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

[Sky Pilot]

The Tri-Adlock is not the main reason I buy CS.
I buy CS because they make a great number of different knives with interesting designs and now with the carpenter steel and the very competitive pricing, it's even more reason to buy CS.
The Tri Ad is just icing on the cake.

Example; if you wanted a great SD knife, the spyderco civi was your main choice. $150+ for a marginal knife.
CS comes out with the BTII, carpenter steel, jimping, deep finger grooves, thumb plate/wave option, great ergonomics. excellent fit, finish and quality...a knife that blows the civi away for about 2./3rds the cost.
The BTII makes the civi look and feel like a cheap chinese toy.

That's why people buy CS

And when CS was offering knives in Aus8, they offered an eclectic line of knives, something for everyone at a great price.

I bought my 4" Vaquero for $25shipped. I wish they still made them as they are great knives. There are still some on the after market, but at $50+ and I will likely buy at least one more to go along with my PE and SE

Simply put, CS makes something for everyone and makes quality at a decent price which is why they are successful. TheTriAd is just another reason to buy.

 

[ursamajor]

The Tri-Adlock is not the main reason I buy CS.
I buy CS because they make a great number of different knives with interesting designs and now with the carpenter steel and the very competitive pricing, it's even more reason to buy CS.
The Tri Ad is just icing on the cake.

Example; if you wanted a great SD knife, the spyderco civi was your main choice. $150+ for a marginal knife.
CS comes out with the BTII, carpenter steel, jimping, deep finger grooves, thumb plate/wave option, great ergonomics. excellent fit, finish and quality...a knife that blows the civi away for about 2./3rds the cost.
The BTII makes the civi look and feel like a cheap chinese toy.

That's why people buy CS

And when CS was offering knives in Aus8, they offered an eclectic line of knives, something for everyone at a great price.

I bought my 4" Vaquero for $25shipped. I wish they still made them as they are great knives. There are still some on the after market, but at $50+ and I will likely buy at least one more to go along with my PE and SE

Simply put, CS makes something for everyone and makes quality at a decent price which is why they are successful. TheTriAd is just another reason to buy.

I agree. The thing about Cold Steel, is that they have a MASSIVE line of knives. Budget knives like the Tuff-Lite and Bushman, all the way to semi custom production knives like the San Mai III Natchez, and the Code 4. Not to mention their useful stuff like their Special Forces Shovel (still the best camp shovel I have ever used) and Tomahawks. Also, their high end stuff has immaculate fit and finish.

 

[Sky Pilot]

All good...I did not think your comments inappropriate at all. I realize also that I have gone a bit off track for this thread...sorry to the OP, not my intention to hijack.

Fire Brand - You may be right...I had not considered the relative size of the two companies. Unfortunate really, as I read so many posts where people are now convinced all ZT's are crap. It's funny how many now focus only on the locking mechanism as a differentiator...clearly working to CS's advantage. Ironically, I have found the overall build quality of most ZT's to be superior to CS. Would say the same generally for kershaw, spyderco and benchmade.

Disagree. The new line of CS withthe Carpenter steel shits all over Spyderco, for example.
Do a side by side comparison of the BTII and the Civilian.
The Civi feels like a cheap chinese toy in comparison.

The newest iteration of CS has stepped up fit, finish, materials and workmanship.
They are, IMO, the best bang for you buck mid-range knife on the market.
That includes Spyderco, Benchmade, SOG and others.

CS will be a company to contend with from here on out.
The Carpenter steel is arguably the best steel used on production knives in their price range.
Show me better.

 

[Sky Pilot]

All good...I did not think your comments inappropriate at all. I realize also that I have gone a bit off track for this thread...sorry to the OP, not my intention to hijack.

Fire Brand - You may be right...I had not considered the relative size of the two companies. Unfortunate really, as I read so many posts where people are now convinced all ZT's are crap. It's funny how many now focus only on the locking mechanism as a differentiator...clearly working to CS's advantage. Ironically, I have found the overall build quality of most ZT's to be superior to CS. Would say the same generally for kershaw, spyderco and benchmade.

Disagree. The new line of CS withthe Carpenter steel shits all over Spyderco, for example.
Do a side by side comparison of the BTII and the Civilian.
The Civi feels like a cheap chinese toy in comparison.

The newest iteration of CS has stepped up fit, finish, materials and workmanship.
They are, IMO, the best bang for you buck mid-range knife on the market.
That includes Spyderco, Benchmade, SOG and others.

CS will be a company to contend with from here on out.
The Carpenter steel is arguably the best steel used on production knives in their price range.
Show me better.

I don't care about their over the top advertising. I care about the fine quality product they make at a great price. Again, show me a knife that has comparable steel, Tri-Ad of similar strong lock, fit, finish, quality, variety of models and at a very competitive price.

Again, show me better. Anyone using anything near as good as CTS/XHP in the CS price range on top of using a Tri-Ad strength lock, fit, finish, materials, ergonomics, etc... at that price range?
No, there isn't.

 

[Jonslaught]

Sky Pilot voices what is already well known to all, though denied my most. CS are pure function knives, even though I tend to find other brands more enjoyable at times. But when its bizniz time, I'm gonna grab my CS, which I use as a back up to my nicer EDC.

I wonder how the ZT 0566 would hold up against the Tri-Ad, it has a steel framelock, thick and heavy. Ive seen the Ti ones warp under the duress of the testing. I wonder what effect the Hinderer stopper thingy would have.

"Chinese toy" in reference to Spyderco was solid gold. I have an Endura 4 Wave and I love it, but this euphemism fits too good. Great knife btw and the only Spyderco I actually like.

I made an entire thread about the Adamas going up against a CS n this buried old as all hell thread has it in the OP... :grumpy:

Though I guess mine was an outward request so...

I feel like if they ever test a Sebenza against the Tri-Ad lock, it'll be like when Jesus said he was the Son of God and Nicodemus tore his own robe. Reaction-wise.

 

[ursamajor]

I don't think they will ever test a Sebenza against a Cold Steel. Chris Reeve does not market the frame lock which he invented, as a high strength hard use type of thing. He will readily admit that you should not eve open a frame lock too hard/fast, as the style of lock is too weak to withstand such vigor without damage.

I don't have a problem with frame locks or liner locks. Just when they get marketed as "hard use" as they most certainly aren't. There is an old saying: "a chain is only as strong as its weakest link".

You can make a blade as thick, or as pry-barish as you want. You can throw materials galore at it...call your designs "nightmare grinds", name your knives after Roman officers, do runs in 300 after the 300 Spartans who stood at Thermopylae, fiddle fart with pivots, washers, steel inserts, early lockups, etc etc. If you are relying on a frame lock, you have an exceptionally weak link /story.

 

[jbmonkey]

^they have tested a frame lock zt and it did pretty good over 200+ lbs. i was quite surprised. not tri-ad level, but nothing really is.......

from a practical standpoint both frame and liner locks if designed properly will hold a lot of weigh and be plenty strong and safe for a folder being used a folder. this has been proven time and time again. having said that many makers don't make all their liners and frame locks properly.