Cold Steel Tanto Field Report...

[Joe Demko]

I have been known to have a fairly uncharitable attitude towards Cold Steel, mainly because of their overblown advertising and president. I do own several of their products, though, and put one to the test this past weekend.
I spent the weekend at a primitive skills workshop. We built shelters, made fire several different ways, made rope, and all that good survival type stuff. Oh...we slept on the ground, too. (and I still ache from it)
Anyway, we were to bring a water bottle, bandana, and a sheath knife or lockblade knife. I chose to bring a Cold Steel Tanto that I picked up for $70 NIB a few months ago. How did it stack up?
Firemaking- used it to turn a couple pieces of wood into a bow drill. The curve in the edge made whittling the drill portion of the apparatus very easy. Held its edge well. Can't strike sparks from it with a flint, but that is one of the tradeoffs of using stainless. No, I didn't mark it up trying since I knew in advance it wouldn't spark.
Coalburning a wooden bowl and spoon- the shape of the tanto point was actually a disadvantage for this. Something more rounded, like a spear point, would have made this chore easier.
Cordmaking- worked okay for harvesting dogbane.
Food processing- sliced up meat and other comestibles, wild or otherwise. The blade is a tad too thick to allow it to neatly make thin slices the way a kitchen knife does.
Shelter making- worked well enough for the debris shelters we constructed. Something a little heavier and better suited to chopping (like an ax or hatchet or kukri) would be the order of the day for contruction of more long-term shelter.

Sundry comments- the "skull crusher" pommel is a positive nuisance. I'd prefer something round or flat. I'd simply grind it off, but I like having the lanyard hole. The factory supplied leather sheath w/ velcro closure is no better than adequate and shows some indication that it wouldn't survive under prolonged use; something in kydex would be better.
Kewl factor- many of the other students and one of the instructors were intrigued by it and a couple people borrowed it during various parts of the seminar. They seemed loathe to give it back after using it for a bit.

The instructors used a variety of knives and none seemed disadvantaged by their choices. The head instructor used a Smith and Wesson liner lock folder, a knife which many here (including me) wouldn't hold in very high regard. It seemed to serve him quite well. A husband a wife team used little hand-made (they made them) neck knives. Another used a Schrade lock-blade of the same basic pattern as the Buck 110, but with a carbon steel blade for fire making utility. Only one used a big knife. He had a big-ass bowie of some type, I asked him the make, but he mumbled the answer and it sounded like he said "It's a Beck." Didn't look like the Becker (sp?) models I've seen, so I don't know what it was.
Now, I'm going to take another aspirin or two and get back to work.

 

[George Hill]

"primitive skills workshop"

Boy Scouts? Surviving Nugent?

I'm pretty much with you when it comes to Cold Steel's knives... Many of them I wouldn't look twice at. However their line of Tanto blades are impressive.
My Recon Tanto is a knife that gets used outside more than anything. It also gets occasional KP Duty when I need something big and sharp and my butcher knife is dirty. I've used it for all sorts of things. It's always performed very well indeed. If I was to attend such a workshop, that is the knife I would take with me. The sheath is nylon with snaps. It will hold up. The handle, checkered rubber... even in the rain it's not slippery and comfortable. This knife if most certainly my designated SHTF knife.

 

[Joe Demko]

Boy Scouts? Surviving Nugent?

Neither. A workshop that the PA DNR offers on a regular basis to organizations like the BSA. This time around, they were experimentally offering it as a continuing education course to teachers through the Intermediate Unit. I took it both out of interest and towards Act 48 certificate requirements. Response was overwhelmingly positive and they plan on offering it regularly in the future.

 

[George Hill]

Sounds like fun.

 

[azrael]

As it has already been said, I will not discuss my feelings about Cold Steel products...I think most of them are overated...The Tantos being the exception....I own 2...A recon tanto and a 6in. Vaquero.. I bought the Vaquero as a back up to my pistol ,when I was younger and doing things that I prolly shouldnt have been doing...

The sheath that came with the Recon Tanto, just doesnt do it for me...This is one of those FEW times when I would prefer a Kydex sheath...<~~SHHHH!!! dont tell anyone

The "primitive" class sounds fun...I am still trying to find one of those clinics that teach you how to make knives and tools from rocks...

