Why do I hate Cold Steel?

Didn't crucible have a patent on their CPM process which stopped others using the same terminology. I'm not saying American CPM blade steels aren't state of the art and top tier. I'm just saying I'm pretty sure Bohler and Hitachi also use refined powder steel process as well that creates the same kind of results as crucible. I wouldn't say US companies have a monopoly on top of the range blade steel production. Hitachi and Bohler can produce steels just as refined with their in house process of Micro melt, and Hitachi powder steel process.
 
The end of an era.........:(
Fun/funny videos. Rugged products.

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I’ve never owned a Cold Steel, but I do appreciate that they make strong folding knives that are also still slim/pocket friendly (recon1/lawman).

As opposed to pocket bricks like Medford’s and the like.
 
Jcsixx01 said:
I’ve never owned a Cold Steel, but I do appreciate that they make strong folding knives that are also still slim/pocket friendly (recon1/lawman).

As opposed to pocket bricks like Medford’s and the like.
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Their pocket clips / designs sure aren’t pocket friendly. I’ve owned many Cold Steels that would shred and pocket where it clips on in only a few on and offs. It’s probably the biggest reason I don’t own anymore Cold Steels besides their poor customer service. You shouldn’t have to bend clips, or put JB Weld under them, or remove clips and sand the handles under the clip on a new knife in order for it to clip on and off a pocket without destroying an expensive pair of pants. I don’t know who designs their pocket clips but he should have been fired long ago!
 
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I like, and own several Cold Steel knives.
Ofcourse, some better than others.
There marketing is obviously to show how sharp and tough their blades are, which convince people that if it can handle that kind of abuse, then it'll hold up to the uses most people expect of a knife.
Albeit, the graphic meat slashing conveys the comparison of what the blade could do to human flesh...
Some of the steel choice changes, i.e. 4116 Krupp steel, though...prefer the original AUS 8.
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uxo2 said:
For me it's the obnoxious TRUCK STOP
labelling.
Broken Skull

CST-54SBSLV_cold_steel_messer_broken_skull_V_light_Grey_xhp_steve_austin.jpg
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*In case some are unaware, this piece was a collab. with Steve Austin, & the knife named after his ranch.
-Also, I believe 'Cold Steel' is a great name for a knife co.
Choices...here's to the 'Knife Life' :thumbsup:
B.T.B. :cool:
 
dirc said:
so you did say that, about the steel.

but virtually all particle metallurgy (pm) steel is from american companies (ie - virtually all the high quality knife steel)

crucible - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucible_Industries
based out of new york state, and yes its had a rough history, but it's still local right?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpenter_Technology_Corporation
last I checked, they were an american company, traded on the NYSE
yes, they started/announced a mfg plant in china in 2012... but they didn't shut down production locally

the only other pm maker is austrian steel company böhler-uddeholm https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bohler-Uddeholm&redirect=yes
the 3 popular ones they make are elmax, v4e and vanax

yes, they are strong offerings - but my rough guess is it's not used in a large % of knife brands...
anyone really know??

so, educate me please, maybe my math is off:
if 2 out of 3 pm steel companies are in the usa, and the 3rd austrian company is not dominating, how is your statement actually true??


...
so if all that is the case, I think @Boru13 has a valid point calling your statement asinine

(this is an attack on the content of your posts, not on you)


but you introduced the concept of political left/right nonsense into this thread, which is completely nonsense, it just doesn't help with the discussion at all
just please don't even mention left/right politicians, it detracts from otherwise reasonable discussion
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Londinium Armoury said:
Didn't crucible have a patent on their CPM process which stopped others using the same terminology. I'm not saying American CPM blade steels aren't state of the art and top tier. I'm just saying I'm pretty sure Bohler and Hitachi also use refined powder steel process as well that creates the same kind of results as crucible. I wouldn't say US companies have a monopoly on top of the range blade steel production. Hitachi and Bohler can produce steels just as refined with their in house process of Micro melt, and Hitachi powder steel process.
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There are a lot of steel manufacturers making knife steel, and virtually all of them have PM capability.
US: Crucible, Carpenter/Latrobe
Japan: Hitachi, Aichi
Sweden: Uddeholm, Sandvik
Austria: Bohler
There's even at least one Chinese steel foundry making PM knife steel.

At this point, the most popular high-end powder steel is probably M390, which is a Bohler product.
 
vwb563 said:
Their pocket clips / designs sure aren’t pocket friendly. I’ve owned many Cold Steels that would shred and pocket where it clips on in only a few on and offs. It’s probably the biggest reason I don’t own anymore Cold Steels besides their poor customer service. You shouldn’t have to bend clips, or put JB Weld under them, or remove clips and sand the handles under the clip on a new knife in order for it to clip on and off a pocket without destroying an expensive pair of pants. I don’t know who designs their pocket clips but he should have been fired long ago!
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yep.

I just got a new version s35vn recon 1 tanto. they have made the g10 much smoother. the clip is still crap design and tight.......but I can put in pocket one handed and no shredding removing. i put a couple pennies under the clip to loosen it up and perfect. someone there finally figured out a pocket knife is no good if you cant get it out of your pocket.....finally.....
 
