AdamFuzzyballs
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I'm fairly certain that it from the pressing out of the blades, it seems to "mushroom" the very edge of the steel leaving a line in the center. Thats on every mora I have seen
A2 Steel Update
- Thread starter Cold Steel Knives
- Start date
Those are some seriously off centered grind lines
Not really. I had to angle the blade just a bit in an attempt to highlight the coloration difference that I was addressing (and that first photo still doesn't capture it accurately). The edge bevel at the very tip may be slightly asymmetric, but it's barely noticeable and functionally insignificant. All of the rest of the knife's grinds are great. For a $25, Taiwan-made knife, the construction of the Outdoorsman Lite, including the grind quality, is excellent.
-Steve
Is Cold Steel's 4034 constructed in a cladding fashion, like San Mai? I ask because I was examining the new Outdoorsman Lite and noticed different coloration at the blade's center in certain spots. It's somewhat visible in the first photo and much clearer in the second.
It could be just grind anomalies that I'm seeing. But if the steel is clad, it certainly would explain how Cold Steel gets superior performance out of it.
-Steve
I'm pretty sure CS would be marketing / bragging about anything remotely "San Mai " . 
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And charging for it.
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!!! Wow Lynn, that's about as sensible as looking for the kernel of corn in the cesspool rather than picking the fly out of the soup. Have you considered D2, DC53, 1095, SK5, or another tool steel worthy of the reputation Cold Steel has built over the decades? You're losing me on this one, but that's okay as i have three TMs, one Kukri Plus, and one Recon Scout all in SK5 that do state, "Go ahead, just try and break me". Are you ready to roll up shop on account of your line going downhill. Sounds like some China crap that should be marketed on DHGate or Aliexpress. May i suggest you get a head check?
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The hostility to 4034SS is puzzling to me. SK5 is just 1085. There's nothing in it but iron and carbon. It works well, but there's a tricky tradeoff between edge holding and chippyness depending on hardness. If you're careful with heat treatment and edge geometry, it can make a good knife. I have a SRK in SK5 and it's a keeper. But it's not obvious to me that it's better than 4034. It's probably cheaper in direct material cost than 4034, since 4034 has chromium and manganese in it. SK5 takes a fine edge, but 4034 gets sharper yet, in fact sharper than any other common knife steel. SK5 has a slight edge in edge retention, but 4034 is much tougher. SK5 rusts if you look at it cross-eyed, while 4034 is decently stainless. 4034 knives have beautiful polish, while SK5's have ugly coatings. As far as low cost steel is concerned, I would take 4034 over SK5 any day.
Perhaps the biggest difference is in a characteristic that users don't see. I know 4034 has excellent "blankability", or ability to be punched out of sheets. I believe SK5/1085 doesn't, and that would give 4034 a big cost advantage. Laser or water cutting knife blanks is expensive, as is polishing and grinding.
Time will tell. I look forward to getting my hands on a big CS knife in 4034. I have an Outdoorsman Lite now, and I think its excellent, worth much more than the $25 I paid for it, let alone the $16 it's on sale for.
Perhaps the biggest difference is in a characteristic that users don't see. I know 4034 has excellent "blankability", or ability to be punched out of sheets. I believe SK5/1085 doesn't, and that would give 4034 a big cost advantage. Laser or water cutting knife blanks is expensive, as is polishing and grinding.
Time will tell. I look forward to getting my hands on a big CS knife in 4034. I have an Outdoorsman Lite now, and I think its excellent, worth much more than the $25 I paid for it, let alone the $16 it's on sale for.
unwisefool
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I don't trust any knife that costs less than a fast food meal lol
I think the horse is beaten to death at this point over the past 3 months since this was announced. I'm pretty sure all the complains has been repeated twice(including many of mine), so it's prob time to move on and hope for the best. 2021 is coming, I'm looking forward to seeing what new stuff CS comes out with.
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Same. It’s nice to have more affordable products, but I hope CS doesn’t ditch the mid-tier and upper-tier markets. And I hope we see new Tri-Ad knives or old folders updated with the Tri-Ad lock.
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cause we went from O1, to 4034. O1 randall always used and still does and it performs and always has, except for being a rust magnet. a major downside, that I doubt many would dispute that.
we were gonna get a2, and now we arent. thats the disappointment. I dont know if I'd call it hostility. maybe from some but most seem just genuinely disappointed and let down.
who knows maybe it will be great and price will be right. we'll find out.