 

[Jim March]

I think CS mostly makes a decent blade. They're not "all that" like in some of the advertizing, but the really big lockbacks are good bang for the buck and there's a number of other decent types throughout the catalog.

I'm not a huge fan of the Tantos though. They're tough and all, and good penetrators...but...I've seen about 20+ pieces of every imaginable make and type used to stab a free-hanging military flak jacket. *Everything* blew through without a problem.

I think the grip shape matters more than the tip shape.

 

[4v50 Gary]

I kinda like the old Boy Scout pocket knife. You know, the one with the spoon on one end and the fork on the other. Of course, it's useless for chopping at wood but hopefully there's a bigger knife (or tomahawk) for that.

And yes, thank you Golgo-13 for your field report.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I've been using a tanto as a hunting knife for 16+ years. Have to agree that the skull crusher point isn't as handy as the recon model.

Over time my sheath's velcro loosened and I had to re-sew it on the tab.

Cold Steel will likely be my shtf knife, but then again i have q a lot of experience using it.

 

[riddleofsteel]

I have owned and used an Air Force Pilot's survival knife for over two decades.

During that time it has been used, with its original sheath for every possible useage from digging sassafras roots and clams, to making a spear to try and fish to cutting brush and limbs for a temporary shelter. It will skin a deer or gut a fish just as well as chop light kindling or shave fuzz sticks for fire starting. I have spared this knife no mercy during that time and it shows it in wear to the Parkerized finish. However, much of the original finish is still there. The excellent leather sheath has a very distinctive worn look now days but is still in great shape partially due to the bee's wax treatments I give it every now and again. These are high carbon knives and will take and hold a wicked edge. I have never found but one use for the saw/file type serations on the back spine of the blade. They strike massive sparks when struck by a flint type stone. I discovered that digging gingseng roots late one afternoon.
The small carbide stone that comes with the sheath is very functional and does a good job on the blade. I wore my original one out years ago and replaced it with an identical sized stone from a hardware store.
In short I would recommend this $37.00 knife over fancy survival knives that cost ten times as much. In fact I have new one put back in case the worst happens and I lose it in a river or it gets stolen. The way it looks I will never wear it out.

 

[Drjones]

The instructors used a variety of knives and none seemed disadvantaged by their choices. The head instructor used a Smith and Wesson liner lock folder, a knife which many here (including me) wouldn't hold in very high regard. It seemed to serve him quite well. A husband a wife team used little hand-made (they made them) neck knives. Another used a Schrade lock-blade of the same basic pattern as the Buck 110, but with a carbon steel blade for fire making utility.

None seemed disadvantaged for an entire weekend.

Give it a while longer and see how thrilled that guy is with a drug-store knife. (I'm referring to the S&W.)

Other than that, that sounds like a really cool class.

 

[riddleofsteel]

Give it a while longer and see how thrilled that guy is with a drug-store knife. (I'm referring to the S&W.)

Actually the S&W liner lock knives are quite useful knives. I have one that is marked S W A T. Yeah right. But it takes and holds an edge well, has very strong lockup and is a good beater. You have to remember for thousands of years folks made it with sharp rocks. ANY knife is a step up from there.

LOL

 

[Drjones]

Riddle:

Of course you make a valid point.

However, if we were to follow your line of reasoning too far, we'd all still be driving horse-drawn carriages since, after all, they are a great improvement over walking.

Who needs all the troubles and costs associated with cars anyway, right?

 

[Joe Demko]

DrJones,
While I don't disagree with your assessment of the S&W folder, the guy who was using it gives that workshop and similar ones for a living. My best guess is that he probably uses a knife as a knife, and uses hatchets, axes, and other heavier tools as appropriate. Of all the instructors, only one felt the need of a big, thick sharpened prybar kind of knife, and the other instructors used their much smaller blades to accomplish the same tasks with no apparent difficulty.

 

[riddleofsteel]

I have seen guys struggle to use thier "Crocodile Dundee" size Bowies to do simple camp tasks plenty of times. It can be comical and sometimes downright dangerous. The wilderness is no place to slice a vital part open.
As I said when I camp out or go hunting I carry a USAF pilot's survival knife also a tomahawk or Skachet, folding saw, lock blade folder and a diamond hone.
Other than wood work 75% or more of my edged tools usage is taken care of by a small Gerber EZ-Out lock blade. However my S&W SWAT liner lock would do the jobs just as well.
I was thinking the instructor might have been demonstrating a very important issue of survival. Use what you have!

