Nutnfancy test Cold Steel Chaos

What I'm getting out of this is.....don't cross Steve, unless you enjoy being lectured until your ears begin to bleed.
Clearly he knows more than all of the rest of us combined. LOL
 
The Whip said:
I appreciate your recognition of the fact that I was presenting a rational dialog and not simply trying to start an argument. I will take your response in the same vein.

I'm sorry that you've had issues with Cold Steel's edge retention. I haven't had that experience myself. It looks like the CTS-XHP, CTS-BD1, and 3V models they're introducing this year hopefully will resolve your complaint. Cold Steel just released a video in which they made 6000 hemp-rope cuts with one XHP knife.

By the way, not to nitpick, but your original post in this thread had nothing to do with lawsuits or edge retention.



Great. Whose problem is that anyway, and why exactly is it a problem?



I've never seen anyone on this subforum ever even hint that you couldn't speak ill of Cold Steel, despite the fact that plenty of people get on here to do nothing but bash the knives, the company, the owner, the videos, the ad copy, the logo, the motto.... (No, I'm not exaggerating.) I'm just glad we have all of these informed, compassionate people to set us "fanboys" straight.




Right, and Lynn Thompson doesn't. Thanks, I'll remember that when I need an expensive knife with no sheath included in the purchase price. You speak as though you know Jerry Busse. Do you? Because I've spoken to him, as well as to Lynn Thompson. They're BOTH very passionate about their knives and their companies. Please spare me the vague generalities meant to imply contrasting attitudes.




You and I have very different ideas about what constitutes "very little force."




Again, whose problem is this and why is it a problem? What company puts out videos showing its blades breaking? Is that supposed to be some kind of marketing strategy?! So, if I hear you correctly, you're saying that you'll start buying Cold Steel knives (as opposed to just receiving them as gifts) when Cold Steel starts breaking its blades on video. Duly noted.

For my part, I've generally found that NutnFancy tends to have favorable impressions of Cold Steel products. Even in this video, he didn't make an issue of the crack in the hand guard. You can try to make a big deal out of two knives breaking when struck repeatedly against rocks if you'd like, but frankly I think it's hardly a ringing condemnation of Cold Steel's quality.

-Steve
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Hey Steve I always appreciate a good discussion. Answer few of your questions I'm not sure I would like the new steel cold steel is using just due to the increase in the price point. I'm glad they did and the swift model is the one that's been catching most of my attention.

As to what company presents documented footage up to a breaking point, Benchmade has a pretty good video showing a 300 SN going to a breaking point, however the axis lock didn't break but the liner did. That was it roughly 600 pounds by the way. Additionally one of the biggest differences is that other companies don't compare and break other manufacturers knives to say how strong there's is.

You are completely correct my intentions to create the thread in the sub forum may not have been the best, and general may have been the best place. I know Lynn is a passionate guy, looking at his videos how could you not.
 
Bottom line IMO the handle on the Chaos was and is made for two purposes only... 1 to protect your hand.....2 for CQB as the original ones were made for.... Not for breaking rocks... ;)
 
ichor said:
Clearly he knows more than all of the rest of us combined. LOL
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Ha! Hardly! There are some serious experts in these forums who put me to shame. Unfortunately, they don't speak up as often as I'd like them to.

But I have been a knife guy for the bulk of my life. I've been privileged to witness the unfolding of a lot of modern knife history, much of it long before there was any World Wide Web to capture every incident, detail, rumor, and innuendo. I've also been blessed to meet, speak to, and interact with many of the people who have framed the knife industry, particularly the tactical knife industry that is my obssession.


Yo Mama said:
Hey Steve I always appreciate a good discussion. Answer few of your questions I'm not sure I would like the new steel cold steel is using just due to the increase in the price point. I'm glad they did and the swift model is the one that's been catching most of my attention.
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I'm with you on the Swift. I've been eyeing that beauty, too! I don't think you'll be disappointed by the improvements offered by the new steels, despite the price difference. I just recently purchased an XHP Recon 1 in tan G-10 for less than $100. It's fantastic! It's extremely comfortable in the hand, and the DLC is such an improved blade coating that it's worth the price of admission alone.


Yo Mama said:
As to what company presents documented footage up to a breaking point, Benchmade has a pretty good video showing a 300 SN going to a breaking point, however the axis lock didn't break but the liner did. That was it roughly 600 pounds by the way. Additionally one of the biggest differences is that other companies don't compare and break other manufacturers knives to say how strong there's is.
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I'm familiar with Benchmade's tests, and I enjoy watching them just like I enjoy Cold Steel's. You're not alone in your desire to see Cold Steel's knives pushed to destruction. Others here have asked to see the same thing, just to see what the Cold Steels would take. Personally, I prefer to see what knives can withstand, not what breaks them. But to each his own.

As for comparing brand performance, I don't have a problem with it as long as the testing is fair and respectful (and I think Cold Steel's is). I'm always glad to see competition among companies. As consumers, we benefit from that!


Yo Mama said:
You are completely correct my intentions to create the thread in the sub forum may not have been the best, and general may have been the best place. I know Lynn is a passionate guy, looking at his videos how could you not.
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No problem. You see, the Cold Steel subforum gets a lot of this:

Monofletch said:
After those ridiculous lock strength videos and the CRKT lawsuit ........who cares about Cold Steel
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It's pointless, it's juvenile, it's rude, and it gets old. I've been fed up with it lately. I come here to discuss and learn new things about Cold Steel knives. Thanks for not letting your thread degenerate into mud-slinging.