OrangeBlueOrangeBlue said:
There are a lot of steel manufacturers making knife steel, and virtually all of them have PM capability.
US: Crucible, Carpenter/Latrobe
Japan: Hitachi, Aichi
Sweden: Uddeholm, Sandvik
Austria: Bohler
There's even at least one Chinese steel foundry making PM knife steel.

At this point, the most popular high-end powder steel is probably M390, which is a Bohler product.
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That's what I was thinking, and it seems M390 is a little more popular than 20CV which is almost the exact same steel apart from a tiny trace amount of difference.
 
jbmonkey said:
yep.

I just got a new version s35vn recon 1 tanto. they have made the g10 much smoother. the clip is still crap design and tight.......but I can put in pocket one handed and no shredding removing. i put a couple pennies under the clip to loosen it up and perfect. someone there finally figured out a pocket knife is no good if you cant get it out of your pocket.....finally.....
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That’s good to hear. Took them long enough though. I’ve just about given up on CS. I love the Tri-Ad lock and the look of most of their knives but tired of clip design failures. I’m also tired of the lack of customer service. I broke a clip once trying to bend it up to relieve the super tight pocket shredding tension so I called and ordered a new clip. After about 5 phone calls checking on shipment and waiting about 3 months I finally received the new one which is ridiculous.
 
All other things aside, Cold Steel tri ad lock folders are the only true hard-use folders to me. Many of them are of great value as well. A Recon 1 with a 4" blade of s35vn steel and g10 handle that costs only $100? It's hard to find such a value in the market, if not impossible.
 
sharp_edge said:
All other things aside, Cold Steel tri ad lock folders are the only true hard-use folders to me. Many of them are of great value as well. A Recon 1 with a 4" blade of s35vn steel and g10 handle that costs only $100? It's hard to find such a value in the market, if not impossible.
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dlc coated too. I got my newest for 12 bucks less than that. when sales hit they are a true good deal.
 
the size of some of Coldsteel's knives are a bit comical but as far as their quality is concerned, for me, its always been there, one fine example is their Kudu lite keychain knife i bought for 10 bucks, it took He-man strength to break it, even after being submerged in swampy murk for water. alas --- to each their own
 
I started to dislike Cold Steel for several issues.


1. I've kinda started to be bothered by them insisting that knives are weapons.

2. Sheath issues - their Secure-ex will dull your knife. Incredibly poor choice of material. But also, if every Cold Steel knife is a battle ready weapon - then you'd expect it not to get dull from just carrying it.

3. Quality control lately - I got 3V Mini Pendleton that had gap on handle, and friend of mine had nasty sheath issues with that same knife. So they screwed up 2/2. There were also numerous other threads about their QC issues on CS forums.

4. Failure to deliver on their promises, and the way they handled it. By that I mean failure to make A2 knives, and the fact they didn't inform their retailers about it, as you could still pre order A2 models even months later after they announced that A2 models won't be made.

5. Steel downgrade. With time they started to really cheapen out on their steel, by that I mean on 8CR13MoV, 5Cr13Mov and 4034 stainless. While AUS-8 is nothing spectacular, it's a good steel, and 4116 is nothing to write home about - but it's still decent steel for a beater knife, and it's very affordable. So, with that being said it's very sad CS felt need to cheapen out even more and switch to 4034 which is just cheapest steel you can possibly obtain, and is usually used on e-bay wall hangers. And CS is going to make even their large fixed blades and Khukris out of that same steel LOL! Soon, entire CS line-up will be 4034... since it's everywhere from folders to large fixed blades.

6. Faked videos, from the edit where Lynn cuts bunch of pig carcases to the videos where his machete gets bent after single strike to jelly leg with fake bone...

7. Lynn throwing sales pitch about 4034 instead of telling us how it is. At that moment - his credibility was gone in my eyes.

8. Firing their entire crew for Christmas of 2020 which itself was really hard year for everyone.
 
Smiling said:
1. I've kinda started to be bothered by them insisting that knives are weapons.
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Well, knives are weapons. Period. Blades of all kinds are used as weapons all over this planet every day, and have been for a LONG time. The fact that reality bothers you doesn't change reality.
 
JAM said:
Well, knives are weapons. Period. Blades of all kinds are used as weapons all over this planet every day, and have been for a LONG time. The fact that reality bothers you doesn't change reality.
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The fact that they can be considered weapons, doesn't make them weapons. Just saying. In most cases they would be considered tools.

You may as well say a wrench is a weapon or a chair or anything else.
 
The fact a knife can be used as a tool does not mean it is not a weapon.

A pocket knife can be used to clean your nails or open an envelope. A pen can be used as a weapon. One of them you can carry on an airplane or into a courtroom and one you can't. Because people haven't generally chopped each other up with pens for thousands of years. It's really common sense.
 
Roy Batty said:
I’m sure Lynn is crying himself to sleep on top of a big pile of money every night.
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So, all that matters is money? Don't get me wrong, I have no dog in this fight and I have never owned a CS knife. And from what I've seen so far, I don't want one neither.
But only caring about money is a very sad thing. To each their own...
 
JAM said:
Well, knives are weapons. Period. Blades of all kinds are used as weapons all over this planet every day, and have been for a LONG time. The fact that reality bothers you doesn't change reality.
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No, knives are tools that can be used as a weapon, just like a hammer can be used as a weapon.
 
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