 

[Drjones]

I was thinking the instructor might have been demonstrating a very important issue of survival. Use what you have!

Well of course you should make full use of whatever you have, and most importantly, know HOW to use what you have on you.

But doesn't that presume that you have stuff on you to begin with?

I should then think that, if you are going to go to the trouble of carrying a knife, lighter, or whatever other equipment on you, that it should be the best equipment available, or certainly the best you personally can afford.

I don't think you'd advocate anyone try to "make do" with a Lorcin or similar awful pistol, right?

Funny how that basic logic gets skipped over when talking about knives.

Touching also on what Golgo said, I'm simply not about to get into another discussion of the sort where this is heading, because those sorts of discussions never go anywhere, as the two sides involved are simply totally different and irreconcilable points of view.

Here are some of my thoughts in no particular order:

- As I said above, one should try to carry the best equipment possible.

- Being that we simply do not know what is going to happen to us and when it might happen (unless you have a source for crystal balls you'd like to share), we might have to improvise with our tools. That means that you may have to pry with your knife or otherwise do things with your tools that they weren't meant to do.

I simply take great comfort in knowing that the tools I carry with me on a daily basis are bar none the finest available and not only will handle abuse, but will actually survive it intact.

This is not meant to be dismissive or condescending to those who don't want to pay hundreds of dollars for knives, flashlights, etc.

If you think you can get through whatever life may throw at you with a $10 knife and a maglight, have at it.

I *personally* find great comfort in knowing that my tools are the best that I can obtain. I also simply enjoy owning items of quality.

And that's that.

 

[riddleofsteel]

UNCLE

 

[Joe Demko]

As I said above, one should try to carry the best equipment possible.

I agree, if one has unlimited funds. Otherwise, one must make cost-effectiveness judgements. I know you have a Stryder knife of which you are very fond, but do you carry this mindset over to things outside of weapons? What kind of shoes are you wearing right now? In an emergency, shoes are often more important than a knife. What about your vehicle? Is it the best, too? What about your home?

Do you see what I'm getting at? If I spend $700 on a knife, that is taking money out of my budget from other things. YMMV, of course.

 

[Third_Rail]

I happen to have a USAF survival knife as well, two actually. They're great! I wouldn't use them for everything though, and that's the reason I have a CS recon tanto, a Spyderco Endura w/serrations, and a Benchmade ATS-34 spearpoint.

I'm set with knives.

 

[Drjones]

Golgo:

Yes, my taste for quality carries over into all aspects of my life.

And I thought I made it clear that one should obtain the best gear that they can, meaning taking into account financial constraints.

 

[mohican]

I 'm in the minority

I like Cold Steel knives. Or did

Many of the folders are assembled in JayPan now?

However, I used a CS SRK as my hunting knife for years, and it always holds an edge quite well. I purchased several Master Hunters, and I don't think the material/temper/heat treat is as good as the SRK, even though they are all "CarbonV". Where the SRK is unfazed by whacking through the pelvic bone of a large deer, the Master Hunters dulled.

That being said, the CS master hunter takes and holds an edge far better than the more expensive, equivalent BUCK.

 

[Watchman]

I do some primitive camping and I have learned one important lesson.

A big knife can do things that a little knife can, but not vice versa.

In cutting poles for shelter or stakes for cooking, a small knife lacks much.

Since I am not in a bind when Im camping, I dont use just one knife. I use two. A big pigsticker and a small one.

Ill generally carry a Coldsteel Carbon V Trailmaster and it has served me well. Ive done everything with it from cutting down trees to pinning 4 foot long Timberattlers to the ground. It does great for making inprovised spears for fishing and gigging frogs to fileting fish to making fishtraps.

The smaller knife can be used for skinning game, cooking, eating and all of hteother things better suited to a smaller knife. I'll usually carry a Cold Steel Voyager for this and it works well.

 

[Harry Tuttle]

i like using well tested traditional systems
a HI khuk is a great camping knife

some tasks are better suited to the little Karda though