New knife purchase

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KenHash said:
If you are considering a Cold Steel at all, I would suggest looking at the Sanmai III Trail Master. It is still made by arguably the best fixed blade maker in Seki and convex. It is also very attractive price wise for what you get.

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I’m going to second this. I own a lot of Cold Steel knives but when my Trailmaster showed up, it was clearly on another level. They go on sale sometimes, shop around. The Recon Scout, the Trailmaster’s baby brother in 3v is no slouch either, have that one also but the Trailmaster in San Mai has been called Lynn Thompson’s magnum opus and it’s true.

KenHash, thanks for that link on Hattori, very interesting!
 
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I'm a big fan of Cold Steel's Bowie knives, especially the Recon Scout and the Laredo. Lots of good options and decent prices can be found if you're patient.

Other than custom Bowies, you may want to look up the OVB Bowies by Ontario and the W49 by Western. Both are discontinued but come up for sale pretty often around the web.
 
KenHash said:
I'm not "defending" them. Merely pointing out that a blanket statement that Cold Steel handles "wear quickly" is clearly not correct.
Maybe some do. But obviously the vast majority don't since they've been in use by CS for 42 years without "wear" becoming an issue.
I have owned 10-15 Cold Steel fixed blades over the years and none of them have had any wear issues with the handles.
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They wear out and much quicker than g10 carbon or micarta. If they just sit around unused they can last forever.
DocJD said:
I suspect : You either bought clones or exposed the handles to some harsh solvent or DEET ? Or physical abuse .

I've had many of the Cold Steel Kraton handles ( some IIRC, for 40yrs or so ) , with only minor wear and zero "melting " or stickiness .

They are subject to wear , as any rubbery material is going to be . Can be cut , so not the best for a throwing knife .

One of my favorite handle materials otherwise . Great grip under all conditions . Excellent thermal and shock insulation . :cool:
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Never bought a clone, I have bought several used CS over the years and the handles are almost always worn enough to be a bit slippery, they are attached poorly and have a loose interface plus they are mostly square/rounded which is a poor indexing design, some better than others like the Laredo and Natchez.
rlewpolar said:
I’m going to second this. I own a lot of Cold Steel knives but when my Trailmaster showed up, it was clearly on another level. They go on sale sometimes, shop around. The Recon Scout, the Trailmaster’s baby brother in 3v is no slouch either, have that one also but the Trailmaster in San Mai has been called Lynn Thompson’s magnum opus and it’s true.

KenHash, thanks for that link on Hattori, very interesting!
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I love the Hattori stuff from CS but they cheap out on handle designs and materials, the falkniven versions have far better materials and excellent ergonomics compared to CS. At the price point CS is strongly lacking compared to similar makers in the US using much better handle materials, considering the location of mfg CS is about 3x what they should be. The new 3v is great steel for sure have been testing my RS 3v and it is better than my old sanmai in every cutting application so far.
 
HexY3co said:
They wear out and much quicker than g10 carbon or micarta. If they just sit around unused they can last forever.

Never bought a clone, I have bought several used CS over the years and the handles are almost always worn enough to be a bit slippery, they are attached poorly and have a loose interface plus they are mostly square/rounded which is a poor indexing design, some better than others like the Laredo and Natchez.

I love the Hattori stuff from CS but they cheap out on handle designs and materials, the falkniven versions have far better materials and excellent ergonomics compared to CS. At the price point CS is strongly lacking compared to similar makers in the US using much better handle materials, considering the location of mfg CS is about 3x what they should be. The new 3v is great steel for sure have been testing my RS 3v and it is better than my old sanmai in every cutting application so far.
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I love the feel of the CS handles but I’ve read reports of some of them coming loose under hard use. I’m willing to entertain the notion that it’s possible to get a bad one once in a while. Always an issue with any mass-manufactured item. Btw, how hard is it to rehandle a Cold Steel and are there outfits out there that would do it for you if the need arose? I find that Cold Steel blades are so excellent, especially for the money, that sporadic problems with handles are not enough to put me off. Now those sheaths on the other hand 😆
 
Thanks for all the replies guys. Plenty to think about. Had an email from KaBar showing the commemorative 125 year USMC. Does look nice I must admit.
 
