Why do knife snobs hate Cold Steel??

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sharp lupo said:
Im having mine done in a plain black micarta coffin as well as my Laredo and it will cost me $80. If he does a good job and Im happy Ill give him a $20 tip. So, two knives rehandled will cost me $100. Or $40 for one.

Check out Sunrise River Custom knives in Minnesota, he lives about
30 mins away from me.
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awesome!
i'm almost certainly going to do this then. thanks for the info, sharp lupo :thumbup::thumbup:
 
"Like CS top of the line steels vs others top of the line steel in the same price range.
I would put my money on my D2 and VG-10 vs the 8A, LOL!! "

I'm talking about the lock strength tests in particular, should have been more specific. I have knives of those steel types you've mentioned also. I'm not saying AUS8A is in same category as D2 in terms of edge retention etc, I get that. And Flatmtbr, who checks the tightness of the pivot screw upon arrival? i don't think I have ever done that prior to using any knife. By your logic I ought to have checked the torque on my 2010 Toyota's lugnuts before driving the car off of the lot?
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
Maybe that is what I will do with my American Lawman, go snap the tip off it on video. The tip on the American Lawman and the standard Manix 2 are essentially the same thickness according to my micrometer. If they are pushed the same (which they weren't in those videos) they will both have the same fate. Then people can refer back to my unscientific video anytime they want to counter that unscientific video.

As far as the lock on the Manix2, if everything was tight there would have been a different outcome. No one keeps driving when their car's temperature light comes on. And if they do they will probably be replacing or rebuilding the engine. If you keep pushing a knife that developed play from a lack of thread locker, you are also going to end up replacing the knife as well. If you want to blame the Spyderco for not having thread lock that is a valid complaint. Going beyond that is just trying to make the knife look bad (or the other look good).
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AUS-8A will bend long before it breaks, believe me I know, I have bent it before and straightened it out more than once on a few AUS-8 knives. ;)

154CM will snap.
 
crom said:
"I for one would like to see other companys go head to head with Cold Steels similar products "

Me too.

edit: search Ankerson's video with the head to head including the Spydie Manix & CS Lawman. Long story short; the Manix didn't do too well.
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I saw that video the day it was posted. Useful test. Disappointing result for the Manix 2. Especially because it is advertised as having a very strong lock.

Personally I would have preferred the Manix 2 with a back lock.
 
I understand about locks, clips, etc, etc, however, the purpose of a knife is to "Cut".
If using properly, a knife would not close as the pressure is in the opposite direction when slicing, push cutting, etc.
"If" I was worried about the lock, such as a fighting knife, I would (and do) use a fixed blade. (I do also understand we all have different needs in a knife and for me, cutting and edge retention is on top)

As far as checking the pivot screw, as soon as I get a knife, it is one of the first things I do, LOL!!
I am left handed and I check the pivot screw, usually it is too tight, but not always,
Then, I install the clip on the "right side" :)
Next, I oil the knife and that night, work it in, smooth it out and make sure all is adjusted to my liking..., but that's probably just me..., I like knives, LOL!
 
Ankerson said:
AUS-8A will bend long before it breaks, believe me I know, I have bent it before and straightened it out more than once on a few AUS-8 knives. ;)

154CM will snap.
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Why would you bend your blade?
I have a simple rule...,
I never cut with my pry bar and I never pry with my cutting tools.
When cutting, all the pressure in concentrated down, towards what I am cutting, never side to side..., it does not cut as well on the side of the blade, LOL!!
 
waynejitsu said:
Why would you bend your blade?
I have a simple rule...,
I never cut with my pry bar and I never pry with my cutting tools.
When cutting, all the pressure in concentrated down, towards what I am cutting, never side to side..., it does not cut as well on the side of the blade, LOL!!
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Testing knives over the years. :)
 
waynejitsu said:
As far as checking the pivot screw, as soon as I get a knife, it is one of the first things I do, LOL!!
I am left handed and I check the pivot screw, usually it is too tight, but not always,
Then, I install the clip on the "right side" :)
Next, I oil the knife and that night, work it in, smooth it out and make sure all is adjusted to my liking..., but that's probably just me..., I like knives, LOL!
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That is my exact routine too. I want my folder dialed in immediately. I don't think you're alone on that. ;)
 
waynejitsu said:
I understand about locks, clips, etc, etc, however, the purpose of a knife is to "Cut".
If using properly, a knife would not close as the pressure is in the opposite direction when slicing, push cutting, etc.
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Properly use? Accidents will happen. Almost all my folders pass a spine wack test with flying colors. Why would I accept less?

Also, I expect my knives to function properly out of the box.

I understand that it’s unreasonable to expect a folder to behave like a fixed blade, but I don’t routinely carry a fixed blade for practical reasons.
 
cziv said:
I'm not a CS fanboy by the farthest stretch of the imagination - but I'd love to see Benchmade, Spyderco and Kershaw put their knives through the same "hype" tests on video.

.
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Off topic a bit:

Though I think these videos would be entertaining I do not think we will ever see a knife fail in a company video. That would just be damn poor marketing of a brand. No one would advertise how good a knife is by showing what it takes to fail. Poor marketing guy would get fired immediately.

We will never know how many knives were broken, bent, failed in any videos as they can stop, cut and edit till it shows what they want it to show for their marketing.

I actually wish we could get videos of knives tested on the CATRA machines. I dont know why, I just like a machine that could do precise measurements and variables are all but eliminated. Even then no one would do such tests and show where the knives weak points are.

