So I bought my first Cold Steel knife.

[vivi]

Never thought I'd see the day. Their marketing always rubbed me the wrong way. If you search for their Finn Bear, a puuko / mora style knife, they have videos of them slashing at slabs of meat. Because I always buy puuko's to decapitate cows instead of whittling feathersticks and other bushcrafty things :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Anyways, I picked up a drop point spike, and I might try an XL Voyager next. Here's a shot of the spike:



Here it is in the sheath after I added paracord loops for horizontal belt carry. They're loose because the sheath is more narrow than my belt, so they need to have some give to fit.





Keep in mind these are just first impressions, I've only cut two things with it.

- The edge wasn't as sharp as Spydercos. Not surprised, but it does make me feel spoiled by what I expect from a factory edge. The sharpest parts could scrape arm hair, while some sections couldn't even do that. Gave it a few passes on my UF bench stone and it cleanly shaves now.

- The edge is ground nice and thin. It's almost a true scandi grind. Almost looks like it was ground true scandi, then a microbevel was applied with a powered buffer or similar. I'm pretty pumped about buying a knife in plain edge that doesn't require reprofiling right out of the box, honestly don't know the last time that has been the case.

- The sheath has nice retention. Buying a $25 fixed blade gives me hesitation in regards to sheath safety, but this sheath passes that test with flying colors. I'd have 100% confidence carrying inverted.

- The eyelets on the sheaths are small. Very small. Paracord (7 strand) barely fit through them. I'm going to have to drill larger holes if I ever attempt to use a g-clip with this knife, but I think I'll opt for some paracord loops. That will let me pocket carry, horizontal belt carry, inverted backpack strap carry or vertical belt carry using the same setup, no switching around a tek-lok.

- The slits on the sheath are worthless for using with a belt, unless maybe you're a mouse :D They're tiny. You might be able to fit some narrow molle straps through them, but if you're like me and you hate neck carry...you're gonna have to do a little DIY to make something work.

- The handle is too thin and not very filling for heavy, pro-longed use. I figured this would be the case. It will work just fine for typical EDC uses, and how thin the overall design is will greatly improve how well it carries. It's a trade-off I felt was worth it for the intended use I had in mind for this knife. I'll use it for general EDC, and use something with a more hand filling grip (Aqua Salt, for example) when I know I'll be doing a lot of cutting.

- The grip is MUCH improved over the first gen spikes. I always thought it was a neat line of fixed blades, but the originals had terrible handles IMO. Very thin cord wrap that felt fragile, and not as much guard as I prefer. This has a deeper guard, deeper index choil, much more texture to the grip, and plain feels better in every way over the original.

- Very light. The knife AND sheath weigh about 3oz, or the same as my beloved Pacific Salt. Hard to beat that when it comes to stout fixed blades with a 4" edge. Enuffs come in at 3.8oz (without sheath I believe, but that might include sheath) with less than 3" of cutting edge, for comparison.

- I could do without the top guard. It's small enough to not get in the way of my thumb on the spine, but I'm still tempted to grind it off. It should still work with the stock sheath that way based on what I can tell, but it'd probably rattle a bit.

- Having THE SPIKE on the side of the blade looks silly, I plan to sand it off. I'm not a fan of big lettering on my blades. I like a simple tang stamp, and maybe a small designer logo. Didn't care for MILITARY written across my old Millie either :p

- The included ball chain is black instead of silver, which I thought was a nice touch. I like black. It blends into clothing better and looks more discreet. I plan to ditch the chain for black paracord but I still appreciate it.

- Tip is thicker than I like. I expected that would be the case. I'll test it out, stabbing into some cardboard, fruits etc., and see what I think. I may do a bit of a distal taper by hand depending on how things go.

- Seems like a good example of "everything you need, nothing you don't." 4" of blade, which is my preferred length, with hardly any wasted steel. It's almost all cutting edge. Just enough handle for my big hands to not feel like they'll slip off, and no more. Slim and trim, easy to carry in a coat pocket or cargo pocket. Sheath is simple and no frills, with just enough space for my preferred carry option. Very straight forward design.