rlewpolar said:
I love the feel of the CS handles but I’ve read reports of some of them coming loose under hard use. I’m willing to entertain the notion that it’s possible to get a bad one once in a while. Always an issue with any mass-manufactured item. Btw, how hard is it to rehandle a Cold Steel and are there outfits out there that would do it for you if the need arose? I find that Cold Steel blades are so excellent, especially for the money, that sporadic problems with handles are not enough to put me off. Now those sheaths on the other hand 😆
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Honestly most CS blades are very good but they are not really a great value, in truth there are several US makers and others in the same price range that already do way better handles and that makes it hard for me to consider any more CS for example Dpx, Lionsteel, LT wright, battle horse, white river, bark river and more do way better on their handles and sheaths than CS does in a similar price range. I'm sure you can find someone to do a conversion for you but it won't be cheap.
 
HexY3co said:
Honestly most CS blades are very good but they are not really a great value, in truth there are several US makers and others in the same price range that already do way better handles and that makes it hard for me to consider any more CS for example Dpx, Lionsteel, LT wright, battle horse, white river, bark river and more do way better on their handles and sheaths than CS does in a similar price range. I'm sure you can find someone to do a conversion for you but it won't be cheap.
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Lionsteel is a good example. The handles, the sheaths, everything is just top notch. I wish they made a large bowie. I do have the T6 and M7 and I guess that’s as close as you are going to get. But not really Bowie knives. Lionsteel M6, M7 vs CS Recon Scout. Great blades. In defense of the Recon Scout, for what I paid for it, the sheer size and quality of the 3V blade is an amazing value at $199. The T6 is also 3V but more expensive.

https://imgur.com/a/b9shM64
 
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HexY3co said:
They wear out and much quicker than g10 carbon or micarta. If they just sit around unused they can last forever.
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I was waiting for this this. My Wood knife handles will probably last a couple hundred years. I can say this because we can see many old examples.
Micarta only started in 1910. Carbon Fiber goes back even earlier as an invention but much later as a knife handle material. G10 started in the 1950s but again use for knife handles is more recent. Kraton and other synthtics started being used for knife handles in the 1980s.
Kraton and other synthetics "may" wear out quicker than other hard materials. But unless youare going to live and use your knife
for hundreds of years, the difference is irrelevant.
I say "may" because I don't think anyone really knows the lifespan of Kraton, Thermorun or other synthetics because they only started being used 40 years ago.

Please look at my SRK photo. It has been used, not sat around. There is no blade coating left.
If you search the internet you will find photos of Kraton handles that have crumbled or gone gooey.
But not worn out from use as you claim. Those are different issues.

Additionally, have you found your 5 SRKs that you say have worn out handles? Would love to see them.
"Interesting. I believe I can dig up 5 that's were worn out and not that old. I'll see if I still have them."
And if you don't mind, your rationale for buying so many of them if the first one "wore out".
 
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KenHash said:
I was waiting for this this. My Wood knife handles will probably last a couple hundred years. I can say this because we can see many old examples.
Micarta only started in 1910. Carbon Fiber goes back even earlier as an invention but much later as a knife handle material. G10 started in the 1950s but again use for knife handles is more recent. Kraton and other synthtics started being used for knife handles in the 1980s.
Kraton and other synthetics "may" wear out quicker than other hard materials. But unless youare going to live and use your knife
for hundreds of years, the difference is irrelevant.
I say "may" because I don't think anyone really knows the lifespan of Kraton, Thermorun or other synthetics because they only started being used 40 years ago.

Please look at my SRK photo. It has been used, not sat around. There is no blade coating left.
If you search the internet you will find photos of Kraton handles that have crumbled or gone gooey.
But not worn out from use as you claim. Those are different issues.