As for the original question. Everyone has their own opinion in these threads. Some will like CS others wont....Personal opinion.....trying to force someone out of their opinion will result in a few heated debates. S-E-A-R-C-H is your friend if you do not want to start a fire war.

Personally, their designs and AUS8 steel, black blades and handle shapes mostly do not appeal to my taste, so I have not bought one. Have used a few and they do what knives do. Cut.
 
jazub said:
awesome!
i'm almost certainly going to do this then. thanks for the info, sharp lupo :thumbup::thumbup:
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No worries man glad to help. Check his wedsite out for some pics of re handled CS knives. Really nice guy and Ive heard nothing but good things about him and his work.
 
cziv said:
That is my exact routine too. I want my folder dialed in immediately. I don't think you're alone on that. ;)
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Yeah, I like the knives "perfect", to my liking.
A lot of it has to do with the excitement of getting a new knife too. After adjusting, etc, it is not too much for me to watch TV and open/close the knife for hours, smoothing it out, breaking it in, finding any type of defect (such as a dragging blade, etc) and working all the "bugs" out.
It;s cool getting a "new toy" :jerkit: (that may be the motion of a new knife getting broke in:thumbup:
 
Ankerson said:
AUS-8A might not hold an edge like ZDP and some others but it's very tough and impact resistant. It makes for a good working knife steel because of that.
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I guess that is why I do not care for 8A. (cziv called me a "steel snob" :) That's cool, I guess I am, the better it cuts, the longer it holds an edge, the better for my uses.
I never bend or have any type of "impact" to my blades, I ONLY use them to cut.
I also own hammers, pry bars, screw drivers, etc and if it is hard to cut such as wire or cable, I also have wire cutters, cable cutters and bolt cutters.
It is always best to use the right tool for the job.
BTW, I love the ZDP too!!
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
Maybe that is what I will do with my American Lawman, go snap the tip off it on video. The tip on the American Lawman and the standard Manix 2 are essentially the same thickness according to my micrometer. If they are pushed the same (which they weren't in those videos) they will both have the same fate. Then people can refer back to my unscientific video anytime they want to counter that unscientific video.

.
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You think... ;)

I pushed the American Lawman harder than the Manix 2, hard enough to bend the tip on it so I did something. Put it in my vise and straightened it back out. ;)

The Manix 2 tip snapped right off like a dry twig, I knew that would happen before I even started the test though.

Different steels react differently to stress.

I can't believe you are still bellyaching over that test, it's long done and over, Spyderco fixed the small problem so it's over and done with.
 
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waynejitsu said:
I guess that is why I do not care for 8A. (cziv called me a "steel snob" :) That's cool, I guess I am, the better it cuts, the longer it holds an edge, the better for my uses.
I never bend or have any type of "impact" to my blades, I ONLY use them to cut.
I also own hammers, pry bars, screw drivers, etc and if it is hard to cut such as wire or cable, I also have wire cutters, cable cutters and bolt cutters.
It is always best to use the right tool for the job.
BTW, I love the ZDP too!!
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I told you waynejitsu it was a joke - cuz of the thread title ya know? You were right about what you said though VG-10 being tougher and all. Subtlety isn't your strong suit in humor or you're "jerking" my chain. Haven't figured it out yet?

I know one good knife was my CS Rajah 1 - the most major score ever on closeout - $99, or 2 for $150. They're selling for about $200 on fleabay now :eek:

I should have put off buying my annual 100 Silver Eagles and bought a boatload of Rajah 1's! :eek:
 
cziv said:
I told you waynejitsu it was a joke - cuz of the thread title ya know? You were right about what you said though VG-10 being tougher and all. Subtlety isn't your strong suit in humor or you're "jerking" my chain. Haven't figured it out yet?
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LOL!!
I am just "messin' with ya..., it's all good- :jerkit: :D
 
RafaelHerschel said:
I own several Voyager knives. Mid-level knives. I don't think they are the best because at the price (or slightly below the price) there are similar knives with better steel, but I like them.

I don't believe Cold Steel knives are unfairly priced. You probably misread. I do believe that especially at the higher price range the list prices are to high (for me) compared to the list prices of other manufactures who offer similar knives, or knives with better steel.

That's fine by me. But I don't like claims like these (on the Cold Steel website):

"Without a doubt, the most knife for the money ever commercially built! In terms of sharpness, edge holding and strength, it will out perform—by a wide margin—any factory made knife we know of and 99% of all hand forged knives as well!"

"Since 1987 we have challenged the industry to make a better knife and yet, to this day, we’ve had no takers. So before you spend your hard earned bucks on one of our competitor’s knives, take a moment to review all the advantages offered by the Cold Steel® Trail Master."

To me, that goes beyond trying to sell products and/or being proud of your products. The second statement is just silly. Why would a competitor challenge Cold Steel? A 'showdown' is always going to benefit the competitor with the largest marketing budget. In most cases that is going to be Cold Steel.
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Ok, so similar knives with better steel but no specific candidates. Seems to me you have an opinion, but no relevant information to back it up.

It seems to me anyone who is complaining about Cold Steel being so terrible are just into folding knives.

I will concede that yes, the old Voyager(VG-1) would have not been my pick over a Kershaw either for EDC, regardless of steel. If I were into the tacfolder, but I am not.

Folders are just the tip of the iceburg in the CS catalog, other manufacturers it is the entire table of contents. Great if you like folders, not so much if you are looking for something more.

BTW everybody SMIII is the premium CS material, not AUS8 anymore.
 
I'd like to see Spyderco's lock breaking testing machine in action, testing a wide range of brands and models.
 
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