The HIGH END Cold Steel

ARtsig1

ARtsig1

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Do "HIGH END" and "Cold Steel" go together? I don't know, just asking. Btw, I am not writing this post to slam CS products, but only to ask about some of the high dollar folders I have seen advertised around the 'net. If possible, seperate the obvious similarities to other already built folders, and just look at the knives on their own merit. I'm going to take a step out on a limb here and say that I like the way the Black Talon looks. I know, and you know, that it is very similar to the Spyderco Civilian. Regardless, it is a good looking knife. I am wondering about the quality of said knife since the lowest price I saw was near $200.00. I also want to mention that even though it may sound that way, I am not looking to purchase one. I'm just curious if Cold Steel is capable of running with the high dollar folders of other cutlery companies. If anyone has held or seen one and can shed some light I'd be interested.
 
I've owned a good many Cold Steel knives. First and formost you have to realize that Cold Steel doesn't really make knives. They are a marketing company. Someone else put it best when they said that the only thing CS makes is videos.

In the past CS knives have pleased me very much with their Voyager series, and the Vaqueros with the Nogales clip point blades which I particularly like in the X large for yard work. Great knife that can only be described as "fun" in my opinion.

I understand that some of their knives are made in Taiwan now. But many of the high end knives from Cold Steel are either from Seki City Japan or from Camillus.

I think in most cases I'd pick a Spyderco over a Cold Steel just because I like Spyderco's Opening hole and the premium steels they use, but the Cold Steel knives are pretty tough in my experience. Their serrated edges are more difficult to sharpen though and they have some issues dealing with contradictions where Lynn Thompson, the owner said he would never use the cheap steels and went off on how much the other companies were ripping the buyers off and now he apparently has changed his mind.

There have also been issues with 'copy cats' like the Axis lock clones they have pushed as the Recon 1 series. Still it is probably a well made knife if you don't mind the steel in the blade. Certainly not a BenchMade but less than half the price.

Even still many folks are happy with their CS knives. I've found that they do have some good stuff even if I do disagree with some of the hype and BS in their marketing of the products and some of the antics the owner has done. The sword demos are quite good and very entertaining in the CD though. Well worth watching if you haven't seen it.
 
The CD's were pretty damn boring..unless you like Lynn's tight shorts. I do carry my voyager every now and then when I run. I figure if I lose it, no biggie.
Matt
 
The sword demos were the only thing I liked. I do the same. Carry one of my Voyagers when I travel cross country. No big deal if it gets taken or I lose it. Great beater too.
 
The CS Voyager folders are good...that's about it though.
 
I was astonished at the prices CS wanted for the new San Mai folders. Although I liked a couple of the designs, I'd rather buy another Sebenza for the few bucks more! :D

They do have a lot of low end, bargain basement knives. They also have some awesome beaters. My Vaquero Grande just keeps on cutting. The Gunsite is a jumped-up Voyager, very nice if you get it at a good price.

But companies like Benchmade and Spyderco seem to offer at least as good, with more consistent manufacturing quality and materials.
 
I don't care for the feel of the Black Talon, too flat or something but it is put together well.

The Black Sable on the other hand is a sweet knife, looks good, feel great in the hand. Matter of fact it's in the top 10 best feeling knives in the hand I know. Construction on them seems to be very tight with good QC on all aspects. So far all the ones I have seen were extremely sharp. Very smooth opening and locks up perfect.

The bad side would be I think the clips a bit small but they do work, and I have heard that the second clip has a problem with the screws not engaging the liner so the clip will tighten down. Seems the liner is not taped for the screws. I can't say I have noticed this on any I have seen but I have not tried to put the second clip on one either. The ones I have seen look like they were OK though and non have been returned.

All in all they seem like very nice knives for the money and if someone is wanting a knife in San Mai steel, I have seen knives much higher priced with this kind of blade.

All IMO of course.

Tom
 
I like the Cold Steel Carbon V models like the UWK, Trailmaster, SRK, etc. The stainless fixed blades and Cold Steel folders have never interested me.
 
I'm very interested to start reading some reviews on these. I've always been curious about Cold Steel's San Mai blades and having one in a folder seems pretty cool. I'd like to see one as a passaround.
 
