What's up with cold steel testing triad locks against cheap knives?

mwhich50 said:
I didn't mind the videos in which they test their own products, but I'm not too happy about them publically pissing on the other brands/knives that I love. It's unnecessary. I don't enjoy watching them destroy knife community favorites, with their unrealistic torture tests.
I have over a hundred knives, and my MOST used knives are my SAK Classic, and a $7 dollar Ozark Trails knife that I keep on the kitchen counter, for general cutting duties. I have been using the Ozark for over three years, with no issues!
Click to expand...

I hated their test against the spyderco tatanka (not a cheap one). I love Spyderco and I new that the tatanka was not going to hold up the test. I felt that the test was disrespectful to Sal.
 
Stabman I don't see why your opinion has changed about cold steel. As far as I'm aware they have been doing this type of thing for years and it's pretty much how they started the brand. You may just not have been aware of it before but their aggressive advertising far out-dates the tri-ad lock or Andrew Demko joining their team.

Honestly the knife industry is full of a lot of very poor conduct (unfortunately) and while cold steel is very in your face I wouldn't call it offensive. Their advertising isn't for me but I certainly won't stop buying their knives as long as they keep producing designs I like.
 
Last edited:
Fire_Brand said:
Stabman I don't see why your opinion has changed about cold steel. As far as I'm aware they have been doing this type of thing for years and is pretty much how they started the brand. You may just not have been aware of it before but their aggressive advertising far out-dates the tri-ad lock or Andrew Demko joining their team.
Click to expand...

All the aggressive marketing I saw before just played up their own product, and when they did mention the competition, they simply referred to it as "the competition."

I don't know, the direct attacks on specific competitors just seems...low class, would be the best way to put it.
I'm not getting rid of any of my Cold Steel knives, but I'm going to have to ignore their videos and the discussion around it, because it actually makes me not want to bother using them.


Kind of like when Mel Gibson turned out to be a drunken anti-Semite...although the movies remained the same, I just couldn't watch them without seeing a drunken idiot. :D

My Master Tanto is fine, because it reminds me of...well...me, now that I put a whole new handle on it.
 
stabman said:
All the aggressive marketing I saw before just played up their own product, and when they did mention the competition, they simply referred to it as "the competition."

I don't know, the direct attacks on specific competitors just seems...low class, would be the best way to put it.
I'm not getting rid of any of my Cold Steel knives, but I'm going to have to ignore their videos and the discussion around it, because it actually makes me not want to bother using them.


Kind of like when Mel Gibson turned out to be a drunken anti-Semite...although the movies remained the same, I just couldn't watch them without seeing a drunken idiot. :D

My Master Tanto is fine, because it reminds me of...well...me, now that I put a whole new handle on it.
Click to expand...


Agreed with the direct attack part. We all know how tough they are. No need to name drop.

Ya, not super classy, TBH.

Still love the products tho. And the presence of a Rep on here. It would be cool to talk to Lynn sometime, but we all know how that would go.
 
stabman said:
All the aggressive marketing I saw before just played up their own product, and when they did mention the competition, they simply referred to it as "the competition."

I don't know, the direct attacks on specific competitors just seems...low class, would be the best way to put it.
I'm not getting rid of any of my Cold Steel knives, but I'm going to have to ignore their videos and the discussion around it, because it actually makes me not want to bother using them.


Kind of like when Mel Gibson turned out to be a drunken anti-Semite...although the movies remained the same, I just couldn't watch them without seeing a drunken idiot. :D

My Master Tanto is fine, because it reminds me of...well...me, now that I put a whole new handle on it.
Click to expand...

I don't disagree with your opinion on this subject, but don't confuse these videos with their "Proof" videos. The proof videos remain the same as they always have which is what you are referring to when they just mention "competition". In any of their official avenues for advertising they won't specifically mention other brands or models but in unofficial areas they have always had a similar practice.

Lynn would do all of his tests with their fixed blades and "call out" other companies challenging them to hold up to the same tests. He directly/indirectly called Mick Strider a "convicted felon and rip off artist posing as (an) elite "military operator"". He was also one of the first people to publicly call him out regarding his criminal record. The insults really haven't changed over time.

Honestly I think doing this kind of testing with competitors knives is better if anything, because before he was slinging mud and making big claims (which they still do) but with these tests they are letting the products speak for themselves.

Yes the tests are clearly designed to favor an area they know their knives will excel in, but the tests are real and not just puffery. Let's be honest, people are talking about it being a shame they are breaking $300 knives but honestly who cares? All things considered knives are cheap, people destroy phones, cars, etc. just to compare them. Besides, they aren't calling other knives garbage in these videos, or even claiming that this is the end-all test, they really are being pretty matter-of-fact about the whole thing.
 
Dave Hunnicutt said:
I will buy MORE of their knives. I just bought two Spartans.

I have no respect for the crybabies that don't like their tests. They are doing you a favor by showing the flaws in other products! Zero Tolerance should be ashamed after their test. I wouldn't take a ZT knife if you gave it to me. The tests work both ways - Spyderco benefited from the Voyager vs. Tantanka test. Cold Steel showed that the Tantanka has a strong lock. Maybe not as strong as Cold Steel. But, it is strong enough. I actually have MORE faith in my Tatanka after that test.

The truth is good. Especially when you produce a product as serious as a knife.
Click to expand...

