My $9 Worth

[liliysdad]

What did Mark Twain say about rumors? They make it around the world twice before the truth puts on it's trousers. Or something like that.

You might want to reconsider passing on rumors like this. On this forum, other knifemakers have publicly acknowledged that LT both asked permission for, and paid a royalty for designs that he copied.

The problem is, people will repeat something often enough, then it's generally accepted as "fact", when it is demonstrably false.

Really? Strider doesnt seem to think that way, and neither does Emerson.

 

[Brad "the butcher"]

I have a SK-5 Trail Master and it works great, holds and edge and is very tough, no problems.

I think it's just as tough as Carbon V, holds an edge better IMO.

my sk-5 trailmaster and laredo have stood up to hours of limbing knotty pine, and chopping for years. I put a wicked patina on the laredo with mustard and a scrunched up napkin for pattern.
Nothing wrong with good carbon saw steel, just glad I got the china ones at half the price.

I have a dozen or so cs and have been happy with my purchases because I did not buy some of the overpriced or gimmicke blades.
pick and choose through there stuff, some good buys as well as bad.

can't hate a man for pushing his product, some of his methods are ?(like the video's)but every corporation is guilty of some marketing.

Don't like his show, change the channel! nobody forces anyone to watch, listen or buy.

 

[HuntersHikes]

Hey, nevermind $9, I have $.02 to chip in...I have a Cold Steel Master Hunter, and love it...for $79, find a better all-purpose hunter.

 

[coolhand68]

What did Mark Twain say about rumors? They make it around the world twice before the truth puts on it's trousers. Or something like that.

You might want to reconsider passing on rumors like this. On this forum, other knifemakers have publicly acknowledged that LT both asked permission for, and paid a royalty for designs that he copied.

The problem is, people will repeat something often enough, then it's generally accepted as "fact", when it is demonstrably false.

Not spreading rumors, just passing on what I've read on this forum and others in regard to Lynn's business practices. I haven't started anything new or taken sides one way or the other.

Jsut curious though, was it just a rumor that he stole the wave design from Emerson?

Is it merely a coincidence or rumor that the Black Talon looks very similar to a Spyderco Civilian, or the SRK and Master Hunter are very similar to Fallknivens? That the CS GI Tanto came out after the Strider BT designs complete with cord wrapped handles?

Not sure if you can call what Lynn does stealing, borrowing, colaborating or being "inspired" in regard to his designs. I don't know all the messy details that go in to each of his designs. I understand he had colaborated with some custom makers in the past but not all of them. Not sure which came first in some cases, like his SRK...who had that design first, CS or Fallkniven? Master Hunter...which came first, that or the Fallkniven F1? I really don't know the answer to that nor do I lose too much sleep over it.

 

[HuntersHikes]

If you took three seconds and checked out the specs, you'd see the CS MH and F1 are pretty different. But that's ok, ignorance is fun and accepted.

 

[Velcro]

The Master Hunter is a great knife at a reasonable price. I really don't care nor worry about who designed what first or who took who's design. If it's a knife I like and it's priced accordingly, I'll buy it.
I have several Cold Steel knives and I don't, nor ever have, had a single complaint about their performance and durability. CS aren't the only knives I'll buy, but I do buy them a lot because of how well they perform.
Getting back to the original topic...I don't know what Lynn Thompson is like to work for, but as a customer, he's okay by me.

 

[A.P.F.]

The Master Hunter is a great knife at a reasonable price. I really don't care nor worry about who designed what first or who took who's design. If it's a knife I like and it's priced accordingly, I'll buy it.
I have several Cold Steel knives and I don't, nor ever have, had a single complaint about their performance and durability. CS aren't the only knives I'll buy, but I do buy them a lot because of how well they perform.
Getting back to the original topic...I don't know what Lynn Thompson is like to work for, but as a customer, he's okay by me.

Yes, I have an Ultimate Hunter that never ceases to amaze me with it's strength and engineering. Without question, the Ultimate Hunter is one of the finest folders that I own and I recommend it without hesitation.

