Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter for 2015 in CTS XHP steel and G10

You guys did a great job on the blades... IMHO the factory blade design does not make it an "Ultimate" Hunter... CS should redesign the blade using your modifications as a model.
When I think Ultimate, that means the best all around hunting knife, and I really don't think that holds true with the factory shape, because of the lack of a pronounced point.
 
Gary, thanks to you I just received mine in the mail today and I have to say it may be the nicest CS folder I have ever purchased. Thanks for the review as I never would have gotten it had it not been for your review.
 
Pretty well done by CS I think too ! glad you like her and cuts well also.
Enjoy sir!
G2
 
Re sharpening will be the real test for me. Once it blunts I will put a 15 dps angle on it.
 
That's the ticket, unless a knife arrives in need of a sharpening, I hate to shorten the life of any blade unnecessarily.

G2
 
This knife looks perfect for me in the ER. the g10 is grippy even with bloody gloves and the CTS blade is promising of long life service... only time will tell...

Sent from my SM-G900R4 using Tapatalk
 
It's a great looking knife. On my short list for ones I want to pick up for EDC or Camping.

Thanks for the review and details on the mods you made.
 
I had to revive this thread to thank all you guys for the good info and to update it a little. I just got a new one in S35VN, which I like a lot. I haven’t owned anything in XHP so I can’t compare, but, despite cold steel saying it’s 60 to 61 RC, it definitely seems softer than a white river at 58-60 and a ZT, both S35VN. Don’t know how the edge will hold but it’s way easier to get a true hair popping edge than just about any knife I own.
After a lot of searching, it’s the best all purpose folding hunter for my needs. I love the long handle. It’s perfect for extra large hands gutting, hacking and skinning for 45 to 50 minutes straight. I ground a bunch off the spine, leaving it still a drop point but with a lot less "hump" and a lot pointier. I took it apart and polished the metal to metal surfaces, added some jumping and a sharpening notch and fixed the retarded clip, including rounding the inside corners so it doesn’t eat my high dollar hunting pants.
The test will be, aside from edge retention cutting hide and scraping on bone, how easy it will be to clean fat and gunk out of the locking mechanism.
 
:) Mine's the S35VN also .

I did some whittling and carving on some hardwood . Did not notice any dulling of the edge at all . Not exactly scientific , but works for me ! :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:

The handle is better than most folders for actually using . Fills the hand more .

 
Yeah I agree about the handle. And no complaints about the S35VN. It seems to be a little more workable and forgiving than S30V. You know you’ve got a good knife when you keep picking it up and fondling it when you don’t need to use it. Can’t wait to put it to its intended use. Cold Steel has a winner there, even if it needs a little modification.
 
Just got one myself in S35V as well. Has anyone else seen a gap under the lock bar whether closed or opened? I have handled a couple where the lock bar is easily noticably proud of the handle "spine", if you will, and an easily noticable gap under the lock bar when closed, less so when opened. My current one is minimal in either position and the best of all three I've handled; if I hadn't seen the others first don't know that I'd even noticed it on my current knife.

Anyone else seen this on theirs? You can see what I mean in this stock photo from BladeHQ which made me feel less concerned about it, though the other two I had it seemed borderline unacceptable.

https://images.app.goo.gl/LfweebAMHyaGQpfQ6

Is this a normal variation and will improve with use of the lock mechanism or is it a quality control thing?
 
beestokk said:
Just got one myself in S35V as well. Has anyone else seen a gap under the lock bar whether closed or opened? I have handled a couple where the lock bar is easily noticably proud of the handle "spine", if you will, and an easily noticable gap under the lock bar when closed, less so when opened. My current one is minimal in either position and the best of all three I've handled; if I hadn't seen the others first don't know that I'd even noticed it on my current knife.

Anyone else seen this on theirs? You can see what I mean in this stock photo from BladeHQ which made me feel less concerned about it, though the other two I had it seemed borderline unacceptable.

https://images.app.goo.gl/LfweebAMHyaGQpfQ6

Is this a normal variation and will improve with use of the lock mechanism or is it a quality control thing?
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:p You made me look at mine . Sure enough it is the slightest bit "proud" but I'd never even noticed .

Mine has a very smooth opening and closing , with a completely solid lockup ...so I'm very happy . :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:

These locks are designed to be self-adjusting , so that maybe after many years of wear you might have the lock bar sink down a little into the frame . But that would happen only in the part over the front , near the pivot IIRC .

Unless it's really bothersome to you aesthetically , I wouldn't be concerned . :)
 
DocJD said:
:p You made me look at mine . Sure enough it is the slightest bit "proud" but I'd never even noticed .

Mine has a very smooth opening and closing , with a completely solid lockup ...so I'm very happy . :cool::thumbsup::thumbsup:

These locks are designed to be self-adjusting , so that maybe after many years of wear you might have the lock bar sink down a little into the frame . But that would happen only in the part over the front , near the pivot IIRC .