I personally don't care for the new "Cold Steal" folders. They ripped off Brian Tighe. And they are overpriced.

See this thread: details Cold Steal's ripoff
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=336491&highlight=tighe+cold


This is a pic from Nelson, see any similarities?
ripoff.jpg
 
Quality or not, Cold Steel's new folders leave the stench of cheap ripoffs wafting around my nose whenever I see them. I guess it was a business decision between losing potential customers that boycott their ripoffs and gaining potential customers by using cool looking designes. Judging by their DVDs, it's supprising which one won out. :rolleyes:
 
It seems more or less agreed upon that cold steel offers many good deals on the lower end. But IMO, just about everything they sell that's over $70 is overpriced.
 
I have a number of CS products. CS offers good bang for the buck in the voyager folder. Also a good value are their tomahawks, neck knives, machetes, throwing knives and kitchen knives. Just don't buy them from the CS website. Shop around the net. Example : I bought a used mini tac neck knife on ebay for $15 PPD.
I am also curious as to how many people that say to stay away from CS's more expensive products have actually owned, used or handled these products. I'm not trying to flame here. I know that if I were to spend $300+ on a knife I may not risk taking a chance on CS and go for another name brand that has a high end reputation, something "tried and true".
 
I have a number of CS knives in "Carbon V" They all work well for me. As much as I like the carbon steel ones, I wouldn't waste time or money on the stainless steel ones.
 
Frankly, who cares if a knife is a "rip off" of another knife if it performs well. I can understand if two production companies rip off each others knives, but saying that a production company ripped off a custom maker has no base, especially when Cold Steel doesnt advertise their designers. Cold Steel has never been about innovative knife designs, but atleast now they have a few decent folders.

That said I personally dont like most of their knives. I own a Ti-Lite, which is a decent little knife, and I have been kicking around the idea of purchasing the Caledonian Edge.
 
I have 1 of the original Recon Tantos - not the rubber gripped 1, and a old Kuhkri. Both are good knives. In the last few years it seems their quality has gone down. Add in the fact that some of the more important people in Cold Steel seem to be arrogant and care less about the consumer and I am looking elsewhere if I need a knife. This most recent Blade magazine show I had a bad encounter with them. My old Kuhkri has gotten dull and chipped in some spots. Rather than buy a new 1 I was wondering if they could resharpen it for me (and I was willing to pay). Well the gentleman behind the counter was very short and his basic reply was to mail it to them and see. While I do understand that he could not say 100% they could it was more the attitude I got than anything that annoyed me. Once it was realized I was not there to buy a new Cold Steel product it seemed they could of cared less.
 
I havent had an opportunity to deal with spyderco or benchmade customer service yet, but from what I've read so far here, they really couldnt treat their customers any better. Cold Steel's customer service is shy at best. This, along with their warranty, is one of the reasons I would only buy the knives that are popular and well known for a quality product. $300 for one of their new folders just seems a like gamble.
 
AcesAndEights said:
Frankly, who cares if a knife is a "rip off" of another knife if it performs well.
Click to expand...
People with integrity?

AcesAndEights said:
I can understand if two production companies rip off each others knives, but saying that a production company ripped off a custom maker has no base,
especially when Cold Steel doesnt advertise their designers.
Click to expand...
You mean like Lloyd Pendalton, Barry Dawson, and Phil Boguszewski, all of whom CS has given credit to for designs?

AcesAndEights said:
Cold Steel has never been about innovative knife designs, but atleast now they have a few decent folders.
Click to expand...
I actually think their own designs (if they're really their own designs), like the Voyager and Vaquero series, are much more functional and attractive folders then their new folders.

AcesAndEights said:
That said I personally dont like most of their knives. I own a Ti-Lite, which is a decent little knife, and I have been kicking around the idea of purchasing the Caledonian Edge.
Click to expand...
That Ti-Lite, designed by/with Phil Boguszewski BTW, has some Tom Mayo looking handles if you ask me, but I know the story behind it. ;) And guess what, it "waves" open just like an Emerson, too. :eek: They even advertise that feature (without giving credit to Ernie of course) in their More Spoof video.

3Guardsmen
 
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