Tatanka vs XL Voyager lock test by Cold Steel

Jens Schuetz said:
"Seriouser" is hard to top.
I'm the seriousest about that. Honestestly! (or honestliest?)
Click to expand...

Since Cold Steel recommended against how I was using my Extra Large Espada, I must be the most seriousest. :D
Or perhaps I'm just extremier...sometimes, language just fails. ;)
 
I was emailed this vid by CS and I immediately thought, aha - cue a 10 page thread on BF! :D

My two cents: I already knew the Tri-Ad was a tough sonofabitch so no surprise there. Does comparative advertising work? I'm sure it does. Is it ethical? Why the hell not? People do surveys comparing cars and other consumables all the time. Will it really influence me to buy one knife or another? No probably not, I don't abuse my knives and I mostly prefer the Axis/Arc style lock anyway.

I will say this, I think the Tri-Ad is a huge accomplishment and maybe not given the kudos it deserves. You got your Walker liner, your Chris Reeve integral, your Axis/Arc, your compression lock and now your Tri-Ad. Those to my mind are the major milestones in folder lock design.
 
Last edited:
Buffalohump said:
I will say this, I think the Tri-Ad is a huge accomplishment and maybe not given the kudos it deserves.
Click to expand...

How has it not gotten the kudos it deserves?
It's pretty much the only thing knife knuts around here all agreed Cold Steel had going for it until this year when they upgraded the steel.

I lost track of how many Cold Steel threads there have been where even the haters said "I wish Demko's Tri-Ad lock was available in Spyderco/Benchmade/etc."
 
I did say 'maybe'... I don't read every thread on BF... some of us have lives :p

I do think its influence would have been far greater if it wasn't proprietary to CS but I guess you can't blame Lynn for being smart enough to get out the gate before anyone else.
 
Buffalohump said:
I do think its influence would have been far greater if it wasn't proprietary to CS but I guess you can't blame Lynn for being smart enough to get out the gate before anyone else.
Click to expand...

Well, the truth is that far more "man on the street" type of people have heard of Cold Steel than the other brands, in my experience.
So it's probably had more impact due to that, especially considering the price-point of the knives (until this year, with the price jump, that is).

We're the knife knuts, so we know about all sorts of brands.
Most people don't.
 
Yeah but I doubt the man in the street ponders these things to the extent of us knife freaks. I am pretty damn sure the majority of the Wally world knife shoppers just think its another back lock.

I just dont 'feel' that the Tri-Ad is held in the same esteem as the RIL, for example. Just a feeling or perception on my part. I think its impact would have been greater if it wasnt a CS exclusive. I'm thinking more in terms of when someone sits down and writes that big book entitled Great Folding Knife Innovations, will it be viewed in the same light as the Walker and the RIL etc?



stabman said:
Well, the truth is that far more "man on the street" type of people have heard of Cold Steel than the other brands, in my experience.
So it's probably had more impact due to that, especially considering the price-point of the knives (until this year, with the price jump, that is).

We're the knife knuts, so we know about all sorts of brands.
Most people don't.
Click to expand...
 
Buffalohump said:
Yeah but I doubt the man in the street ponders things to the depth of us knife freaks. I just dont feel that the Tri-Ad is held in the same esteem as the RIL for example. Just a feeling. I think its impact would have been greater if it wasnt a CS exclusive. I'm thinking more in terms of when someone sits down and writes that big book entitled Great Folding Knife Innovations, will it be viewed in the same light as the Walker and the RIL etc?
Click to expand...

Given a few more years, it'll probably be up there with other locks.
Heck, I thought it was just a lock-back with more engagement and a stop pin until I had one in hand to examine and disassemble. :)
I was wrong (yes, I can admit when I'm wrong :D).

For strength and shock resistance, it is right up there.
For ease of closing, well, some of the other locks are easier on thumbs. ;)

But it does what it's intended for quite well, and I think it's already getting up there.
When people are listing favourite locks, the Tri-Ad always shows up along with AXIS and compression locks (other locks with a devoted fan base).



But I'm still digging the PowerLock (guess it's one word...I was wrong about that too ;)) on that Tatanka...just can't stop carrying it around. :thumbup:
 
Last edited:
History is always the best judge of these things... personally I think the knife world needs its own Hall of Fame with a sub-section for Innovation.

I only have a custom Demko and its quite easy to disengage. I had a CS folder for a short time a while back but I didnt keep it. I recall the lock was definitely a little tougher on the thumb. There is a 'fix' for that (apart from cycling it a few thousand times). Someone discussed it on the CS forum a while back.

I havent tried the Powerlock yet.
 
I was lucky - right place right time. They are much harder to get now. I am sure the customs get way more attention, polishing and what not. It is actually very smooth. My first one wasn't as easy to disengage though, he has improved the lock over time.

stabman said:
Lucky man.
Everyone seems to agree that the customs are very nice. :)
Click to expand...
 
Buffalohump said:
I just dont 'feel' that the Tri-Ad is held in the same esteem as the RIL, for example. Just a feeling or perception on my part. I think its impact would have been greater if it wasnt a CS exclusive. I'm thinking more in terms of when someone sits down and writes that big book entitled Great Folding Knife Innovations, will it be viewed in the same light as the Walker and the RIL etc?
Click to expand...

