Cold Steel AK-47 as an EDC?

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col902

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Mar 16, 2011
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I have a smaller EDC knife with a 2 and a half inch blade, but I want something larger. I was thinking of cold steel because i am going to use this knife a lot outside of EDC tasks so it needs to be tough. What do you think of this as an large EDC blade?

All other recommendations are welcome. I actually encourage them because i am sure there are some knives i looked over. My price range is anything $115 and below. Thanks!
 
I like the AK-47. It is very, very sturdy, and has the awesome tri-ad lock which may be the strongest in the business. It is also shaped in a way that almost wraps around your hand like a glove. It would make a fine EDC knife.

I happen to prefer the Cold Steel Lawman, but its pretty subjective. It, along with the Recon 1 are very sturdy, bulletproof folders. And they aren't too spendy. Note that the AK-47 has the thumb plate, whereas the others have a thumb stud.

There are many other knives out there as well, but if you are into Cold Steel, thats a good way to go.

ak-47.jpg

AK-47.
 
would the weight be an issue? its not the lightest knife in the world, im sure you guys could recommend knives that were just as sturdy but less weight. im also not sure how the pocket clip is, it seems like it would have a lot of knife protruding.
 
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The weight is no prob. You are right about a good portion of the AK-47 protruding above your pocket, and I almost mentioned that. Its not a deal breaker, but the AK does have that impact device or whatever it is on the butt of the knife. The Recon 1 and Lawman do not. But no, weight is no prob with these in my view. Not that heavy.

Note also that the G10 on all of these knives if very aggressive and will shred your pocket over time. The 3 minute cure is to lightly sand the area under the clip to smooth out the G10. You can see it on these:

IMG_8188.jpg

Top to bottom: mini Lawman, Lawman and Recon 1.
 
between the recon 1, lawman, and ak-47, which is your favorite? and please explain why
 
monger4142 said:
spyderco military, zero tolerance 350, benchmade 710

don't spend $70+ on cold steel aus 8
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Why ?

At least give a half decent reason before being so dismissive. Some folks happen to still like Aus-8 after all these years.

Not to mention that none of the knives you mentioned have this wonderful new lock that has hit the market. :)
Which , I think is a great reason to choose one of the newer Cold Steel folders.

Tostig
 
monger4142 said:
spyderco military, zero tolerance 350, benchmade 710

don't spend $70+ on cold steel aus 8
Click to expand...

Funny.....CS Aus 8 is a fine steel. Will hold up to any steel made sitting on a safe shelf.

All seriousness aside. I have never had an issue with steel that CS uses. Holds an edge and sharpens easily.
 
I own a Recon 1...I remember the 1st gen AK had some issues but I believe the 2nd gen cleared up those issues. Correct me if Im wrong.

Thanks guys
 
If you want tough, the toughest knife you can get in your price range is the Zero Tolerance 0200. It can rip up your pants a little, though, from the aggressive texturing. Also if you're intending to use the knife roughly, keep in mind that Cold Steel has one of the worst warranties in the business, whereas ZT will fix your knife no questions asked.

The Spyderco Manix 2 is a cheaper tough option. Both of these knives use 154CM steel, which will perform better than AUS-8.
 
Tostig said:
Why ?

At least give a half decent reason before being so dismissive. Some folks happen to still like Aus-8 after all these years.

Not to mention that none of the knives you mentioned have this wonderful new lock that has hit the market. :)
Which , I think is a great reason to choose one of the newer Cold Steel folders.

Tostig
Click to expand...

Because AUS-8 won't hold an edge as well as other steels, nor is it as tough or as stain resistant as some other options. AUS-8 is fine in many circumstances, but it is much cheaper, so if I see it in a knife I expect to see justification. Cold Steel knives are made in Taiwan, have fairly cheap finishing, and not much support for warranty. I would be ok with all of these things if their knives were much cheaper, but I see no reason why they should cost as much as they do given what they are.

And the lock isn't everything, it's just a lockback with a pin in it. Unless you're a morbidly obese moron who puts all of his weight into the knife and cuts with the back of the blade, you'll never have a need for a lock that will withstand a closing force of 350 pounds. Other locks should be more than sufficient.
 
Tsujigiri said:
If you want tough, the toughest knife you can get in your price range is the Zero Tolerance 0200. It can rip up your pants a little, though, from the aggressive texturing. Also if you're intending to use the knife roughly, keep in mind that Cold Steel has one of the worst warranties in the business, whereas ZT will fix your knife no questions asked.

The Spyderco Manix 2 is a cheaper tough option. Both of these knives use 154CM steel, which will perform better than AUS-8.
Click to expand...

Then how about the ZT 0350.....?
 
A little correction here, AUS-8 is a extremely tough steel for being stainless and the HT used by CS is well known to be very good. Its performance lacks in no way and with the blade geometry on the new models it will easily keep up with a "better" steel.

I have a original AK and a new tri-ad lock AK, both are great knives that cut really well and have been subjected to unnecessary abuse without a single problem. Overall its a exceptional value for a really good knife.