^ and here is why they keep doing it... Honestly Dave, it's a dick move to call everyone here with an opinion that differs from yours "crybabies". No one here is saying that CS knives are no good. Since you "wouldn't take a ZT knife if you gave it to me", you must also have disdain for all slipjoints and framelocks...I guess the rest of the world must be idiots for using these. You must do an awful lot of spine whacking to consider the supposed results to be indicative of "flaws in other products". Perhaps you should "whack off" less and simply use "a product as serious as a knife" for things it is actually intended for. What I have no respect for is someone who namecalls in their 16th post, presents no actual arguments, falls like a cheerleader's panties at homecoming for blatant marketing ploys, and bases their knife buying solely on the knife's ability to withstand spine whacks. Seriously dude...
 
I find the guy that does the recent CS videos to be pretty smug and arrogant. I think healthy competition is great for the knife world but the way CS does their comparison tests is useless and certainly not winning some people over. It is possible to advertise and promote your product without directly calling out other companies. Just look at Apple, never once in their advertisements do they compare themselves with anyone else (they might sue them in court though :D). Despite this I did actually pick up my first CS knife today, Mini Recon 1. Sweet little knife.
 
Seneca18 said:
I find the guy that does the recent CS videos to be pretty smug and arrogant. I think healthy competition is great for the knife world but the way CS does their comparison tests is useless and certainly not winning some people over. It is possible to advertise and promote your product without directly calling out other companies. Just look at Apple, never once in their advertisements do they compare themselves with anyone else (they might sue them in court though :D). Despite this I did actually pick up my first CS knife today, Mini Recon 1. Sweet little knife.
Click to expand...
You must have missed the MASSIVE "I'm a Mac, and I'm a PC" campaign.

Also, do you mean Andrew Demko?
 
The gentleman doing the videos is Andrew Demko, the designer of the Tri-Ad lock. He has confidence in his design, and Cold Steel's execution of his design. So far he hasn't had reason to doubt his confidence in their product.

Linerlocks and framelocks are not used because they are strong. They are used because they are cheap. Chris Reeve didn't patent the framelock, and the linerlock is an old design (although improved by Michael Walker). In that respect Cold Steel go into testing knowing what the outcome will be. The real challenges are backlock variants like the Tatanka which demonstrated itself to be a very tough knife in Cold Steel's testing. Well the lock is tough. The blade steel is a bit on the hard side but that's a Spyderco thing.
 
I like the tests. Viewers can decide if a non-Tri-Ad lock is strong enough. I'm happy with my Spydercos that have weaker locks because they have other features that I like. Now that Cold Steel has upgraded their steel, I'm more interested than ever.
 
Sorry I don't want to come off as smug or arrogant. I try to be fair and kind, but to be honest myself and the other guy have been doing these videos for a long time at the R&D shop so really it's just like to friends that are knife fans doing tests. So it's hard to tame behavior as now my test are public.
 
Dave Hunnicutt said:
I will buy MORE of their knives. I just bought two Spartans.

I have no respect for the crybabies that don't like their tests. They are doing you a favor by showing the flaws in other products! Zero Tolerance should be ashamed after their test. I wouldn't take a ZT knife if you gave it to me. The tests work both ways - Spyderco benefited from the Voyager vs. Tantanka test. Cold Steel showed that the Tantanka has a strong lock. Maybe not as strong as Cold Steel. But, it is strong enough. I actually have MORE faith in my Tatanka after that test.

The truth is good. Especially when you produce a product as serious as a knife.
Click to expand...

If you want to only own Cold Steel than go for it. :rolleyes: I just think it is bad manners/business to piss on respected companies in the knife community. I like Cold Steel, but not as much as I did before they started their comparison tests.
Is it necessary to call people who disagree with you, crybabies?
 
DemkoKnives said:
Sorry I don't want to come off as smug or arrogant. I try to be fair and kind, but to be honest myself and the other guy have been doing these videos for a long time at the R&D shop so really it's just like to friends that are knife fans doing tests. So it's hard to tame behavior as now my test are public.
Click to expand...

I can understand that. Honestly, the Tri Ad lock along with the rest of the knife speaks for itself. This Recon 1 I got today is a fantastic little knife.
 
Andrew, don't apologize, you aren't responsible for how others feel.

The simple truth is that your designs are very tough, and the tests you use are designed to test that toughness. That isn't to say that other knife companies produce bad products (although that ZT 350 was a shocker) but that they're not as tough as Cold Steel products. I don't even see you saying "don't buy those products" just "beware of their limitations". For myself I buy Cold Steel and Victorinox products because I feel they provide great value for money and I like the designs (personal favourite, the XL serrated Tri-Ad Vaquero which always seems to find its way back into my pocket). That the Cold Steel knives are as tough as they are is a bonus (obviously there isn't much lock testing possible on a Swiss Army Knife).
 
Hi Andrew, good to have you in the thread! I do not think you come off as arrogant or smug at all in the videos. And they appear to be accurate...meaning a Tatanka may fail at 380lbs on the handle and a Voyager at 420lbs. For me, you and the videos are not any kind of issue...the response to them is what drives me crazy. While they may be completely valid, these are extreme tolerance tests which may not represent real conditions a knife would be subjected to for the typical user... to have people swearing off entire brands as a result of them seems a bit ludicrous.

I am a big fan of the tri-ad lock and own many CS knives...thank you for what you have brought to the industry...I think nothing unclassy about it.
 
Cold Steel - please keep doing these tests regardless of what the females on this board say.

You claim you have a better product (lock strength). There is nothing wrong with proving it.

It is not your fault that the girly men can't handle the truth.
 
Regarding that Tatanka test - while the lock didn't fail, there was sure a lot of slop in it after the impact and overstrike tests before the blade broke. Lots of small parts in that design.
 
So now not just crybabies but females too...and girly men. It says in your profile "Dave Hunnicutt has not made any friends yet ." Shocking...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top