I have to say LCT and Demko are impossible acts to follow. Lynn is fond of saying that people trust their lives to his knives, and I believe in his promise to earn that trust. Demko is a mechanical whiz and his knives have great ergonomics.
Cold steel has to move forward somehow, but I hope there is some merit beyond internet fame to the designers they choose.
I totally agree. For instance, Demko brought something major to the advancement in the Cold Steel product line. The contribution of designing/inventing the Triad Lock, had all other makers of folding locking knives be in a position of needing to "catch up".
The owner himself, Lynn Thompson, brought so much to the table. He not only was not afraid to go against the grain by bringing items to the market that were taboo to other firms, but was also one heck of an enthusiast of historic knives that he drew from to bring us some modern day made renditions with that LT twist to them.
I'm sure that this new spokesperson/youtuber is a nice guy, in fact, I have stumbled and watched a few of his videos. But... I don't feel he's what's needed in helping to keep Cold Steel viable.
Their new main spokesman seems to be "Stickman", and he too seems like a heck of a nice guy. But... nope, he just does not, at all, capture the Cold Steel magic.
If this is a sign of their new strategy, I don't feel it will be panning out for them very well. For now, their sales should be pretty good, with folks grabbing things that may be the last of what they've always felt CS to be. But, that will fade, and then what they themselves do will determine their future.
Sometimes a company can transfer ownership and not be, in any way, a big deal.
On the other hand, Cold Steel has been so much of one man's brainchild, (Lynn Thompson's), that a separation from that ownership can be a huge hit to the company. He simply WAS Cold Steel. It was not just a company that afforded him a good means of prosperity, which funded his lifestyle, but also an outlet for his creativity, and his baby that represented his name's place in history.
It simply was more than just a means to make money for him.
Maybe if Lynn had a son or daughter, one that was totally into the business. Maybe one that had inherited a lot of dad's traits, including his quirkiness... Well, that could have made for a great transition into a new chapter for Cold Steel. But, this here, the company being sold to a business that just buys and buys a ton of companies to add into their portfolio... In my gut, I simply don't see Cold Steel ending well.