As far as LT is concerned, it is easy to get sanctimonious on his arse for any number of reasons, but the fact still remains that his techniques sell a lot of product and in business, that is the name of the game. And speaking of game, if that Leopard didn't have the sense to get out of the way of a scoped .300 H&H, well, that is 'natural selection' at work. *Runs and hides.*

 

[The Government]

12" bowie Machete.

BEST $14 I Ever Spent.

 

[Ankerson]

To my limited knowledge I've heard that he tends to steal knife designs with no credit or without permission, hence the nickname "Cold Steal" associated with Lynn. I do not know the man, nor do I know all the messy details about claims that he stole or "borrowed" designs from other makers, just passing on some of what I've read on the forums about Cold Steel.

Those were rumors and conjecture, petty BS started by a few people who hated LCT long ago, then their fanboys jumped in to keep the flames going.

 

[hardheart]

Jsut curious though, was it just a rumor that he stole the wave design from Emerson?

Umm, yeah. there is a US patent on the stud/wave mechanism Demko designed, and that patent cites Emerson's.

Is it merely a coincidence or rumor that the Black Talon looks very similar to a Spyderco Civilian,

No, it is also not theft as both companies are clear on it.

or the SRK and Master Hunter are very similar to Fallknivens?

Did you know that Fallkniven sold Cold Steel knives before they started having their own made?

That the CS GI Tanto came out after the Strider BT designs complete with cord wrapped handles?

I personally love the GI Tanto and the ad copy that went with it. But that is my opinion on Burger and Poland and the lies they continue to peddle. The design is still not a CS original or permitted by Strider, though there probably isn't much place to litigate over it with no TM'd details.

 

[MassMatt]

Seems though on the CS board the opinion doesnt sway that way back.
Funny how now they preach how he is great and makes great stuff. Number 1 he makes nothing. His stuff is made for him. 2 his stuff is good but way overpriced for some tools. 3 I own and choose CS stuff very carefully. Why spend 250 on some of his folders when I can go ZT and get way better for cheaper cash.

I do own several CS products and love the ones I have. My SRK has served me now over 10 years along with a Voyager 4 incher that went everywhere for 6 years, but other than those I really stay away from the Coolaid and look at other companies that will make better for less.

CS definitely draws strong opinions. I like some designs, and find others (and much of their marketing) to be over the top. Given their success I suppose you can't argue with what works.

The point about CS really not being a manufacturer really applies to many companies, yet I only ever see this leveled at CS. Many brands are really about marketing and farm out production to manufacturers worldwide. Spyderco and Kershaw are exceptional in this regard but even they would acknowledge (I think) that they don't own every factory that produces their knives.

And while a zt is on my own buy list, I don't think of them as cheaper than CS offerings by any means!

 

[coolhand68]

If you took three seconds and checked out the specs, you'd see the CS MH and F1 are pretty different. But that's ok, ignorance is fun and accepted.

I don't need three seconds or 30 seconds to read specs, all I need to do is look at a side by side photo to see the glaring similarities. Luckily it only took me 5 seconds to read your troll post.

 

[hoopster]

Love my Cold steel Bushman. I found what I think is an older USA made one and the sheath was not that great so I'm currently in the process of wrapping it in some kydex.

 

[Kaizen1]

....

I may make enemies for my point of view, but so be it.

(( Inappropriate attitude and rhetoric -- calm down and post politely. ))

You must be what, 17? That's my guess if you're going to get angry of a little post like that. Again, clearly you do care what other people think.

 

[TimboKhan]

I don't have a strong opinon on CS or Lynn Thompson, really.

When I was in the Marines back in the early 90's, the Cold Steel tanto was THE combat knife everyone wanted. I never owned one, but the dudes that did certainly seemed happy with them. I am probably going to buy a folding Bushman or two for truck and BoB knives. I own a CS Kukri that has worked just fine. Not enough experience to form a solid opinion, really.

The only thing that I could sort of complain about is the videos, but you know, no one forces me to watch. They are a little overdramatic, and can get boring after a while. I also wish Lynn would adopt a longer style of shorts. That is about as negative as I can be.