Overall I'm a happy customer. Is the overall quality up to par with my old Street Bowie? No, not quite. But for the price it sells for, it seems like a solid knife. Spending a minute touching up the edge, five minutes sanding off the logo, then another 2 or 3 minutes installing the paracord, and I've got myself a new EDC FB. Light, easy to carry, and feels plenty robust.

Time will tell how the GERMAN STAINLESS (4116) stands up, haha. I've never used it, expecting something in the realm of 440C/8Cr13MoV.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Welcome to the world of Cold Steel Knives, Vivi. I know some here will not like this but I must give credit where credit is due, and I have great respect and admiration for Lynn Thompson of Cold Steel Knives. He and his fellow knife designers such as Mr. Demko produce excellent-quality knives. I love both Spyderco and Cold Steel Knives. The Cold Steel original Voyagers with satin-finished stainless steel blades and Zytel handle grips are some of my all-time favorites, right along with the Spyderco Endura. I would like to see Cold Steel start to make a line of H1 stainless steel and Lc200N knives. The one you show above, the Spike, looks functional and durable. I have a few of their offerings with German 4116 stainless steel. The steel is definitely quality and I have not really experimented with severe sharpening of it, it seems to hold a decent edge and cuts quite well. I have the Scandi/Zero Grind Finn Hawk and it is a great knife. Also the Cold Steel Canadian Belt Knife is a great steak and hunting and fishing and all-purpose cutter. I cannot bring myself to purchase any of the Cold Steel knives that have Opening Holes in the blade, however, because to me, that is exclusively a Spyderco thing.

When it comes to posts about hard-use and practical knife use on here, you are one of my favorite people, I admit, and I really enjoy reading your posts, I am very eager to see how German 4116 stainless blades work for you and the cutting tasks you put it to.

Oh yeah, the Cold Steel PEACE MAKER series of fixes blades (distinguished from their earlier double-edged Peace KEEPER series), which are what I like to call "Tactical Mora Knives" are really good. However, and this is not a put-down at all on the quality, and perhaps you and others here can school me on why the following happened? I received one of the earlier Cold Steel Peace Maker knives, and the satin finish was exquisitely smooth, all facets of the polished German 4116 stainless steel blade were polished smooth, as if buffed nice and smooth and slick, no rough to the touch parts whatsoever. Then, several months later, I received an another one, an exact same model, and part of the blade was smooth and polished, but there was some roughness to the touch on one of the flats of the blade. Could this have been a quality-control issue and perhaps that batch or that particular blade was not polished and buffed out as much, back at the factory? Has that ever happened to you with any knife from any company you had?

But come to think back to that, it may have been intentionally made like that, I don't know.

Still, I love the design and the knife. Here it is:

http://www.coldsteel.com/products/fixed ... r-iii.html

[Doc Dan]

I absolutely hate Cold Steel's marketing. It is aimed at teenagers and mall ninjas. However, some of their products are truly great. I have a few knives I would put up against Spyderco or Benchmade, any day, and would rather have a Cold Steel than a Benchmade, normally. I even have a Mini Recon 1 that is absolutely the smoothest knife I have ever handled, though it took breaking in for about 3 weeks to get there because it was so tight and the fit was so exacting. Cold Steel knives have improved vastly over the last 3 to 5 years. Now, they offer knives in 3V, XHP, and S35VN, not to mention 01. They are no slouch in the steel department any longer. They use a true high hollow grind which is my second favorite grind after the FFG. You can have a strong spine with a thin cutting edge, that way.

[vivi]

One thought I had tonight while using my Spike, was how something along these lines could make a nice Byrd fixed blade. Something narrow and light, but with a slightly more curved handle shape to increase ergonomics, and a full flat grind. Simple FRN scales that are textured but not overly rough for IWB carry against bare skin (Like the FRN Chap) , and a sheath that's compact & simple.

When it comes to posts about hard-use and practical knife use on here, you are one of my favorite people, I admit, and I really enjoy reading your posts, I am very eager to see how German 4116 stainless blades work for you and the cutting tasks you put it to.

