Trail master knockoffs

S

seth2915

Joined
Feb 13, 2007
Messages
97
Hey, folks,

I have been looking at the knockoffs of the CS trailmaster. I had a trailmaster and liked it, but I didn't like to abuse it much for the cost.

So I noticed M Tech makes a passable Trailmaster knockoff. And I have seen a few others.

Anybody know anything about these (M Tech and any others)? I want something the same shape that I can beat the living hell out of and not feel at all bad about it. I am more concerned about the dimensions than the steel, so if anyone has any insights, I would appreciate it.
 
I gotta ask and I'm not tryin' to start anythin' but why support a company who makes knock offs?

Ya get what ya pay for, if yer concerned with $ why not get an ESSE or a Becker and don't abuse yer knife, all yer doin' is plannin' to fail that's why ya buy a knock off isn't?

Spend a few extra $ and buy a good American product, in the long run you'll be happier and ya won't be disappointed.
 
See, guys, I am not trying to get one of those knockoffs that the company tries to sell as the real thing; I saw the M Tech knife. It has the same design as the trailmaster, but they make no attempt to pass it off as the trailmaster; just a bowie.

I really liked the Trailmaster blade shape, profile, etc. But I don't want to feel bad about abusing a decent tool if I can get something similar and abuse that instead.

Hope that clears it up; not really knockoffs, just similar blade shape.
 
I've heard good things about the M-Tech copy in terms of durability, might as well give it a shot!

Though I'd keep a nice sharp secondary knife for actual cutting and a good coarse diamond hone handy, cause the edge holding I'm sure wouldn't be as good as your trailmaster.
 
Esav, it was nice of you to move the posts (?) and create a new thread claiming I initiated it, but why didn;t you also move post #1? The rest of the posts that were moved (or my posts anyway) are based on it.
 
By knockoff, I'm not referring to a blatant copy in every way of another knife. I'm referring to similar looking but different knives. In other words, not counterfeits, but similar looking knives. A knockoff, the way I see it, probably costs a mere fraction of what the original would cost, but with inferior materials, fit and finish, and so on, but would be somewhat similar.

I can think of plenty of knives that are not exact copies of other designs, but that have some similar design elements that may, or may not, be interesting.

Have at it... :D
 
I don't know I think every maker be it large manufacturer or private maker no matter what they say the knives made are based on patterns that have already been done. Locking mechanisms can differ a bit but a frame lock is a frame lock. A liner lock is a liner lock is a liner and a lock back is a lock back. The tri ad lock is patented or about to be I think and is different that the reg. lock back.

Blade shapes same thing. You can make them slightly different but basically dropped, trailing, clipped, sheepsfoot, tanto etc.etc. have all been done before and will be done again. keepem sharp
 
Alright, here's my take on M-Tech Knives, knock offs and other designs.

M-Tech seems to build the easiest to manufacture knives, no complex grinds, very square compared to the model copied, no real radius' which make for comfortable continuous long term use, materials are of the lowest quality, heat treat is inconsistent at best.

Bottom line again, ya get what ya pay for.

I ask again, why do you want to abuse it and how are you gonna abuse it, would a hatchet serve ya better.

I never understood the abuse my tool mentality, (no offense intended to the OP) I have a friend who when workin' on a car would rather beat on a pair of Visegrips clamped on a nut than get the right wrench.

One last comment, when you abuse a tool, it might fail, if it fails it could cause a personal injury and the injury could be serious or even deadly.

Why take the chance with an inferior product?

BTW I had an M-Tech Ker-ambit and I took it apart and threw it away so no one would get hurt.
 
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T. Erdelyi said:
Alright, here's my take on M-Tech Knives, knock offs and other designs.

M-Tech seems to build the easiest to manufacture knives, no complex grinds, very square compared to the model copied, no real radius' which make for comfortable continuous long term use, materials are of the lowest quality, heat treat is inconsistent at best.

Bottom line again, ya get what ya pay for.

I ask again, why do you want to abuse it and how are you gonna abuse it, would a hatchet serve ya better.

I never understood the abuse my tool mentality, (no offense intended to the OP) I have a friend who when workin' on a car would rather beat on a pair of Visegrips clamped on a nut than get the right wrench.

One last comment, when you abuse a tool, it might fail, if it fails it could cause a personal injury and the injury could be serious or even deadly.

Why take the chance with an inferior product?

BTW I had an M-Tech Ker-ambit and I took it apart and threw it away so no one would get hurt.
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You make very good points, sir.

I suppose part of the equation has to do with how low in quality someone is willing to go before they simply throw something away.

I have a few knives I don't hesitate to "abuse" and a few of them I have simply thrown away as they were in fact dangerous. Both were folders that were so poorly assembled and shoddily made that I was afraid the liner lock could give at any moment, and they weren't worth "fixing" to deal with the very real danger that I felt.

