if he wantsa to show how "tough": his knives are, do it with REAL WORLD tests: repeated cutting, repeated sharpening, repeated exposure to water, mud, tough hides, blood, and saltwater , cutting of various materials etc etc etc.
This is the one I'm looking at right now-- Recon Scout in SK-5 High-Carbon steel:
http://www.knifeworks.com/index.asp?...OD&ProdID=8972
Scout? Is that the thin blade Bowie that's smaller than the trailmaster? I have one of those and was trying to remember what it was called. Yeah if that's the one you want and if I can find it, I can part with it, I haven't used it in years.
Those extreme tests seen in the CS "Proof" videos are used to help sell CS knives. The claims are that a ColdSteel knife can pass such "extreme testing." But, when an individual buys a CS knife and wants to put it to the same test that he saw it pass in the video; CS tells him, "Oh, that's abuse. It'll void the warranty."
What the Hell?...... Oh no, you can't have it both ways! You can't claim your products are good enough for use under extreme conditions when you're selling them, but then claim those exact same conditions are "abuse," after the product was purchased.
I'm not a die-hard CS fan but I do own them and they often become my main task, carry, and hunting knife. I haven't had one come up short yet. I think they provide performance close to the most expensive brands.
+1
I've owned several Cold Steel knives since I bought my first one in 1982 IIRC, one of the push daggers. I EDCed various models of Cold Steel push daggers for years. Used often for demanding tasks - cutting thick rope, splitting hard wood, etc. - and they always came through just fine. All were lost or stolen over the years.
In 1986 I got one of the 4 inch folding tantos with Kraton grips. Blade was 3/16 " thick, which meant it was no lightweight - in fact, that was one heavy duty folder. Carried on outdoor adventures and used and abused for 10 years with no functional degradation - the Kraton was sort of worn down in places, but still offered a good grip. Still locked up tight with zero blade play and still took and held a razor edge. That tanto was stolen out of my car back in 1996.
I've also owned a couple of the Voyagers with 3" and 4" blades. Great performing knives for what they cost. Very tough and durable knives - suprisingly lightweight for how tough they are. Simple and unassuming in appearance, the Voyager series are wonderful utility-beater knives - especially for use outdoors. Great bang for the buck.
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It's funny, because I just picked up the same model for a friend and I was overall very unimpressed with it. Did not like the lack of purchase on the liner release, felt the liner/tang contact face was poorly designed, and felt that the "guards" on the blade should have been chamfered, as they are very rough on the fingers. Also, the ball detent is incredibly hard to overcome with the (imo) poorly placed thumbstud. Makes me hate thumbstuds. Only thing I was impressed with was the aesthetics and the sharpness out of box.Well, I own a zytel handled Ti-Lite, and like it. The edge is nowhere near as sharp as when I bought it about a year ago, though. I broke the pocket clip and they replaced it no questions asked.
Just my 2¢.
Nice selection there Ringzero. I'm only sorry that they disappeared on you over the years. I really hope that you're able to replace them with others that you'll enjoy.
I think my smallest CS are a Recon, and a PeacekeeperII. The rest are large knives. The Vaquero Grande or Voyager XL are my defensive carriers. I have one of them on me just about all of the time. I have three other large fixed blades including a standard Trailmaster and I'm especially pleased with it as my main home defense and out-dooring blade. I couldn't hurt that knife during two lifetimes of regular use.
The Vaquero Grande and Voyager XL look like great knives, but aren't they a little big for EDC? I handled the Voyager XL in a store and it seemed pretty big to me at the time.
What do you guys think about Cold Steel fixed blades and folders? I probably wouldn't pick a CS folder over a Spydie or a Benchmade, but how are their fixed blades? Are they really that good or just marketing BS?