What's you opinion on cold steel?

I have the Utilitac II and an American Lawman. Wow... tough choice.

I would edge out the UII for as a hard working knife with the AL. I like the G10 on the AL and its aggressive pattern compared to the finely patterned scales of FRN on the UII.

Both are comfy in the hand, and the finish on the UII is more refined and uniform. The AL wins the slicing contest with its hollow grind hands down, but I don't like the coating on its blade. It is supposed to be teflon of some sorts, but it is soft and I don't see any benefit to it regardless of the claims made by CS. Won't be long before I strip it off.

Gotta give the edge retention to CS. Not by a huge margin, but coupled with the fact the edge is pretty thin since it is a long hollow grind on the CS, I was surprised at how well it kept the edge, but how resistive it is to any kind of deformation. The Japanese must have some kind of trick up their sleeve with their treatment of AUS8 as my other AUS8 knives don't perform that well.

CS has a hard, positive lock up that isn't that smooth to operate. The action has become smoother with use and continues to do so. The UII was completely smooth out of the box, and the liner lock hit at just the right spot. I was suprised that the lock wasn't more robust on the UII, but since I don't use that type of knife for much more than cutting or scraping away from me, I don't worry that much about the lockup and the lock parts unless they are flimsy. They aren't on the UII.

Still, the lockup on the CS is a thing to behold. It transforms this knife into something else when it is locked open. Mine has NO blade movement in any direction. Locked means locked tight. I have several lockers, and none lock up like this one.

Overall, I would give the edge to the CS AL. Better performing steel for my needs, like the G10 a lot (hate that my RAT1's FRN scales are as smooth as a baby's behind after 4 year of use), like the lockup, and love the slicing power. But I wouldn't hesitate to buy another UII. I like the really well done fine satin finish, the edge came perfect, the knife feels great in the hand (rounded butt, not coffin style) and the blade performs well. This just feels like a quality knife in the hand. And... while I am comparing, the UII is only just a bit more than 50% of the cost of the AL.

Decisions, decisions...

Robert
 
I think you would get similar results if this thread was titled "What's you opinion on CRKT" or "What's you opinion on KaBar".


Want some interesting reading try "What's you opinion on Mantis" :D
 
Not in my experience. The Triad lock is extremely reliable and none of mine have developed any blade play. I do think like any other company mass producing knives offshore, some CS knives may come with quality issues. I have had two with very uneven grinds and another with fitment issues between the scales and frame. But generally I think you will find CS knives to be very good...not high end knives, but a good middle tier.

XiaolongJackson said:
Since we're on the topic of Cold Steel here. Do CS's Triad lock knives develop vertical bladeplay over time like other backlocks?
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This thread is relevant to my interest.

I started out carrying Benchmade and them moved to Spydercos. I have a Recon 1 but never really carried it. I was going through my collection the other day and stated fondling the Recon 1. I forgot how good it felt in my hand. It's a pretty substantial knife. And the lock is rock solid.

I've been carrying it as my work EDC and I have no plans to change anytime soon. It's the plain edge Tanto version. I sharpened it for the first time on my DMT Aligner. The AUS8 sharpened up nicely. No review on edge retention as I'm just now starting to use it.

The G10 is grippy but my hands are often wet so I like it aggressive.
 
Ignore the ridiculous marketing (or don't if it amuses you 😀). They make great user knives (with slightly inferior coating IMHO).
 
NetshadeX said:
I truly and honestly haven't got a clue what you mean by "an N of 1" ? I have to admit I don't much care for all the possibilities this forum does or doesn't offer to form groups of cool kids.

I like knives, I post my opinions when I feel like it, I ask questions if I have them. What an N of 1 means I have no idea.

What I DO know is that I have an extensive collection of folding knives in all sorts forms and shapes. I carry and use all of them, I only have 1 safequeen, a limited edition damast SAK. the rest get's used and abused. I'm no metallurgist but I proud myself in an extensive real world practical experience with different bladesteels.

Truthfully I don't own that many CS knives, I have the AL, the Recon 1 tanto, the Recon 1 Spear and the Talwar, all of which are AUS8A and all of which make average at best utility blades because the combination of a deep hollow grind and a soft steel mean that edge doesn't like anything harder than fresh gingerbread and that's just how it is my friend. "N of 1" or not.
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Sorry, man, I was a jerk and jumped on you a bit. I stand by the gist of my post, but the way I said it leaves more than a little to be desired.

