Cold Steel Talk

[VashHash]

I have one of their gladius machetes. It's very soft so it can take some abuse. It was definitely not sharp when I received it but I fixed that after stripping the coating. It looked like someone tried to sharpen it with a hand held 4 inch grinder. I actually use it for throwing more than clearing brush. When the tip bends I just bend it back. I often forget about it because after the move I lost access to woods and areas where I would throw it. It lives in my shop now. I would rather buy south American made machetes. They seem to hold up better.

[ladybug93]

so, i just ordered a rajah iii today on amazon for $48 after tax. did you know you could split it into three payments?! i only paid $18 today, ill have the knife tomorrow, and then two more months of $15 payments. that's not even going to be noticeable. what a dangerous, but beneficial feature.

anyway, i'll report back with initial impressions and comparisons.

[vivi]

I have one of their gladius machetes. It's very soft so it can take some abuse. It was definitely not sharp when I received it but I fixed that after stripping the coating. It looked like someone tried to sharpen it with a hand held 4 inch grinder. I actually use it for throwing more than clearing brush. When the tip bends I just bend it back. I often forget about it because after the move I lost access to woods and areas where I would throw it. It lives in my shop now. I would rather buy south American made machetes. They seem to hold up better.

their machete edges are really hit and miss. My two kopis machetes came with nice and even bevels but the apex was pretty dull. my slant tip machetes came very sharp and well ground. my black bear machete looked like it was sharpened by a blind drunk man and had the worst burr I've ever seen on any cutting tool.

Even the last one took a great edge with ease though.

[akapennypincher]

Think the Cold Steel band has gone in wrong direction the last couple of years. They Cold Steel use to have big booth at Phoenix's SAR December Gun Show, use to look but never bought, as I thought value & quality was not there for price.

JMHO. Know they have big following, and some interesting thing on U-Tube.

[vivi]

Think the Cold Steel band has gone in wrong direction the last couple of years. They Cold Steel use to have big booth at Phoenix's SAR December Gun Show, use to look but never bought, as I thought value & quality was not there for price.

JMHO. Know they have big following, and some interesting thing on U-Tube.

I feel like they have some very high value items. Some of the ones I've gotten over the last year.....

$33 SR1 Lite - One of the smoothest lock-back style folders I've ever used, and an incredibly strong design.

$31 SRK - Great general purpose medium sized fixed blade

$80 3V SRK - Great price for the steel.

$56 Frenzy - Probably the highest quality folding knife I'll ever purchase brand new for under $60. Very smooth, light and thin for the size. Pretty much flawless from what I can tell.

I get not liking X design but the $$ they charge for the quality they offer is extremely reasonable IMO.

Their Taiwan folders and fixed blades are priced competitively with Spydercos chinese. My FRN Resilience costed more than my 4 Max Scout, my Bow River more than my SK5 SRK, etc. You can get a 20" machete from them with sheath for the price of a Spyderco Bug.

[ladybug93]

$56 Frenzy

this still blows my mind. i've never even seen them below $100. let me know if you see them that low again.

[ladybug93]

got the rajah iii in today. first impression is that it's very similar in size to the manix, but with a chunkier handle and an even deeper negative angle on the blade. more to follow, to include comparison pics, later.

[VashHash]

Got this in Tuesday. Sheath is pretty tight but I put my edge on it this morning. A little oil helped with the sheath but it's still not where it needs to be.

[vivi]

Got this in Tuesday. Sheath is pretty tight but I put my edge on it this morning. A little oil helped with the sheath but it's still not where it needs to be.

I've got the Olive Green and FDE runs. Same deal with the sheaths. They both came pretty tight. They've loosened up enough after some use I'm not gonna bother heating the sheath up and reforming it.

I've touched mine up but I still need to put a thinner edge on one. They're my first 3V knives and I want to see how it holds up to harder use with a thin edge.

[akapennypincher]

Cold Steel is just not making me shake in boots.

[VashHash]

$56 Frenzy - Probably the highest quality folding knife I'll ever purchase brand new for under $60. Very smooth, light and thin for the size. Pretty much flawless from what I can tell.

Wish I would have seen this deal. I've had my eye on a frenzy for a while.

