Why do knife snobs hate Cold Steel??

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Too many stories of Lynn looking at knives by custom makers and later using the design as his own.

Too many times badmouthing the competition needlessly.

Marketing that is too aggressive.

videos that are too in your face, and show time and time again that despite what LT wants you to think he knows little about real world use of knives/swords/tomohawks etc
 
mongomondo said:
Because



Plenty of companies out there that are mature and more customer friendly.

I also owned the ti-lite and it was not a quality product. I like the Voyager but the pocket clip sucks. There's just too many other high quality knives with less compromises.
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I'd take a nice Spyderco over CS any day. I'm sure CS knives are extremely "robust," but it's a knife, most of the things that you could do to kill a Spyderco Military, would probably also maim you in the process. I'd much rather give my money to someone like Sal Glesser, than Lynn Thompson. Spyderco will give you a much better warranty, better materials, better fit and finish (even the models made in Taiwan are super high quality, take a look at the Spyderco Sage II), and in my opinion, the designs of Spyderco knives are much more appealing.

I appreciate that Andrew Demko has designed a great lock and is reviving the company, but I don't think I'd ever be able to view CS in the same league as Spyderco, Benchmade or Kershaw, and as good as the tri-ad is, I personally just prefer liner-locks and frame-locks. Unless I'm repeatedly stabbing a car door or prying open a bank vault, I think a high quality liner lock will do just fine. I know a lot of guys here really love CS, and I understand why, but it's just not for me. You asked why knife snobs hate Cold Steel, that's why this knife snob hates Cold Steel.
 
Buffalohump said:
Everybody has to have someone to feel superior to. LT and CS fit that bill quite nicely but they can make a pretty decent blade when they put their minds to it. I particularly like their XL fixed blades. ESEE and all that are wonderful I'm sure, but a little dull in execution. CS at least make big, bold blades that are a lot of fun to use.

The Natchez is a prime example. Its ridiculously huge but its extremely well executed and a thing of joy to behold for a knife nut. And I have no doubt it would be highly effective if you ever needed to separate a limb or two with it. The SK-5 Trailmaster is a great bargain of the knife world. Well, it was when I bought it, not sure what they cost now.
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This is one of the main reasons that I'm such a fan of Cold Steel. All of the Cold Steel knives I've bought just seem to have an "it" quality to them that sets them apart from the more standard designs. One of my favorites, a Rajah III, is a very unique knife, and I like owning a knife that nobody else makes. It's extremely subjective, but CS knives just speak to me in ways that many others don't.
 
Buffalohump said:
Everybody has to have someone to feel superior to. LT and CS fit that bill quite nicely but they can make a pretty decent blade when they put their minds to it. I particularly like their XL fixed blades. ESEE and all that are wonderful I'm sure, but a little dull in execution. CS at least make big, bold blades that are a lot of fun to use.

The Natchez is a prime example. Its ridiculously huge but its extremely well executed and a thing of joy to behold for a knife nut. And I have no doubt it would be highly effective if you ever needed to separate a limb or two with it. The SK-5 Trailmaster is a great bargain of the knife world. Well, it was when I bought it, not sure what they cost now.
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I agree with that assessment to the letter.

It seems that liking Cold Steel products is akin to being a Raiders fan, the haters just line up and those who like them just do. I admit to being turned off by the hype machine sales, the gimmicky add ons of ninja stuff, but then again some of that stuff is fun to play with, come on, who doesn't need a "Warhammer";)...

My bottom line for Cold Steel is I have never paid retail for them, never over a hundred bucks for the Rajahs, the Recon 1's. AK 47s, Voyagers or Master Hunter. I wouldn't either, but then again, these are users in edc mode, good, sharp, well built knives, I can not complain. But then again I wasn't impressed with the offerings from alot of expensive knife companies and ended up trading their stuff.

Cold Steel, Spyderco, Scrapyard Knives, ESEE, Becker all of them are, imo well built and trusted names. But then again, I don't don a hockey mask and slice bricks, or wear high school PE gym shorts and cut slices of bacon with a katana in my garage either.

Buy the knife, kill the hype. :D
 
They are easy targets; especially if you're apt to take them (and yourself) too seriously.

OR -- the haters have never been in the market for a production folder with more than five inches of blade.

OR -- they've never had an interest in tricking out an inexpensive tool with a lot of potential. I taught myself how to do serrations, perform basic regrinds on a belt sander and water cooled grinding wheel, do paracord wraps -- a lot of knifemakerish things -- by practicing on (and destroying many) inexpensive but solidly built CS products (particularly GI Tantos and Kukri machetes).

...And there are plenty more reasons to like a lot of what CS makes. They fill a niche in the world of production blades; and they fill it well.

Now -- this is isn't to say that they haven't made some shit products in their day; the pocket bushman is a prime example. But, I've never been burned by them; and whenever I have had an issue with a product of theirs their customer service people have been great about finding a solution.
 
I don't consider myself a knife snob, but...

