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- Mar 26, 2004
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Yes Heat Treating and Tempering can make a huge difference in how a steel performs.
But it won't turn AUS-8 or 420HC into S90V, M390 or ZDP.
Shh! Don't let Cotdt hear you say that!
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Yes Heat Treating and Tempering can make a huge difference in how a steel performs.
But it won't turn AUS-8 or 420HC into S90V, M390 or ZDP.
I know why CS uses AUS-8.
It's a tough steel and affordable so the customers can have a good solid product at a reasonable price. Remember LCT's claims to the Strongest knives etc.
You can't put something like 154cm against AUS-8 when testing for toughness and strength, AUS-8 will come out on top every time.
Sure 154cm will hold an edge longer, but it's more brittle than AUS-8 so it will snap, read break a lot easier than AUS-8 will. That's just the properties of the steels and there is no getting around that.
I suppose that's true. My comments about CS using "sub-par" steels like AUS8 is somewhat off-base. Cold Steel doesn't make claims of making the best-slicing knives, or the longest-lasting in rope-cutting-tests knives, they claim to make the "World's Strongest Knives" (I'll ignore the claim about "Sharpest Knives"). And "prove" it with videos of stabbing car doors and whatnot.
What steel is "best" is subjective to the task at hand (among other things), and I'll concede that AUS8 is a far better steel for stabbing car doors than VG-10 or S30V. Personally though, I don't find myself stabbing car doors all that often, so I prefer a steel that holds an edge better when used performing "normal" and "every day" cutting tasks. For which AUS8 is IMO sub-par.
I also must amend my original statement that CS's knives "never really did anything for me". I'll admit that I've always liked the look of the Ti-Lite titanium models (particularly the purple anodized one). But I never risked buying one because I was wary of getting a lemon. And to be fair, it's a Phil Boguszewski, not a CS one.
We are agreeing. :thumbup:
AUS-8 is a good steel, I never said it wasn't.
However there are better steels on the market that are just as tough and will hold an edge longer. However these steels cost a lot more than AUS-8 does do the production costs and the end cost would go up by a percentage depending on the steel used.
I know why CS uses AUS-8.
It's a tough steel and affordable so the customers can have a good solid product at a reasonable price. Remember LCT's claims to the Strongest knives etc.
You can't put something like 154cm against AUS-8 when testing for toughness and strength, AUS-8 will come out on top every time.
Sure 154cm will hold an edge longer, but it's more brittle than AUS-8 so it will snap, read break a lot easier than AUS-8 will. That's just the properties of the steels and there is no getting around that.
I can get on board with that statement. :thumbup::thumbup:
Any way I contacted the local distributor about sending the knife in and they blew me off in a min or 2 that i misused the knife. Mailed CS and they said the same thing. Now I don't get since when is cutting abuse (some kind of plastic, no stronger than a ziptie), but even if I leave that alone the fact that they didn't want to even see the knife is astounding. Some companies even offer and try help to finance the shipping if it's trough the roof because even if it's a lemon it can tell 'em sth.
CS just gave the impression that they don't give a damn about it
Still... I'd rather buy a CS right now than a Microtech.
Wish I still had the for sale video... To make a long story short, I traded 2 OTFs for a NIB (only fired once kinda thing) bed blast plain Halo V. After 10 firings, the spring kinked and it failed to retract. Sent it back and it was cool for 2 months serving as a desk toy. Then it happened again. The guy at MT said he put a new spring in and the same problem happened in 2-3 firings. He ordered another spring that was slightly smaller. A day before it shipped, I got an email from the guy who I sent it to informing me of the corrective action. That same day, I was at a knife show and got to meet Tony Marfione Jr. He told the same thing that the email said, something about how the early springs (my knife was in the low #200's) were too long and would tend to go sideways. When the knife arrived, it fired a handful of times and the same old shit again. I ended up selling it for $300 as a parts kit.
i never had any luck with any otf from any company.
Even the bm infidel, i was sooo disappointed in it, i immediately sold it. Just the design is weak, i do not trust them, but the "cool factor" is there, but not for use as a edc or tactical knife, more of a novelty, imo
exactly
That was the little known CS OTF prototype!You guys must have had bad luck.
I saw a spy movie - the spy gets behind his "mark" on a city bus and puts his OTF against the metal backed seat in front of him. He pushed the trigger and that sucker fired right through the metal back (probably an aluminum alloy), through the padding and killed the bad guy instantly with a stab in the back from the spy's OTF!
He had a solid one but I wasn't a knife addict then so I didn't see the model. It sure cut through the metal as good as Cold Steel knives do!