Oh yeah, the Cold Steel PEACE MAKER series of fixes blades (distinguished from their earlier double-edged Peace KEEPER series), which are what I like to call "Tactical Mora Knives" are really good. However, and this is not a put-down at all on the quality, and perhaps you and others here can school me on why the following happened? I received one of the earlier Cold Steel Peace Maker knives, and the satin finish was exquisitely smooth, all facets of the polished German 4116 stainless steel blade were polished smooth, as if buffed nice and smooth and slick, no rough to the touch parts whatsoever. Then, several months later, I received an another one, an exact same model, and part of the blade was smooth and polished, but there was some roughness to the touch on one of the flats of the blade. Could this have been a quality-control issue and perhaps that batch or that particular blade was not polished and buffed out as much, back at the factory? Has that ever happened to you with any knife from any company you had?

But come to think back to that, it may have been intentionally made like that, I don't know.

Still, I love the design and the knife. Here it is:

http://www.coldsteel.com/products/fixed ... r-iii.html

I like the sheath on that peace maker. The pocket clip looks nice!

Thanks for the kind words. I plan to put this knife through its paces over the next few weeks. I'm going to have to spend a little more time refining the edge...it took more effort than I'd like to slice some baguettes for sandwiches tonight. It will help familiarize me with the steel anyways.

That definitely sounds like a QC issue to me. I haven't had that happen with any of my knives, but I have seen other variations. For example I own multiple Tasman Salts, and some of them have deeper boye dents than others, and on one the lockbar is raised from the rest of the handle by 1-1.5mm when the knife is locked open. Minor variations in locking mechanism tolerances I feel is acceptable as long as everything functions 100%, but missing something as obvious as the blade finish is surprising.

Aside from initial sharpness, the biggest fit & finish difference between my Spike and Ronin 2 is that the scales stand a bit taller than the tang on the Spike, while on the ronin 2 the handle feels like it is one piece of material its so well blended together. It's certainly not egregious on the Spike, but compared to the ronin 2 I did notice it upon close inspection.

Aside from the so-so edge I really enjoyed carrying and using it today. It's surprisingly comfortable horizontal on my belt like in the photo. Swicks are typically the longest FB's I carry horizontally like that, but the Spike did well in that position. As I dial in the paracord loop tightness to perfection, it will carry a bit more flat and snug against my body.

I cannot bring myself to purchase any of the Cold Steel knives that have Opening Holes in the blade, however, because to me, that is exclusively a Spyderco thing.

Can't say I blame you. I've been the same way with Benchmade. I've purchased / traded for a few over the years. Two of their opening hole models really tempted me. The AFCK (Their best looking knife I never got to handle, Police 3 killed my interest in it), and the Mini-skirmish (The knife responsible for getting me into >$10 knives. Checked it out and was sold on it within 5 seconds of picking it up, but after going home and researching my options, I went back and got a Spyderco :) )

I absolutely hate Cold Steel's marketing. It is aimed at teenagers and mall ninjas. However, some of their products are truly great. I have a few knives I would put up against Spyderco or Benchmade, any day, and would rather have a Cold Steel than a Benchmade, normally. I even have a Mini Recon 1 that is absolutely the smoothest knife I have ever handled, though it took breaking in for about 3 weeks to get there because it was so tight and the fit was so exacting. Cold Steel knives have improved vastly over the last 3 to 5 years. Now, they offer knives in 3V, XHP, and S35VN, not to mention 01. They are no slouch in the steel department any longer. They use a true high hollow grind which is my second favorite grind after the FFG. You can have a strong spine with a thin cutting edge, that way.

I was pretty surprised to see the blade steels they're offering these days. Last time I looked at their catalog I remember a bunch of $300 VG10 folders, haha.

The marketing is pretty cringe. I would have gotten into Cold Steel sooner without it.

[JD Spydo]

I know some of you here will want to throw rocks at me :eek: but I actually long for the days of Cold Steel's "Carbon V" blade steel :cool: I still have 3 blades with that steel and to me it's a great high carbon steel.

I've also had 3 of Cold Steel's Gurkha Kukri blades and even have one of the super rare HTC Gurkha Kukri models that has a 14 inch blade>> it's almost like a small sword. I do like Cold Steel's Gurkha Kukri knives and I really enjoy using them in the woods especially.