Other knives were so poor in holding an edge that I threw them away too. They were plain disgusting.

So, depending on what someone expects from their knives and other tools, I've a certain tolerance for poor quality. At a certain point though, it's the dumpster.
 
Get a Trailmaster in SK-5. You will NOT be disappointed. The knife is worth every penny. So is the San Mai 3 version, but it's a bit more pricey. :D
 
M Techs are not good tools, do not buy one, its a waste of time and money.

Nice thread btw, it opens two cans of worms beat to death on Bladeforums in general, the moral turpitude of knockoffs and the dead horse of cold steel hate, both of which are stale.

If you like the Cold Steel Trailmaster, try our own secondary market for the SK-5 version which is just as good as the Carbon V model without the post speculation cost.

If you need a friend for the trails to last forever and ever, look at some Ontario goodness, Spec Ops, Gen 2 stuff is good and built to last. If you like the traditional bowie styling try the Boker Plus lines.

Hope this advice helps.
 
Zombie Zeke said:
M Techs are not good tools, do not buy one, its a waste of time and money...If you need a friend for the trails to last forever and ever, look at some Ontario goodness, Spec Ops, Gen 2 stuff is good and built to last. If you like the traditional bowie styling try the Boker Plus lines.

Hope this advice helps.
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+1 on the Ontarios, I have an SP8, this knife is great for the outdoors, the saw back is perfect for makin' dead falls and figure 4 trap ect.and the knife is great for hackin' and splittin' wood.

The front heavy blade turns choppin' trees and spittin' logs into a joy, the Kraton handles are comfortable for long term use and give great purchace for the hand.

It comes with a nice sheath too.

Also the price isn't too bad, I paid $40 for mine 10 years ago.

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I used to use a Carbon V Trailmaster ( the real thing) as my main heavy use knife, but the corrosion and, worse, that damn Kraton handle made me switch.
It's a classic design, with flaws. I went to Busse, but you don't have to move up in price to get a really good knife that is comparable to the Trailmaster. Hate that handle. I wrapped mine, but for a knife that price you shouldn't have to do that.
I think I saw some mods ( not knockoffs) that improved on the Trailmaster right here on BFF. I can't remember where, though. If you love that knife I wouldn't go for a knockoff, for a couple of reasons, but a modified Trailmaster might be very cool. Either that or a wrap or a glove for extended chopping, at least for a bear paw like mine.
 
Fork out the dough for a Trail Master if you like it. Buying a knock-off is hit or miss and they always fall short of the performance and comfort of the real deal. I have a TM imitation and when you use a chopping stroke with it, it buzzes your hand like CRAZY! NOT WORTH IT!

If you are just on a budget, just check out some of the Ontario SP series. They have good consistent steel and very comfy kraton grips for under $50 most online sources.
 
HJK said:
I think I saw some mods ( not knockoffs) that improved on the Trailmaster right here on BFF. I can't remember where, though.
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Justin Gingrich has modded some CS stuff and there's another shop whose name escapes me right now.
 
Its like comparing some harbor freight impact sockets to say craftsman. The original isn't the best available, but it'll work hard and is fairly well made, but the copy while not a direct copy, will work well enough for a little while, then fail and become a paper weight. At what point does your cost benefit from buying the cheaper one, hit the usability point where you know it will fail, and occasionally that happens at a bad time. IMO the low price is still too much compared to the trouble that can be caused.

I agree the Ontario stuff makes for great beaters, and they are really low cost!
 
I know what you mean. I recently bought an MTech to keep in my truck, and wanted an inexpensive knife because I worry about theft...had a knife stolen out of my truck last year. So with the M Tech, I don't worry if I forget to take it out of my truck, and most times just leave it in my truck. I recently used it at my hunting camp to clear small trees and large vines, and it worked fine, still fairly sharp after a couple hours chopping. Will post photos if I can locate them. Today I removed the top of the guard, as I much prefer a single quillion guard which looks better to me and works much better for me in the field. I have removed the top of the guard from several Kabar and Ontario Jet Pilot knives, even an Ontario Marine Raider, and usually I can cut about halfway through across the width of the guard and then break it off with pliers. Not so with the M Tech. I could not budge the guard until I had cut almost all the way through. So the guard steel at least is really tough. I think the guard mod has really improved the knife. I have an early Cold Steel Trailmaster which I dearly love, yet I would not want to lose it or have it stolen, and I sure would not modify it. I love taking the Cold Steel Trailmaster afield, yet do not leave it anyplace other then secured in my house. So for me, the M Tech fits a niche, a sturdy capable knife, inexpensive enough for me to modify to my needs, or even loan it to someone perhaps, and not worry about losing it.

here are photos from woods chopping session. Note the coating on the blade is still largely intact even after a lot of chopping.

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here are some after removing top quillion
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