AUS8A SRK "Destruction Test" video

When did CS start Thai production? Are you sure about that claim? Taiwan yes and those are fantastic knives but Thailand I have never heard about.
 
UCPOPO said:
While I am a fan of many Cold Steel products, I also own my fair share of Busse/kin and I enjoy them both. When you ask "Can a Busse stand up to this?" that's a pretty easy answer. Yes it can, any day, all day and twice on Sunday. A Busse can take a beating like very few can but it should for the extra expense. BUT I have also beaten the hell out of a few of my Cold Steel knives and have yet to be disappointed. I will say that for the overall VALUE, Cold Steel is very tough to beat when up against ANY manufacturer. To this day, I still have a very hard time picking up my Busse TGLB over the Recon Scout that has severed me so well. The $95 Recon Scout can do everything that the $500 TGLB can for my use and it comes with a quality sheath to boot and a much better cutting edge from the factory. Maybe I'm not as abusive on my gear as some but I've never found a real world situation that I needed to baton an 8" log or chop concrete and that's the only way I've ever seen any quality big blades break. Having said all that, Cold Steel makes some of the best value knives in the industry. They are consistently the sharpest out of the box knives from any manufacturer that I have seen on any price point. Busse makes amazing knives that will last a lifetime and have absolutely beautiful craftsmanship. Its easy to get caught up in being brand myopic (speaking from experience) but there's no need. Try to let each model live and die on its own merit in your experiences. Figure out what you like and need. I'm of the opinion of 'buy them all, try them all and enjoy them all'.:thumbup:
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My dollar limit for any knife is generally $200. I have some knives in my collection that tend to go for more than that, but they are acquired through private party purchases, or trades. That said, I have handled and used a Busse before via pass around, and I was not blown away. It was the only Busse that I have ever going attractive (TGLB). It is a serxy knife, but not as good a slicer as I would have thought. I just can't see spending that kind of coin for that knife. I can buy a good gun for those prices.

The only, and I mean only knife that I could see myself spending big money on (if my budget allowed) is a Demko AD-10.
 
AUS8A is often undeservedly labelled as 'cheap', has no hi-tech metallurgy 'lineage' to boast about and thus had to prove itself time and again. Not even CS proof videos and a lot of private reviewers seem sufficient to convince the doubters/haters out there. AUS8A is like the background/blue collar worker, the nameless one that get the job done without glamor and hype. Thanks for the great video link, btw.
 
There are steel snobs just like there are maker snobs...

Many get caught up in all the hype and bs, especially in the forums, and can't see the forest through the trees. In many cases, they really haven't used a particular steel or brand enough, if at all, to form an honest opinion...

Those people are missing out, and often times unfairly label a steel or brand as junk. I've owned probably around a dozen CS products over the years, and have yet to have an issue with any of them. The only two I currently have are the Pendelton, and mini Pendelton hunters, and I doubt I will part with them. I can't find a reason to...
 
UCPOPO said:
While I am a fan of many Cold Steel products, I also own my fair share of Busse/kin and I enjoy them both. When you ask "Can a Busse stand up to this?" that's a pretty easy answer. Yes it can, any day, all day and twice on Sunday. A Busse can take a beating like very few can but it should for the extra expense. BUT I have also beaten the hell out of a few of my Cold Steel knives and have yet to be disappointed. I will say that for the overall VALUE, Cold Steel is very tough to beat when up against ANY manufacturer. To this day, I still have a very hard time picking up my Busse TGLB over the Recon Scout that has severed me so well. The $95 Recon Scout can do everything that the $500 TGLB can for my use and it comes with a quality sheath to boot and a much better cutting edge from the factory. Maybe I'm not as abusive on my gear as some but I've never found a real world situation that I needed to baton an 8" log or chop concrete and that's the only way I've ever seen any quality big blades break. Having said all that, Cold Steel makes some of the best value knives in the industry. They are consistently the sharpest out of the box knives from any manufacturer that I have seen on any price point. Busse makes amazing knives that will last a lifetime and have absolutely beautiful craftsmanship. Its easy to get caught up in being brand myopic (speaking from experience) but there's no need. Try to let each model live and die on its own merit in your experiences. Figure out what you like and need. I'm of the opinion of 'buy them all, try them all and enjoy them all'.:thumbup:
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Great post. :thumbup:
 
Awesome video. I've found CS does a really great heat treat on their AUS8, my recon folders hold their edge's quite well imo. I forgot all about the SRK and now I really have to have one :)

ursamajor said:
The only, and I mean only knife that I could see myself spending big money on (if my budget allowed) is a Demko AD-10.
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If you like the AD-10 you might want to check out the Fantoni Hide, it looks a lot like the AD-10 (maybe its a Demko design, I dunno) and costs much less.
 
ursamajor - "Not even my Fallkniven A1 could come close to approaching the fit and finish off my AUS8 SRK"

I was under the impression that all AUS8 SRKs were made in Taiwan using Japanese steel.
Were there AUS8 SRKs that were made in Japan?