I wish I still had that one Kobun model I had that was made with Carbon V>> I liked it a lot better than I did with the Kobun model made with their AUS-8.

I really would like to get one of the Gurkha Kukri models with the laminated steel. What I do like out of Cold Steel's large selection I like a lot.

[xceptnl]

- Having THE SPIKE on the side of the blade looks silly, I plan to sand it off. I'm not a fan of big lettering on my blades. I like a simple tang stamp, and maybe a small designer logo. Didn't care for MILITARY written across my old Millie either :p.

WHAT?

Seriously though, I have one of the first generation Spike models with the cord wrapped handle and I can echo many of your thoughts.

I used to love Cold Steel products and still have a few example of their Japan made products. Carried a gen 1 Recon tanto for years and have a backup still in the plastic because I liked it so much. Congrats!

[Doc Dan]

I know some of you here will want to throw rocks at me :eek: but I actually long for the days of Cold Steel's "Carbon V" blade steel :cool: I still have 3 blades with that steel and to me it's a great high carbon steel.

I've also had 3 of Cold Steel's Gurkha Kukri blades and even have one of the super rare HTC Gurkha Kukri models that has a 14 inch blade>> it's almost like a small sword. I do like Cold Steel's Gurkha Kukri knives and I really enjoy using them in the woods especially.

I wish I still had that one Kobun model I had that was made with Carbon V>> I liked it a lot better than I did with the Kobun model made with their AUS-8.

I really would like to get one of the Gurkha Kukri models with the laminated steel. What I do like out of Cold Steel's large selection I like a lot.

I also like the Carbon V. A lot of people have speculated over the years as to what that steel was. Some say it is the same 1095V Becker uses. Others, like Zknives think it was 50100B. I do not know, but I tend to think it was originally a stock of 50100b that was used until that was no longer available and then it switched to something else. In any case, the current 3V is a better substitute, at least I think so. I am waiting on Kukris and etc. in this steel.

[Larry_Mott]

Vivi: Aren't you the guy who doesn't need the holes to carry a bowling ball one handed? :)
Kinda funny you chose the pimped shiv from Cold Steel, i'd have expected you to start somewhere along the medium Espada size wise!
I haven't owned more than a couple of the post Ventura Cali models.. I tended to like the first/older models better. Respect to Mr Demko though, he has his head screwed on right it seems.
I can't really get over MrThompson and his copying of knives, like the Okapi and Opinel etc..

[OldHoosier62]

According to a couple of gentlemen I knew that worked for CS back when they kept a heavy (insert Lynn Thompson joke here) gun show presence in the 90's to early 2000's, the original Carbon V was indeed 50100b, then various others were called Carbon V to keep the marketing name in use.

I have owned 6 CS knives...one Recon Tanto that was a gift which I hated and eventually gave to another Marine who loved it, and 5 CS Twistmasters, the older Carbon V versions, that I keep in various places on the farm for jobs I don't want to beat up my Spyderco on...or as a loaner for someone helping out. The were cheap, simple, durable and easy to sharpen. Two have even when on various hunting trips and served their purpose well.

Not so fond of the rest of their offerings. YMMV

OH62

[Evil D]

Hard for me to get behind products by a company I don't really respect. I almost bought a Lawman once but it took way too much effort to unlock, the pivot was ridiculously tight, and I never cared for their steel options. Their knives seem to be a step right above your typical flea market offerings. Sure they're tough but they need to work on their marketing and design departments.

[Jazz]

The Tri-ad lock is exceptional. The American Lawman and Mini Recon are awesome designs. I don't use mine much because they have thumbstuds. The Spyderco hole absolutely rules. We need a nice clip point Spydie with a Tri-ad lock. Once it breaks in, it is a super lock. My favourite.

[Evil D]

The Tri-ad lock is exceptional. The American Lawman and Mini Recon are awesome designs. I don't use mine much because they have thumbstuds. The Spyderco hole absolutely rules. We need a nice clip point Spydie with a Tri-ad lock. Once it breaks in, it is a super lock. My favourite.

