Cold steel

[Mokwepa]

Hi Guys

Do any of you guys have any experiance with Cold Steel?

I own their "Black Bear" classic and their Boar spear. Ive also purchased their new "Rajah 2". The Rajah is holding up pretty good. Im a game ranger in South Africa and use it on a daily basis and its showing no sign of wear. One problem with most of cold steel is that they sharpen at too finer angle to be practical on some of their knives. It is nice to pull a knife out of a box and shave some hair off your arm but on larger "work" knives, its not necessary. The Rajah was sharpend at i guess 15degrees and after one or two light chops, it had minute chips on the cutting edge. I then changed the angle to 30 degrees and now its much better. Its still sharp enough to butcher warthogs without any effort. The Rajah is my day to day companion sitting next to my leatherman-waiting for some action.

I have'nt cut anything with the Black Bear since new, its my pride and joy and was bought as a combat knife. I intend to keep it that way and only uuse it if my life depends on it. It is sometimes carried when i do guided walks, when i have "THE FEELING" that there might be something out there waiting to jump on me.

Still looking forward to hunting with my boar spear, sometime when i get arround to it. It has dispatched a black mamba in my garden but thats about it.

Any of you own the Cold Steel scimitar? Whats it like?

Dylan

 

[bikerdoc]

welcome dylan,
sorry i do not use cold steel products, but it sounds like you know what your doing.

 

[highorder]

I have a CS SRK, and it has served me well.

 

[hso]

dispatched a black mamba in my garden

Where's your garden?

Cold Steel has a variable reputation. None of their products are inferior, but some people are discouraged by the level of hyperbole they use in their marketing.

Older products made in Japan have a reputation for being of higher quality than products currently produced in Chinese factories. Products that were made by Camillus had the best reputation, but sadly Camillius is no more.

 

[Mokwepa]

Where's your garden?

Im game ranger on the border between SA and Botswana. My house is in the sticks. Lots of snakes and border jumpers. Got to go and treat one of my dogs when i get home-got bit by a puff-adder. Just got back from a cool game drive, saw about 25 elephant, 8 giraffe and a aardwolf.

I wouldnt say that i know what im talking about, but i do know what i like and what works for me.

Im more keen on unusual blade designs, not your regular kitchen knife, and i do like large knives.

Ive been very happy with CS so far. Any knife that i buy gets used and abused thats why i was sold on CS after seeing their DVD. Although they are harsh with their knives, their DVD is impressive.

 

[Mokwepa]

some people are discouraged by the level of hyperbole they use in their marketing.

What do you meen by this?

 

[CWL]

Welcome Mokwepa! Hope you like it here and stick around, I'd sure like to read more about your job and experiences in SA.

Lynn Thompson, the owner of Cold Steel does not have that good of a reputation among knife collectors because of his marketing claims, tactics and his tendency to steal other knifemaker designs as his own. Some also turn their noses-up because he markets many of his products specifically towards the armchair commando community.

Not to say that many of his products are not good or won't perform in the field, just that his personal reputation has put-off many serious knife collectors. I can credit CS as starting me down the long (and expensive) hobby of knife collecting since the first 'real' knife I ever purchased was a San Mai Tanto in the 1980's for my father -it wasn't until years later that I found out he'd stolen the design from knifemaker Bob Lum, and the effectiveness of the Tanto in historical Japan was just the product of his marketing office.

I still own a $11 CS Canadian belt knife, and it is a cheap, but very good knife.

 

[theotherwaldo]

Don't worry about it, Mokwepa. All of the less-expensive knife makers turn out a certain amount of useless sharpened steel that is collected by tactical types. Just use what works for you.

I use the CS Kukri Bolo for chopping back the mesquite and hackberry trees that keep trying to take over my fence lines.

That's kinda mundane, compared to butchering warthogs and nailing black mambas, I guess.

 

[Mokwepa]

Thanks guys

I like to think i have a fair knowledge of knives but im sue its nothing great. In terms of the tanto, i own a SOG tanto and realy dont like it. It doesnt hold a edge and doesnt look as nice as my steak knives at home. However i have bought a SOG tactical tomahawk and am very happy with it-much better than CS tomahawks but not as good as american tomahawks(the brand).

Im off to bed now but when i get a chance ill post some pics of the two wakizashis that i made. I think they are cool for not having any experiance in knife making. I WILL POST PICS but the short swords are not with me now.

Good Night, chat tomorrow.

 

[BHP FAN]

welcome aboard.I'm a big fan of Cold Steel products.They fall into a niche of stuff that I can afford and level of quality I'll accept.I really like The CS Kukri. Like theotherwaldo,I haven't killed any mambas with mine yet,but if any come around here,I will.

 

[JTW Jr.]

All of the less-expensive knife makers turn out a certain amount of useless sharpened steel that is collected by tactical types

Care to provide some links or data for that ridiculous statement?

 

[hso]

Hardly "ridiculous".

What's the old joke?

What are fishing lures for? Catching fishermen.

Knife companies aren't any different.

They produce knives to sell and they ride whatever the current wave is to maximize sales. Most of what is sold isn't heavily used so it becomes "fashion".

As to examples from CS, United and even CRKT -

 

[JTW Jr.]