Unless it's really bothersome to you aesthetically , I wouldn't be concerned . :)
Click to expand...
Right on. My thoughts exactly. Does yours also have the small gap under the lock bar?
 
beestokk said:
Right on. My thoughts exactly. Does yours also have the small gap under the lock bar?
Click to expand...
:) No . Not if I'm understanding what you mean . I see no gap under the lock bar in any phase of opening / closing on my UH . :confused:

On my Black Talon 2 , there is such a gap , and very obvious when the blade is about 1/2 opened . I think it's normal for that knife, at least . ;)
 
DocJD said:
:) No . Not if I'm understanding what you mean . I see no gap under the lock bar in any phase of opening / closing on my UH . :confused:

On my Black Talon 2 , there is such a gap , and very obvious when the blade is about 1/2 opened . I think it's normal for that knife, at least . ;)
Click to expand...
Yeah, see the BladeHQ image I linked to in above post - that's what I'm talking about. Based on that and your Black Talon comment it seems that it may just be a variable among individual blades (or among Triad locks? I have a large Voyager that doesn't show this, unlike all three of the UH's I've handled to varying degree as mentioned) that likely has no functional impact.
 
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Thought I’d write a little review after putting it to its intended use (gutting, dismembering and skinning game). Bottom line: the S35VN blade is pretty much crap. I have my doubts that it even IS S35VN. It is supposedly heat treated to about 61. The knife I had for comparison is a white river, also S35VN, treated to 58-60. No exaggeration here, it held an edge at least 5 times, maybe 8 or 10 times as long as the Cold Steel. The 2 blades were sharpened to the same angle, etc. I have a half dozen 440C blades that will put it to shame and I’m thinking that a couple of my bargain basement AUS8 blades will outdo it. I was wondering about this knife because it felt a lot "grippier" when touching up on a ceramic, but I REALLY wanted to like it. One other small aggravation about it is the gap between the blade and the lock bar when open. It tends to collect gunk in it then it gets transferred to the locking surface of the blade when you close it. I could live with that if it could skin more than 1 square foot of hide without getting duller than a hoe.
 
B bedrock
I don't know why anyone knowledgable would settle for S35VN over the XHP version. I had two of the XHP blades and had one sent off for a regrind. That knife is now my "go to" folder for hunting-related duties, though I use and prefer a fixed blade to any folder. That said, the CS XHP UH will cut all day and I find it's extraordinarily easy to touch up and keep sharp. My second one, which I originally purchased as a backup in case something happened to my primary one, I finally sold realizing that unless I lose my primary UH, I will never ever need or use the backup. Funny thing is, it took listing it a few times here before it finally sold, and at less than the price of a new S35VN for that matter. I tried to tell people how awesome the XHP is, but because it is not the "flavor of the week", all I heard was a lot of yearning for the S35VN blade.

Maybe sell the S35Vn and go find a used XHP somewhere. It will probably cost you more, but they are awesome blades and I think you will like that one.
 
on_the_edge said:
B bedrock
I don't know why anyone knowledgable would settle for S35VN over the XHP version. I had two of the XHP blades and had one sent off for a regrind. That knife is now my "go to" folder for hunting-related duties, though I use and prefer a fixed blade to any folder. That said, the CS XHP UH will cut all day and I find it's extraordinarily easy to touch up and keep sharp. My second one, which I originally purchased as a backup in case something happened to my primary one, I finally sold realizing that unless I lose my primary UH, I will never ever need or use the backup. Funny thing is, it took listing it a few times here before it finally sold, and at less than the price of a new S35VN for that matter. I tried to tell people how awesome the XHP is, but because it is not the "flavor of the week", all I heard was a lot of yearning for the S35VN blade.

Maybe sell the S35Vn and go find a used XHP somewhere. It will probably cost you more, but they are awesome blades and I think you will like that one.
Click to expand...
Amazon is selling what is advertised as a Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter XHP, then looked at multiple reviews where the customer states that they bought the advertised XHP, but received the S35N version. They were understandably pissed. :eek:
 
Ballenxj said:
Amazon is selling what is advertised as a Cold Steel Ultimate Hunter XHP, then looked at multiple reviews where the customer states that they bought the advertised XHP, but received the S35N version. They were understandably pissed. :eek:
Click to expand...
Wow!!! I would be a little more than that! :thumbsdown::thumbsdown::thumbsdown:
 
Never really thought to hunt for a used XHP version. I have 3 other S35VN blades that are great. If this one was anywhere near as good I’d be happy. Might have something to do with the fact that those 3 are made in the USA and the cold Steel is Taiwan. Apparently I’m NOT that knowledgeable. Live and learn I guess.
 
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