That's another big one for me. I haven't bought and may never buy a CRK because I just don't like thumb studs. If CRK would license the thumb hole and put it on a large Insingo, and maybe use a different steel than S30V/S35VN then I'd be on board, and probably the same would go for the Lawman.

[bearfacedkiller]

Some day soon I am gonna pick up a Master Hunter in 3V. It looks like a great value.

If they ever make a Trailmaster in 3V I would be all over it.

The Finn Wolf with the orange handle has appealed to me as a companion knife to large fixed blade.

[vivi]

Vivi: Aren't you the guy who doesn't need the holes to carry a bowling ball one handed? :)
Kinda funny you chose the pimped shiv from Cold Steel, i'd have expected you to start somewhere along the medium Espada size wise!
I haven't owned more than a couple of the post Ventura Cali models.. I tended to like the first/older models better. Respect to Mr Demko though, he has his head screwed on right it seems.
I can't really get over MrThompson and his copying of knives, like the Okapi and Opinel etc..

Haha, pimped shiv.

Handle length matters more to me than how wide and thick the handle is. I didn't buy the spike intending to carve wood for hours on end, just quick EDC stuff. It's working well so far :)

The "copies" are kind of interesting to me. I like seeing their take on different well known designs like Okapis, Moras, Canadian belt knife (Not sure if that's the name of the pattern or not), etc. Don't see myself ever buying one but it's fun seeing them produce these old school designs with their particular style.

Their knives seem to be a step right above your typical flea market offerings.

I can't think of any legitimate reason to hold that opinion. Yes, their marketing is silly, over the top, and it kept me away from their products for over a decade....but the knives themselves have always been of acceptable quality. I've used some Voyagers in the past, sharpened them for friends, sharpened a Trail master, used a bushman for a while etc. Their designs can be hit or miss but I've never seen a cold steel knife with a garbage heat treat or non-functional lock like I have gas station knives. If CS knives are just above flea market level, then what are byrds?

The Tri-ad lock is exceptional. The American Lawman and Mini Recon are awesome designs. I don't use mine much because they have thumbstuds. The Spyderco hole absolutely rules. We need a nice clip point Spydie with a Tri-ad lock. Once it breaks in, it is a super lock. My favourite.

I'm not sure if I'll want to carry any of their folders for that reason alone. Don't care for thumbstuds at all after getting used to the spyderhole years ago. It's the only opening method I care to use on folders these days. Not a fan of flippers, thumb studs, autos, etc. Only other thing I could see using is a waved folder maybe, but those are hit and miss carried IWB.

[Larry_Mott]

Vivi: I just want you to know that "pimped shiv" wasn't meant derogatory, rather tongue in cheek with a smile :)

[Evil D]

If CS knives are just above flea market level, then what are byrds?
.

Well, a step above flea market knives. Maybe that's a bit harsh and maybe the step up is a big one. I'll admit that most of my opinion is based on a general disliking of the brand so maybe I'm just being biased.

[vivi]

Well, you must have some high-end flea markets where you live

The ones I've been to were carrying BudK clearance knives, at best. There was only one booth I ever saw selling knives at a flea market for over $10. An older guy with a lot of traditionals. I bought an 80's Parker Cut Co slipjoint from him for $25.

Vivi: I just want you to know that "pimped shiv" wasn't meant derogatory, rather tongue in cheek with a smile :)

Haha it's all in good fun. In fact I might jokingly call it that with my friends :D

[awa54]

Some day soon I am gonna pick up a Master Hunter in 3V. It looks like a great value.

If they ever make a Trailmaster in 3V I would be all over it.

The Finn Wolf with the orange handle has appealed to me as a companion knife to large fixed blade.

my first run Master Hunter has a truly useless blade grind. So thick it will never break... Or slice

If they have revised the blade dimensions it has promise, if not it's basically useless for anything but breaking down joints. YMMV

[anagarika]

Someone bought the CS Ultimate Hunter & had it reground full convex. I’d say it’s great!
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/cs- ... e.1531755/

[xceptnl]

I do admit that I have been wanting to pick up a Trailmaster or Recon Scout lately. Something I can take camping.