Additionally, have you found your 5 SRKs that you say have worn out handles? Would love to see them.
"Interesting. I believe I can dig up 5 that's were worn out and not that old. I'll see if I still have them."
And if you don't mind, your rationale for buying so many of them if the first one "wore out".
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Kraton may as well be croutons LOL it's just cheap molded rubber. I'm sure I'll dig up those garbage handles at some point maybe one was from an SRK the others are RS and TM.
 
rlewpolar said:
Lionsteel is a good example. The handles, the sheaths, everything is just top notch. I wish they made a large bowie. I do have the T6 and M7 and I guess that’s as close as you are going to get. But not really Bowie knives. Lionsteel M6, M7 vs CS Recon Scout. Great blades. In defense of the Recon Scout, for what I paid for it, the sheer size and quality of the 3V blade is an amazing value at $199. The T6 is also 3V but more expensive.

https://imgur.com/a/b9shM64
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Wow a 3v RS for 200, that's not an avg price. You got a smoking deal. Make a new handle you will never regret it, I am loving my custom canvas. A casket style would look great and be easy to do.
 
HexY3co said:
Kraton may as well be croutons LOL it's just cheap molded rubber. I'm sure I'll dig up those garbage handles at some point maybe one was from an SRK the others are RS and TM.
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You obviously have a biased view towards Kraton. I have knives with Micarta, Ironwood, Cocobolo, Stacked leather, G10, Carbon Fiber and they may all be "better" materials than Kraton. But I don't make up false claims to support my biased opinions.
Kraton and other synthertic handles have been succesful for over 40 years because there have been no issues of "quickly wearing out".
I'll bet you won't dig up these imaginary 5 SRKs, and if you do, please explain why you would buy 5 of the same knives that have handles that "quickly wear out".
Thanks. Maybe I'll learn something. LOL
 
HexY3co said:
Kraton may as well be croutons LOL it's just cheap molded rubber. I'm sure I'll dig up those garbage handles at some point maybe one was from an SRK the others are RS and TM.
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:mad:I'm calling BS... unless you got pics and some more details of exactly what these failed Kraton handles were subjected to in your use .

I still have an early SRK in Carbon V that I put through some hard abusive testing , a long time ago , just to see if it was a worthy survival tool .

I did things that have broken other knives , including making into a spear /pole arm and beating the crap out of it against tree trunks . Throwing , prying , etc .

Some of the black coating came off the blade and the handle had some minor scrapes and scratches . Still fully functional today . :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Main damage to the handle was caused by attaching it to the pole with multiple stainless hose clamps , very tight . Not good "normal use " ! :eek:

Also ...I've never had any problem with Cold Steel sheaths . Maybe just lucky ? :rolleyes:
 
DocJD said:
:mad:I'm calling BS... unless you got pics and some more details of exactly what these failed Kraton handles were subjected to in your use...
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It's either trolling or severe bad luck.

I have an SK-5 SRK that I've beaten like a red-headed stepchild. ZERO problems to report with the handle material.



*Beyond the above, I haven't exactly been "kind" to my 3V Recon Scout. Again, the handle material has held-up at least as well as the Micarta/G10 on my more expensive/"premium" knives. Like K KenHash , I'm dying to see the destroyed handles of the aforementioned "5" SRKs.
 
rlewpolar said:
Lionsteel is a good example. The handles, the sheaths, everything is just top notch. I wish they made a large bowie. I do have the T6 and M7 and I guess that’s as close as you are going to get. But not really Bowie knives. Lionsteel M6, M7 vs CS Recon Scout. Great blades. In defense of the Recon Scout, for what I paid for it, the sheer size and quality of the 3V blade is an amazing value at $199. The T6 is also 3V but more expensive.

https://imgur.com/a/b9shM64
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I do like that M7. Seems like a fab utility knife.
 
Alone said:
It's either trolling or severe bad luck.

I have an SK-5 SRK that I've beaten like a red-headed stepchild. ZERO problems to report with the handle material.



*Beyond the above, I haven't exactly been "kind" to my 3V Recon Scout. Again, the handle material has held-up at least as well as the Micarta/G10 on my more expensive/"premium" knives. Like K KenHash , I'm dying to see the destroyed handles of the aforementioned "5" SRKs.
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Not bad luck just cheap rubber. Never said they were my users although I do have a user now, I got them from a trusted friend that did some conversions and asked me to store them while he was moving. There are actually more that were less used. He did not use them all but told me they don't hold up and are easily damaged and I believe him I take his word before random internet users. I won't entertain any more exchange on this subject since I am convinced some here will just babble on with opinions on things they actually don't know. If you like them keep buying them if you want a few levels better then do new handles or look at other brands.
 
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