- Joined
- Oct 5, 2004
- Messages
- 513
Another BIG, sexy folder from Cold Steel. And quite elegant as well. The Espada is a navaja-styled knife, which is a storied Spanish blade favored by theives and Gypsies that first appeared around the 15th century. Wikipedia has a great article on the navaja for those interested in learning more. The Espada comes in three sizes, extra large with a 7 1/2" blade and 16 3/4" overall, the large with a 5 1/2" blade and 12 1/4" overall, and the medium with a 3 1/2" blade and 8 1/2 overall. The medium, though the most pocketable and practical, is a bit pedestrian compared to its bigger brothers. The extra large, while very sexy in its own right, is just way too big to even fit in a pocket; totally impractical as a carry blade. The Large, however seems just right, for me at least, and is the one I'll be discussing here.
The upswept clip point blade is, as previously mentioned, 5 1/2" long, and made of AUS-8. And, as usual, comes wickedly sharp from the factory. The clip is not sharpened. The blade is quite large and thick and belongs more on fixed blade knife than a folder, but is well balanced and feels lively in the hand. The large Espada weighs in at just under 10 oz. Perhaps too large for some as an EDC, but it is a bit smaller and contoured better to fit a pocket than the Rajah. Pictured below, from left to right, Rajah I, large Espada, and the Hatamoto.
The large thumb stud allows for quick one handed opening, either catching on a pocket edge, or with a hard flick of the wrist. Like the Rajah I, once that blade clicks into the TRI-AD lock is it absolutely solid and fixed in place with no play whatsoever. I haven't tried stressing these locks yet, but they appear to mean business and would probably take a large amount of stress.
The handle is very full sized, and supports two grip positions very comfortably and securely. The first, close to the blade with the index finger nestled in the bolster finger groove, the other further back, with the last two fingers tucked behind the sub-hilt. Both ends of the handle are metal, and either would deliver a nasty blunt strike to an opponent. The black G-10 handle scales are nicely textured and patterned. A removable, sturdy steel pocket clip is affixed to the right side of the handle with three small screws.
While the fit and finish overall is quite nice, I did find that at the seam where the handle scales met the aluminum bolsters on the handle there was a cosmetic imperfection. I had initially received the Espada two weeks ago and sent it back to Cold Steel for a replacement because of this issue: on one side of the handle the you could feel the burrs where the bolster had been machined, and the scales just weren't flush to the bolster. A small flaw, to be sure, but one I don't think you expect in a knife at this price point. When I received a replacement back from Cold yesterday I could see traces of the same problem, only much improved, and acceptable enough this time to keep.
If you've liked other recent Cold Steel folders, like the Hatamoto or Rajah, or even a classic like one the Voyagers, you'll no doubt enjoy the Espada as well. With Cold Steel people seem to love 'em or hate 'em, for a variety of reasons. For me, the Espada is my new favorite. The large version seems to be the perfect compromise between a big freakin' knife and a folder you can actually keep in a pocket.
See other my reviews on the Rajah I, Hatamoto, Black Sable, Voyager and the Natchez Bowie.
The upswept clip point blade is, as previously mentioned, 5 1/2" long, and made of AUS-8. And, as usual, comes wickedly sharp from the factory. The clip is not sharpened. The blade is quite large and thick and belongs more on fixed blade knife than a folder, but is well balanced and feels lively in the hand. The large Espada weighs in at just under 10 oz. Perhaps too large for some as an EDC, but it is a bit smaller and contoured better to fit a pocket than the Rajah. Pictured below, from left to right, Rajah I, large Espada, and the Hatamoto.
The large thumb stud allows for quick one handed opening, either catching on a pocket edge, or with a hard flick of the wrist. Like the Rajah I, once that blade clicks into the TRI-AD lock is it absolutely solid and fixed in place with no play whatsoever. I haven't tried stressing these locks yet, but they appear to mean business and would probably take a large amount of stress.
The handle is very full sized, and supports two grip positions very comfortably and securely. The first, close to the blade with the index finger nestled in the bolster finger groove, the other further back, with the last two fingers tucked behind the sub-hilt. Both ends of the handle are metal, and either would deliver a nasty blunt strike to an opponent. The black G-10 handle scales are nicely textured and patterned. A removable, sturdy steel pocket clip is affixed to the right side of the handle with three small screws.
While the fit and finish overall is quite nice, I did find that at the seam where the handle scales met the aluminum bolsters on the handle there was a cosmetic imperfection. I had initially received the Espada two weeks ago and sent it back to Cold Steel for a replacement because of this issue: on one side of the handle the you could feel the burrs where the bolster had been machined, and the scales just weren't flush to the bolster. A small flaw, to be sure, but one I don't think you expect in a knife at this price point. When I received a replacement back from Cold yesterday I could see traces of the same problem, only much improved, and acceptable enough this time to keep.
If you've liked other recent Cold Steel folders, like the Hatamoto or Rajah, or even a classic like one the Voyagers, you'll no doubt enjoy the Espada as well. With Cold Steel people seem to love 'em or hate 'em, for a variety of reasons. For me, the Espada is my new favorite. The large version seems to be the perfect compromise between a big freakin' knife and a folder you can actually keep in a pocket.
See other my reviews on the Rajah I, Hatamoto, Black Sable, Voyager and the Natchez Bowie.
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