I never particularly liked Cold Steel because their designs never really did anything for me. The steel was always mediocre for the cost they asked, and their serrations SUCK. This has always been the main reason I never owned one. I won't say that their knives are crap, just that for the same money I'd buy something better from another company. I didn't even know their warranty was a mere 5 years until I just read it in this thread. But that'd be another reason I wouldn't buy one.

I dislike Cold Steel because of their marketing (over)hype, outrageous claims, and Lynn Thompson's jackass antics. It's stuff like that which makes it harder for regular knife enthusiasts to fight stereotypes of knives being weapons and only good for bad things.

I hate Cold Steel because of their design thievery (for example, Black Talon, Black Sable) and other lack of morals or respect for other companies.
 
Hoodcanal5 said:
because their warranty is crappy. A five year warranty for knives that claim to be the strongest is stupid especially for something thats gonna cost 100 plus
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Actually the 2 knives I bought have a 1 year warranty and I thought I read on their website that all knives have the same 1 year warranty.

My most recent cs was an American Lawman that is a fairly nice knife but nothing special. The fit wasn't that good with different components sitting proud of the others so that nothing was flush. I've had much better fit from 25 dollar Kershaws.

I am a bit of a steel snob so their AUS8 does nothing for me. Even the san mai that goes in their 300 dollar knives doesn't have that good of an alloy at the edge.

For me their is just not a good reason to like them as I feel I am having to sacrifice something important to me when buying one. Then their is the owner which is just icing on the cake. So I spend my money elsewhere.

Edit: you also better keep your receipt so you can prove your in the year warranty. I contacted them about a problem a month after I bought it and because I couldn't find the receipt they wouldn't even look it to see if it was a valid problem. They did offer for me to pay nearly 20 bucks to have it sharpened. Another reason to buy from a company that treats you with some respect when there is a problem.
 
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viva la said:
he knows little about real world use of knives/swords/tomohawks etc
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yea, what would a guy who owns a damn knife company know about knives.

people who don't like CS knives seem to spend more time on forums than actually using knives, focusing way too much on specs on paper. they probably wouldn't be even able to tell the difference between 440A and S30V unless it was marked on their blade for them.

it's ironic that CS gets accused of over-hyping and marketing, when other companies are just as guilty hyping their knives to make inexperienced users believe certain knives are far superior just because it has the "latest and greatest" steels. people get so wrapped up in being anal about materials, country of origin, and what others think that they deprive themselves from having an honest opinion.

I think CS as a company fills a huge section of the knife market unapproached by most other companies. why does someone want a 13" folder? the same reason why someone might want a pet tiger. a lot of people here need to think about whether they enjoy their knives because they actually like the knife themselves or because everyone else likes them.

as someone who claims to like knives, if you don't get a childish grin on your face watching a video of a sword bashing in a cow skull, there's something wrong with you.

being a snob and enjoying the finest wines is fine, but there's also nothing wrong with getting wasted on some homemade moonshine for a good time.
 
I own everything from Emerson,ZT,Benchmade etc... I also own a Cold Steel Recon 1 2010 model. Its a fine knife and came razor sharp out of the box. I think CS marketing is fun to watch and I wish other companies would show what their knife could do via video. I didnt pay anywhere msrp for my Recon 1 and it is a lot of knife for what I paid for it. I would love to see a $400 Strider compete against a $60 Recon 1 in a knife test. It would be interesting and entertaining.
 
Planterz said:
I don't consider myself a knife snob, but...

I never particularly liked Cold Steel because their designs never really did anything for me.
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That makes since and a perfectly good reason. :)

Planterz said:
I dislike Cold Steel because of their marketing (over)hype, outrageous claims, and Lynn Thompson's jackass antics. It's stuff like that which makes it harder for regular knife enthusiasts to fight stereotypes of knives being weapons and only good for bad things.
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That's politics..... Has nothing to do with the knives themselves.

Planterz said:
I hate Cold Steel because of their design thievery (for example, Black Talon, Black Sable) and other lack of morals or respect for other companies.
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Same here, politics, assumptions, hearsay etc, none of which has anything to do with the knives themselves.

Some get way to carried away with the politics in the knife industry instead of judging the products on their own merit alone.
 
100eyes said:
yea, what would a guy who owns a damn knife company know about knives.

people who don't like CS knives seem to spend more time on forums than actually using knives, focusing way too much on specs on paper. they probably wouldn't be even able to tell the difference between 440A and S30V unless it was marked on their blade for them.

it's ironic that CS gets accused of over-hyping and marketing, when other companies are just as guilty hyping their knives to make inexperienced users believe certain knives are far superior just because it has the "latest and greatest" steels. people get so wrapped up in being anal about materials, country of origin, and what others think that they deprive themselves from having an honest opinion.