Knifenutty said:
Bottom line IMO the handle on the Chaos was and is made for two purposes only... 1 to protect your hand.....2 for CQB as the original ones were made for.... Not for breaking rocks... ;)
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Perfect thread summation! Bravo, Knifenutty!

-Steve
 
The Whip said:
Which Proof videos? I've seen them all and don't remember anything like this "test." Pommels breaking cinderblocks? Yes. Blades breaking rocks? No.





The spine did take it, on both the Chaos and the Recon! Didn't anyone actually watch the video?!


-Steve
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I mean cinder blocks not rocks. It is more a test to see how tough the steel is.

As for the knives, I have to admit I watched the video with sound off and I mistook the Chaos for that AK47 bayonet, lol. I watched it again and the Chaos actually did great. So my bad on the video.
 
Cobalt said:
Cold steel has done this often in their proof videos, so why not do it to test toughness of the steel. The spine should have been able to take it. The nighthawk took it no problem
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It depends. What is the knife marketed as being. What role is it designed for? The Chaos knives are designed to be pure fighters-hell. One of them is a dagger. A widely esteemed test of a survival knife is how well it can baton. How well do you expect the double edged Chaos to baton.

Balance, as well as how it would fare punching someone in the face, and causing damage similar to metal knuckles, cracking someone's skull, jaw or cheekbone with the pommel, or tabbing/slashing someone, is what the knife was designed for.

A chef's knife is for cutting food
A scalpal is for precisely opening skin and tissue
A fighting knife is for fighting.

I don't know anyone that has looked at a Chaos knife and thought "that is the field knife I have been looking all my life for"
 
I like Cold Steel. It seems to me that while they do make some darn good products at good price points, they also make some stuff that - I, myself - consider silly. The Chaos series is one of those (the Kukri version is worse than the first two, if you ask me). That said, I offer no insult to those who like the Chaos series - if you like it, then I'm glad you do, please enjoy. If the Chaos knives are practical field knives of any sort, then it must be for a field I've never had the curse...er..privilege to sojourn in.

I love their folders with those triad locks, I own SEVERAL of them. I have put mine through a variety of tasks, some very tough, some not. They've done more than held up, they've excelled. I want a TrailMaster in 01, I want a Recon Scout in 01 as well. I'm considering a Marauder bowie, a recon tanto, an an SRK. I do have one of their fixed blades - the inexpensive bowie machete. It's good for bushwhackin' around the homestead.

As for Cold Steel and their tests, they are what they are. I take knife tests with a certain amount of salt. If a knife fails, it does not mean every single one like it will fail. Then again, it might mean "don't do that with THAT particular knife." But that's just me.

Guess I don't have to worry about any rogue slate rocks, since I won't be buying a Chaos...ever.
 
Knifenutty said:
Bottom line IMO the handle on the Chaos was and is made for two purposes only... 1 to protect your hand.....2 for CQB as the original ones were made for.... Not for breaking rocks... ;)
Click to expand...

I definitely don't want to get in the middle of some of the other discussion going on here, but I have a good friend that is pretty obsessive about the effectiveness of knives as weapons and he performs a lot of his own tests that are a bit closer to reality. The three main things he'll do is a penetration test on a poly drum, effectiveness at chopping through 1-2" diameter green limbs supported by a block, and finally if they have a guard he will test the guard for blocking a blade.

His most recent tests were of a cold steel chaos kukri and a cold steel cutlass machete. The chaos kukri's guard failed on the first or second hit by another blade. Maybe unrealistic for most of us but the reality is this guard would not protect you against rocks or other blades. In contrast the thin piece of 1055 on the cutlass machete held up to a tremendous amount of abuse from another blade without breaking and caused nearly as much damage to the blade as the guard received.

Point being, while it might take abusive treatment to break the guard on the chaos kukri this is exactly when you would need a strong guard and other similar guards by cold steel can withstand way more. Aluminum just seems inadequate in a combat scenario, its strong in a weight holding sense and it is nice and light but it just isn't tough.

Now for use as a pair of brass (aluminum) knuckles? I think that is about the only use you could justify
 
I think the rock test is kind of ridiculous. First, rocks are not uniform and unless you're hitting one big rock in the same spot, it's hard to compare results for the different knives. Second, fighting knives don't really ever hit rocks, so why is that the test he uses?

Better tests of toughness would be: (1) whacking 2X4's or large heavy wood blocks; (2) hitting the spine of the blade or the sides with another strong, carbon steel knife, while holding the knives in your hands; (3) putting the knife in a vise and then hitting it with another knife or steel tool or even hitting the side of the blade with your hand/fist to see if the knife can take the stress without snapping; (4) the Cold Steel test of bending the knife while it's in a vise; (5) stabbing into a solid piece of wood to test the point toughness. These tests are for impact toughness and bending toughness (the ability to flex and bend without snapping). They are all much more uniform and scientific than hitting rocks.

As for testing the guard, well, you could but I don't see it as that important. Most guards are just designed to keep your own hand off the blade. While I agree that aluminum seems a strange choice for the Chaos handle, I think it's strong enough to use for hitting an attacker in the face. Seems like that's all it's designed for. The whole Chaos series seems pretty unbalanced and odd to me. Any of their large bowies would make a way better fighting knife, IMO.
 
I was not impressed with the Chaos handle breakage. I think that the handle would have been much better were it made of steel rather than aluminum. I get that breaking rocks isn't the purpose of the handle, but I would prefer if something made for smashing things (like Cold Steel's blunt weapons) wouldn't break upon smashing something hard, perhaps unintentionally. It's the same philosophy behind Cold Steel's knife tips. I expect (and usually get) better from Cold Steel.

By contrast, I was very impressed with the Recon Tanto. Glad I have that exact model.
 
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