- Joined
- Apr 18, 1999
- Messages
- 328
I have long been a fan of Cold Steel's products. So long, in fact, I bought and still have one of their early Urban Skinners with the leather sheath. Man, I am old.
Recently, I purchased an Extra Large Voyager Clip Point w/plain edge. I doubt this sparse review will be of great interest to many because this knife has been around for years and the SIFU is the very popular among those who crave larger knives.
Be that as it may, I was so impressed with this klnife, I thought I'd share my thoughts. In that I also have a SIFU Special Edition, I may even try to compare the two pieces. That might kick things up a notch or two.
Sharpness: The SIFU was sharper out of the box. This was a big surprise because CS has a reputation for out-of-the-box sharpness which I thought was second to none.
Blade Length: SIFU is one half inch longer.
Handle Comfort: SIFU wins by a hair due to the way in which the G-10 scales have been smoothed at the edges.
Handle Design: No question the SIFU's choil is a nice feature. However, I like the Navaja style of the Voyager grip too. The way it tapers at the butt is an aide to handling as is the slimness of the Voyager's grip. The Voyager's grip is made of Zytel, a combination of nylon and fiberglass I believe. The texture of the CS grip is much rougher than that of the older Voyagers or the SIFU. This makes for faster extraction from the pocket and better security in hand.
Clip Security and Design: Both the SIFU and Voyager clips offer tip up carry. Cold Steel's new black steel clip is wee but mighty. When Cold Steel announced the enhancements to their Voyage line would include a new steel clip, I was afraid they would use some cheap clip so they could say they had a detachable clip too. However, they came through, in my opinion. The clip is nicely curved and conforms with the contour of the handle. When clipped to my front jeans pocket, the butt of the knife just kind of "flows" out of the pocket. By this I mean, the butt of the knife doesn't jut abruptly out of my pocket. Because of the Navaja styling of the Voyager's handle and the curvature of the clip, it seems to be more concealed than my SIFU.
I respect the apparent thought Cold Steel put into designing this seemingly small component of their knife. Got a curved handle? Let's make a curved clip to match it. Makes sense to me.
Weight: Well, let me see. Which knife feels heavier. Clearly, the SIFU is the heavier piece. Voyager weighs 5 ounces. SIFU weighs 8 ounces on my trusty postage scale.
Lock Strength: I hope the SIFU is stronger. I do not test my knives by whacking them about. They cost too much. All I want them to do is function flawlessly and seperate material when required. I have no room in my life for things on which I cannot depend.
Care and Feeding: I believe the Voyager will get the nod here. For many years I have carried a 4 inch Voyager tanto plain edge. It is no longer pretty but it is as sharp a a strait razor, opens reliably, every time, and has been as strong as I need it to be. After years of service, there is no horizontal or verticle blade wobble. It is as tight as ever. There are no adjustments to be made. This is good because there are no screws to adjust. I am hopeful (and confident) the new 5 incher will provide the same reliable service.
Which to Carry?: I really like my SIFU and other REKAT knives. I must like them because I keep buying them. However, I will carry the 5 inch Voyager. Not only is it lighter in weight, it would cost less to replace if lost or was otherwise seperated from service. And as I said above, all I want from my knife is reliable fuction, reasonable strength, and a very sharp edge.
I hope this brief review is helpful.
Recently, I purchased an Extra Large Voyager Clip Point w/plain edge. I doubt this sparse review will be of great interest to many because this knife has been around for years and the SIFU is the very popular among those who crave larger knives.
Be that as it may, I was so impressed with this klnife, I thought I'd share my thoughts. In that I also have a SIFU Special Edition, I may even try to compare the two pieces. That might kick things up a notch or two.
Sharpness: The SIFU was sharper out of the box. This was a big surprise because CS has a reputation for out-of-the-box sharpness which I thought was second to none.
Blade Length: SIFU is one half inch longer.
Handle Comfort: SIFU wins by a hair due to the way in which the G-10 scales have been smoothed at the edges.
Handle Design: No question the SIFU's choil is a nice feature. However, I like the Navaja style of the Voyager grip too. The way it tapers at the butt is an aide to handling as is the slimness of the Voyager's grip. The Voyager's grip is made of Zytel, a combination of nylon and fiberglass I believe. The texture of the CS grip is much rougher than that of the older Voyagers or the SIFU. This makes for faster extraction from the pocket and better security in hand.
Clip Security and Design: Both the SIFU and Voyager clips offer tip up carry. Cold Steel's new black steel clip is wee but mighty. When Cold Steel announced the enhancements to their Voyage line would include a new steel clip, I was afraid they would use some cheap clip so they could say they had a detachable clip too. However, they came through, in my opinion. The clip is nicely curved and conforms with the contour of the handle. When clipped to my front jeans pocket, the butt of the knife just kind of "flows" out of the pocket. By this I mean, the butt of the knife doesn't jut abruptly out of my pocket. Because of the Navaja styling of the Voyager's handle and the curvature of the clip, it seems to be more concealed than my SIFU.
I respect the apparent thought Cold Steel put into designing this seemingly small component of their knife. Got a curved handle? Let's make a curved clip to match it. Makes sense to me.
Weight: Well, let me see. Which knife feels heavier. Clearly, the SIFU is the heavier piece. Voyager weighs 5 ounces. SIFU weighs 8 ounces on my trusty postage scale.
Lock Strength: I hope the SIFU is stronger. I do not test my knives by whacking them about. They cost too much. All I want them to do is function flawlessly and seperate material when required. I have no room in my life for things on which I cannot depend.
Care and Feeding: I believe the Voyager will get the nod here. For many years I have carried a 4 inch Voyager tanto plain edge. It is no longer pretty but it is as sharp a a strait razor, opens reliably, every time, and has been as strong as I need it to be. After years of service, there is no horizontal or verticle blade wobble. It is as tight as ever. There are no adjustments to be made. This is good because there are no screws to adjust. I am hopeful (and confident) the new 5 incher will provide the same reliable service.
Which to Carry?: I really like my SIFU and other REKAT knives. I must like them because I keep buying them. However, I will carry the 5 inch Voyager. Not only is it lighter in weight, it would cost less to replace if lost or was otherwise seperated from service. And as I said above, all I want from my knife is reliable fuction, reasonable strength, and a very sharp edge.
I hope this brief review is helpful.
