just plain fun; last time when out in the woods I chopped down a 3" diameter maple with the XL G-10 Espada, and my dad got a similar size one down with the Rajah 2.
Why? Well, if you have to ask, you just won't get it.

Or how about when me and a group of friends used the ball head war club to bust up fire wood at a beach party? Who else puts out things like that? (sound of crickets ;))

It seems like a bunch of folks cannot like more than one or two brands...good for them I guess, but don't get huffy at those with more varied tastes.

The only thing I'd change would be more G-10 and micarta, and less Kraton; I hate Kraton, and the way it turns to goo over the decades.
And more high end steel would be great. The trend seems to be going that way, and I applaud it. :)
 
CS makes good, functional knives, from more than adequate steel, and sells them at competitive prices. They stand behind their products. What's not to like?
 
People always complain that Cold Steel is a bad company because of their silly marketing.

But hey, here's a shot in the dark fantastic idea; don't watch the videos!

Wow, simple as that!
 
CS may come off a little cheesy at times, but their products are quality
Owned a tri ad lock recon 1 and mini ak47 and they were real dependable users
 
I've got two Cold Steel knives that I purchased back in the 1990s - an original Carbon V Hunter and a carbon steel TwistMaster. Both knives are solid quality blades. The Hunter especially reminds me of the Fallkniven F1 - with the rubber handles. Great for a hunting knife. The TwistMaster is an interesting knife - many folks called it the "Tactical Opinel" because it has the same ring locking system as the Opinel, but with rubber handles and a beefed up lock ring. Really cool and a great slicer.

I haven't bought any Cold Steel products in the past 20 years or so, though.

TedP
 
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