$150, which Cold Steel to buy?

I have the Recon 1 clip point in the G10 handles. It gets carried a lot. Mine is the old Aus8 version.



It is pretty wide when closes due to the blade shape.

I don't mind the G10. But I think the handle may be even less aggressive on the new models in the upgraded steel.

Oh really? I was under the impression that the G10 was unchanged on all models except the mini recon, which received a finer G10 more similar to spydercos models. In any case I'll test it out, but just in case I run into pocket shredding problems and don't want to sand, where do I find this elusive titanium replacement pocket clip for the recon 1?
 
Code 4 Spear Point: Maybe a better EDC knife than the Recon 1? VERY SLIM profile should make it disappear in the pocket. Is the aluminum frame sturdy enough to do camping duty? Is the aluminum anywhere near as grippy as the plain jane Sebenza titanium? VERY nice looking profile, sleek, slim and sexy. Blade looks very utilitarian. Not too concerned about lock strength so long as the aluminum is strong.
for edc the recon 4 looks the best, looks durable and it will get the job done on everyday task, they are all good but that would be my choice for edc.
 
Code 4 Spear Point: Maybe a better EDC knife than the Recon 1? VERY SLIM profile should make it disappear in the pocket. Is the aluminum frame sturdy enough to do camping duty? Is the aluminum anywhere near as grippy as the plain jane Sebenza titanium? VERY nice looking profile, sleek, slim and sexy. Blade looks very utilitarian. Not too concerned about lock strength so long as the aluminum is strong.
for edc the recon 4 looks the best, looks durable and it will get the job done on everyday task, they are all good but that would be my choice for edc.

Thanks! Recon 1 is on the way. Pics to follow!
 
Received my CS Recon 1 yesterday and I've been working it in ever since. Also received a micro recon tanto that may be the worlds best box cutter! I'll try and snap some pictures of the recon, but I have to say I'm very impressed with every aspect of this knife! I was anticipating a pretty big knife being over 9" in length, but it's a beast of a knife, just about as long as my Iphone 6 and not a whole lot thinner. The first choil balances the knife on your index finger, giving it great weighting front to back in hand. I did manage to cut my knuckle closing it because I accidentally held it in the second choil while trying to swing it closed one handed, but it's stiff enough that it didn't cut me bad...just enough to ensure it won't happen again. I would say the lock back is about a 7.5/10 on difficulty to depress, and I don't anticipate it loosening up, but I do anticipate my thumb becoming accustomed to it. I pulled up on the pocket clip a little with some string and got it positioned to about 1mm off the scale and slid some 2000 grit sandpaper under it, managed to smooth it out a bit, may sand it some more if it still bites my pants too hard. The blade coating is obviously solid, but the lock back tooth has already started losing some of its black coating, so I'm guessing that's still the cheap teflon stuff. Not a big deal really. In pocket it takes up a good amount of real estate but isn't any more obtrusive than my PM2. I would say this knife wouldn't be sheeple friendly as an EDC virtually anywhere, but the mini recon probably would. For reference, when I set it next to my large Sebenza it makes it look small. But in usable blade edge I'd give it about an extra 1/8" on the Sebenza, a testament to how good the Sebenza's blade to handle ratio is. In hand comfort is great--no hot spots in any grip I've found and quite a bit of reach. It's easy to choke up if you use the finger stopper as a rest for your index finger since it's flat. The blade has absolutely no play left, right, up or down...on par with my Sebenza in feel while open. Speaking of opening, I can open it with my thumb by flicking it maybe 8 out of 10 times, but I plan to disassemble, adjust and relube the knife, and probably use some high grit sandpaper on some of the edges to smooth them out. The alternative would be to use the hell out of the knife and let it break itself in, but I get the feeling this knife will last a long, long, long time, and that the break in period could be months, if not years. So all in all I give this knife a 9.5/10, really giving its only fault to the cheap black coating on the lock bar. Really stoked on this knife!
 
Its pretty easy to fix the g-10. Trace lightly around the clip with a pencil. Remove the clip and LIGHTLY sand only the area between the pencil marks. Use black sand paper so you don't impregnate the area with a color other than black. When you are done scrub the area with a damp wash cloth to remove dust, and any other particles. You can try to bend the clip a LITTLE by GENTLY bending up with a cloth wrapped flathead screwdriver. BE CAREFUL not to rip clip screws out of handle.
I like the size of the American Lawman much better.
The mini Recon 1 is also a superb smaller knife. The price is not so great.
I do not like the slippery handle of my Code 4. Otherwise it is pretty good.
You may want to take your recon apart and remove the black paint. There are some good vids on youtube to help you out.
 
I've looked at every knife you were contemplating on in person (at different times a little while ago) The Recon 1 was a good choice. All of the others I've seen were junk and impractical unless you're just consistently cutting duct tape or something with them lol.
 
I've looked at every knife you were contemplating on in person (at different times a little while ago) The Recon 1 was a good choice. All of the others I've seen were junk and impractical unless you're just consistently cutting duct tape or something with them lol.

Wow. Way to try putting other people's input down.
Who would you think more credible? The guys who actually use the different models or the one who only looked at them and made some seemingly quick judgement?
 
I have all the models you were contemplating :p. All in xhp, mybpersonal favorite is the lawman as I tend to prefer more classical lines, but they are all great choices that have been in the cold steel family for long! I understand that you bought the recon 1, but if you buy a lawman, you gotta know that it has the new slimmer g10 (that i actually prefer), it really changes the knife. I have the aus 8 version too and still find the thicker g10 more filling in the hand, but the carriability is soo great with the new xhp version.
Congrats with your new cold steel :D
 
I have all the models you were contemplating :p. All in xhp, mybpersonal favorite is the lawman as I tend to prefer more classical lines, but they are all great choices that have been in the cold steel family for long! I understand that you bought the recon 1, but if you buy a lawman, you gotta know that it has the new slimmer g10 (that i actually prefer), it really changes the knife. I have the aus 8 version too and still find the thicker g10 more filling in the hand, but the carriability is soo great with the new xhp version.
Congrats with your new cold steel :D

The Lawman has been getting consistently positive reviews since it came out it seems. Must be a good one.
 
