Cold Steel "Brave Heart"

4

4W4K3

Joined
Dec 13, 2006
Messages
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This is my first knife review, I hope you guys find it informative. If not I'm sure you'll tell me, right? :p

So let's begin.

Specs;

Weight: 2.8 oz.
Blade: 4"
Thick: 2.8mm
Overall: 7 3/4"
Handle: Kraton®
Sheath: Secure-Ex®
Steel: AUS 8A Stainless

I've had the Cold Steel "Brave Heart" knife since Christmas morning, when it was gifted to me. I was drawn to it for the blade shape/design, blade material, and low cost. This knife retails at $71.99, but can usually be found for under $50 shipped online. I know for a fact mine was purchased at Amazon.com for under $50.

The Brave Heart is a fixed blade design, with no guard. It has jimping on the top of the blade for your viewing/gripping pleasure, and comes with a sheath and lanyard/chain for neck carry.

First impressions were good. The size is "just right" in my hands, and I have long fingers with average sized palms. I can easily hold and grip this knife in various positions without any awkwardness. The blade is a bit thin at 2.8mm, but as far as the handle portion goes it's stout enough to hold with confidence as the Kraton material beefs it up.
The handle material is Kraton, and has a nick "tacky" feel to it. I've never dropped this knife while using it, even with slightly moist palms. It has little "nubs" in the Kraton that help grip, and a thumb groove on both sides that works great. I "pinch" the knife at this location with my thumb and pointer finger on the opposing side.

The knife came razor sharp out of the box. It slices through fruit and cardboard with no hesitation. I've used it for small food preparation, but mostly as a box and paper cutter. I have yet to need to sharpen it, so unfortunately I cannot comment on how it takes an edge. Fortunately though, I can say it holds the factory edge quite well when put up against light to moderate cutting tasks.

I carry this knife IWB, on my right hand side towards the back/hip. It slips away comfortably, and the sheath does an excellent job securing the blade. It takes a decent tug to get the blade free, nothing extreme. When re-sheathing the knife you just drop it in and give it a small push to "lock" back in place. The sheath has a grooved "tab" that pushes inward on the thumb groove in the handle to secure it. Not the most secure method, but I have yet to have the blade get loose at all, and it definitely isn't going to fall out. No rattles or looseness while sheathed.
The sheath attaches by a plastic clip on the back. This clip is unique in the fact that it can be completely removed if you wish, or can be flipped the other direction for a different carry position. If you wanted to carry with the handle pointing down (I don't recommend it personally) you could flip the clip and be on your way. A nice option from Cold Steel.

My criticisms;

This is not a knife for heavy cutting. The blade is thin compared to most fixed blade knives, and it only gets thinner the more you head toward the tip. I imagine it would be VERY easy to snap the tip on this knife, as it's almost a needle like point. Due care is necessary if you are going to be chopping up kindling or other harder materials. I would keep your force an cutting point as far "up" the blade (handle side) as possible, as it's thicker there.

The jimping on the top of the blade is a nice aesthetic feature. However, I question it's real purpose. I don't much think it has a real added benefit for gripping purposes, it just makes that section of the blade thinner up top. As I use the knife more and more my opinion may change, but thus far it's proved to be nothing more than a decorative feature of the knife.

Other than those two small gripes, I've been very happy with this knife. I carry it daily and have found many uses for it around the house and on my small travels. I feel it's well worth the money if you like the way it looks and the blade steel. I'm more than happy with AUS8A grade steel on a carry/EDC knife.

Pics

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EDIT: Not my picture, but here is the sheath for reference.
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Video of how I carry it, and how it prints (boring, but I figured someone might like to know).

 
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Much thanks for the review.
The Braveheart is one of my favorite prod. fixed blades, very slim and useful, though as with just about all prod. fixed blades, the sheath isn't the greatest.
I rather dislike the "tab" since it gets in the way of removing the knife, though it seems to help a bit with "guiding" the knifepoint into the sheath.
 