Knife companies are no different any more.

They produce

sorry but his statement read " knife makers" not knife manufactures or knife making companies
((of which CS is neither ..knife design and marketing perhaps is a better term for them ))

 

[hso]

John,

Ahhhh, I catch your meaning, now.

I agree wholeheartedly, very few knife makers, individuals that craft knives, produce useless sharpened steel. I considered that actually talking about the craftsmen I know in that context to be too absurd to be the case and automatically interpreted it to mean mass market manufacturers.

Knife manufacturers make all sorts of pretty baubles that are knife shaped objects that are intended to catch chairborne rangers, although all of them will produce something of utility and value.

 

[Mokwepa]

I think HSO has a very valid post. Lots of "manufacturers" are trying to catch "fisherman" . CS might have some impractical blade designs but i havent seen anyone else come up with a large folding kukri, so i feel that they should keep coming up with these new/modified designs, someone out there will have a use for it, even if its just to show off.

Oh yes, the reason i bought a folding kukri is because im a guide.....not crockodile dundee. To many guides out there walk arround with these monstrous bowie's on there belt that they only use to clean under their fingernails, how porno is that?

 

[Gunz]

LOL. Special Ed instead of Special Forces. I love it!!!

I personally like Cold Steel offerings. Hey, I give the "flamboyant" owner his success story for marketing concepts well, and actually exposing the common public to sharp edged products with all the DVDs, and solid products.

Despite all the controversy regarding the ownership ( not different from Leatherman and Gerber and Strider), Cold Steel continues to stay in business by introducing all kinds of different items in different materials from all different cultures. Some are historically relevant, and some are rather functional fantasy adapataions.

I have yet to see many knife companies do things as well as Cold Steel on the business scale in which they operate.

I like all of the Cold Steel items I have purchased over the years. I think anyone who gives the moderately-priced products a try, would say that they perform well for the prices charged. (One trick: Do NOT buy directly from Cold Steel, because for some reason, their prices exceed their distributors. Note, some of their direct sale flyers do offer some reasonalbe deals once or twice a year).

I cannot say that the China offerings of recent years are necessarily worse than prior years. I know the original Seki City Japan, and USA have high levels of workmanship. Once the Taiwan offerings came in, they still perform well. The various ventures into China and South Africa have not been anything ugly. I would think it is fair to COld Steel that their QC standards for whatever product is being made, seem to be consistent.

My main thing about Cold Steel is this: Enjoy the products for their novelty, and good price to performance ratio. They are not custom knives, and the high end stuff they charge, may not be the best value. However, their mid range and low end items, are very well matched for price and performance.

 

[BHP FAN]

Gunz has it about right.Cold Steel puts out an decent product at a decent price.

 

[Mokwepa]

I have yet to see many knife companies do things as well as Cold Steel on the business scale in which they operate.

AMEN!

(One trick: Do NOT buy directly from Cold Steel, because for some reason, their prices exceed their distributors. Note, some of their direct sale flyers do offer some reasonalbe deals once or twice a year).

Dead on here, got my Rajah from "cutleryshoppe.com"

 

[JShirley]

Welcome, Mokwepa.

I'm a little surprised, considering where you are, that you haven't gone for a locally made spear instead of an offering you had to import all the way from the U.S.

What's shipping import duty like for something like the boar spear? Maybe you could post a picture of your garden. Did you get a picture of the puff adder?

John

 

[Mokwepa]

Hi Jshirley

The locals in my area do hunt warthogs with spears but they are normally crude, sharpend peices of fence posts. There are shops that stock cs in Johannesburg, where my parents stay, even CR. It is possible for me to get most things with a bit of effort. I had to get the Rajah from the USA cause the JHB dealer was out of stock. Luckily my sister lives in Vail, so she posts me what i need(to my parents in JHB).

I can send some cool pics of my lifestyle but no pics of the snake. The dogs neck is going rotten now, so i have to tranquilize him tonight to clean it out.

Ill try put a pic on.
Dylan

 

[Mokwepa]

Here's a few pics, not of the dog or snake, but some pics that ive tacken out on drive. That is me with the tortoise.

If you are interested,ill post more. If you want specific animals let me know.

 

[7X57chilmau]

Kitty looks pissed, and the cow ain't happy!

I'd love to see more, whatever you think is interesting is great!

J

 

[JShirley]

Dylan,

Thanks, I'm very interested in seeing more. I'm just trying to think of the best forum to put them in. Hunting, perhaps? Lots of our members (including me) dream of going to Africa to hunt one day. Perhaps you might start a thread about current hunting possibilities where you are?

I see I've neglected to answer your question. I used to buy quite a few CS products, but don't own any now. Well...I may have one of their shovels someplace. I think their Master Hunter is a solid knife, and if you can find it at a good price, a decent investment.

Peace,

John

 

[Mokwepa]

Thanks JShirley

Ill see what i can put up on the hunting forum. I dont usually pay to hunt, my brothers have a few crop farms that get destroyd by warthogs, so i get to hunt there for free. Ill have a look arround though and see what i can suggest.

 

[DAVIDSDIVAD]

This is why some people don't like Cold Steel.

LOL