[ladybug93]

rajah ii and iii comparison pics, as promised.

the rajah iii is almost the same exact size as the manix, even closed. it's got a thicker handle, but it's well contoured. if you like the negative blade angle of the manix, you'll love this one because it dips slightly lower and has the benefits of a recurve. it doesn't sport the choil that i love on the manix, but it's still comfortable to choke up on the flat ricasso area and the knife is comfortable in other grips as well, such as the pinch grip.

overall, the quality is noticeably lower on the rajah than the manix, so it's definitely not taking over my pocket, but it also only cost me $48 after tax, so i'm much more likely to choose the rajah when i head out into the woods or have hard work to do. and just because it's less refined doesn't mean it's not perfectly adequate as an edc knife.

vivi, you should skip this one. the main area for your hand is slightly less spacious than the manix 2, so it'll be too tight for you. it squeezes my hand a tad, so i know you'd hate it.

[James Y]

the pocket clips are mostly good. the compact clips on voyagers and recon 1's work very well for me.

the issue is they have too much tension and no smooth patch on the scales.

I remove them and sand the scales a bit with 120 grit, then put the clip back on. Then I slide a few coins under the clip and leave it over night.

After that they work really well.

The clip on my Broken Skull is the worst. It's halfway to being flat compared to most other clips, and the clip's steel is extremely resistant to bending. I removed the clip, wrapped it lightly, and took a pair of pliers to it to try to create a bit of bend to relax the tension, with no luck. I became concerned that it would snap before it would take a bend, even minimally.

Luckily, the Broken Skull is so thin and light, especially for a folder with a blade slightly over 4", that it doesn't need to be clipped. When I do carry it (rarely), I drop it down in a pocket like an old-fashioned pocket knife and barely notice it.

Ironically, I've decided that the Broken Skull is my favorite Cold Steel folder that I own. I got it several years back when Blade HQ had them on sale for $45.

Jim

[James Y]

I've recently become a *little* interested in the AD15 Lite. It looks like a cool, fun design. It's also fairly low-priced. IF I ever buy another knife ever again in the future. My main hesitation around it is I don't trust that the pocket clip isn't a pocket eater, like every other CS pocket clip.

Jim

[DSH007]

I've recently become a *little* interested in the AD15 Lite. It looks like a cool, fun design. It's also fairly low-priced. IF I ever buy another knife ever again in the future. My main hesitation around it is I don't trust that the pocket clip isn't a pocket eater, like every other CS pocket clip.

Jim

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1023455557?pid=935808

Hey Jim! Check out MidwayUSA.com.. the AD15 Lite is listed at only $54.90 and code "KNIVES042224" knocks off another 25%. I just ordered one about ten minutes ago for $48.75 shipped. I too have always been a *little* interested in the AD15 Lite.. I like the overall design of the knife, but I'm not sure how I'll take to the Scorpion lock.. and I share your concerns over the possibility (likelihood) of a pocket-shredding clip.. at that price though, it's worth the risk for me!

[James Y]

I've recently become a *little* interested in the AD15 Lite. It looks like a cool, fun design. It's also fairly low-priced. IF I ever buy another knife ever again in the future. My main hesitation around it is I don't trust that the pocket clip isn't a pocket eater, like every other CS pocket clip.

Jim

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1023455557?pid=935808

Hey Jim! Check out MidwayUSA.com.. the AD15 Lite is listed at only $54.90 and code "KNIVES042224" knocks off another 25%. I just ordered one about ten minutes ago for $48.75 shipped. I too have always been a *little* interested in the AD15 Lite.. I like the overall design of the knife, but I'm not sure how I'll take to the Scorpion lock.. and I share your concerns over the possibility (likelihood) of a pocket-shredding clip.. at that price though, it's worth the risk for me!

Wow! Congrats on scoring that awesome deal, Rick!

TBH, at the moment, I can't spare even that much for non-essential spending, but I'm sure glad you did! I'm eager to hear what you think of it once you have it in hand!

Jim

[DSH007]

I've recently become a *little* interested in the AD15 Lite. It looks like a cool, fun design. It's also fairly low-priced. IF I ever buy another knife ever again in the future. My main hesitation around it is I don't trust that the pocket clip isn't a pocket eater, like every other CS pocket clip.

Jim

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1023455557?pid=935808

Hey Jim! Check out MidwayUSA.com.. the AD15 Lite is listed at only $54.90 and code "KNIVES042224" knocks off another 25%. I just ordered one about ten minutes ago for $48.75 shipped. I too have always been a *little* interested in the AD15 Lite.. I like the overall design of the knife, but I'm not sure how I'll take to the Scorpion lock.. and I share your concerns over the possibility (likelihood) of a pocket-shredding clip.. at that price though, it's worth the risk for me!