Love to see this knife as a drop point or clip point. I had an older version in Carbon V called the Culloden or something similar. I ended up breaking the tip off.
 
I love the knife, but hate the sheath. It's a clumsy affair with too much hold on the knife. It makes it a terrible inconvenience to withdraw the knife. If I end up getting one it'll need a custom sheath.
 
I don't have a pic of the sheath, but I added one to the original post from another website for reference.

A custom sheath would be cool, although I don't know if anyone currently makes one for this knife. You'd likely spend more on the sheath than on the knife if you had one made from fancy materials, but you could also probably spend less and get one made up of lesser materials.
 
The knife being patterned after the sgian dubh, has always appealed to me as one of Scottish descent. I appreciate the review.
 
When you talk about cutting fruit & cardboard, and chopping, I'd think you've missed the purpose behind this (and the Culloden).
It's a weapon, not a utility blade. The thin blade is not a negative, nor is the relatively weak tip. A small dagger-type blade is built for thrust and slash use on live tissue, not hard wood. As such, it usually is not used daily, tip strength is less important than with utility knives, thinness requires less effort to insert and slice with live tissue, and edge retention isn't even a huge factor.
Can't imagine why anybody would buy one for general purpose uses. :)
I carried the Culloden for several years in uniform, the tip remains intact. When I wanted to cut something, I used a knife intended for cutting.
Denis
 
You're right, I can't really review it's self defense purpose as I have yet to need it for such purpose. I guess one could set up some dead animal flesh (pig, turkey, etc?) and slice and dice...but there's nowhere for me to do that in my apartment lol.
 
Looked at your video.
Works well for concealment, but if I tried to use it regularly from that position I'd cut hell out of myself in sheathing the thing. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and bloodily. :)
Looks very awkward for daily use.
Preferences vary.
Denis
 
very good for a first review:thumbup: i found it very informative. thanks!

my culloden still gets carried often. i chose the serrated edge model because i thought the carbon V plain edge version would rust pretty easily carried next to the body all day. it is one of the best self defense knives around imo.

i'm waiting on someone to review the caledonian edge from cold steel. i think it just looks cool.
http://www.coldsteel.com/caledonianedge.html
 
Thanks for the review. The Braveheart looks like a nice little sgian dubh, but I wish they had just kept the Mini Culloden. I really prefer it's traditionally shaped thistle top handle. I only wear my Culloden when I wear a kilt, but I appreciate how much it looks like a victorian style sgian dubh.
 
DPris said:
Looked at your video.
Works well for concealment, but if I tried to use it regularly from that position I'd cut hell out of myself in sheathing the thing. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and bloodily. :)
Looks very awkward for daily use.
Preferences vary.
Denis
Click to expand...

It's not a knife you want to re-sheath without looking lol. I lift up my shirt with my left hand and guide the blade back in with my right hand. This is where the little "tabs" on the sheath both help and hurt. They help to kind of guide you in the hole for the sheath, they hurt because you can't hold the handle of the knife on the sides once you get to a certain point. You have to let go and re-grasp it on the thin side or farther down the handle to push and lock it in all the way down. Not really a huge downer for me, but I've had a couple months of practice now so I'm used to it.
 
It might be a different matter if I weighed 79 pounds like you, but unfortunately I don't. :)

Denis
 
Excellent first review. :thumbup:

Been using my BraveHeart for over 1 year now on an almost daily basis for utility duties like opening boxes, letters and cutting fruit.

It is the most used knife in my house, including kitchen knives.

I keep in the side pocket of my lounge chair, don't wear it as such so maybe that's why I think the sheaf is great, wish I could get similar ones for my other fixed blade knives.

Of the 14 knives I purchased last year, my Braveheart was the sharpest as received and is only now in need of sharpening.

This is my first Cold Steel product and it will not be the last as I'm looking at buying their RajahII folder this year.
 
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