The new AK has a nice upgrade in handle design that makes it more fitting to the hand and comfortable in use. The rounded edges of the G-10 were a nice touch because it reduces hot spots when gripped hard. The wave is not as good as it used to be but sanding the thumb plate to remove the slick coating helps. Probably want to strip the blade too, the coating wears easily and as a bonus its stone washed underneath.

Its a big knife that screams tacticool so if your around non knife peps they might run in fear screaming like girls. If that's not a problem or sounds like fun then you found the right knife :)
 
Tsujigiri said:
Because AUS-8 won't hold an edge as well as other steels, nor is it as tough or as stain resistant as some other options. AUS-8 is fine in many circumstances, but it is much cheaper, so if I see it in a knife I expect to see justification. Cold Steel knives are made in Taiwan, have fairly cheap finishing, and not much support for warranty. I would be ok with all of these things if their knives were much cheaper, but I see no reason why they should cost as much as they do given what they are.

And the lock isn't everything, it's just a lockback with a pin in it. Unless you're a morbidly obese moron who puts all of his weight into the knife and cuts with the back of the blade, you'll never have a need for a lock that will withstand a closing force of 350 pounds. Other locks should be more than sufficient.
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you talk as if 50 to 70 dollars is a lot to spend on a knife that has more then adequate steel and a lock that sorry, can withstand more abuse then just about any other type. on top of that, knives like the lawman and ak47(new ones)are very light and easy to carry. slim profiles.

cold steel is about bringing to market very affordable, extremely tough knives, built to last. you have no problem reccomending an overbuilt knife like the zt200 for edc, but slam on the tri ad lock for being "too strong"? of course i prefer my 200 to my ak47, but the ak has just as much sturdiness and confidence at way less price. their aus8 isnt junk, most everyone who uses it is surprised at how it performs.

please point out a line of knives in the same price range that can beat cold steel at its own game. whatever you think is close, its not going to have the tri ad lock, so it wont be close.
 
I have one of the original ak47s and love it. Its the one with the aluminum handles. I really don't think the weight is too bad so if you get the newer one in g10 its a little lighter. The ak is for sure one of my favorite edc knives. Usually I carry an edc knife and a self defence knife but I if I'm carrying the ak its pretty much has both uses so I don't bother carrying another one with it.
I hoped this helped
 
jakeyjake4528 said:
you talk as if 50 to 70 dollars is a lot to spend on a knife that has more then adequate steel and a lock that sorry, can withstand more abuse then just about any other type. on top of that, knives like the lawman and ak47(new ones)are very light and easy to carry. slim profiles.

cold steel is about bringing to market very affordable, extremely tough knives, built to last. you have no problem reccomending an overbuilt knife like the zt200 for edc, but slam on the tri ad lock for being "too strong"? of course i prefer my 200 to my ak47, but the ak has just as much sturdiness and confidence at way less price. their aus8 isnt junk, most everyone who uses it is surprised at how it performs.

please point out a line of knives in the same price range that can beat cold steel at its own game. whatever you think is close, its not going to have the tri ad lock, so it wont be close.
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IMO 50-70 is high for AUS-8 considering what other steels you can get today. I don't think that the tri-ad lock is flawed for being too strong, but I do think that it will provide no appreciable difference. Knives usually don't break because people put too much pressure on the back of the blade. People quote the lock strength all the time, but that would only matter if you actually needed that feature. Kind of like the company that brags about their "triple heat treated blades."

As I said before, the Manix 2 is a very strong knife in that price range. And just because it doesn't have the magical extra stop pin of the tri-ad lock doesn't mean it isn't strong. Even if lock strength against a closing force did matter that much, there are a lot of locks that are about as strong as the tri-ad.
 
Tsujigiri said:
Cold Steel knives are made in Taiwan, have fairly cheap finishing, and not much support for warranty.
Click to expand...

I don't personally own any Cold Steel knives, but the one's I've handled in sporting goods stores have shown good fit and finish. The fit and finish was good enough to make me consider purchasing one, but I ended up not buying any.
 
I really like the Triad locking knives by cold Steel. The AK47 feels like a very large knife in my pocket, so keep that in mind. I have owned the AK47, Lawman and recon folders in tanto and clip point. Out of the four I kept my Lawman when I sold off most of my knife collection. Though I do regret selling them and am seriously considering picking up another full set and the mini's as well, along with the TriAd voyagers when they come out later this year.
On the topic of ZT knives, they can cost more than twice the price of the Cold Steel triad locking knives, but are not as strong. They hold an edge better, but the blade geometry is not as good for cutting. While you can not easily make a knife stronger you can very easily make a knife sharper.
Personally I have many folding knives, I can rotate them out when they get dull and I'm feeling lazy. Or I can very easily sharpen them in a few minutes time. AUS8 stays plenty sharp for a 12 hour shift at work (cutting filtry lines on board a filthy fishing boat, cutting card board, stripping welding leads for repair, cutting garlock gaskets, scraping gaskets, etc) Also if I drop the knife in the bilge or the drink I'm not out $200

Just a few things to consider.
-Chris
 
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