George Hill
Member
A fellow invited me over to examine his knife collection this evening. I went happily to check it out... but was suprised to find that in consisted mainly of Cold Steel's Tantos.
At first I was impressed by the shallowness of the collection... and then by the knives themselves.
The smallest one was a "Para Edge". This is a 3 inch bladed neck knife affair. Very small, light, and scary sharp.
Up one inch is a knife often overlooked, but most impressive for it's size... The "Mini Tac". 4" blade with nice grind lines. Feels good in the hands. Very cheap price... but that's a lot of knife in the small package. He had a serrated edge, but said you can get one with a plane edge. That would be a knife I'd consider getting if I wanted a small "tactical" fixed blade.
Next up is the "Kobun". 5 and a half inches long, but kinda thin in the blade thickness... making this knife light for it's size and apparently faster. It's sharpness should not be tested on ones self. He demonstrated this my attempting to "shave" some arm hair and instead started to fillet off a layer of skin. I'm not kidding. Oh, it shaved some hair too... He had two of these... one was bead blasted and the other poly coated like the Recon Tanto, only smaller. More on that one later.
He had another Tanto the same size... called originally the "Tanto". It's blade was thicker. Funny, he didn't try to demonstrate the sharpness of it. Much more expensive and shiny... he had it on a little stand... cute. Almost like a little sword. It felt great in the hand, with good heft. Made me want to stab something with it.
Up another size is the Recon Tanto. I have one too. Mine is a "Factory Second" and I know this because it has a number "2" on the butt of hilt (doesn't have a pomel). His was the much more expensive full retail priced version and I could see no difference. I like my RT. Super sharp and I'm not afraid of hacking away with it like I would be a more expensive knife. 7 inch blade with good heft. I recomend one highly. Great field knife. Just wipe the blade down with some CLP before putting it away and it'll be fine. I've no problem with it and I've mistreated mine like a red headed step-child. Poor thing... chopping down small trees and driftwood and things... Oh, and it's still just as sharp.
He had another Tanto 1/2 inch longer... called a Magnum Tanto... and a couple other Magnums that were again larger than the last. Each one very very nice and deadly feeling making you long to be the Second for some poor seppuking samurai... Each one seems to be more expensive... But the one longer one he had that was quite usable was called the Oyabun. Nice and long... 9 inch blade... nice handle... a little thinner in the blade. This one felt like a small light saber. The only one longer was another Master Tanto... 12 inch blade. It was pure glory, but it was also the price of a Springfield XD.
Then he showed me his Katanas. Again, Cold Steel. An "Imperial Katana" Very nice. He didn't volunteer the price, but I imagine I would have said "no freeking way".
Cold Steel makes some very nice fixed bladed knives... I liked all of them. The favorites are the Mini Tac, RT, and the Oyabun. I don't need an Oyabun... it's too big. Seriously. But the Recon is perfect for a Fighting/Field knife... yet it's often too big. You wouldn't carry one around town on less you were in Baghdad. I love mine. The Mini Tac. It's most impressive. You could carry anywhere save Delta Airlines and have a serious knife at hand. 4 inch blade makes it the same size as your average tactical folder. neck sheath would let you carry around regardless of attire. Two thumbs up for that one.
He had few other knives... but the guy is a Cold Steel nut.
I'm not impressed by the folders. Is there any difference between a Gunsite Folder and a Tanto Voyager folder? Name? He had a Vaquero Grande... I've owned two of them. A folder so large is kinda fun but the novelty wears off quickly. Hence the "owned". The Simitar is a silly knife. I don't like it and it doesn't look like a simitar. The Triple Action is a nice looking knife but I don't like the fliping back and forth to open since the handles are rather slick and you have to grip one side. In a butterfly slick is okay because you also spin one handle. But the Triple Action you don't. I found it to be a fun toy, but not a serious knife of any sort. Pretty though.
Oh, he also had the CAT Tanto. The all plastic one. A tactical butter knife / letter opener. It was kinda sharp... but I doubt it could cut hamburger meat all the way before it got dull.