I have all the models you were contemplating :p. All in xhp, mybpersonal favorite is the lawman as I tend to prefer more classical lines, but they are all great choices that have been in the cold steel family for long! I understand that you bought the recon 1, but if you buy a lawman, you gotta know that it has the new slimmer g10 (that i actually prefer), it really changes the knife. I have the aus 8 version too and still find the thicker g10 more filling in the hand, but the carriability is soo great with the new xhp version.
Congrats with your new cold steel :D

Thanks for the advice...my wife will kill me if I buy a new knife this soon! When business is cranking in the Spring, i'll be buying a new Lawman! It seems like a ridiculous thing to care about, but I'm slightly turned off by the CS knives that have the stop pin gap exposed on the tang! I feel like it ruins the lines of the knife. Anybody else feel this way? I would like to say it didn't influence my decision to go with the Recon1, but it did :eek: at least a little bit! This is my first CS knife though, so I'll definitely be buying the whole product line as we go forward regardless of the gap..after all you can never ever ever ever have enough knives, right? :D
 
Remember, if sanding G10, well ventilated area, keep the dust down, and don't breathe any. I think you made a great choice, I've been wondering about the same folders you were for a while now! Which blade profile did you get?
 
The Lawman has been getting consistently positive reviews since it came out it seems. Must be a good one.

It's outstanding I've been carrying mine constantly since it arrives a couple weeks ago I had the AUS 8 version which was already great (sold it to help fund the new one) now it's even better thinner, lighter, better steel, just as tough, I still need to get the cts recon 1 then I'll have upgrade all my cold steels to the better steel.
 
Recon 1. It ain't big atall once you carry it awhile. It's actually on the small side compared to the others I regularly carry.
 
Remember, if sanding G10, well ventilated area, keep the dust down, and don't breathe any. I think you made a great choice, I've been wondering about the same folders you were for a while now! Which blade profile did you get?

Clip point. It's the only clip point knife I own but I like the profile, and on a knife this big and badass it just makes it look even badder. It's an excellent cardboard cutter capable of most any task, and because of the shape and smoothness of the back of the scales it actually feels good in pocket for such a big tall knife. There's nothing for your hand to get caught on when pulling out your keys for instance. Home run by Cold Steel--possibly my new favorite knife manufacturer!
 
I carry the clip point xhp code 4 all the time. It's a great folder and you don't run into the problems that people talk about with the cold steel g10. Probably my go to larger "value folder" as it's less than 80 bucks most of the time.. The ultimate hunter is cool but it's pretty bulky and thick blade stock. And the recon one would be nice but I don't prefer cold steel's Blade coating.

As far as the way the code 4 shows in the pocket, you wouldn't think it's as big as it is just from what's sticking out of your pocket.

Have you considered the new gayle Bradley 2? I think it can be had for 150 ish and it's a helluva knife.




Couple photos v pm2 make good comparison.
 
Nice! Man, I love me some clip points. Glad to hear it's working for you, I don't think cold steel gets the credit they deserve sometimes, but I've loved everything of theirs I've gotten thus far. Excellent value, it seems!
 
I carry the clip point xhp code 4 all the time. It's a great folder and you don't run into the problems that people talk about with the cold steel g10. Probably my go to larger "value folder" as it's less than 80 bucks most of the time.. The ultimate hunter is cool but it's pretty bulky and thick blade stock. And the recon one would be nice but I don't prefer cold steel's Blade coating.

As far as the way the code 4 shows in the pocket, you wouldn't think it's as big as it is just from what's sticking out of your pocket.

Have you considered the new gayle Bradley 2? I think it can be had for 150 ish and it's a helluva knife.




Couple photos v pm2 make good comparison.

Was actually considering a gayle Bradley a year ago but went with a pm2 instead. I'll end up with a gb2 eventually, but there's quite a few knives ahead of it in the ol' queue! As for cold steels coating, the DLC is phenomenal, almost seems like it's a black steel blade, it's so good. They still use the Teflon on the lockbar though and it's kinda crappy. Fortunately that part doesn't get much action so I don't notice any wear on it. I just can't rotate this knife out! It's shelved my sebenza and my mini Ritter grip for a couple weeks now...I don't see that changing!
 
Was actually considering a gayle Bradley a year ago but went with a pm2 instead. I'll end up with a gb2 eventually, but there's quite a few knives ahead of it in the ol' queue! As for cold steels coating, the DLC is phenomenal, almost seems like it's a black steel blade, it's so good. They still use the Teflon on the lockbar though and it's kinda crappy. Fortunately that part doesn't get much action so I don't notice any wear on it. I just can't rotate this knife out! It's shelved my sebenza and my mini Ritter grip for a couple weeks now...I don't see that changing!

The Teflon coating is also used on the pocket clip btw
 
d50a4d994df4d79b031b2e2e2b203aa4.jpg


Ya there is some wear on the pocket clip already as seen above.
 
d50a4d994df4d79b031b2e2e2b203aa4.jpg


Ya there is some wear on the pocket clip already as seen above.

That is how my 2015 Lawman looks after one month of use/carry

Hopefully they use the DLC coating on the pocket clip and lockbar in the future

How do you like the Recon 1 after using it for a few weeks?

I just picked up an XL Recon 1 for a really low price :)
 
Back
Top