Cold Steel hate

The #1 community for Gun Owners in Indiana

Member Benefits:

  • Fewer Ads!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Dean C.

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Aug 25, 2013
    4,429
    113
    Westfield
    Why is this thread a thing?

    https://www.knife-depot.com/blog/cold-steel-sues-crkt-over-false-advertising/

    SAN MAI Trademark: Cold Steel Issues Open Letter to the Knife Community »

    A few observations about Cold Steel, Lynn C. Thompson, and Internet inquiries | BladeForums.com

    Cold Steel has always been and always will be mall ninja garbage. They said a few years ago they were going to start producing "American" knives. A normal person would assume this means made in the USA with steel sourced from the USA (as out foundries generally produce some of the best steel around like Carpenter and Crucible). Cold Steel just bought American made steel and then exported it to foreign countries to be finished there.
     

    CZ evo3

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    May 17, 2017
    1,540
    48
    Carrollton
    Dean, this is a thread because I guess I have never spent time digging through the 3,970,000 results that come up when I type in Cold Steel in my search engine, looking for something bad about them. I was just wanting find out how some INGO members felt about CS and why.

    So, from what I take away from this, it is more the owner and business practices that you despise, not the actual blades.
     

    Goodcat

    From a place you cannot see…
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    151   0   0
    Jan 13, 2009
    3,382
    83
    New Pal
    I've only had experience with their tomahawks. For the price, the handles and steel are well made and work well.
     

    Dean C.

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Aug 25, 2013
    4,429
    113
    Westfield
    Lynn Thompson's sweaty ass!

    Exactly!! Seriously I hate Cold Steel and that fat waste of air.
    So, from what I take away from this, it is more the owner and business practices that you despise, not the actual blades.

    Cold Steel operates off being cheaper than everyone else and bashing the competition. Their products are not good enough to just stand on their own imho. That and again they are not capable of making a non "mall-ninja" knife at all. There is a reason amongst serious knife collectors and enthusiasts Cold Steel is not respected at all.
     

    The Bubba Effect

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    19   0   0
    May 13, 2010
    6,221
    113
    High Rockies
    Exactly!! Seriously I hate Cold Steel and that fat waste of air.


    Cold Steel operates off being cheaper than everyone else and bashing the competition. Their products are not good enough to just stand on their own imho. That and again they are not capable of making a non "mall-ninja" knife at all. There is a reason amongst serious knife collectors and enthusiasts Cold Steel is not respected at all.


    The op asked what that reason is. For a non knife person like myself, it is hard to separate the logical criticisms apart from all the nerd rage.

    I've never owned a cold steel product that I can think of, but I have gotten a kick out of their NRA convention booths (costumes, mixed weapons demos, general revelry and silliness).

    I have often been tempted to buy one of their "Plastic" gladius trainers.
     

    Bradsknives

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    8   0   0
    Mar 1, 2010
    4,280
    48
    Greenfield, IN.
    As far as the knives themselves, quality can be all over the spectrum. Cold Steel contracts out all of their manufacturing. They do not have their own manufacturing plant/facility. Cold Steel uses manufactuters in United States (so they claim...which is another story), Japan, China (PRC), Taiwan, South Africa, and India. So, the quality can be all over the place.....QC is different for each manufacturer facility. As much as I despise Cold Steel (mainly because of the owner), some of their models are decent for the price point, and some are just flat out terrible. Overall, Cold Steel has the reputation in the knife world of being middle of the road or lower in quality compared to other mass production Knife companies. Do your research (knife reviews...etc.) on the model that interests you before purchasing, and if you can handle one in person before purchasing...even better. :twocents:

    Edited:
    There are other reasons people hate/despise Cold Steel.
    1. Quality (as stated above).
    2. The Owner with his attitude and antics.
    3. Over the top designs that are just not practical (referred to as mall-ninja knives).
    4. Stealing/using other makers designs without permission.
    5. Over exaggerated marketing of their products which includes bashing the competition.
    6. Susceptible warranty
     
    Last edited:

    Leadeye

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Jan 19, 2009
    36,696
    113
    .
    Bought a box of their knives and swords at an auction, they've worked well for the various jobs I've used them for like brush cutting and removing vinyl tile.
     