At first I was impressed by the shallowness of the collection... and then by the knives themselves.
The smallest one was a "Para Edge". This is a 3 inch bladed neck knife affair. Very small, light, and scary sharp.
Up one inch is a knife often overlooked, but most impressive for it's size... The "Mini Tac". 4" blade with nice grind lines. Feels good in the hands. Very cheap price... but that's a lot of knife in the small package. He had a serrated edge, but said you can get one with a plane edge. That would be a knife I'd consider getting if I wanted a small "tactical" fixed blade.
Next up is the "Kobun". 5 and a half inches long, but kinda thin in the blade thickness... making this knife light for it's size and apparently faster. It's sharpness should not be tested on ones self. He demonstrated this my attempting to "shave" some arm hair and instead started to fillet off a layer of skin. I'm not kidding. Oh, it shaved some hair too... He had two of these... one was bead blasted and the other poly coated like the Recon Tanto, only smaller. More on that one later.
He had another Tanto the same size... called originally the "Tanto". It's blade was thicker. Funny, he didn't try to demonstrate the sharpness of it. Much more expensive and shiny... he had it on a little stand... cute. Almost like a little sword. It felt great in the hand, with good heft. Made me want to stab something with it.
Up another size is the Recon Tanto. I have one too. Mine is a "Factory Second" and I know this because it has a number "2" on the butt of hilt (doesn't have a pomel). His was the much more expensive full retail priced version and I could see no difference. I like my RT. Super sharp and I'm not afraid of hacking away with it like I would be a more expensive knife. 7 inch blade with good heft. I recomend one highly. Great field knife. Just wipe the blade down with some CLP before putting it away and it'll be fine. I've no problem with it and I've mistreated mine like a red headed step-child. Poor thing... chopping down small trees and driftwood and things... Oh, and it's still just as sharp.
He had another Tanto 1/2 inch longer... called a Magnum Tanto... and a couple other Magnums that were again larger than the last. Each one very very nice and deadly feeling making you long to be the Second for some poor seppuking samurai... Each one seems to be more expensive... But the one longer one he had that was quite usable was called the Oyabun. Nice and long... 9 inch blade... nice handle... a little thinner in the blade. This one felt like a small light saber. The only one longer was another Master Tanto... 12 inch blade. It was pure glory, but it was also the price of a Springfield XD.
Then he showed me his Katanas. Again, Cold Steel. An "Imperial Katana" Very nice. He didn't volunteer the price, but I imagine I would have said "no freeking way".
Cold Steel makes some very nice fixed bladed knives... I liked all of them. The favorites are the Mini Tac, RT, and the Oyabun. I don't need an Oyabun... it's too big. Seriously. But the Recon is perfect for a Fighting/Field knife... yet it's often too big. You wouldn't carry one around town on less you were in Baghdad. I love mine. The Mini Tac. It's most impressive. You could carry anywhere save Delta Airlines and have a serious knife at hand. 4 inch blade makes it the same size as your average tactical folder. neck sheath would let you carry around regardless of attire. Two thumbs up for that one.
He had few other knives... but the guy is a Cold Steel nut.
I'm not impressed by the folders. Is there any difference between a Gunsite Folder and a Tanto Voyager folder? Name? He had a Vaquero Grande... I've owned two of them. A folder so large is kinda fun but the novelty wears off quickly. Hence the "owned". The Simitar is a silly knife. I don't like it and it doesn't look like a simitar. The Triple Action is a nice looking knife but I don't like the fliping back and forth to open since the handles are rather slick and you have to grip one side. In a butterfly slick is okay because you also spin one handle. But the Triple Action you don't. I found it to be a fun toy, but not a serious knife of any sort. Pretty though.
Oh, he also had the CAT Tanto. The all plastic one. A tactical butter knife / letter opener. It was kinda sharp... but I doubt it could cut hamburger meat all the way before it got dull.