My own personal opinion is I'd love to try out a Tri-Ad lock, but CS as a company doesn't aim at someone like me as part of their customer base. In all honesty, I don't see a company that produces rubber baseball bats in the same light as I do other top tier knife companies, plain and simple. I'm not disputing how good their knives are, but it's hard to separate their high end products from other products they produce-things I'd associate with the back cover of comic books. It's just how I see it. It would seem their products can stand on their own merits, but the marketing doesn't appeal to me.
 
For what it's worth, I don't buy into the "Hardcore" marketing of companies like Emerson, Strider or ZT, either. Flames, skulls, or flaming skulls leave me shaking my head🔥💀
 
Its a free country, I think CS has made some weird shit over the years no doubt about it but the sheer scope of their product line-up is mind-boggling. I personally also didn't dig it when they started making a bunch of stuff out of polypropylene (like the bat you mentioned). Plastic is just.... nasty. Rubber I can live with (actually quite like it for a knife handle) but plastic just has zero personality and appeal. I do think they veered into a weird space for a few years there and I'm hoping with their new line-up they are getting the company back on track, making a quality product with that 'big fun' factor at a reasonable price point.

flipe8 said:
My own personal opinion is I'd love to try out a Tri-Ad lock, but CS as a company doesn't aim at someone like me as part of their customer base. In all honesty, I don't see a company that produces rubber baseball bats in the same light as I do other top tier knife companies, plain and simple. I'm not disputing how good their knives are, but it's hard to separate their high end products from other products they produce-things I'd associate with the back cover of comic books. It's just how I see it. It would seem their products can stand on their own merits, but the marketing doesn't appeal to me.
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
If they decided to make a smaller sized 4-Max with the same materials, I'd have to seriously consider one.
 
I don't understand these types of videos or claims on locks. I have some CS knives and some Spyderco knives and they are both quality products. They both lock up well and serve the purpose a folding knife is designed for. The tri ad lock is fantastic and works well. Have not used the power lock.

IF you are doing something to cause the type of forces ANY of these lock strength videos portray your definitely using the wrong tool for the job. If what you are doing is going to put excess negative pressure on the lock I think any knife that is designed around a pivot is not a good choice.

Anyhow. Anybody know if Demko has ever strapped one of his knives into that tester? And why doesn't he show the dial on the torque gauge when he is tightening the knife handle to the arm?

It seemed to me that the CS knife made more rotation after impact than the Spyderco.
 
There is a video of Demko testing his custom version on YT. He just hangs weights off it though, its not a spine whack thing. I forget what total he gets to but its pretty damn impressive!

dr_fosg8 said:
I don't understand these types of videos or claims on locks. I have some CS knives and some Spyderco knives and they are both quality products. They both lock up well and serve the purpose a folding knife is designed for. The tri ad lock is fantastic and works well. Have not used the power lock.

IF you are doing something to cause the type of forces ANY of these lock strength videos portray your definitely using the wrong tool for the job. If what you are doing is going to put excess negative pressure on the lock I think any knife that is designed around a pivot is not a good choice.

Anyhow. Anybody know if Demko has ever strapped one of his knives into that tester? And why doesn't he show the dial on the torque gauge when he is tightening the knife handle to the arm?

It seemed to me that the CS knife made more rotation after impact than the Spyderco.
Click to expand...
 
flipe8 said:
My own personal opinion is I'd love to try out a Tri-Ad lock, but CS as a company doesn't aim at someone like me as part of their customer base. In all honesty, I don't see a company that produces rubber baseball bats in the same light as I do other top tier knife companies, plain and simple. I'm not disputing how good their knives are, but it's hard to separate their high end products from other products they produce-things I'd associate with the back cover of comic books. It's just how I see it. It would seem their products can stand on their own merits, but the marketing doesn't appeal to me.
Click to expand...

I understand from where you're coming, but some of my favorite CS products have been the rattan cane from the 90's and the Big Bore Blowgun. Anyone who doesn't have one of the blowguns is missing out;) It's like a 3 ring circus, but they put out some unique and truly awesome products besides knives. The self-defense marker is a bit odd, but they've probably sold a million.:D
 
I like CS plastic Escrima sticks. They are a bit heavier than authentic sticks made from rattan but they last much longer. I've yet to break one.
I hope they keep making them even with the recent switch to "more serious" products.
:D
 
flipe8 said:
My own personal opinion is I'd love to try out a Tri-Ad lock, but CS as a company doesn't aim at someone like me as part of their customer base. In all honesty, I don't see a company that produces rubber baseball bats in the same light as I do other top tier knife companies, plain and simple. I'm not disputing how good their knives are, but it's hard to separate their high end products from other products they produce-things I'd associate with the back cover of comic books. It's just how I see it. It would seem their products can stand on their own merits, but the marketing doesn't appeal to me.
Click to expand...

I am sure I will get blasted for this, but some top-tier companies thought it was a good idea to make butterfly-knife action pens. Not quite targeting the customer base of higher end production folders. You may not like every product a company produces, but that doesn't mean all their products belong on the back of comic books.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top