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I agree that it’s more disappointment rather than hostility. But let’s see if they nail the heat treat on the 4034.
Even if they nail it perfectly, the performance of 4034 will still be mediocre at best, sadly, but for cheap price it'll be fine.
I hope this is trolling, I really do.
But OK, I'll ignore the reality defying stuff you wrote in some previous posts and respond.
"Sharper than any common knife steel" makes no sense when it's carbon steels that are known for taking crazy sharp edges very easily. At the other hand 4034 is known to have stubborn burr and edge that folds on itself if it's very fine...
And any steel can get as sharp as any other steel, depending on how skilled you are. People take crazy steels like Maxamet or S90V and make them so sharp it whittles hair. If you can't get D2, 3V or any other steel sharp, you either lack skill or proper equipment or both.
Both, 4034 and SK-5 are downgrade from O1, and neither of them are perfect, but there are still differences.
SK-5 might chip if it's heat treated to be too hard, 4034 is prone to rolling and bending, yeah it's tough, mild steel is tough and 4034 at 0.47% isn't really a high carbon steel.
SK-5 or any other carbon steel won't rust if you take some care of it. Like wipe it clean and dry, and wipe it again with some oil before storage, it's that simple. It's not stainless, but if my life was to depend on a knife, I would have bigger worries than some rust.
Also, rusty knife will still cut and chop, rolled one won't really, and there's no real use of a knife that can't hold an edge decently.
SK-5 (or 1080/1084) is used for large knives, choppers, even swords. It's usually on budget knives as far as smaller knives go, because it's affordable.
4034 is mainly used for wall hangers, fantasy blades, unbranded chinese stuff, and mystery "Surgical stainless steel" knives, as far as decent knives go - it's used for liners, it's a liner steel.
It's your choice what to do with your money, but trying to convince people that what you're doing is the best and everyone else is crazy is just wrong.
You're blindly following and fanboying a company that can't even make a decent sheath.
They switched from leather and nylon to some knife dulling glass filled crap. It took them a while to even acknowledge an issue and offer replacement sheath out of same material, just with "deeper belly" but it'll still dull your knife if you're not careful. Then recent thread from a gentleman complaining on shoddy craftsmanship and wrong materials being used on his Emperor Tanto. Then my own thread about Mini Pendleton in 3V that had a gap on the handle and my friend's thread about that same knife being dulled by the sheath just from carry, they managed to mess up 2/2 of that same knife, and another guy on the forum here also said he had a gap on the handle too... and the rant could go on even further...
They used to make good knives and good sheaths, then they were making good knives and crappy sheaths, now I guess they finally decided to make their knives match their sheaths and just use poor materials for both.
And why wouldn't they?
Profit margins are bigger and there are still guys who'll buy it just because it says "Cold Steel".
ron finkbeiner jr
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I've never owned a Trail Master but if they do the 3V then yours truly iwill be buying one!
Yeah, me too. Although I do have a Carbon V Trail Master, I would definitely buy one in 3V too.
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Personally, I am hoping for a "surgical stainless" Espada.
Kidding aside I dislike talking too much trash about any one product. First, Cold Steel at their worst is still pretty damn good. Second, Cold Steel has always tried to deliver knives you can depend on at every price point. It is easy to forget that the knife we are running down might be the best that someone can afford, and something that they are proud to own. That was me for a long time.
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The hostility over 4034 is really just cause it doesn’t have as catchy a name as SK-5.
Liner material gets parroted around the forum for 4034 and then in the Buck forum 420hc gets praised like it is Maxamet.
Actually 420hc is better cause it is tougher than Maxamet.
4034 and 420hc really are not that far apart.
I actually have a folder in 4034 , a Kiridashi, and it really is a good knife with good steel, it is at least as good as my 110 Buck lightweight.
I really don’t need a Trailmaster in any steel as I have plenty of large fixed blades already but if the price is right I might go for it and if Cold Steel puts it out I am sure it will be a fine knife.
I have plenty of Cold Steel knives that are in less than Blade Forums friendly steels and they all punch above their weight.
I seriously doubt CS is going for BudK quality knives here as much as everyone here wants to believe that.