Tatanka vs XL Voyager lock test by Cold Steel

crom said:
Like to add, if one is forever chasing new steels and enhancements, why does the lock mechanism somehow not fit this equation? I see it all the time, "lock strength is irrelevant, blah blah" but it obviously isn't if Spyderco is putting out locks like the CBBL and this new Tatanka lock. I'd like to have a balanced combination of strength in my choices, and if one company does it better, that doesn't mean it's foolish to want the feature in question.
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True enough, but the Tatanka is working for me.
G-10 and better steel with a blade design I like more, combined with a lock that still took bashing till the blade broke is worth the cash in my judgement. :)

Now I'm off to buy coffee and bagels with the Tatanka in my pocket...hope it doesn't break while riding the bus! :eek: :D
 
"hope it doesn't break while riding the bus!" ...or, pull your pants down!!!
 
crom said:
Like to add, if one is forever chasing new steels and enhancements, why does the lock mechanism somehow not fit this equation? I see it all the time, "lock strength is irrelevant, blah blah" but it obviously isn't irrelevant if Spyderco is putting out locks like the CBBL and this new Tatanka lock. I'd like to have a balanced combination of strength in my choices, and if one company does it better, that doesn't mean it's foolish to want the feature in question. An American Lawman in XHP for about $100 or so? Sign me up.
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There's a big difference in steel snobs and lock snobs. Steel snobs will see a noticeable difference in the different steels. Lock snobs will likely not see any difference with locks. Why chase after the strongest lock when you have never broken one? I sure as hell have no problem dulling edges.
 
Larry Turko said:
This test demonstrates a number of things; [A] Blade steel is irrelevant to the integrity and utility of a knife, if I were Homer Simpson I'd say" In your face steel snobs"! Cold Steel had no need to turn to more expensive steels as the Triad lock alone puts their folders ahead of a much more expensive knife. [C] You really don't have to spend a lot of money to get a great knife. I spent $230 Canadian for my Tatanka [ no, even in light of the test I don't regret it because it's pretty cool] and about $85 Canadian each for my XL Tanto Voyager and my XL Vaguero Voyager. So I spent $60 less for TWO CS folders that ,taken to the extreme, will likely outlast my one Tatanka.
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This is an air ball.

100% of folder users expose their edges to material. What % of users subject their knives to negative force and rely on lock strength for typical application? Near 0.

I apologize if I've missed anything. It's hard to hear over the sound of my screaming sharp Elmax.
 
al g blenny said:
There's a big difference in steel snobs and lock snobs. Steel snobs will see a noticeable difference in the different steels. Lock snobs will likely not see any difference with locks. Why chase after the strongest lock when you have never broken one? I sure as hell have no problem dulling edges.
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With the new XHP models coming you can have the best of both worlds I suppose. Lock snobs, is that a thing now?
 
RBid said:
This is an air ball.

100% of folder users expose their edges to material. What % of users subject their knives to negative force and rely on lock strength for typical application? Near 0.

I apologize if I've missed anything. It's hard to hear over the sound of my screaming sharp Elmax.
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I think he was being sarcastic.
 
:(
Cool but not as scientific as it could be.

The spine whack test:
If you put the same bolt location and the same torque on the screw it's still not all equal!!!!
What if one knife handle is super grippy and the other smooth as an eel?
The smooth one will swing away and put less force on the lock. The grippy one will have more friction and therefore stick more to the testing arm and the screw thus more force will be transfered to its lock.
Same if one knife handle is steel reinforced and doesn't give it sticks more to the arm than a knife handle which might get squished a bit on impact and thus losen it's connection to the testing arm a bit.

Whatever the case the spyderco swung less away from the testing arm indicating that the way the test was done more force was exerted on its lock than on the CS which swung more and that swing absorbed some of the energy making the CS lock look better than it actually is.

How about screwing the knives in 2 locations so that they don't swing away at all and absorb the whole force with their locks? That's the only fair comparison in my opinion.
 
crom said:
"hope it doesn't break while riding the bus!" ...or, pull your pants down!!!
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Well, my pants stayed up thanks to a belt. :)
However, the lock on the Tatanka failed to ensure that there were bagels to purchase at the sale price. :(

I guess someone with a Voyager must have got there first and bought all the bagels. :D
 
That spine whacking machine is the most dangerous thing I've seen in a long time, jeez you wind up with knife parts getting flung around as if by a catapault!

Is it standard to dull the edges of the blades before doing these tests? I ask because at several points during the video (and I fast forwarded through a lot of it) the tester (Demko?) is handling the blades and working the action open/closed with his fingers right on the cutting edge. Perhaps he has iron finger callouses, I don't know, but in my experience blades from both CS and Spyderco come sharp out of the box and grabbing by the edge would be a big mistake.
 
Lol , I'm guessing the XL Voyager would be the best tent stake. :confused:
 
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crom said:
Only if Danzig credits Marvel for ripping that skull and horns thing off haha!
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How did he rip it off? He openly admits where it came from. If you know Danzig you would know that he is heavily into comics and he even owns a comic company. Nice attempt at humor though.
 
al g blenny said:
I think he was being sarcastic.
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WhaaaAAATTT?!

STILL CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING OVER THIS SCREAMING SHARP ELMAX!


I mean, yeah, he may well have been. I was pre-coffee, which is why I included an apology if I missed anything. Life is easier after coffee.
 
I don't really understand why some of you would not buy a CS knife because you don't like their videos. The videos doesn't affect the quality of their products at all. That being said I don't really see this video as being i poor taste either. They weren't speaking bad about the Tatanka. They never said that the Voyager was a better knife. They simply tested the locks to prove that their lock was stronger. Just because the lock is stronger doesn't make it a better or worse knife. The designs are quite different after all. Now if they openly called the Tatanka a piece of shit without giving any explanation for their view that would be in poor taste. But what we have here is an objective comparison of one feature of the two knives.
 
Look heres the deal as far as I am concerned, for the bang for the buck you will not find a better using folder than the CS series.(period) I know alot of you guys have an axe to grind with CS etc.etc. Hype from advertising and the like. But hands down the strongest folding lock back knife made today is the CS Tri-ad lock. You might even say the AUS8a they use is tougher too. They are not a high end company and don't claim to be. Matter of fact they don't even make knives but they sell them, and have some very good designers on staff, and probably sell more than other manufacturer's combined. You can think up excuses etc.etc. for the Spyderco failure like it wasn't a fair test. What I looked at looked more than fair to me. CS is stronger and BETTER. keepem sharp
 
longbow said:
CS is stronger and BETTER.
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Better overall is subjective, and really depends on a bunch of factors.
My Tatanka fits in the pocket better than my Large Espada.
The edge on the Tatanka resists warping better than my Extra Large G-10 Espada.
I think the Tatanka looks better than my Large Espada.
The Power Lock is better at not having to be depressed as far as the Tri-Ad lock.

So which knife is better overall?
That will depend on what I want to do with that particular knife.

To claim that Cold Steel is better across the board though, without any qualification of the statement, that is entering fanboy territory.
Same would apply if I were to say that Spyderco was just better; it all depends on what you are looking for in a particular knife.
 
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