Still worth buying Recon 1 from GSM Production?

bikerector said:
It's very likely the knives are made in the same Taiwan factory as before. If the quality degraded, it's unlikely GSM's fault, it's more likely the factory itself is in a slump. It's not like Cold Steel made 100% flawless stuff before the GSM acquisition. IMO, much of the dislike of the newer production stuff is people wanting to hate on GSM more than it being GSM trying to take the brand to the crapper. So far, I have not seen evidence where GSM is trying to cheapen things and they are actually doing some things I like, such bringing back older models that people really wanted, like the talwar, offering more than just black handle colors more often, and running exclusives.

I guess they do have some evidence of crapping the brand, and that's some of their abhorrent marketing videos, but I haven't seen the products themselves go to heck. I don't keep up with all the hoopla, so maybe I'm just missing all of the of real evidence.

Z Zenturio All of the recon 1's have been flat ground for the spear and clip points for a while, since they used CTS-XHP at least (currently using S35Vn, of course). The tanto has their compound ground as usual, a hollow ground flat section and flat ground tip. They still slice quite well in my experience, having owned both the clip and spear point.

@Kryme it's been a fair number of years since cold steel ran their mainstay of blades in AUS-8. I'm not sure when they did a FFG on the lawman, but they aren't FFG now and I've honestly never seen them with FFG. I can't comment on the scales.

From BladeHQ:
You can clearly see from the picture it's not FFG. Specs list it as hollow.
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agree with most of this.... but they did lose all their good knife designers. their new designs show they are lacking in knife design badly.....

they have also ramped up generic looking low end stuff into the box stores and that isn't gonna make any cold steel fan excited......

there's plenty gsm has done already that isn't very inspiring for the brand and its fans.....
 
I've seen no denigration in quality in pre, and post GSM-acquisition. Cold Steel needs to bring back some updated classics, and engage in some new licensing-deals with up, and coming designers. I have no idea, what the corporate-heads are planning. Perhaps, its a 'wait and see' strategy to see what's happening in global-politics, and supply-chains. I don't know what would happen, if Taiwan comes under the dominion of the CCCP. Some, also; felt that the micro-brand watch industry would suffer, when Honk Kong was annexed. But many brands like: Helm, and Phoibos flourished. Additionally, many well-made marques like WE, are wholly-manufactured in mainland China. Sorry, to drift off-topic, we'll have to see what 2024 brings.
 
If you wait 9+ months probably 1/3 off, just guessing.... A magnacut triad might be too much for me to wait! I used to not really be into the black coated blades until I edcd a spear point recon 1 in s35. It's excellent in every way and held up much better than expected...
 
strideruser said:
If you wait 9+ months probably 1/3 off, just guessing.... A magnacut triad might be too much for me to wait! I used to not really be into the black coated blades until I edcd a spear point recon 1 in s35. It's excellent in every way and held up much better than expected...
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$259 is kinda steep…you’re starting to enter the custom knife price range. Thanks for posting that info jux t…I remember hearing about MagnaCut a little while back. I also received an Amazon gift card recently…may just save it for this brand new model to finish off my Recon 1 collection.
 
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