Opinions and preferences Cold Steel Spikes

[Sox]

Gang, is the preference as to which of the Cold Steel "Spikes" you would prefer for SD applications?

Thanks for your insight.

Dave

 

[glistam]

Long slender blades. Good for murdering, bad for self-defense. I have a spike scimitar and while it's pretty and useful for some leather-working I do, I'd probably not consider it for defense unless my options were very limited.

Knives in general have limited use in SD (not no use, just limited), because SD involves so much more than the sharp end making the other guy bleed. SD is all about stopping danger to the self and others. Blades don't do such a great at the "stop" part, and in situations where they do, there are probably better options.

 

[ZeSpectre]

I was kinda interested in the Spike Bowie, but read several reviews that said "because the grip area is small and there is no guard, if your hands get slippery you risk sliding forward onto the blade".

I've also heard (but have not verified) that some of them are kinda "soft" and won't hold an edge that well.

Ultimately I decided to "pass" on them though even now I think the "scimitar" looks pretty damned cool.

 

[conw]

I have a few of the Talon spikes tucked away somewhere in storage. I cord wrapped the handle to make it fatter, and modified the sheath a little to fit a small Tek-lok. I thought it would work pretty well using Southnarc's reverse edge methods, namely the Pikal (reverse grip and blade edge in) aka RGEI method.

It is a bit longer than the Shivworks Disciple which is purpose-designed for that but set up properly on a tek lok it's also a lot cheaper (around 10% of the cost!) and still reasonably easy to draw (excess blade length on a fixed blade knife being a bad thing for self-defense, in my opinion).

I wouldn't say it's bad for self-defense at all.

 

[Gunz]

Cold Steel Spikes are "cool" in looks and as long as they are under $18, they are a decent little novelty item. They are no better or worse than an ice pick. The steel is soft. They used some pretty steel, so the edge is not going to be hardened. I saw some prices at $32, and I say those prices are rip off for the product. Even $18 is a little high.

I own the original talon style, tanto, and the recent Tokyo Spike. More notching and beveling, and they are pretty. The grip is useless. The black string is barely any traction. Having said all that, I own them because I like them as letter openers, cardboard and tape slicers, and better-than-nothing sticking tool if a real knife is not around.

Now, for the same $20 range, the 1055 steel thrower is an awesome product for the price. That is so much more of a real knife with paracord, where one can throw, and cut, and slice, and jam and wedge, if needed. More knife for the money.

If you want a pretty shank or shiv, that is all the Spike series are for. Nice enough plastic edge sheath. For $8-$10, at half the price, the cheap Sawmill Cutlery SM15 file-turned-to-knife can do a better job, at twice the thickness, and much better wooden grip. Hey, do not let the Pakistan marking fool you. IT is a better shiv than the Cold Steel Spike.