Wow! Congrats on scoring that awesome deal, Rick!

TBH, at the moment, I can't spare even that much for non-essential spending, but I'm sure glad you did! I'm eager to hear what you think of it once you have it in hand!

Jim

Thanks Jim! I'll be sure to let you know what I think.. if it ever arrives! Midway apparently shipped my package via USPS by way of UPS ground (by way of Pony Express..).. hah, my fault for selecting economy shipping. Hopefully next week..

[shunsui]

Just noticed the Cold Steel Mayhem in AUS-10A and G10 is now down to ~$135. Even cheaper if the coupon mentioned above works.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1024990713?pid=966787

I'm guessing it will go down further and eventually show up with a resin handle, but that's a big improvement from earlier prices. Big but good ergos, carries easily in your back pocket.

[aicolainen]

Midway have some great deals on Cold Steel, luckily for me they don't ship outside the US. That has certainly kept my CS collection slimmer than it would be otherwise, but a few have found their way into my drawer anyway.

My first was probably the Pendelton mini hunter in 3V. It didn't quite work out as a hunting/outdoorsknife as 3V rusts like crazy. Even though the blade is coated, the edge will develop rust spots if it's exposed to any amount of water and I'm unable to dry it off rather quickly. That's a tall order for a tool meant for outdoor use. This is my only 3V knife to date, so the sample size is small, but it has made me a bit reserved against 3V specifically and tool steels in general for outdoor use.
I haven't come around to selling it yet, and in the meantime I've started to think it could be suitable for repurposing to a work knife.

Second was probably the American Lawman. Unlike Vivi, it's a rather good size for me. Slightly large if anything. It's a very well built knife, solid yet slim in the pocket. The world needs more linerless G10. It's my only (**well, not really. See below) CS folder so again the sample size is small, but based on this one sample I struggle to understand all the claims of CS backlocks/Tri-ad locks being hard to release. Mine is butter smooth, and it's been like that from day one.
Now, it's not a knife that fits particularly well with my needs, but being so compact yet solid and dependable it serves as a stash-/backup knife in my EV, which has very limited storage space.

** I just remembered I've had a Micro recon 1 for quite some time - it might be my very first CS, actually. It's a novelty knife, but it's well made and came ridiculously sharp.

My last CS arrived only last week and is my first CS knife in a very long time. It's the Kobun Lynn Thompson signature edition (no. 998 to be specific). It's a knife I've had my eyes on since it was revealed. It's quite pricey as far as CS goes, so I've been a bit hesitant about actually pulling the trigger. Again, Midway has a much better price than anyone else, but bying from them involves a lot of hassle as well as favors from people I hardly know (forumites). When Lamnia recently reduced their pricing for several CS models, including the Kobun Signature edition I pulled the trigger even though it was still on the pricy side. I look forward to using this knife. My expectation is that it will perform better as a well balanced allround knife than my current fixed blades. A reasonably thin 3.2mm hollow saber grind S35VN should be a decent cutter while tough and rust resistant enough for the majority of my fixed blade needs. With a 5.5" blade at only 113 grams, it provides a lot of edge while having a weight similar to most of my 4" fixed blades. It achieves this to some extent by sacrificing balance, it is front heavy, but I appreciate it. My small hands don't require a lot of handle real-estate, and while balance is important for some knife tasks, I'm very happy to find a knife that offers a lot of edge without forcing me to live with the extra weight and pokiness of a equally large handle.
Cons: yes it's not without them. The handle is thin. Thinner than expected. It might not be a problem, but it's something I'm aware of. The sheath is simple even by CS standards. There's a very apparent Samurai/Japanese feel to the design, so the (for me) rather useless sheath design is probably intentional. It even came with the clip installed on the reverse side, as you would have it to carry inside a samurai belt. This is CS through and through. They are very honest about their inspirations and stay very true to their origins.

Honorable mention: I got into knives around 2016, maybe late 2015. This was in the CTS-XHP era of CS knives. From an early stage I was determined to try a CS knife, but many of the designs were over the top for me, and local/domestic availability wasn't the best, so by the time I had decided on the Mini Recon 1 and before I had been able to purchase one, they were discontinued.
When GSM did a survey on what models their customers wanted them to bring back, I was hopeful to see the return of the Mini again. And to their credit they did bring it back. Only this time it got the budget treatment with AUS10. I guess the steel isn't too bad, but I'm still kicking myself for missing out on the CTS-XHP mini. I guess I'll give it a try eventually.