cold Steel

[jollyrancher]

Cold Steel Knives, do you own any? how do you feel about them?

 

[MetroJethro]

I have more than a few Cold Steel knives. Most of them are from the early 1990s. My favorite is my older Trial Master with a stag handle. Decent knives, however in my opinion, their quality is not as good now as it was in the past. It all depends on what you are looking for in a knife. As with any tool, its design depends on its intended use.

I like my Cold Steel knives, but I love my Busse knives.

 

[George Az]

I have a couple, the older models were far better in quality than todays. Some of the steel was American and I still have one I use. There are now better offerings for the $$ IMO. One thing I do like for the $$ is their shovel. The copy of the Russian Spetnaz shovel is a really useful camp tool. I always have one in the car and have helped dig someone out of a snow bank in an emergency.

 

[Michael]

Have a couple older ones. Not on the list of things I'd consider parting with. Easy to sharpen, holds an edge very well.

 

[hessian]

One of the very few knife manufacturers to not embrace the chrome/nickel idol. They cut.

 

[Unknown]

Good value for the money.

 

[HD-Ghost]

IMHO Cold Steel makes/made the best production knives/swords for the money. I've used/carried them since the 80's. Presently, my pocket knife is the AK-47. I carried a Randal while in the service, but that was before Cold Steel.
That was my one technical flaw with the movie Platoon: there was no Cold Steel during Nam.

 

[bogeybrown]

I used to be a big fan of their knives until I realized that I had broken EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM (the folders). One of them I broke within an hour of receiving it as a gift. Their older fixed blades were good, especially the Tanto series, but overall they just failed to measure up.

The knife I've carried for about 8 yrs now is a CRKT folder. It is the most boringly indestructible folder I have ever owned. I have broken a handful of Benchmades, all of my Cold Steels, and a couple of Spiderco's. I can NOT kill this damn CRKT, no matter how much dumb shit I do with it. This really ruined my program, since I typically buy a knife, use it till it breaks, and move on to something else. After so many years with this thing I got bored with its reliability and ordered a new Spiderco just because I wanted a change. I carried the new knife for a week, then threw it in my drawer and put the CRKT back in my pocket.

 

[SledDog]

I have one Cold Steel, a folding tanto, and it's about indestructible. It must be about 10 years old now. Solid piece, good value. I have to admit I've become a bit of a knife whore and tend to overlook Cold Steel, but not because they're bad, I just find other things I like more. Right now my every day carry is a smaller Benchmade, but I also have an occasional carry CRKT. A good knife is a good knife.

 

[hlee]

I go to gun forums for gun reviews and to knife forums for knife reviews. Cold steel does not have a terribley good reputation for cost:benefit, innovation, or integrity. They tend to enjoy a love/hate relationship with knife enthusiasts, with much of the hate fomented by the over the top advertising and the antics of the owner of the company, Lynn Thompson. They use tend to use budget steel (krup 4116 stainless), budget handle material (FRN), and [adequate] sheaths. Unfortunately, they tend to charge premium prices.

This is a pretty typical review...

Krupp 4116 Steel
Test: Mora VS. Finn Bear

And, if it matters to you, Cold steel does not "make" any of their blades, and many are made outside of the USA. With the closure of Camillus and subsequent acquisition by Taylor Brands, there may not be any Cold Steel blades made in the USA...

Cold Steel knives, made in China?
Cold Steel knives, made in China?

If you end up with one, post a review of your experience. I own a bunch of knives and none of them are cold steel.

And as to the value...

Tramontina machete 5 pack $39.99...
Tramontina Machete 5 Pack

Cold steel 18" barong $39.99...
Barong Machete 18" - Cold Steel Knives

 

[klf]

I own three. A trail master from the 1980's and 4" and 6" ti-lite. The quality of fit and finish are excellent. They came razor sharp and the price was very reasonable. There are better knives out there but you won't go wrong with CS knives.

 

[jollyrancher]

Thanks!

 

[Victor N TN]

I have several of the "older" models. I have given a lot for Christmas gifts. I THINK I have somewhere between 8 and 12 left. I have made leather scabbards for the ones I have that I carry. The last few I got had some kind of nylon wrapped cardboard or something for the main material. That went the way of the Dodo bird.

 

[Switchblade]

Cold Steel are run of the mill commercial grade blades that work. Top's knives, which I have a pair, do work just as well, but are nicer grade or what I would call custom commercial(the little Scalpel is also my daily belt carry due to it's itty bitty 3" blade). Then there are my two favorite blades. Both of those are custom made, and very nice if one considers purely tactical blades as 'nice'.

 

[pawprint2]

I don't believe cold steel makes anything at all. They contract with plants around the world-including in red china-their name is stamped on it and bang, you have a "cold steel" knife. In a sense it's like a large group of AR" manufacturers", they don't make anything, or very little, they buy their receivers (with their name stamped on it), buy their barrels etc., but they do put them together. The more tactical the name, the higher the price. I've always thought Cold Steel was a great name for a knife co., it has worked for them.

 

[Clark]

I watched this video and at 2:30 he did "batton".

So I bought one and did it too.

It cost almost nothing... $20 + $6 shipping in 2009.
It would a great survival knife, but way too heavy for a pocket knife.


In my pocket I carry an SOG spec elite mini.
I just got a Benchmade 556 to compare.
Those are wimpy little knives, but can gut a deer in 5 minutes.