Safe Keeper Series:
The Safe Keeper series consisted of 3 models…I, II, and III…but only the I and II were available at first. The I was the longest, and is the largest push-dagger CS has made to date. The II was similar to the Terminator/Defender I, and the III was almost identical to the Urban Skinner/Defender II. In fact, the blade lengths are the same, but the necks on the Safe Keepers were lengthened a little, increasing the overall length a bit. The blood-grooves on the Terminator/Defender I are gone, which makes the blades a little plain in my opinion.
Period:
Safe Keeper I: 1996 - 1999
Safe Keeper II: 1996 – 2005; 2007; 2010 - 2016
Safe Keeper III: 1998 – 2005; 2007; 2010 - 2016
Blade Steel: AUS8A (1996 – 2000); bead-blasted 420 Sub Zero Quench (2001 - 2005); 4116 Krupp (2007); AUS 8A (2010 – 2016)
Blade Length / Overall Length:
Safe Keeper I: 5" / 7 5/8"
Safe Keeper II: 3 3/4" / 6 3/8"
Safe Keeper III: 2 3/4" / 5"
Blade Markings: Unlike the Terminator/Defender, the Safe Keeper series has nothing on the handle. For models up to 2005, they have the SAFE KEEPER I, II, or III logo on one side, and the COLD STEEL logo over “Made in Japan” or “Made in Taiwan” on the other side. Not sure about the newer models, but I have seen pix online that show only “China” or “Taiwan” under the COLD STEEL logo.
Sheath: Kydex (1996 – 1998); Concealex (1999 - 2000); Secure-Ex (2001 - 2016). A lot of variation here. Some of the earlier sheaths had one side that was totally flat, while the other side had the blade “bulge” and belt clip. Others had the bulge on one side and the clip on the other.
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Safe Maker Series:
The Safe Maker series consists of 2 models…I and II. Both are double-edged. The most distinguishing, and controversial characteristic, is the "chisel-ground" blade. The back of the blade is basically flat (slightly concave), while the front is ground down to the edge. The blood-groove from the Terminator/Defender I makes its return on the Safe Maker (but only on one side). Another nice feature is that the Kraton is extended partially down the neck so that it is more comfortable between the fingers.
Period: 2006 - Present
Blade Steel: AUS 8A (2006 – 2014); VG-1 (2015 – 2016); AUS 8A with stone wash finish (2017)
Blade Length / Overall Length:
Safe Maker I: 4 1/2" / 6 3/8"
Safe Maker II: 3 1/4" / 5"
I believe these blade lengths include part of the neck, making them seem longer than they really are.
Blade Markings: Mine have the SAFE MAKER I or II logo on one side, and the COLD STEEL logo and JAPAN on the other side in one line. I have seen some pix online that show the new COLD STEEL logo over “AUS 8A Taiwan”. Not sure when this changed.
Sheath: Secure-Ex
Here is a comparison pic of a few CS push-daggers. From left to right: Terminator/Defender I, Safe Keeper II, Safe Maker I, and Safe Keeper I:
Can see that the blade lengths are basically the same on the Terminator/Defender, SK II, and SM I, but the neck length varies. Can also see how much larger the SK I is compared to the others.