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- Dec 7, 2019
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Today I wanted to share my first impressions of the Cold Steel Spartan. In brief, I found mine solidly built, sharp out-of-the-box, and satisfyingly hefty. No glaring fit and finish issues were noted on my unit. Cons for some users may include the stiff Tri-Ad lock, the chunky pocket footprint, and the recurve blade potentially making sharpening challenging. That’s the gist of all I write in this essay.
Although this is not an in-depth long-term review, I thank you for your time should you care to stay for the rest of the writeup. Let’s take a look at the specs:
Overall length: 10.5”
Blade length: 4.5”
Weight: 9 oz.
Blade steel: Aus10a
Handle material: Griv-Ex hard plastic with steel liners
Center point of balance: Just behind the pivot or about 5” from the handle’s butt end
Price on BladeHQ: $74.95
Beginning with the handle scales, Griv-Ex is a solid choice for moderate to hard-use mid-tier folders. On its own, the material provides good traction and at no point did I feel like losing control of the knife. The tiger stripes style texturing serves more than just aesthetics apparently, as the valleys and flats keep your palm and fingers steady on the handle surface. I still prefer G10 by a slight margin, but Griv-Ex works too.
If the images fail to convey it, this knife will take over significant pocket room. Handle width is just shy of 1.75 cm. and tallness while closed is about 5.5 cm, something to consider for the purposes of EDC and non-permissive environments (NPEs). If you’re gonna be around folks who think the Para 3 is scary, don’t whip the Spartan out.
The handle profile itself is certainly... interesting. The Spartan’s handle is based on the Kopis, an inwardly curved single-edged sword used by ancient Greek cavalry and infantry. I commend Cold Steel for effectively translating what worked so well on a 2000-year-old design into a tool that slides in your pocket. Gripping the meaty ergonomic handle locks your hand in place. The drawbacks include the bulky footprint in the pocket, added weight (also in part due to the steel liners), and the finger choils possibly squeezing larger or gloved hands.
Another nitpick I have with Cold Steel’s folders is the stiff pocket clip. It’s a bit of a challenge to slide the pocket clip in and out. My one-minute remedy is to loosen the clip screws ever so slightly, making for a more forgiving grab on the pocket. It isn’t terribly deep carry but I’m pleased to see not a lot of handle is sticking out (coughs in Mini American Lawman).
I generally don’t think of my knives as self-defense implements, but in a pinch, the handle’s butt end makes for an effective impact device. I do not advocate violence, but if you have to smack that sucker on someone hellbent on killing you, they’re gonna feel that blunt end. It’s basically a nine-ounce hard plastic kubotan with steel inserts.
Onto the recurve blade. The factory edge Aus10a steel was excellent, passing the paper test without a hitch. It cuts like a dream. I’m not exactly sure if it’s a saber or hollow grind, but based on lighting it seems to be more of the latter. The blade stock is fairly thick and appropriate for this style of knife at about 0.3 cm. If you’re looking for a needle tip, this knife may not be for you. The Spartan trades a pointy PM2-like tip for a thicker, more robust point. It’s still fairly pointy though, mind you. I look forward to seeing how this blade performs in light chopping (slender trees, thin branches, etc.), whittling, and food prep.
This knife will be a challenge to sharpen on a flat stone, but you shouldn’t have any issues with a Spyderco Sharpmaker or a Worksharp. As for me, as a rookie sharpener still, my humble Lanksy sharpening rods kit serves my needs just fine.
One-handed deployment was a tad tricky at first because of the Spartan’s sheer size, but muscle memory takes over eventually. The thumbplate, which I enjoyed on the Rajah and AK-47 platforms, works like a charm on the Spartan as well. I can only describe deployment as heavy but smooth all throughout, much like a DA revolver’s trigger pull. There is some resistance from the back lock as you open it, but not enough to make the experience unpleasant. Also, because of that resistance, detent is excellent. You shouldn’t have to worry about accidental openings with this bad boy. Slow roll open or wave it, the choice is yours.
Lockup, as usual, is fantastic. I have yet to have a CS folder with bladeplay in any direction. I do hope that Cold Steel continues to work with the Taiwanese factories and teams that make their knives, since fit and finish for the most part are consistently tight. The Tri-Ad lock clacks with authority. Nothing more needs to be said on that front.
The only drawback here is that lock disengagement can be a bitch sometimes. Difficult, but doable. If my skinny ass hands can do it, so can you. For safety reasons, I recommend closing the knife with two hands and looking at it as you do so. The Spartan also has that “guillotine snap” as it closes, so be mindful of that.
(EDIT 7/6/2020: After a few cycles of deploying and closing, lock disengagement finally hit that sweet spot. It’s still WAAAY heavier than a Spyderco back lock mind you, but the Spartan closes easier nowadays. Really satisfying now. Either that, or my grip strength improved over the quarantine (press X to doubt).
For first time Tri-Ad lock buyers, this is something to consider. CS back locks in general will be heavier than the other back locks on the market. Nothing to worry about. My folders eventually “broke in” with use.
However, if lock disengagement is practically impossible even for Brock Lesnar, have your knife exchanged. Never happened to me before though.)
Finally, for philosophy of use, I can see the Spartan serving as a woods or camp companion. In case you lose or break your machete/hatchet/Bowie, in a pinch, the Spartan can get work done.
