Why do I hate Cold Steel?

The storm cloud has also caught my eye. The major issue I have with Cold Steel is the pocket clip/G10 combination. It almost makes it impossible to easily remove your knife from the pocket. I haven't bought a cold steel in about three years so they may have fixed this.
 
The storm cloud has also caught my eye. The major issue I have with Cold Steel is the pocket clip/G10 combination. It almost makes it impossible to easily remove your knife from the pocket. I haven't bought a cold steel in about three years so they may have fixed this.
 
I'll self sacrifice my self here... I effing love CS! I own over 65 of their killer products! Only had a problem with one a recon1 micro 1 got "for free" when I bought an amazing pair of Battle Shades. Poor heat treat but I love every other one of their knives or tools. From knives to war clubs! They know their products are durable, tough, sharp, and cost effective! Do I need a lock that can handle 400 pounds? Uh no. Does it instill confidence F- yea! I think that they have zero problem showing off the value and durability of their product as a plus. But claiming san mai as their own was douchey move! Making their product look better than the competition is fair! In my eyes, if my steak house made a better steak than the more expensive steak house for less money I'd prove it too!
 
Wowbagger said:
Oh maybe I missed the spirit of the post.
Here goes again ; I hate :
  • The extream range it takes to get some of the locks to release; almost have to press the bar bellow the surface of the handle ( I got the secret cool guy mod for that so I'm good ).
  • I hate their way too short way too stiff short clips. These tend to be on their smallest knives.
  • I HATE ! ! ! the @&$!#%+@$ sheaths that dull an edge in one day after sharpening it. I don't even use the knife but just carry it on me and the edge is dull.

There . . . how was that ?
Hey, they can make all the vids they want to and do their butchering in the factory if they want . . . I don't have to watch if I don't want to . . . as long as they make quality knives that I like.
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What a truly brilliant way to end page 1.
 
jaypowell0185 said:
The storm cloud has also caught my eye. The major issue I have with Cold Steel is the pocket clip/G10 combination. It almost makes it impossible to easily remove your knife from the pocket. I haven't bought a cold steel in about three years so they may have fixed this.
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That's the short clip I'm talking about. For instance the smallest holdout is nearly impossible to get off your pocket after that sucker gets a grip. The largest Holdout, which I also have , and really like by the way, has a much longer clip and works like a dream even though the large has more surface area to rub on your pocket AND rougher deeper texture.
Solution for my small holdout . . . I put the long clip from the large knife on the small knife. TOTALLY FIXED THE PROBLEM !
 
brancron said:
My lack of interest in Cold Steel doesn't have anything to do with their philosophy, or their advertising, or their fans. It's just the fact that none of their designs appeal to me at all. I recently did pick up this 80s era Small Shinobu in san mai recently and sort of like the design, but bought it more as a curiosity:

S7XLmtx.jpg


But turning to their current catalog, there's just not a single thing I would want to own.
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I can respect that. You just don’t like the designs. For me if models like the Code 4, Recon1, American Lawman, or the 4-Max were made by ZT, Spyderco, Benchmade ect... I would probably already own them.
 
Lots of people take issue with their marketing. Alot of it seems to stem from the issue that they market their knives as weapons first tools second.

Fact is that despite all the politics surrounding cold steel they do sell nice knives. Their knives are great and reliable. I have owned only a few of their knives because most their stuff doesn’t appeal to me or suit my needs.

That said if I was going to send a folder into a warzone cold steel would be one of the ideal choices imho. They really are great knives. They don’t make any knives themselves. Everything is sourced from a bunch of different makers.

I noticed that some of the newer versions of their folders that use XHP seem to be using thinner g10 for scales. I may have to finally try something from them as a result. Lately I care more and more that a knife is thin and unobtrusive in the pocket. Fuller grips are more comfortable but as I live in a city my knife spends most its life hanging out in my pocket.
 
I felt the same way for quite a while, I hated their videos and Lynn (not going any further here), but the upgrade to XHP and the Ultimate Hunter changed my mind. Better steel and non mall ninja models will hopefully work for them.
 
A lot of good comments on here. Thanks. I just made this thread to see if anyone else had a irrational dislike for a company. A lot of people with way more knowledge and experience then me like Cold Steel just fine. Maybe I’ll buy a couple and repost her saying umm.. never mind CS is great. I got the idea to post this after I watched a reviewer on YT get blasted by a pack of CS fanatics. Maybe that’s the whole reason.The tacticool guys get to me. Come to think of it, that could be the reason for the same dislike I have for SOG. There are sports teams I dislike simply because of the fan base. See, I told you it was irrational.:D Thanks guys.
 
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I have ~ 40 folders, bought over the last 6-7 years. Not a single CS among them. I did buy a small Espada G10, and sold it again. It was ok but just didn't click with me.

I'm not a back lock fan. I don't mind them and have a few, but locks like the axis, compression, CBL work better for me.

I don't have anything against CS folders but I just haven't seen anything I want to carry and use. Maybe it's not so much that CS is lacking but that others are excelling.