On the other hand, Internet Commando screams of foul play aside, I know that Lynn can be a little abrasive, but I also he has a big heart and can be a pretty generous guy. That doesn't make him a saint or really make me want to buy knives from him any more or less, but it does show that he is not quite the a-hole that he is so often made out to be.

 

[uncouth]

Most of their knives are more than i like to spend (yes I'm a cheap @ss) but their cheap knives are great, I loved my bushman, i have the finn bear which i love (cuts three inch webbing like paper) and i have a long hunter for everyday use in the kitchen (beats my wife's expensive kitchen cutlery hands down). their super heavy duty marker is a nice striking tool, but sucks as a marker.

 

[HuntersHikes]

I don't need three seconds or 30 seconds to read specs, all I need to do is look at a side by side photo to see the glaring similarities. Luckily it only took me 5 seconds to read your troll post.

Not a troll post, I'm just new...and feel free to assume new = unenlightened. There is a sizable discrepancy between blade length, thickness, finger guard, handle material, weight, etc...sure, they look alike, but have you seen automobiles recently? It's amazing how 99% of boats have the same hull shape, right? Isn't it funny how rifles all have long barrels?

 

[coolhand68]

Not a troll post, I'm just new...and feel free to assume new = unenlightened. There is a sizable discrepancy between blade length, thickness, finger guard, handle material, weight, etc...sure, they look alike, but have you seen automobiles recently? It's amazing how 99% of boats have the same hull shape, right? Isn't it funny how rifles all have long barrels?

So what you're saying here is, so long as you make a much bigger or smaller version of someone else's knife, it's not stealing a design? If a knifemaker comes along and makes a knife that resembles a Busse Active Duty in every way but it has a 9 inch blade that makes it ok to ripoff the design and call it your own?

Just to be clear here, I do not have a personal agenda against Lynn Thompson. I pointed out some of these obvious design similarities as an example of why some folks feel he has questionable business practices. I realize that coming up with new designs is very challenging, and there are knives that are inspired by other maker's works. With Cold Steel I asked some honest questions, since I am not familiar with which came first, Fallkniven designs (A1 and F1) or Cold Steel (SRK and MH). With CS I've noticed a pattern in which there is a knife that is popular or selling well on the forums, and within a short time suddenly we see one just like it on his website.

Whether or not he's cleared those designs through the original maker I can't say and I personally don't care. It's just the perception of this particular maker (Lynn) that he often "adopts" nearly exact designs then sells them at a cheaper price with inferior materials. Sort of like the Invicta watch company of the knife industry.

 

[HuntersHikes]

I'm a big watch enthusiast, so the Invicta claim does ring true...but, Invicta is not only modeling itself after Rolex, but so had Tag Heuer, some Omega models, and some other high-end companies...Omega has certainly separated from the pack recently with some increasingly original designs, but EVERY industry is a model of imitation, so just because it happens with one particular knife company more than another doesn't necessarily make it wrong.

 

[misque]

I have a SK-5 Trail Master and it works great, holds and edge and is very tough, no problems.

I think it's just as tough as Carbon V, holds an edge better IMO.

my sk-5 trailmaster and laredo have stood up to hours of limbing knotty pine, and chopping for years. I put a wicked patina on the laredo with mustard and a scrunched up napkin for pattern.
Nothing wrong with good carbon saw steel, just glad I got the china ones at half the price.

I have a dozen or so cs and have been happy with my purchases because I did not buy some of the overpriced or gimmicke blades.
pick and choose through there stuff, some good buys as well as bad.

can't hate a man for pushing his product, some of his methods are ?(like the video's)but every corporation is guilty of some marketing.

Don't like his show, change the channel! nobody forces anyone to watch, listen or buy.

Guys, THANK YOU VERY MUCH! I've been asking for the last two years about the "Made In China" Trailmasters (and the Laredo Bowie). Finding an opinion on them as users was frustrating because no one who owned one USED IT.