    warthog

    Shooter
    Rating - 100%
    66   0   0
    Feb 12, 2013
    5,166
    63
    Vigo County
    I own some of their stuff, mostly older stuff from the beginning of their reign. Lynn Thompson decided to make the best he could affordable for the common man, then he found he could make money this way and decided he wanted to make more money rather than staying true to his original ideas. He started making cheap stuff that was no where near as nice as his old stuff. No more micarta when G-10 is so much cheaper. No more quality steels when it would be cheaper to use stuff folks thought were decent but aren't. I could care less where the steel originated, it just had to be good. He even raised prices when they could have remained the same due to decreased production prices and he still wanted more…Cold Steel sucks.
     

    warthog

    Shooter
    Rating - 100%
    66   0   0
    Feb 12, 2013
    5,166
    63
    Vigo County
    Actually, micarta is cheaper than G-10. Otherwise I'm with you on that post. I know the earlier Carbon V knives were quite nice and that steel held up to a lot of abuse.
    OK, I am wrong on that then. :) I can say this then, I far prefer micarta over G-10 for looks and feel.
     

    ghuns

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Nov 22, 2011
    9,308
    113
    Actually, micarta is cheaper than G-10. Otherwise I'm with you on that post. I know the earlier Carbon V knives were quite nice and that steel held up to a lot of abuse.

    My old Pro-Lite, tanto in Carbon V is still one of my favorite knives. If I am planning on using a knife a lot around the barn or something, it will get carried before any of my Zero Tolerance knives. While it might not hold an edge as well as S35V, it's sure as hell easier to put an edge back on it.
     

    tradertator

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    128   0   0
    Jul 1, 2008
    6,783
    63
    Greene County
    Cold Steel is kind of a love / hate relationship for me. On the one hand, Lynne Thompson is a douche and I think most of their knives are not a good value. You almost always get better materials, design, locks, etc....... if you spend the same amount of money with Spyderco, Benchmade, KAI, etc...... The only thing they actually make are their corny videos, and most of their products are farmed out to 3rd world manufacturers.
    But on the other hand, I really like how they make trainers for many of their more popular products, and wish the rest of the industry did the same. I also like some of their polypropylene products, especially their escrima sticks.
     

    minuteman32

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    11   0   0
    Mar 23, 2008
    1,002
    38
    Central IN
    I have no complaints about the few Cold Steel items that I have had over the years. I will say that I MUCH prefer Spyderco knives, now. I have a couple of Manix, a few Enduras, several Natives and a Citadel. I want to get a Paramilitary in the future, too.
     

    Walking Bear

    Marksman
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Mar 21, 2017
    156
    43
    Floyds Knobs
    He found his market and will continue to do well (make money) his disposition is that of a bent trash can. I have one Cold Steel it was cheap and shows it. You get what you pay for in my opinion. Also I would not buy from someone such as Lynn.
     

    rhino

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    24   0   0
    Mar 18, 2008
    30,906
    113
    Indiana
    Brad's assessment is fair (as usual).

    I don't hate Cold Steel and I can't agree with people who dismiss everything that Cold Steel markets as junk because it's simply not true. Yes, they have some junk, but they also have some good stuff too. The Voyager series has been a very good value since its inception. The 62RN 4 Max may not be worth the price, but it's made with premium materials (blade is CPM 20V) and based on reviews I've seen is a very good heavy duty folder.

    When a company has goods at virtually all price points (which is smart business), they're going to have a items that don't appeal to customer A, but are loved by Customer B.

    No point in adding much to the Lynn Thompson thing. It's tough to respect him based on what he shows the public, but he knows how to make money.
     

    Expatriated

    Expert
    Rating - 100%
    7   0   0
    Apr 22, 2013
    783
    28
    I humbly submit the Cold Steel Knives excerpt from my Guide to the Knife Industry for the first time Blade Show attendee:

    Cold Steel
    Cold Steel is basically what the offspring would be if Marvel Comics escaped from an Asian nut house, and had an affair with a science fiction themed circus. You never know what you're going to get here so when deciding on wardrobe, think GENCON. Just to be on the safe side, pack an eye patch and some parachute pants. Spears and sword canes are de rigueur. These knives actually get used. But mostly to unnecessarily cut things that don't need cutting with the gusto of a 70's kung fu flick.




    Having said that, I saw that video of Lynn hunting water buffalo with a spear. If you haven't seen it, he throws the spear at the buff, but just as he does, it turns its head and the spear sinks into the horn. Then it turns and comes after Lynn. He calmly (at least much calmer than I would have) steps offline while drawing his revolver and kills the thing at his feet. I gained back a lot of respect for him. When I talked to him about it, he shrugged it off like it was no big deal. It was an easy opportunity to brag but he didn't.

    So, I decided to poke fun at him a little less after that.
     
    Top Bottom