I think CS as a company fills a huge section of the knife market unapproached by most other companies. why does someone want a 13" folder? the same reason why someone might want a pet tiger. a lot of people here need to think about whether they enjoy their knives because they actually like the knife themselves or because everyone else likes them.

as someone who claims to like knives, if you don't get a childish grin on your face watching a video of a sword bashing in a cow skull, there's something wrong with you.

being a snob and enjoying the finest wines is fine, but there's also nothing wrong with getting wasted on some homemade moonshine for a good time.
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You have a pet tiger, don't you?
 
Years ago I was impressed by the Cold Steel advertisements and bought a Carbon V Trailmaster as my main hard use knife. It was a fine knife but it had its problems, including too easy to corrode and that terrible kraton handle. I bought a couple of Cold Steel knives after that and they were OK too although the San Mai had a tendency to chip. Then I started using custom knives, too expensive really for hard users, but I saw what a superior knife was like. And then I tried Busse, specifically an early straight Battlemistreess and Steelheart.
Why would I go to Cold Steel when I can have a Busse that will outperform it in almost every respect AND have a lifetime warranty to boot ( which to date I've never had to rely on). Ever see or hear of a Busse shatter in the field? Me neither.
For me I don't have contempt for CS or their knives at all. Still good solid knives with some quality control problems from time to time, which isn't that unusual. But there are better knives out there with better performance and better warranties.
 
Quality Inconsistency, Materials inconsistency, Lynn himself, and a product range that ranges from poor to great....too much leeway. He makes stuff that is cheap and crappy and then he has some very nice higher end stuff.
 
100eyes said:
it's ironic that CS gets accused of over-hyping and marketing, when other companies are just as guilty hyping their knives to make inexperienced users believe certain knives are far superior just because it has the "latest and greatest" steels.
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I won't disagree that certain other companies are also "guilty" of some over-the-top marketing, but nobody tops Cold Steel in outrageousness or absurdity. And at least those other companies actually use some of the "latest and greatest" steels, not sub-par stuff like AUS-8 or VG-1.
 
viva la said:
Too many stories of Lynn looking at knives by custom makers and later using the design as his own.

Too many times badmouthing the competition needlessly.

Marketing that is too aggressive.

videos that are too in your face, and show time and time again that despite what LT wants you to think he knows little about real world use of knives/swords/tomohawks etc
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Yep, that about sums it up nicely. I would also add the lack of a substantial warranty. Other competing companies provide a much better warranty.
 
If you really want to get right down to it, all knives are over price. At least all of the custom and almost custom blades. The likes of Buck, Schrade, KBar, etc have been selling knives for under $50 and making a good living doing it. With the new handle materials and sheaths that are being used today it is even worse. Truth be told you probably have about $5.00 worth of material in super steel knives and way less in regular steel blades. You don't think Frost is losing money do you? You can buy 20 Frost blades for $30 and the steel they use can be found in other brands selling for way more.

I guess that is one of the many reasons I like Buck. They are a no nonsense company. They do play games with customers or take advantage of peoples ignorance. They sell a great product that works at a price they can make money and people can afford. They don't try to make people believe in superman or super steel. Their product simply works using common everyday steel that has been used for 100 years. It brings a smile to my face every time I read a report that shows Buck's 420 HC out performed a super steel blade that cost 10 times more.

I think more times than not people get P.O'd at Cold Steel because they really like their products but won't give in to all the super steel nonsense. :)
 
Ankerson said:
Same here, politics, assumptions, hearsay etc, none of which has anything to do with the knives themselves.

Some get way to carried away with the politics in the knife industry instead of judging the products on their own merit alone.
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I'm fully aware of all that, which is why I qualified my statements as such. I don't care for their knives, so I don't own them. Same can be said for SOG, Emerson, Buck, and plenty of other companies. But I don't dislike those companies, I'm indifferent. But I dislike/hate Cold Steel as a company for those non-knife-related reasons. Otherwise I'd just be indifferent towards them like I am with those other ones.

Conversely, there's companies I like because of their business practices, like CRK, Busse/Swamp Rat, Kershaw, Protech, and I don't even own any of their knives (although I have owned Protechs and Kershaws).
 
I find the fact that you called people who hate Cold Steel "snobs" pretty insulting.

If one were to call Cold Steel fans "low brows"...that would be entirely unacceptable. And deservedly so.

Friendly advice....if you want to partake in a discussion forum, learn to deal with people who disagree with you in a manner other than by name calling. :mad:
 
Planterz said:
I won't disagree that certain other companies are also "guilty" of some over-the-top marketing, but nobody tops Cold Steel in outrageousness or absurdity. And at least those other companies actually use some of the "latest and greatest" steels, not sub-par stuff like AUS-8 or VG-1.
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Please tell me what my AUS8 lawman, which does get used almost daily, cannot do with it's 'sub par' steel? I've had to sharpen it TWICE since April and can still shave the hair off my arm with it. It gets and keeps a very sharp edge. AUS 8 is a good mid level steel. It isn't Strider or Sebenza level steel, which is why you can get a Lawman for $60 or so, and not $300. It's also very comfortable to use, very sturdy, and easy to use for delicate work as well as heavy chopping jobs.
 
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