Please Sweet Lord somebody help!!! quick

C

CATFISH57

Joined
Dec 9, 2005
Messages
10
thinking of purchasing a cold steel san mai trailmaster soon--like christmas---any reviews or thoughts:D
 
The Carbon V one would be a better choice unless you don't like the look of a patina on a blade. The Trailmaster is a nice working bowie, how it will hold up depends on how you use it. The clip point is quite fine for example and it will easily bend in heavy wood working. I also don't like the tapered handle and the guard is problematic for various grips. I would recommend a full flat ground RD9 from ranger knives with a wood working edge. This would be much cheaper as well.

-Cliff
 
thanx cliff--

just wandered if san mai was all that anda bag o doughnuts---I dont think itll beat by 18 in "circa unca bill" ak.......
 
No, most of the promotion is just hype and ignores the drawbacks of laminates such as they make the blade weaker because they are a lot softer than the core material.

-Cliff
 
I remember a thread a while ago saying that Cold Steel's San Mai was AUS 8 in the middle and some form of 420 on the outside. If this is true, I don't think it would be worth the money.
 
HighTen said:
I remember a thread a while ago saying that Cold Steel's San Mai was AUS 8 in the middle and some form of 420 on the outside. If this is true, I don't think it would be worth the money.
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yah sounds right. I remember something like AUS8 in middle and 420J2 on the outside. Interesting thing is that 420J2 is the steel that Lynn slammed in an interview calling it cheap quality or something. Yet, there he is using it in his most expensive knife. I would never pick San Mai over Carbon V. First off the Carbon V knives are made in the USA, the SanMai and AUS knives are made in Japan. Ask some of the old time knife maker/manufacturers about their steel dealings with the japanese and if you can believe what you are getting is really what you are getting. But if CS has their people in Japan checking the process as they claim that that would be acceptable. Still I would stay away from San Mai.
 
I've never thought the San Mai was worth the money. Knives that can be sharpened should be. Do you get any benefit from the mixed steels? Undoubtedly, but how much is real and how much is hype, who knows?

Most of CS knives in this combo of steels are not priced for everyday carry. In fact, most seem to be aimed at self defense. CS's attitude seems to be that defense knives can be made from 420 sub-zero quenched steel. They're rugged, easy to sharpen, but probably need it more than other, better, steels.

The San Mai blades seem to be knives designed by committees. My own personal advice is to pass. It's hype, though I love Cold Steel as a manufacturer. I'm not a big fan of 420, but it is great for prying and doing tough jobs that would stress other steels. If you stare at the blade intensely for more than about five minutes, you have to sharpen it, though. : )

-Confed
 
where can i find the ranger rd9 cliffs talkin about??--I gotta admit busse combats lookin alot better.....
 
Cliff Stamp said:
No, most of the promotion is just hype and ignores the drawbacks of laminates such as they make the blade weaker because they are a lot softer than the core material.
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I wonder whether this rather sweeping statement holds true for all laminates. I remember reading a comment by a Norwegian knifemaker somewhere that laminated blades are in fact stronger, especially when the knife is used in low temperatures. However, his comments referred to handmade knifeblades forged in the Norwegian tradition where all layers are made from carbon steel.

Hans
 
They generally change the defination of strength. Fallkniven for example ingnores the yeild points and looks at the tensile points which are higher with the laminates because the solid VG-10 blades cracked. However the laminates will take a set easier and in fact be easier to apply more force to because they will yield first which often induces a leverage advantage, it is a case of machine vs man in use and there is a critical difference in how force is applied.

-Cliff
 
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