To restate like a whole human being rather than just the bottom half, for many people AUS8 holds up pretty well to utility tasks though not as well as many newer steels. Edge retention really isn't far off of VG10 or 154CM which are pretty well thought of.
 
Cold Steel make very good knives relative to the money you spend.

Some might quibble about the blade steel, but with a good heat treatment (and Cold Steel's is good) AUS8 will hold up to most of the tasks you'd ask a folder to perform.

They also do "fun" knives, of a size and shape that most other companies don't bother with.

They're not Chris Reeve, but they don't try to be. They're Cold Steel, which someone once described as being like that crazy uncle in the family who tells the best stories.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
Sorry, man, I was a jerk and jumped on you a bit. I stand by the gist of my post, but the way I said it leaves more than a little to be desired.

To restate like a whole human being rather than just the bottom half, for many people AUS8 holds up pretty well to utility tasks though not as well as many newer steels. Edge retention really isn't far off of VG10 or 154CM which are pretty well thought of.
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No problem, I wasn't on my best behaviour either ;). That said I'm truly surprised at your experience with AUS8. Comparing it to VG10 and 154CM ? That's...special. In my experience, in performance, it sits nearer to a good quality 8cr13mov like you find on the Tenacious. AUS8 having the better corrosion resistance though.

AUS8 typically hovers around a 58 Rockwell hardness, both VG10 and 154cm sit around 60-61 and both on paper and in my experience are noticeably better at maintaining an edge. Mileage may vary I guess. Your experience is your experience.


Freman Bloodglaive said:
They also do "fun" knives, of a size and shape that most other companies don't bother with.
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I agree 100% Cold Steel makes awesome mall ninja blades and I believe there's a mall ninja in all of us. :D
 
Cold Steel makes imho, knives that punch well above their weight. With their line of knives, and other stuff, being so extensive, they have somme designs in their line that appeal to every knife nut. From budget, to high end, they have great offerings.

As for their triad folders-I own a Mackinac Hunter, a spear point Code 4, a spear point Recon 1, and 2 American Lawmans (1 with the steel liners, one all G-10). Some of the triads were stiffer out of the box than others, but they all broke in. I prefer some over others, for my own personal reasons, but all are great knives, which perform at a level which fulfills the advertising claims.

I also own, or have owned numerous fixed blades of theirs. SM3 Natchez Bowie (Gorgeous knife. All though I traded it for a Ruger Single Six, because it just sat in a drawer-but the materials, and fit & finish were first class). I also own a SM3 Master Hunter, which is one of the most under rated 4" knives on the market. I also have a SK5 Recon Scout, an SM3 OSI, a Bushman, a Mini Bushman, an AUS8 SRK, a Spetsnaz Shovel, and a Trail Hawk. All of the knives and tools perform well, and their quality is apparent.

So in short, I like a lot of their products.
 
I own several CS knives (Recon I, Large Voyager, Rajah 3, Master Hunter, Magnum Kukri machete, American Lawman, Tuff Lite) and I love them all. I use my L Voyager all the time (over several Spydercos, Benchmades,...) because of the superb ergonomics and strenght. Best ergonomics on production knives out there in my opinion. NO blade play after hard work. Their Aus 8 is done very very well. I would buy a new Voyager/Recon every time if I had to ;)

Oliver
 
NetshadeX said:
No problem, I wasn't on my best behaviour either ;). That said I'm truly surprised at your experience with AUS8. Comparing it to VG10 and 154CM ? That's...special. In my experience, in performance, it sits nearer to a good quality 8cr13mov like you find on the Tenacious. AUS8 having the better corrosion resistance though.

AUS8 typically hovers around a 58 Rockwell hardness, both VG10 and 154cm sit around 60-61 and both on paper and in my experience are noticeably better at maintaining an edge. Mileage may vary I guess. Your experience is your experience.




I agree 100% Cold Steel makes awesome mall ninja blades and I believe there's a mall ninja in all of us. :D
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I think if I had 154CM or VG10 that was treated in the low 60s I would notice more of a difference, but most of the knives I own in those steels are, according to the manufacturer, in the 57-59 range (Emerson, Benchmade and Hogue for 154CM and Spyderco for VG10 in case anyone's curious). As is, I might notice a slight difference with extended use, but no real performance jump until I move into the PM steels I own.
 
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