I really want to like CS's new Arkansas Toothpick, but...

There likely is a phone number on their website as well, but... If their website offers a manner to ask question(s) via writing and submitting it on that website, I don't feel I should have to then chase down an answer via phone call, or other method, simply because they may choose not to respond to it.
I will wait a little longer for some sort of response from them, or, hopefully soon my vendor will email me that the item is ready to ship.
If neither happens at some point within the next couple/few weeks, then maybe I'll just cancel the order and focus on some other doo-dad 😁
 
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I tried searching online for more specific material specs about this Arkansas Toothpick model from Cold Steel.

Thus far, the printed specs from Cold Steel has the blade being made out of 1055 carbon steel.

The wood being used for the handle is stated as being Malaysian Sal Wood.

They have the sheath listed as being made of leather.

Now, what has not been listed yet for material specs on this product are the following...

What is the material used for making the sheaths metal components, (chape and throat)?

And, more importantly, what material will the handguard and pommel be made of?

In the past, I would guess that CS would use nothing less than solid brass, nickel silver, or steel.
But, after seeing Cold Steel going to using plastic for the Chaos Push Knife's striker knob, (aka skull crusher or glass breaker), I actually am hopping they don't use a zinc/zamac or aluminum for these components of their new Arkansas Toothpick.

I mean, now under new GSM ownership, and with these not having come out yet onto the market, I hope they did not apply spec changes to penny pinch and truly cheapen the end result of this offering. If they make such components out of zinc or aluminum, it will totally keep this product from succeeding.
I think them going with the plastic striker knobs on the Chaos Push Knife, killed the product's chances from having any traction in it's sales. Once the word gets out there about the cheapened material being used, (via reviews and forums like this one), the desire for the items will fall sharply.

With reports of the new GSM staff not being too savvy on their CS offerings, it may also not be helpful for customers/potential customers in trying to track down bits of this type of information prior to the products actual release.

That all said, I went to their website and sent in the question again to them concerning a possible ETA of these knives, and... I also asked if they could please share with me the type of metal used on these knives to produce their sheath's metal components and the metal used for the handle's cross-guards and pommels.
And again, we shall see if they bother to respond.
 
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PocketKnifeJimmy said:
I tried searching online for more specific material specs about this Arkansas Toothpick model from Cold Steel.

Thus far, the printed specs from Cold Steel has the blade being made out of 1055 carbon steel.

The wood being used for the handle is stated as being Malaysian Sal Wood.

They have the sheath listed as being made of leather.

Now, what has not been listed yet for material specs on this product are the following...

What is the material used for making the sheaths metal components, (chape and throat)?

And, more importantly, what material will the handguard and pommel be made of?

In the past, I would guess that CS would use nothing less than solid brass, nickel silver, or steel.
But, after seeing Cold Steel going to using plastic for the Chaos Push Knife's striker knob, (aka skull crusher or glass breaker), I actually am hopping they don't use a zinc/zamac or aluminum for these components of their new Arkansas Toothpick.

I mean, now under new GSM ownership, and with these not having come out yet onto the market, I hope they did not apply spec changes to penny pinch and truly cheapen the end result of this offering. If they make such components out of zinc or aluminum, it will totally keep this product from succeeding.
I think them going with the plastic striker knobs on the Chaos Push Knife, killed the product's chances from having any traction in it's sales. Once the word gets out there about the cheapened material being used, (via reviews and forums like this one), the desire for the items will fall sharply.

With reports of the new GSM staff not being too savvy on their CS offerings, it may also not be helpful for customers/potential customers in trying to track down bits of this type of information prior to the products actual release.

That all said, I went to their website and sent in the question again to them concerning a possible ETA of these knives, and... I also asked if they could please share with me the type of metal used on these knives to produce their sheath's metal components and the metal used for the handle's cross-guards and pommels.
And again, we shall see if they bother to respond.
Click to expand...
Miss the pre-internet time. A fun trip to the mall cutlery shop and handling the new ones. Then getting to choose from inventory the best one. Same with guns.
 
nephron said:
Miss the pre-internet time. A fun trip to the mall cutlery shop and handling the new ones. Then getting to choose from inventory the best one. Same with guns.
Click to expand...
100% on that, Sir! 👍

Anyhow, with my not having any idea when they may finally be released onto the market, and my freshly being concerned of the possibility that they may use a low end metal for the guard and pommel, had me rethinking my decision to pre-order one.
So, I sent the vendor an email to cancel it.
I've placed pre-orders with this knife vendor before, and never backed out of one... Well, until now.

I'm sure something besides a Cold Steel product will soon enough be catching my attention 👍😁👍
 
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There I was, looking at this "upcoming" model again. Yup, Cold Steel still lists them on their website as "coming soon".
Anyhow, while checking out some photos of it here and there, I noticed something about the leather sheath and frog. What I see is the frog showing what looks like maybe Windlass Steelcrafts of India manufacturing traits.
The frog really looks so very much like the construction appearance found on the sheath of my CS 1917 Frontier Bowie knives, which is almost certainly made by Windlass Steelcrafts in India under Cold Steel contract.

I guess it wouldn't be crazy to think that Cold Steel would have the knife be made in Taiwan, while having the sheaths made in India.
It would be no different than KaBar's USMC utility/fighting knives that are made in NY State USA, while their sheaths are made in Mexico.



