Thoughts on the Cold Steel SR-1

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I guess with the thickness of the G10 , it (the SR-1) doesn't really need full length liners , huh?

That Ultinate Hunter looks alright too. Does that have any liners?
 
^ nope those scales are very rigid I think the steel in the front part is all it really needed
 
I like how it has a straight profile rather than curved like many others, and that this gives it a narrower profile when closed.
 
I got all three.... was looking for a fixed blade substitute to learn bushcrafting - fixed blade open carry is not really acceptable around here. I carry AIWB which is deep conceal, minimizes weight/size, and is forget-it's-there comfortable for me as long as it's under 0.6" thick and a non-deep-pocket-carry clip.

The SR1 is my favorite and I'm going to buy a back-up. The beastly thick blade feels best for baton-splitting wood (just start cut, centered batoning, unlocked, plastic or wood micro wedge to follow through). Secondly, the narrow folded width makes it most comfortable of the three for use as a kubotan/palmstick/firstload (I've had plenty of issues with dog attacks while bicycling and against my own dog). The AD10 is more comfortable in hand, but the hollow grind gives me pause for wood processing, and while it does slice better, I really only notice it on apples and paper. The 4max is a little too big for my medium sized hands, and the folded length gets noticeable with insignificant blade length advantage. My SR1 has the smoothest action, but both it and AD10 have a slight vertical play tick if you really try - doesn't bother me.

They all needed some tweaking, sanding, and dremeling to smooth out some rough surfaces, and sharp edges/corners to suit my liking, but my Italian 4max had a really crappy thin clip that lost contact with the scale after a couple weeks of normal carry. Took a few months, and hassle, to get a replacement (assume the US version), but this one is the beast it should be.

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reppans said:
I got all three.... was looking for a fixed blade substitute to learn bushcrafting - fixed blade open carry is not really acceptable around here. I carry AIWB which is deep conceal, minimizes weight/size, and is forget-it's-there comfortable for me as long as it's under 0.6" thick and a non-deep-pocket-carry clip.

The SR1 is my favorite and I'm going to buy a back-up. The beastly thick blade feels best for baton-splitting wood (just start cut, centered batoning, unlocked, plastic or wood micro wedge to follow through). Secondly, the narrow folded width makes it most comfortable of the three for use as a kubotan/palmstick/firstload (I've had plenty of issues with dog attacks while bicycling and against my own dog). The AD10 is more comfortable in hand, but the hollow grind gives me pause for wood processing, and while it does slice better, I really only notice it on apples and paper. The 4max is a little too big for my medium sized hands, and the folded length gets noticeable with insignificant blade length advantage. My SR1 has the smoothest action, but both it and AD10 have a slight vertical play tick if you really try - doesn't bother me.

They all needed some tweaking, sanding, and dremeling to smooth out some rough surfaces, and sharp edges/corners to suit my liking, but my Italian 4max had a really crappy thin clip that lost contact with the scale after a couple weeks of normal carry. Took a few months, and hassle, to get a replacement (assume the US version), but this one is the beast it should be.

47219843001_8ed9cb97fc_k.jpg

39750474253_2ee3da3148_k.jpg
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So jealous that you have all three. Good looking group.
 
Great thread,i have the SR1 AD10 AD15 missing the 4 max, maybe 1 day ill break down and get it, these knives are why I don't have any 4" fixed blades...
 
I think the AD-10 is the best CS I've had yet, and I've had a couple Recon 1s, an American Lawman, an Ultimate Hunter, a clip point SR1, and a couple of their fixed blades. I'm not sure why anyone would worry about the hollow grind on the AD-10; it's still ~.027" thick behind the edge, and using 4mm stock with a very gradual hollow. There's no way it's significantly weaker than the AD-15, or conversely a significantly better cutter than the AD-15.

That being said, I do really want to make a project out of the SR1 tanto. Some black dyed G10 handles with some contouring and a full convex bevel would be pretty neat.
 
I reached out to a few online dealers and they all say that they have no ETA on the AD-10 or that it’s delayed by the maker. So I suspect that it’ll be some time before I find one in stock.

That’s where the SR-1 and maybe the 4-Max come in. As long as the quality is decent then I’m happy.
 
The sr1 is heavily reviewed on youtube by all the big guys and most give great reviews. I want one myself and eventually will pick one up. Right now the only cold steel I have is ti lite which is amazing.
 
I prefer the AD10 over the SR-1, and IMO it is worth waiting, as I suspect some will be in stock again soon.
 
Get the SR1 to tide you over. The AD10 is new so should be around for years.
 
They are very different, though. I could see someone not being happy with the SR1 as it comes configured from the factory and absolutely loving the AD-10, as that's basically what my experience was.
Wolverine666 said:
I reached out to a few online dealers and they all say that they have no ETA on the AD-10 or that it’s delayed by the maker. So I suspect that it’ll be some time before I find one in stock.

That’s where the SR-1 and maybe the 4-Max come in. As long as the quality is decent then I’m happy.
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marrenmiller said:
They are very different, though. I could see someone not being happy with the SR1 as it comes configured from the factory and absolutely loving the AD-10, as that's basically what my experience was.
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I get that. I don’t need an exact duplicate of the AD-10. I just came across the SR-1 and thought it looked pretty nice with its extra beefy blade.
 
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