Perhaps it's 'cos I can afford to be in a slightly higher price range for folders. CS do seem to have good bang for buck folders.

I have one fixed blade CS that I've had for a long time though, and that I do like.

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TravisL said:
A lot of good comments on here. Thanks. I just made this thread to see if anyone else had a irrational dislike for a company. A lot of people with way more knowledge and experience then me like Cold Steel just fine. Maybe I’ll buy a couple and repost her saying umm.. never mind CS is great. I got the idea to make this after I watched a reviewer on YT get blasted by a pack of CS fanatics. Maybe that’s the whole reason. There are sports teams I dislike simply because of the fan base. See, I told you it was irrational.:D My little rant is over. Thanks guys.
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:p
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Cold steel has always made quality products. The bang for your buck is pretty excellent. I own many Spyderco, Benchmade, ZT, Emerson, etc but grew up on cold steel. Silly videos aside the products preform, they come incredibly sharp out of the box and will last a lifetime. They have recently upgraded their steel which was long overdue. I am a deer/ boar hunter and have used a variety of fixed and folders to process game. My absolute favorite bar none is the cold steel ultimate hunter. I say get yourself one and ignore all the controversy. Form your own opinion with how the knife pro forms for you.
 
anthonycastorena2014 said:
Cold steel has always made quality products. The bang for your buck is pretty excellent. I own many Spyderco, Benchmade, ZT, Emerson, etc but grew up on cold steel. Silly videos aside the products preform, they come incredibly sharp out of the box and will last a lifetime. They have recently upgraded their steel which was long overdue. I am a deer/ boar hunter and have used a variety of fixed and folders to process game. My absolute favorite bar none is the cold steel ultimate hunter. I say get yourself one and ignore all the controversy. Form your own opinion with how the knife pro forms for you.
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Exactly this, OP. I’ve owned a few of their products and they’ve been excellent. I pay zero attention to their marketing, but the Tri-Ad lock is awesome, XHP Steel is very decent, and their knives are very well made and relatively affordable. The American Lawman is a standout. I’ll eventually get an Ultimate Hunter.
 
TravisL said:
A lot of good comments on here. Thanks. I just made this thread to see if anyone else had a irrational dislike for a company. A lot of people with way more knowledge and experience then me like Cold Steel just fine. Maybe I’ll buy a couple and repost her saying umm.. never mind CS is great. I got the idea to post this after I watched a reviewer on YT get blasted by a pack of CS fanatics. Maybe that’s the whole reason.The tacticool guys get to me. Come to think of it, that could be the reason for the same dislike I have for SOG. There are sports teams I dislike simply because of the fan base. See, I told you it was irrational.:D Thanks guys.
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You have to be your own man and make your own decisions based on your own judgement.

Fan boys on any forum devolve into screeching hyenas when they feel the need and they can be hurt over just about any comment, or an idea, or just a whiff of something they might need to scream about if they think someone has questioned their favorite product.

Forget the tired old saw about marketing. Thompson is Thompson. So what...

If I didn't go to or watch any movies because I hated an actor's politics, there would be nothing to watch on TV or any reason to go to the movies. Those guys in Hollywood for the most part just aren't my kind of people by any means. (I know... some old fart will interject as my own father use to say, "there hasn't been a movie worth a damn since Patton".) If I agreed with the politics and their time of showing their them, I wouldn't watch any football, or NBA.

Wouldn't buy a Toyota due to their airbag problems. Not the fact that they had them, but the fact they tried to cover them up. Or a Volkswagen, because they deliberately engaged in criminal activity to mask their inferior exhaust system, allowing 100s of thousands of sub car autos to sold here. You get the picture.

Thompson annoyed the guys that are "serious" about their knives and can't condone his tomfoolery. His marketing to me is pretty silly but it does make a point. And for a member of the great unwashed masses like myself, harmless. He didn't do anything to me. CS knives seem to meet or exceed most people's expectations. I saw many posts about how awful the pocket clip was, so I was on board when I got my American Lawman. I took an old piece of sandpaper and sanded the G10 a bit under the clip immediately (whew!) and then opend the clip a bit to my satisfaction. Problem solved. I know, 5 minutes of my life I won't get back.

Get the CS you are interested in and check it out. CS knives are meant to work and designed as such no matter the task. I have found my AL to be very sturdy, easy to carry, and a great work knife. I should disclose at this time too for the sake of full disclosure to the fan/anti fan groups, that I have never heard from Thomspon once since I purchased the knife.

Buy one from a good dealer check it out; if you don't like it, send it back!

Robert
 
anthonycastorena2014 said:
get yourself one and ignore all the controversy. Form your own opinion with how the knife pro forms for you.
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That's really what it boils down to if you are a knife user. If one is person who wants to save the world from weirdo, groso, manipulative advertising which may or may not be targeting impressionable young minds well . . . boycott the bastards . . . and I am sure there are worse things to go after than Cold Steel too.

Heck for the most part when I was 10, 12 , a teenager etc. I thought for my self and was able to see negative, antisocial, manipulative influences for that they were. Maybe I was just lucky.
But then as I always say; I was born a crotchety old fart.
 
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