Something old is new again - Cold Steel Twistmaster

Absintheur

Absintheur

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Jan 31, 2008
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I owned one of these years ago when they first came out and soon sold it for a flashy folder. I am older and a bit wiser now and when I started looking for a lightweight folder to handle general camp chores. I looked at the Opinels but I have heard they are not up to hard usage. I found a NIB Twistmaster instead. This one is the clip blade version, my first was a drop point but I thought the clip is better for general usage. I had forgotten just how big they are, as you can see it dwarfs my full sized Soddie. It is, however, very lightweight even with it's heavy blade, on a month long trek even an ounce makes a difference. I will like thin the handle some and stipple it, sand out a spot to make it easier to pinch open, and maybe blue the steel. (hot bluing shouldn't overheat the steel)
Who else owns one of these old Carbon V beauties and what mods have you made to your?

twistmaster.jpg
 
I was just thinking about the twistmaster today and how awesome it would be if Cold Steel brought it back in SK-5.
 
I have both the Bowie and Drop Point TwistMasters with the humungous 5" Carbon V blades with an OAL of 11"! These are virtual pocket swords. I got them wa-a-a-ay back in the day when they were on closeout and seemed to be a limited run in that blade size. The Drop Point is like a small version of the CS Moro Barong! They also came with very nice cordura type sheaths. They were so cool I could never bring myself to use them, so they are on the shelf with the good stuff. Yeah these were some of Cold Steels top grade stuff!

Matador-
 
Thankfully you can still find them at prices that are very reasonable for Cold Steel CarbonV blades. I got mine for 30.00 and one just sold on ebay for 22.00. The Tanto blades seem the most common but the other two come up fairly often. Mine will get used, should make a great camp knife.
 
I had a twistmaster for a short time some years back. I was able to find one on the net long after they had been discontinued. My only complaint was the same complaint that most have about it, the locking ring needed some serious breaking in not to peel the skin from your finger tips.

It did loosen up over the course of a couple of weeks. I ended up sort of killing mine, though:( I was cutting some stuff for my mom on her second story deck while home from college. I set the knife down on the railing and then bumped it with my elbow. A 12' fall onto the concrete below would have not been a big deal...if the thing hadn't landed point first:grumpy: About half an inch snapped off. Not a big deal really, but I just gave it to my mom as a gardening knife.

I'd love to see them brought back. I mean, if Cold Steel is selling the Kudu well against the Okapi, then surely they can come out OK with a new Twistmaster. An SK-5 version would be nice. I mean, I would LOVE to see Carbon V again, but my Bushman in SK-5 from several years back and it is still going strong.
 
I've had one for a few years , like Absintheur said , it is lightwieght and bigger than one would expect.

My lockring is not bad , it is on there good and tight but I'd much rather have it tight than loose. ;)
I have not modded mine , I did try to blue part of the blade once but it did not take well so I polished it off.

All in all I would say it is a great knife , especially for backpackers , campers.
I keep mind strapped to my BOB , also right on about the sheath , one of the better sheaths I have.
 
I have 2 of the large clip points. They are good knives, except it takes 2 men and a boy to move the locking ring, on or off. Mine have been worked a thousand or more times and they've not loosened up at all.
 
Sounds (and looks!) like a fabulous knife. Ill have to track one down. I wish CS could bring back CV too! Bummer how great they use to be and how they are frowned upon today... Two things CS has going for them big time!

1. BIG folders, some of the best and most rediculously large folders on the market!
2. Their 'cheap' knives are GREAT imo for what they are. hard to fid a better 'bang for the buck'! :)
 
Mine was MIB, still had the orange warning band on it and the preservative on the blade. The locking ring is tight but moves easily enough, it wouldn't bother me if it was just a touch tighter.

Cold Steel still makes very nice higher end knives but I wish they had stuck with them rather than trying to break into the bargain market with their name on the blade.
 
I own a full-size clip point and a small drop point. They make very good deer camp and
hiking knives, lightweight and hold an excellent edge.

Good catch Ab.
 
Absintheur said:
Thankfully you can still find them at prices that are very reasonable for Cold Steel CarbonV blades. I got mine for 30.00 and one just sold on ebay for 22.00. The Tanto blades seem the most common but the other two come up fairly often. Mine will get used, should make a great camp knife.
Click to expand...

Still a great price and the mark up over time didn't skyrocket. I got mine out of the 1991 Special Projects Catalog. They were on closeout for $6.95 a piece or two for $15.00, and the more you bought, the cheaper they got!

Matador-
 
I have a medium Twistmaster I got in 1993 from Special Projects for $14.95. I still like it, just don't carry it as much nowadays. It is a good size with a 3 1/2" blade.
 
Those were some of the best working knives in the Cold Steel line.

I found a version that Kerhaw did years ago, and that classic design with modern materials is a great combo!

Kershaw-2950-1.jpg
 
Matador said:
Still a great price and the mark up over time didn't skyrocket. I got mine out of the 1991 Special Projects Catalog. They were on closeout for $6.95 a piece or two for $15.00, and the more you bought, the cheaper they got!

Matador-
Click to expand...

You did better than I did. I got my large clip points for $10 each.
 
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