new cold steel 2022 products

Paratrooper06 said:
I’m not going to further derail this thread but you’re waaaaay off the mark with your comments about the CS owner base. There isn’t anything “unknowledgeable” about buying their knives. They are durable, strong, and appealing in a ridiculous novelty way. It’s a little early to be making claims about GSM tanking the brand. It hasn’t been long enough to make the judgement call.
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That isn't what I said. You are the one off base. You playing the contrarian all the time is amusing to some. Not me. Purchase all of their knives you can afford👍 Clearly you don't understand what I am saying and nothing further need be said from me to you on the topic.
 
When I see a term like blood groove used in a knife advertisement it makes me doubt the quality of a knife. If gives me the impression an image (one I don't like in this case) is being sold rather than practicality and quality. I used to watch LT's over the top videos and even though they were heavy on marketing I would sit amazed at how well he explained the intended use of his products.

I was not fond of his demonstrations of how the most benign but really utility useful of his products could be also be used as a weapon (like a spade shovel.) He had a martial mindset and just did not care if anyone else didn't like it.

Listing a Blood Groove as a spec is pure useless BS it's bad enough that some people view knives as evil this makes things worse.
 
shinyedges said:
For the people who hang on bladeforums, the mall ninja act has never been appealing. Their quality was good for the money on a lot of knives which kept guys here buying. Then teaming with demko pushed them even further into a better light here with guys who prefer quality.

The regressing to inaccurate descriptions of features and a boat load of errors in their new listings does not bode well and signals that the changes coming from the gsm ownership are not good for the more educated buyers here. If they were trying to appeal to the market that exists here, it was a swing and a miss while facing the opposite way the ball is being thrown.

I do not think it is "bold" to wager that most cold steel buyers are largely regular guys who don't frequent bladeforums and are not knowledgeable knife people. At all.
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If anything it shows more appreciation for quality work when you buy the better Cold Steel knives; especially the Demko designs, because it shows that you can look past the crazy. It took me a lot longer to get into buying them, compared to other American knife brands, because of the over the top antics of the owner made it hard to take the brand seriously.

I've noticed a run on the popular older models in recent days (which I may have taken part in). I'm not sure if it's just the regular cycle of people buying stuff they wanted for Christmas or a scramble to buy older Cold Steel products, while they're still available and not discontinued in favour of worse versions of old favourites. It's a hard pass on the new direction by GSM. but it's still not too late to change the course they've set.
 
The Grendels said:
If anything it shows more appreciation for quality work when you buy the better Cold Steel knives; especially the Demko designs, because it shows that you can look past the crazy. It took me a lot longer to get into buying them, compared to other American knife brands, because of the over the top antics of the owner made it hard to take the brand seriously.

I've noticed a run on the popular older models in recent days (which I may have taken part in). I'm not sure if it's just the regular cycle of people buying stuff they wanted for Christmas or a scramble to buy older Cold Steel products, while they're still available and not discontinued in favour of worse versions of old favourites. It's a hard pass on the new direction by GSM. but it's still not too late to change the course they've set.
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I agree, but I'm sure some money man at the company is crunching numbers and thinks more money is to be had off random joe blow non hardcore knife enthusiest over us.

Kinda like kershaw out sells zt by a lot. Average people spend less on their knives, so cater to that market and sell more knives over all.
 
I'm actually looking at the Natchez Bowie in 4034 blade steel. Before anybody gets their pants in a wad, allow me to rationalize. I like the design. It's not a chopper, wasn't designed as one. It's a fighting knife. It would make a good bedside companion to the .45 Commander. Yeah, I know about the steel. Do you? If you look at the Sandvik webpage for 12C27, it lists 420(probably 420HC), 440A, and 4034 as being among the nearest performance equivalents. For a knife that's hopefully never going to be used for anything more than slicing a ham or turkey, this is acceptable performance territory for me. Especially for a piece that will probably be confiscated by law enforcement if I ever have to use it for its intended purpose. Supposedly, it's being made by Fox in Italy, alongside the 3V model, assuming they ever show up...
 
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Hashishiin said:
Recently got an S35VN XL Espada, a tanto Voyager XL in AUS10, a GRIK in AUS8, and a Kudu (okapi) that's 5cr15mov, and I love them all, but I think I'm about done with CS, too, unless I need another huge folder or another GRIK, because the GRIK is such an amazing little ugly, tough work knife for ugly, tough jobs. Love it like an Ontario RAT.

I am worried though, if my stuff is newer, are the materials and manufacturing sub-par compared to the past? Like, this is Taiwan, S35VN, I escaped any changes, right? I just want to know that my Espada is all good to go and not some different GSM version. Thank you for any info that soothes my mind, it is my most expensive knife to date!
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I believe many of us old time fan/ customers are in the same boat .

GSM seems to be going in a different direction than old school CS values .

Hard to tell at this point if the old favorites will still be kept in stock and up to par in quality .

Almost certainly , they will be more expensive .
 
DocJD said:
I believe many of us old time fan/ customers are in the same boat .

GSM seems to be going in a different direction than old school CS values .

Hard to tell at this point if the old favorites will still be kept in stock and up to par in quality .