FlowerOflife - "is the blade production in China and Thailand".
Do you mean Taiwan? Or is CS actually making anything in Thailand?
 
KenHash said:
ursamajor - "Not even my Fallkniven A1 could come close to approaching the fit and finish off my AUS8 SRK"

I was under the impression that all AUS8 SRKs were made in Taiwan using Japanese steel.
Were there AUS8 SRKs that were made in Japan?

FlowerOflife - "is the blade production in China and Thailand".
Do you mean Taiwan? Or is CS actually making anything in Thailand?
Click to expand...

Both of Cold Steels current SRK offerings (AUS8A and SanMaiIII) are made in Japan. Cold Steel has a few limited models that are made in China but most are made in Taiwan or Japan. There's a big difference in Taiwan and Chinese made in my opinion. Cold Steel has never manufactured in Thailand.
 
FlowerOfLife said:
i agree with what other have said cold steel makes some of the best knives for the money
i personally like their aus-8 and find that it can get sharper than most other blade steels if sharpened correctly..
my only complaint about cold steel(other than the knife world politics/feuds between knife makers which i dont take much part in, if i like a knife its because i like it not because 1000 people online like it...) is the blade production in China and Thailand..its really unacceptable to be supporting blades made from those country's imo and i do my best not to..the only Chinese made blades i own at the moment are a cold steel kobun i have had for almost a decade and my ronin katana..all of the cold steel blades i have(other than the kobun) is stamped made in japan and i am very happy with them.
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Taiwan and Thailand are two totally different counties. And Thailand isn't known as a manufacturer of knives, or anything steel for
that matter. Taiwan (The Republic of China) is a democratic country and allied with the U.S., so I have no reason to not support Taiwan politically. I would much rather buy a Taiwan manufactured knife than a China (Peoples Rep of China) made knife, for both political and
quality reasons. My knife collection is all U.S. and Japan made with the exception of a Cold Steel Ti Lite made in Taiwan, the quality
of which is quite impressive.
 
It always makes me laugh when people confuse Taiwan with China. Kinda like thinking Canada is the US.
 
KenHash said:
ursamajor - "Not even my Fallkniven A1 could come close to approaching the fit and finish off my AUS8 SRK"

I was under the impression that all AUS8 SRKs were made in Taiwan using Japanese steel.
Were there AUS8 SRKs that were made in Japan?

FlowerOflife - "is the blade production in China and Thailand".
Do you mean Taiwan? Or is CS actually making anything in Thailand?
Click to expand...

Mine is stamped "JAPAN" right under "COLD STEEL" on the ricasso. I own, or have owned 5 Japanese made cold steel knives. The AUS8 SRK (still own), an AUS8 Steel Tiger (still own), a San Mai III Master Hunter (still own) a San Mai III Trail Master (still own) and a San Man III Natchez Bowie (traded for a wheel gun, and I miss it).

All of them have PERFECT fit and finish. No flaws what so ever in grinds, nor any uneven surfaces.

The Natchez in particular was a work of art. The craftsmanship justifies the price. It is clear that the Japanese made Cold Steel knives are labor intensive.
 
KenHash said:
ursamajor - "Not even my Fallkniven A1 could come close to approaching the fit and finish off my AUS8 SRK"

I was under the impression that all AUS8 SRKs were made in Taiwan using Japanese steel.
Were there AUS8 SRKs that were made in Japan?

FlowerOflife - "is the blade production in China and Thailand".
Do you mean Taiwan? Or is CS actually making anything in Thailand?
Click to expand...

Mine is stamped "JAPAN" right under "COLD STEEL" on the ricasso. I own, or have owned 5 Japanese made cold steel knives. The AUS8 SRK (still own), an AUS8 Steel Tiger (still own), a San Mai III Master Hunter (still own) a San Mai III Trail Master (still own) and a San Man III Natchez Bowie (traded for a wheel gun, and I miss it).

All of them have PERFECT fit and finish. No flaws what so ever in grinds, nor any uneven surfaces.

The Natchez in particular was a work of art. The craftsmanship justifies the price. It is clear that the Japanese made Cold Steel knives are labor intensive. And then take my SM3 TM...even the lamination line is perfectly symmetrical on both sides, Not even 99% of the Fallkniven Thors floating around out there can say that.
 
Many thanks for the video!

I remember when AUS-8 was a performance steel, an upgrade from ATS-34 but hey, I been around a while. I do not own many AUS-8 Cold Steel fixed blade knives (might be wrong on that now that I think about it) and have way more blades in my man cave than any one needs. Cold Steel makes a quality product that few others can compare to at a similar price point.

they perform when needed.
 
I'm pretty excited. I just found a crazy closeout deal on some AUS-8 SRK's, so I ordered one, it should arrive next week. This video really gave me some confidence in this knife. Now I just need to find somewhere that's selling the O-1 Recon Scouts.
 
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