Why is there sometimes snobbery against Cold Steel knives? They are great!

Thsi thread just goes from CS, to flashlights, to politics, to money, to spyderco
Whats next?
LETS TALK ABOUT PUPPIES! :)
loljk but you get the point. :)
 
Here is my very old beat up Recon 1, that AUS-8 made in Japan.... That's 1st generation Recon 1.


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And my Original Tanto that I still have, that's 5 3/4" blade circa 1986......


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Late to the argument. And as long as it's here, just a thought or two.

One of my instructors is a Cold Steel rep. He comes to my gym with three dufflebags full of Cold Steel products. Twice a year, I get to handle a lot of Cold Steel stuff.

I'm not a steel guy, in terms of what steel is better for this purpose or that purpose. But I"ll echo what dozens of people have said about the marketing - I think Mr. Thompson panders to the bottom of the knife purchasing public.

I would have a Cold Steel beater knife to use around the yard if it were given to me. The reason I won't buy CS is because their less expensive knives feel cheap in my hand, and the knives that do feel good to me are $300.00 dollars. I hold a Spyderco or an Emerson and I feel the quality. I feel like I'm getting good return for my dollar. I use one of my Spydercos or Emersons and they just work - and while they work, they feel good to me. I've just never held a 80.00 or 90.00 dollar CS knife and thought to myself "Sure - this will do what I ask it to do".
 
i haven't tested or handled all but in my opinion, CS has only three first rate knife products: the original trailmaster, the original tanto, and the voyager folding knife series. everything else is either a failed concept or an attempt on improving. but those three will give any knife brand a run for its money (assuming the exact same user segment.)
 
hank_rearden said:
i haven't tested or handled all but in my opinion, CS has only three first rate knife products: the original trailmaster, the original tanto, and the voyager folding knife series. everything else is either a failed concept or an attempt on improving. but those three will give any knife brand a run for its money (assuming the exact same user segment.)
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I think that the original triad lock knives are a complete success as well.
 
hank_rearden said:
i haven't tested or handled all but in my opinion, CS has only three first rate knife products: the original trailmaster, the original tanto, and the voyager folding knife series. everything else is either a failed concept or an attempt on improving. but those three will give any knife brand a run for its money (assuming the exact same user segment.)
Click to expand...

Actually there are a few I would add to your list. The Recon 1's are a huge hit to any one I know who owns one. I personally EDC'ed one for almost 2 years until the Adamas kicked it out of my pocket. Also the machetes are a great deal for the money. And their smaller 4116 fixed blades (pendleton lite, finn bear, etc) are a great deal.
 
well, that's one problem with a multi-product brand. you risk cranking out lemons from time to time. i'm a spydey fan and i care for at most 4 of their products. i'll blaspheme just this once and say i'm not at all enamoured by their sage and caly series. ;)

some solutions to CS' quandry look so obvious the explanation to the opposite might be above my head. if you take a clipped point voyager medium, replace the blade with S30V, and the scales with G-10, it will trump most other knives in its class that people will seriously look into copying it. doing that might up the price from $40 to $120 but i've a feeling that at $120, you'll still have stock-outs as individuals will just keep buying it.
 
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