Is it time to rehabilitate Cold Steel? CONTROVERSIAL

I've enjoyed Cold Steel's products for years, and I think they put out some phenomenal stuff that no one else dares to. Their upper end stuff has historically not been a good bargain for the price range but in the middle and lower price brackets they've always been VERY competitive and solid performers. I do think they could use a little bit of a directed product spread, though, as things have gotten kind of willy-nilly in that regard in my opinion. They're doing ok in that regard still (heck--a lot better than companies like SOG are in that regard!) but it's something that needs to be reigned in lest the company suffer an identity crisis from too many schisms in their design approaches. It's a hard thing to describe what I mean, but I hope somebody besides me has a clue what I'm talking about.

At any rate, CS is good stuff by and large, and I've EDC'ed a Pocket Bushman since they first came out. Nothing manages to kick it out of my pocket. :)
 
PharaohX3 said:
Man there was a satin Carbon V Gurkha Kukri on the Exchange the other day, I should have bought it. Always wanted one.
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If you want a Khukuri I would recommend you check out Himalayan Imports. They have their own manufacturer's forum here.
 
I own two Cold Steel knives. A large G10 Espada and a Raja 2. I would say fit and finish on both knives is as good as anything I've seen on any production knives,and better than some.

I think the Triad lock is very solid, and overall the materials are of good quality.

CS fills a nich with this type of knife, as no other manufacturers ( to the best of my knowledge,excluding customs) offer these types of fun folders.

Not every model offered by CS appeals to me, but there are a few I would like to have in the collection.

Overall, I have no problem with Cold Steel.
 
read through the entire thread, not sure why.

Just my opinion mind you, not stating fact. except about the ones I own, and have used.

I own a couple CS products, but most of it I think is overpriced, and the stuff that's not is made rather cheaply, and some of it feels like a sharpened pry bar.

Remember, this is just my opinion, and I do own a couple CS items. ( throwing hawk, CS kukri, sombak, field tanto fixed blade) had a few more, gave them away.

Just wanted to add, the ones I have do work, the hawk has been thrown, thousands of times(over ten years), and is just fine. the kukri is a bit thin but works, the tanto is thick but does hold an edge. I also have a triple action that was given as a birthday present, I do find it completely useless tho.

just my opinion,
 
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joshiecole said:
whether Cold Steel still deserves to be the butt of all knife afficianado jokes.
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I don't think they ever deserved it. You can make fun of the guy at the top but I don't think the company or the products deserve it.

I don't mind their marketing, I like to see what their knives are capable of. Rather than criticize CS for what they show their knives doing, why not criticize all of the other companies for not showing that their knives are at least equal. I recall seeing destruction tests of a knife by one very expensive company where the knife failed miserably. Whether the tests are relevant to real world use or not, at least CS knives do well in the tests.
 
No, it's not time to rehabilitate Cold Steel. Good products, good prices, good warranty, and the over-the-top marketing has grown on me -- I can see a little of the fun in the videos. Four CS product purchases and thankfully, I haven't had to use their warranty but I trust there would be no problems if I ever had to. So, no it's not time to rehab CS.
 
The lower end cost stuff by Cold Steel is a good value for the money. The higher cost stuff is a bit overpriced for what you get. I really wished I had gotten more of the early "Carbon V" stuff back in the late 80s/early 90s. The steel used in the later versions of "Carbon V" was not as good. Cold Steel definitely fills the niche for those who like huge folders. The Demko Triad-lock is also another plus in some of their lower priced folders.
 
crom said:
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.
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Thank God for BM :D

Don’t really have much to say about Cold Steel besides :thumbdn: *imitates fart noise* :D:p
 
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Ridiculous marketing aside, I'll start paying attention to Cold Steel if/when they ever address the issue of design theft regarding the Black Sable and Black Talon.
 
While I've owned and carried many knives from many makers, the best shock and awe inducer has been my Spartan, that I actually edc'd for quite some time. Most folks didn't want to touch or hold it and that was just fine by me. With that bad boy in the right pocket, and a Military all snug in the left, I pretty much figured to have all the bases covered. And then some. Then again, I'm a sucker for evil blades, always was, probably always will be.
 