And here is how the 1917 Frontier Bowie' frog is made...



They are different, but their assembly traits screams as being from the one and the same Windless Steelcrafts.

It probably is a cost savings by having them done in India, and it's not something as likely to be made in Taiwan in the old school way that they make such goods in India.
If the leather sheath and frog are indeed being used for this model, them maybe the Malaysian Sal Wood handle is also being sourced from there.
 
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This thing keeps calling out my name!
I have all sorts of questions about it, but with them still not having been received and released by Cold Steel, they will remain a mystery until they do become available.

Yup, I again have my feelers out for this one.

Oh, where art thou, Cold Steel Arkansas Toothpick?! 😆
 
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PocketKnifeJimmy said:
I decided to go onto the Cold Steel website to find a contact method, which they do have on there.
I asked if they could give me a ballpark figure on the Arkansas Toothpick' estimated time of arrival. I did also write my full understanding that the pandemic has caused shortages and delays for just about everyone.

Anyhow, this is my first attempt to connect with this new ownership, so beyond my trying to get an answer to my question, it's also a test to see if their customer service even bothers to respond.

I will share here any response I may receive from them 👍
Click to expand...
As a follow up on my sending GSM's Cold Steel a question... They in fact did not respond.
Well, so much for that idea! 😆
 
It's amazing to me that the new GSM ownership continues to keep the public in the dark on so many of the products that people have been waiting for.
For example, this forum would be a great way to keep folks informed, and to give them hope that the company actually does care about their followers.
But, no, they put out an occasional video to further sell their product, but too busy to share some company product updates.
There really is no valid excuse for them not to give their customers, (and potential customers), a heads up on what they know and don't know about the delayed, or maybe even cancelled), products.

It seems that the "new for 2021" products, may actually become the "new for 2022" products... Well, maybe!
 
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I noticed something that seems a bit strange concerning a vendor of this product, (they having it as a pre-order item).
The vendor had their pre-order price originally set at $175.95. Some time went by, and then they dropped that price to $124.95.
Now I notice that their pre-order price tag has again been raised back up to their original $175.95.

I'm thinking the reason for this may be, (and it's only a guess), that Cold Steel has possibly informed their vendors of a necessary jump in their wholesale prices, (as most everything is costing quite a bit more for manufacturers and suppliers to obtain these days), and the vendor was likely forced to make it's price adjustment.
My guess is that it goes something like this... The vendor gets in a certain number of pre-order requests from their customers, and then the vendor calls Cold Steel to up their own pre-orders for the product. If when the vendor calls to up their numbers for them, Cold Steel informs them of a price increase on them, then the vendor will likely upwards adjust their own pricing to any more pre-orders that continue from customers visiting their website

Dunno, but I do find this sudden jump in the vendor's price to be a wee bit baffling, especially since not a one of them have been available yet to the consumer.

On a somewhat related note, I have been occasionally visiting the Cold Steel website to check when/if they have changed this product's listing as "available"... And recently have been encountering the following...



And... It now seems that I have to verify for every time I go there. So, until that changes, I am going to not click onto their website. I don't want to play the whole "click which color blah blah blah" thing every time I want to peruse their website.
 
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Out of sheer curiosity I just visited their website and no "Security Check" was required. I even checked on the Arkansas Toothpick and nothing unusual.
 
Hmm... Maybe it's a glitch on my end of some sort. The picture I put up above is a screenshot of what I have been encountering.

As for their Arkansas Toothpick... Still not in Cold Steel's hands.

The chances of it actually being available by year's end are about slim to none at this point.

Still, I'm on and off in having an interest in getting one.

I believe it's going to be a duo country made product, with the sheath, wood handle, and maybe even the cross-guard & pommel, being made in India, while the blade may be the Taiwan portion of it.
It's just a guess that I base on what I see of their stock pics (like it's sheath's styling/construction method), and their specs, (like the wood handle material).
If my guess is correct, then it would seem to have been Lynn Thompson' move towards combining the two different strong points of two of CS's contractors.
Whatever Taiwan vendor(s) they have been using, have been very good at making CS knife blades that are usually very consistent and likely efficiently made using stamped or cut out blade blanks that then likely mostly get finished up by using state of the art CNC machines.
The CS India source(s), with Windlass Steelcrafts being at least a big part of that, would likely be the source(s) to make most, if not all of the remaining components... Their strong points being the hand made natural aspects that they bring to the table, (those components likely being made of nickel silver, leather, and wood).
Even if my guess turns out to be a reality, I would imagine that GSM wouldn't want to deal with the hassle(s) of continuing to merge the components to make one product. It's something I could see Lynn Thompson attempting, but not something a company like GSM would prefer to do.
 
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I've taken a good look at Cold Steel' stock photos of their Arkansas Toothpick, my looking to see if any blade markings will be incorporated... Didn't see any.
I wonder if they'll be done like the products they have made in India, not having any exposed makings?
 
The response from GSM about the ETA for this product...


"We are expecting additional stock for this product around the beginning of April 2022."
 
It seems to be available now on the main site. I’m going to hold off until it’s confirmed that the blade is actually made in Taiwan, and not India.

Now, I do like the quality of their Indian supplier Universal Swords, and own a number of their blades, but IMO it wouldn’t be worth more than Windlass’s version of the toothpick that goes for around $90.
 
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