What, or who, is driving Cold Steel's push to next level?

I think its obvious that Andrew Demko is behind these moves, particularly the upgrade to new steels. He has been a steel freak for a long time, offering his custom knives in super steels like M390 long before they became well known. I got this AD-10 in m390 from Andrew two and a half years ago...

 
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While I think the steel performance is close enough between AUS8 and BD-1 that if you already own a knife being upgraded to BD-1 there's not a huge motivation to buy a new one, the same cannot be said for XHP. The only Recons I own are the XHP part-serrated tantos (I have two) that came out in 2014 and I suspect I'll be getting a plain edge tanto when they become available.

I will probably spend the same amount on knives as I did last year, but buy fewer of them. However they will be of higher grade materials so it'll all work out.
 
I think Cold Steels new offerings are fantastic. I hope the leatherneck gets the upgrade as well!
 
I'm a bit surprised at the VG-1 Recon Tanto and SRK. I'm not sure that's much of an upgrade.
 
The move to better steel is huge for Cold Steel. A Master Hunter in 3v is a dream come true. I gave my San Mia to a friend a while back and I'm looking forward to replacing it with the new version.
 
I am a fan of the upgrade. I think it will do wonders to remove some of the "mall ninja" stigma.

Now, where are the upgraded Tuff Lites?
 
What is the difference between VG-1 and VG-1 San Mia III?
I thought they were the same steel.
 
VG-1 San Mai is a piece of VG-1 laminated between two pieces of softer steel (probably 420 of some sort).
 
I'm excited about the steel upgrades but I wonder if this aggressive move will be successful. It seems like the new Recon will compete more directly with Spyderco and Benchmade. With AUS8A and a lower price-point, Cold Steel seemed to occupy it's own niche. Will the new strategy of going after a higher-end market work?
The MSRP on the new Recon is $169.99.
The MSRP on the Spyderco Manix 2 is $157.95 and the Para 2 is $197.95.
 
AF said:
I'm excited about the steel upgrades but I wonder if this aggressive move will be successful. It seems like the new Recon will compete more directly with Spyderco and Benchmade. With AUS8A and a lower price-point, Cold Steel seemed to occupy it's own niche. Will the new strategy of going after a higher-end market work?
The MSRP on the new Recon is $169.99.
The MSRP on the Spyderco Manix 2 is $157.95 and the Para 2 is $197.95.
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It's hard to say. Spyderco is one of my favorite companies, but I honestly think that, with XHP steel, designs like the Recon, Code 4 and Lawman can stand on their own merits even when compared to those luminary blades. Cold Steel has really come out with some excellent, practical designs over the last four or five years and, to me, it seems like they're simply adding materials that more closely match their design pedigree.

Also, they seem to be adding 3V very aggressively to their lineup of fixed blades. I think that could really help their success since they're doing it with a minimum increase in MSRP. More than a few people regard 3V as one of the preeminent steels for outdoor blades and I don't know of any other company that offers knives in that material for anywhere near the price that CS seems to be shooting for.
 
G. Scott H. said:
VG-1 San Mai is a piece of VG-1 laminated between two pieces of softer steel (probably 420 of some sort).
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Okay, so VG-1 is the same core just not laminated, that makes sense. I always liked edge performance of VG-1 San Mia III. VG-1 should do just fine as long as it is not abused.
 
I understand the concern about increasing MSRP. Cold Steel is taking a risk by altering it's business model. I think that Cold Steel is being smart about it by maintaining some diversity in the lineup. They are continuing to offer products that offer maximum value while breaking into a new level of design and materials. I think Cold Steel will see this strategy pay off. I've been no Cold Steel fanboy, but they will probably be getting more of my money this year than any other knife company.
 
AF said:
I'm excited about the steel upgrades but I wonder if this aggressive move will be successful. It seems like the new Recon will compete more directly with Spyderco and Benchmade. With AUS8A and a lower price-point, Cold Steel seemed to occupy it's own niche. Will the new strategy of going after a higher-end market work?
The MSRP on the new Recon is $169.99.
The MSRP on the Spyderco Manix 2 is $157.95 and the Para 2 is $197.95.
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My gut tells me that Cold Steel is making the right move with their new 2015 offerings.
Some of my immediate reactions:

1. Fans and customers, myself included, have been clamoring for a steel upgrade across the board. The addition of CTS-XHP, O-1, CPM-3V, and CTS-BD1 to the mix is just what the doctor ordered. These steels are the right mix of edge-holding, toughness and mass-appeal. It's a no-brainer.

2. The split of CTS-XHP and CTS-BD1 across the line of folders provides a higher and lower price point for folks with different discretionary spending levels. But as we've seen with everything else CS has made in the past, EVERY single folding knife they've made is a dependable piece of hardware. Function & dependability is always priority #1. I've always felt that I could bet my life on EVERY Cold Steel knife that I've ever owned, and I've owned a lot of them over the years.

3. Benchmade especially, and Spyderco, to a lesser degree, have left me cold these last couple of years.
Specifically I've been rather frustrated with the Axis lock models of recent vintage. They've had too much blade play. The mechanism requires too much mechanical precision, and once the company starts to focus on volume & price-point the mechanical tolerance of the finished product will inevitably suffer.
The Tri-Ad lock, on the other hand, is a mechanism of supreme mechanical elegance & simplicity. It's hard to mess it up, and it is more forgiving of larger mechanical tolerance variations than other company's locking mechanisms.

3. I've ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS thought that Lynn Thompson could design an ergonomic & effective folding knife. That's never been an issue. In fact, I wish that LT would bring back some of the previous folders like the Night Force or the ProLite, but adapted for the Tri-Ad lock.

4. Bottom Line: The Tri-Ad lock is THE THING that has kept me with Cold Steel for the last several years. I knew that they had something special with this lock, and that it was only a matter of time before they paired it with an upgraded blade steel. I'm not saying that I'm some sort of Prophet or anything, but I like to think that I've been a loyal fan & customer. So, I'm glad to see that LT & crew are giving back to their customer & fan base in a truly meaningful way.

-nate
 
Cold Steel Knives said:
the most reasonable price.
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This is what I value most with Cold Steel. Solid (and fun) knives at decent prices. Where else can you get something like a Recon 1 XL for under $100 (or at any price, really)? I sure hope that the "budget" lineup (e.g., Voyager) remains moderately priced, and that the trend toward purported "better" steels doesn't change that.
 
Well from looking at the prices listed so far on the upgraded Voyagers with Carpenter CTS-BD1 blade steel.

They are only a few dollars more than the previous Aus-8A versions were.
 
Own 75 CS knives but concerned about affordability? Quality over quantity...
Larry Turko said:
As I posted on the "Cold Steel is the best" thread on this forum; I own over 75 CS products qualifying me, I would think, as a major fanboy. However I am less than thrilled about CS's new direction. Many of the "new" 2015 knives are merely old models with new steel. Those of us who already purchased these models in the past are not going to buy the new steel models for a lot more money. The folding Tiger and the Black Talon II are very cool knives but I certainly would have liked them just as much in Aus8. Although I don't think that the design of the fixed blade AK-47 looks as good as the folder, I might have been interested in this knife as well if it weren't for the mind-boggling price!- $284.00 smackers if I'm not mistaken.
I know that there all still some new models to be released so hopefully those will not be knives I already own in Aus8 or in the price range of the AK-47.
One final observation; for years Cold Steel has insisted that the affordable steels they put into their knives were more than adequate and I always agreed. Now it seems they've turned their backs on that assertion in order to cater to the steel snobs...in a sense it almost seems like a betrayal of their long time loyal customers.
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