i know i'm necroposting, but i wanted to update my opinion since i accidentally found this old thread via a google search.ladybug93 wrote: ↑Sat Jan 05, 2019 10:02 pmi own 5 cold steel products:
tuff lite
finn wolf
recon 1 xl (clip point)
two handed machete (heavy machete style)
trench hawk
the tuff lite is a great little utility blade that i carry sometimes at work and i like to carry the finn wolf in my backpack as a backup to a mora.
the recon 1 xl and two handed machete were both purchased as more of a joke than anything else. they are both completely ridiculous knives that i only pull out when i want a good laugh. i like to joke that the machete is my zombie apocalypse knife even though the one time i actually tried using it for anything was very short-lived because it's quite unwieldy and dangerous.
the trench hawk was a gift. i actually forgot i have it until i saw the picture above.
3/5 of the cold steel products i have, i don't take seriously. i know they make some good products, but many of their products are as gimmicky and cheesy as their propaganda. it's a silly company with a few hits. i wish i had been able to get an american lawman in od green before they switched away from xhp.
i now own 10 cold steel products.
tuff lite
finn wolf
4max scout
voyager tanto xl
recon 1 clip point xl
rajah ii
two handed heavy machete
gun stock war club
trench hawk
walkabout walking stick
i still feel the same way about my two handed machete being unwieldy, but it's not useless and it's not a bad product. i said i bought the recon 1 xl as a joke, which is true, but that knife is not a joke. it's a legit knife, as are the other larger folders i have from cold steel. just because i get a little chuckle when i open my xl knives or the rajah ii, doesn't mean they aren't serious tools. the voyager tanto xl lives in my glove box in case i need an urban survival knife. the rajah ii lives in the back of my car with a bag of other survival tools and products. the 4max scout is an amazing, beefy, beater knife that is about as large as i can actually carry without feeling like i've lost my mind and the proportions allow it to look enough like a regular edc to other people that it doesn't really seem to draw too much attention.
the 4max scout, voyager tanto xl, and rajah ii are all really great values. they're all made of sturdy materials and a steel that allows you to really use them without fear of failure, while still being easy enough to sharpen. the tri-ad lock is not gimmick either. i trust it over just about every other lock when it comes to hard use and/or in the outdoors.
say what you want about their silly marketing, but they make some really great, quality products. my only problem is that most people hate cold steel or are mall ninja dude bros that i wouldn't want to associate with ever. it's hard to find sensible people that just enjoy a well-designed and executed huge knife, but from the looks of this thread, there are at least a few of us.