Almost certainly , they will be more expensive .
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Oh yeah, I'm getting the vibes of trying to be like a generic hunting/fishing/utility company with those snap-on blades and the like. In my mind, at least it leaves room for another contender to the front of strong tank folders and renditions of classic knife styles. The demand is there, I imagine.
 
shinyedges said:
Damn it! Cold steel was heading in the right direction putting out demko designs at affordable prices. Those videos of lynn talking up gsm have the look of a man who knows his company is gonna be destroyed but he made out like a bandit.
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I have mixed emotions about this .

The best of CS was born from the collaboration of LCT and AD , IMO .

But LCT had a good run and had the right to retire with the best deal he could make .

I have no knowledge any details of that deal or the pressures that made it expedient .

Unless you are old , tired , and worn out , you might not understand .

And , no ...I don't think either LCT or AD were entirely thrilled by the sale or the aftermath . :(
 
Hashishiin said:
Oh yeah, I'm getting the vibes of trying to be like a generic hunting/fishing/utility company with those snap-on blades and the like. In my mind, at least it leaves room for another contender to the front of strong tank folders and renditions of classic knife styles. The demand is there, I imagine.
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ironically Demko invented the interchangeable blade setup patent cold steel or gsm owns and is using on the hunting knife blade change click N cut system. no i aint kidding. thats a Demko invention but gsm owns the patent from the sale.
 
jbmonkey said:
ironically Demko invented the interchangeable blade setup patent cold steel or gsm owns and is using on the hunting knife blade change click N cut system. no i aint kidding. thats a Demko invention but gsm owns the patent from the sale.
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I did not know that, thanks. Looks like they are dipping into the havalon market.
 
shinyedges said:
I did not know that, thanks. Looks like they are dipping into the havalon market.
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yes Sir......patent link...reading patents i find often boring but enjoy the pics. its the giveaway on what it actually is....

US20210197411A1 - Knife With Interchangeable Blade - Google Patents

A knife includes interchangeable blades that are secured within the handle using a locking mechanism having a lock pin disposed between the distal end of the lock bar and the blade. In addition to strengthening the lock, the lock pin also serves as a safety catch n the unlikely event of lock...
patents.google.com
 
A few promising models and some questionable junk. I hope they can get this lineup into the stores soon, there are a couple models on my wishlist depending on the reviews.
 
I'll be honest... when I read "blood groove" I'm instantly repulsed by that knife and brand because it associates with violence, and it's also an insult to me because I know it's a FULLER and I know it's here to make the blade lighter, without compromising much of it's rigidity and toughness.

Then designes - why are they adding false edges where they aren't needed and all those lines on handles that aren't needed? I mean, they made their knives look even cheaper than what they'd look without it.

You already had a good product, yet you introduce new stuff just to look different, WHY? The designs they put there make no sense. Why triangular lanyard hole on a folder that isn't even that large???

And if they knew crap about steel - they wouldn't be using D2 on a large bowie. Because D2 is chippy and brittle, even their smaller Leathernecks in "German D2" are snapping fairly easily, so what will happen to this large monstrosity out of probably Chinese D2 made in China? It should come with shrapnel warning in the box...

And last, Lynn probably stopped giving a damn, he most likely did even before as they didn't do crap about sheaths dulling the knives and never improved the materials.

Lynn cashed in and fired his employees right before Christmas 2020. So there's 0 sympathy if he feels bad to see his signature on broken or chipped D2 knives...

And old CS marketed their knives as what they are. They designed them as such that they can be used by martial artists or for self defense in general, and they said so openly. They didn't mention "blood grooves" and other shit.

All these errors and COURSE on sharpener just show me that GSM doesn't care. Love is gone, brand is dead...
 
greater said:
I don't like the word blood groove. It's stupid and misleading. It's called a fuller and is used to make a larger blade lighter with minimal compromise in resistance to bending.

Even though LT videos are crazy and entertaining he always came across as a person who knows edged tools and weapons very well and I have never heard him spatter such nonsense. I am surprised.

These new marketers are coming across as people who should be marketing something else.
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To be fair, calling a fuller a "blood groove" is totally on point for Cold Steel from the get go. If they were advertising in Home and Garden, during the Cold War, they'd be the ones talking about using a boar spear to keep your patio communist free.

When you buy Cold Steel, you get good craftsmanship, quality steel work, good designs, at a decent price, and an over the top owner. We'll have to see what becomes of that reputation under GSM. It does look as though they've left the yea olden times military weapon division alone at least.
 
The Grendels said:
To be fair, calling a fuller a "blood groove" is totally on point for Cold Steel from the get go. If they were advertising in Home and Garden, during the Cold War, they'd be the ones talking about using a boar spear to keep your patio communist free.

When you buy Cold Steel, you get good craftsmanship, quality steel work, good designs, at a decent price, and an over the top owner. We'll have to see what becomes of that reputation under GSM. It does look as though they've left the yea olden times military weapon division alone at least.
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The other knives that cold steel produced while under LT that had fullers were correctly described as such. At least from what I have seen.

If you go to the website and type the word fuller in you'll see the descriptions are over the top but correctly label the fuller.
 
shinyedges said:
The other knives that cold steel produced while under LT that had fullers were correctly described as such. At least from what I have seen.

If you go to the website and type the word fuller in you'll see the descriptions are over the top but correctly label the fuller.
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I'm honestly surprised. I guess there was some pressure in the marketing department to capture some of the old crazy in a bottle and run with it, in completely the wrong direction.
 
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