In sum, the Spartan is a rugged dependable tool. Depending on your profession and lifestyle of course, it may not be as practical as the Benchmade 940 or the Spyderco Paramilitary 2, both excellent EDC knives that are lighter and more compact. But where those two are sleek racecar knives, the Spartan is the big bad truck that’s super necessary for “offroad applications.”
Here are size comparisons with other knives:
Although this is not an in-depth long-term review, I thank you for your time should you care to stay for the rest of the writeup. Let’s take a look at the specs:
Overall length: 10.5”
Blade length: 4.5”
Weight: 9 oz.
Blade steel: Aus10a
Handle material: Griv-Ex hard plastic with steel liners
Center point of balance: Just behind the pivot or about 5” from the handle’s butt end
Price on BladeHQ: $74.95
Beginning with the handle scales, Griv-Ex is a solid choice for moderate to hard-use mid-tier folders. On its own, the material provides good traction and at no point did I feel like losing control of the knife. The tiger stripes style texturing serves more than just aesthetics apparently, as the valleys and flats keep your palm and fingers steady on the handle surface. I still prefer G10 by a slight margin, but Griv-Ex works too.
If the images fail to convey it, this knife will take over significant pocket room. Handle width is just shy of 1.75 cm. and tallness while closed is about 5.5 cm, something to consider for the purposes of EDC and non-permissive environments (NPEs). If you’re gonna be around folks who think the Para 3 is scary, don’t whip the Spartan out.
The handle profile itself is certainly... interesting. The Spartan’s handle is based on the Kopis, an inwardly curved single-edged sword used by ancient Greek cavalry and infantry. I commend Cold Steel for effectively translating what worked so well on a 2000-year-old design into a tool that slides in your pocket. Gripping the meaty ergonomic handle locks your hand in place. The drawbacks include the bulky footprint in the pocket, added weight (also in part due to the steel liners), and the finger choils possibly squeezing larger or gloved hands.
Another nitpick I have with Cold Steel’s folders is the stiff pocket clip. It’s a bit of a challenge to slide the pocket clip in and out. My one-minute remedy is to loosen the clip screws ever so slightly, making for a more forgiving grab on the pocket. It isn’t terribly deep carry but I’m pleased to see not a lot of handle is sticking out (coughs in Mini American Lawman).
I generally don’t think of my knives as self-defense implements, but in a pinch, the handle’s butt end makes for an effective impact device. I do not advocate violence, but if you have to smack that sucker on someone hellbent on killing you, they’re gonna feel that blunt end. It’s basically a nine-ounce hard plastic kubotan with steel inserts.
Onto the recurve blade. The factory edge Aus10a steel was excellent, passing the paper test without a hitch. It cuts like a dream. I’m not exactly sure if it’s a saber or hollow grind, but based on lighting it seems to be more of the latter. The blade stock is fairly thick and appropriate for this style of knife at about 0.3 cm. If you’re looking for a needle tip, this knife may not be for you. The Spartan trades a pointy PM2-like tip for a thicker, more robust point. It’s still fairly pointy though, mind you. I look forward to seeing how this blade performs in light chopping (slender trees, thin branches, etc.), whittling, and food prep.
This knife will be a challenge to sharpen on a flat stone, but you shouldn’t have any issues with a Spyderco Sharpmaker or a Worksharp. As for me, as a rookie sharpener still, my humble Lanksy sharpening rods kit serves my needs just fine.
One-handed deployment was a tad tricky at first because of the Spartan’s sheer size, but muscle memory takes over eventually. The thumbplate, which I enjoyed on the Rajah and AK-47 platforms, works like a charm on the Spartan as well. I can only describe deployment as heavy but smooth all throughout, much like a DA revolver’s trigger pull. There is some resistance from the back lock as you open it, but not enough to make the experience unpleasant. Also, because of that resistance, detent is excellent. You shouldn’t have to worry about accidental openings with this bad boy. Slow roll open or wave it, the choice is yours.
Lockup, as usual, is fantastic. I have yet to have a CS folder with bladeplay in any direction. I do hope that Cold Steel continues to work with the Taiwanese factories and teams that make their knives, since fit and finish for the most part are consistently tight. The Tri-Ad lock clacks with authority. Nothing more needs to be said on that front.
The only drawback here is that lock disengagement can be a bitch sometimes. Difficult, but doable. If my skinny ass hands can do it, so can you. For safety reasons, I recommend closing the knife with two hands and looking at it as you do so. The Spartan also has that “guillotine snap” as it closes, so be mindful of that.
(EDIT 7/6/2020: After a few cycles of deploying and closing, lock disengagement finally hit that sweet spot. It’s still WAAAY heavier than a Spyderco back lock mind you, but the Spartan closes easier nowadays. Really satisfying now. Either that, or my grip strength improved over the quarantine (press X to doubt).
For first time Tri-Ad lock buyers, this is something to consider. CS back locks in general will be heavier than the other back locks on the market. Nothing to worry about. My folders eventually “broke in” with use.
However, if lock disengagement is practically impossible even for Brock Lesnar, have your knife exchanged. Never happened to me before though.)
Finally, for philosophy of use, I can see the Spartan serving as a woods or camp companion. In case you lose or break your machete/hatchet/Bowie, in a pinch, the Spartan can get work done.
In sum, the Spartan is a rugged dependable tool. Depending on your profession and lifestyle of course, it may not be as practical as the Benchmade 940 or the Spyderco Paramilitary 2, both excellent EDC knives that are lighter and more compact. But where those two are sleek racecar knives, the Spartan is the big bad truck that’s super necessary for “offroad applications.”
Here are size comparisons with other knives:
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