Keep up the good work cold steel. Wouldn't change a thing, love the knives and the you tube reviews. Just my humble opinion.
 
Planterz said:
Ridiculous marketing aside, I'll start paying attention to Cold Steel if/when they ever address the issue of design theft regarding the Black Sable and Black Talon.
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I'll address it - We don't steal designs.
I'm new to this forum, but I can see already there is an impressive collection of CS haters here. That's a shame.
I understand that not everyone is going to love our knives, and that's down to personal preferences. That's fine. BUT, to call us thieves is just plain wrong.
You've been misinformed
I work in the same building as members of our R&D team and believe me, they don't steal designs
That's just not how we roll here at Cold Steel.
 
I can't argue with "rolling with a 'hater's gonna hate' " attitude. It's a time-proven way to strengthen fan loyalty. Create an "us vs. them" kinda thing.

Though I'm not sure calling people who aren't fans "haters", with the implications that come with that word, is a way to change those people's minds.

But, I suppose, if one is successful enough, one does not need to change people's minds.

I had posted earlier that I would be willing to give CS another look as a brand if they did some things, but apparently that "officially" puts me in their "hater" category.

So...I will pass on that "another look."
 
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Cold Steel make a lot of good quality high value knives. They also make some overpriced and downright silly knives. I really don't understand the debate and controversy surrounding the company, I just look at their products. Also the issue about the stealing designs seems to be just typical internet trash talk. For example I heard someone criticizing Cold Steel for ripping off Kabar when they made a USMC style combat knife, this is just sheer stupidity and the guy obviously knew nothing about knives. Another example was someone complaining that a recent Recon Tanto was a ripoff of some custom tanto since it was a more recent blade, even though Cold Steels original tantos were around long before that custom blade. In my experience it is mostly the critics of Cold Steel who don't care about facts, not the company.
 
Planterz said:
Ridiculous marketing aside, I'll start paying attention to Cold Steel if/when they ever address the issue of design theft regarding the Black Sable and Black Talon.
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I am sure their lawyers have decided they are just different enough.
Then there is the Strider clone accompanied by anti-strider statements rubbing it in their faces. Not that I would buy Striders to begin with.
 
Cold Steel Knives said:
We have no time limit associated with our warranty and we stand by our products 100%.


No time limit? Since when? The info on the box my Recon 1 came in clearly stated that my warranty would be in force for 1 year. The info in the faq at the cold steel website states 5 years on fixed blades, 1 year on folders:

We stand behind our knives 100%. We subject them to the highest standards in the industry and strive to make each one as perfect as possible. right now our return rate for defects is one half of one percent! This is remarkably lower than the industry standard. While we are growing in popularity, and producing ever larger quantities of knives, we are determined to never forget that we live or die by a single word, QUALITY.
Our fixed blade sheath knives have a 5 year warranty to the original owner against defects IN materials or workmanship. Our folding knives are likewise warranted for 1 year. If you ever have a warranty problem with one of our knives, please return it with your original receipt and a short note and we will be happy to evaluate the problem and resolve it.

If the warranty info in the faq is obsolete, it should be updated to reflect the changes.
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G. Scott H. said:
I don't know. As a pretty loyal CS fan, I've grown to enjoy their reputation. Imagine a family gathering. You have Uncle Kershaw, Uncle Spyderco, etc. who are responsible upstanding members of the community with steady jobs and families, and then you have Uncle Cold Steel who's the fun "crazy" uncle who travels the world seeking out buried treasure for a living and doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks of him. Many of the adults (hardcore knife knuts) rather disapprove of his antics, but most of the kids (general knife buying public) love him and can't wait to see what strangeness he'll be up to at this year's gathering. He's a bit of a braggart and a dreamer who occasionally steps on a few toes and can even appear somewhat flighty at times, but he's a good guy at heart who just happens to march to his own beat, and he always comes through for those who need him when it counts. :thumbup:
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This is the greatest thing I have heard all day.
 
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