@@LXT43 they lose reputation because of things like, sorry, its impossible to transfer you to a supervisor. Not standing behind a product says a lot about that product. They expect failures.500 knives get thrown, 1 bends and morons like you says it bent because it was thrown. I guess the rest were made of different stuff
Where is this RR policy, how do you activate it...I reached out to seller and they sent me to a WordPress contact form on the RR site...nothing heard back.
It’s so sad. I had been a Cold Steel customer since 2004. In the past two years I’ve noticed a serious decline in their products and their customer support. The worse was when I had to wait an entire month to get a new extendable baton. They made me wait 2 weeks to report it lost even though the tracking said it was still waiting in their factory. And when I finally asked for my money back, they magically found it somewhere in shipping 🤦♂️
I been a fan for 6 years and also I have seen you tubers get brand new cold steel knifes and the handles start to get loose or the tip bents. 411 outdoors srk tanto recon l/Gideon tactical I know there was one more can't think of it.
Cold Steel would not have been a successful company if they started out with their _current_ standard of quality & customer service. They have definitely got worse. They used to be one of the best.
To any newer knife guys: if it looks like a gas station knife, it is. Price doesn’t matter. Knives are tools buy the tool you need in the price you want.
They bought out SOG but it seems they must be using a different Taiwanese OEM as their quality has gone up. I recently got a chance to mess with a Terminus XR (one of the newer ones after they changed the pocket clip), Vision XR, and their altair XR (their bugout competitor) - they were very impressive. Their assisted knives are all crap though, but that’s been the case for years.
@@apex_alchemy_knivesDo you sharpen knives too? I have a quite carry waypoint with vanex superclean and that’s the only knife I have that I can’t get sharp, Don’t know why, Just curious, I have asked a couple of different channels that I watch about sharpening and I never get a reply back from them
I had the Kobun and Recon Tanto all through my time as a pre and post 9/11 Marine, both Carbon V. I’ve only had a small push dagger since and tossed it after the sheath kept failing. They’re junk and Tops has been my go to company since.
@@donjuanmckenzie4897 Joe isn't a knife guy. He simply tries to break knives, then foolish followers believe the crap they see. Tops has the single best differential heat treat in the business. Their knives will last 100 lifetimes if used as knives. If someone smashed an infants head with a mallet, people like you would say, that guy only has stupid kids.
We all knew this was going to happen after the company sold. Lynn should have saved face by abandoning the company all together instead of sticking around to help the new owners sell products with his presence.
Ever since they sold out to GSN, I just gave up on them. I already had everything I would ever want out of the company. Considering that Andrew Demko created almost all of the knives that I had from Cold Steel, he is my new go to for new knives. Really can't wait for him to start shipping out his new AD10 with the enhanced Triad Lock.
Dude, if they are that bad, how did you come about buying three of their knives ? After the first knife failed, I would not take another chance on them.
Because cold steel used to have a stellar reputation on all fronts. Indestructible knives, great prices, great customer service. They spent decades earning the benefit of the doubt. They always pulled through and made it right, quickly.
Their swords surprised me. I had the 1830 Napoleon sword and was gently testing its cutting capability on those bow and arrow targets the foam kind and the blade broke in half as soon as I did that! The sharp part of the sword that broke nearly hit me!
Oh man Donnie I am sorry to hear that you are having problems with the Cold Steel knife company. So far, the Cold Steel knives that my dad bought are holding up pretty good. One of my "I wish I had knives" was the Natchez bowie, but I am afraid of purchasing one of them now. If it breaks, they probably wouldn't replace it. Thanks for letting not only me but the rest of us knife guys know.
This really sucks. I've been holding off buying new CS knives for a while now since LT sold off the company. Not because I'm so smart, but because their pricing of their new big blades went through the roof. The Mayhem being one of them, not to mention the Jimi Slash Competition Chopper. I don't know who they are trying to appeal to, but it's definitely not their base.
Their prices on the knives I like sure did go thru the roof! That's when I backed off of them... And prices are one thing IF THE QUALITY AND SERVICE had remained good- but alas they haven't. I can't help but think that this review by DBAD is gonna hurt them cash flow-wise!
I do like the knives that I have from Cold Steel ... but I have heard multiple complaints about their CS. Thanks for the share of your experiences, DBAD. There is NO EXCUSE for poor/no heat treatment of the steel.
Proper heat treatment is the most expensive part of making a mass produced knife, and the easiest to cheat on since you cant see the difference when buying it.
Unrealistic bro.The Mayhem is not a throwing blade.It’s a people slasher. I’m not gonna boycott just yet but I will say NEVER spend more than $200 on any cold steel regardless of metal type.I have a couple high end fixed blades that have bad grinds and uneven tips.$300 + blades should be flawless in build quality. Never overpay by buying direct from cold steel.Get them much cheaper from Midway.
@@DukeTolgo the Harbor Freight 10 dollar knife isn't a thrower either. No damage. Neither are any of the other folders Ive thrown with zero damage. Its not about what its not, its about what it is. Why should a slasher get a free pass on a bad heat treat?
@@DonnieBAllDay Is it a bad heat treat or throwing it into a tree is the problem.I love you Donnie but sometimes we gotta take the blame for our mistakes.If that blade got bent slashing or stabbing some meat I’d be right on board with you.
@@DukeTolgo Brother man, when have you seen me bend another the same way? Cheap, expensive, flat, saber or hollow. The rest survived. So did I simply get lucky on 500 other knives or is this just bad? Lynn made sales by taking knives just like this and stabbing them through car hoods to show how strong they are. A short toss into a soft tree is the limit?
12 years ago I used a cold steel shanghai shadow as a throwing knife. Very inexpensive chinese production, made from 1055 steel. It never ever bent or broke. After a while I could renew the tip and sharpened it as it was before. Excellent heat treating. It's a shame that you can no longer count on the old quality.
I'm definitely hearing you on the customer service. I ordered one of the limited edition titanium Ad10's from the Cold Steel website over two and a half weeks ago. It was in stock when I ordered it, and they took the payment from my bank account. Well, a week went by, and there was no update on shipping. So I called customer service and was told that they would have to get answers from higher management, and placed on hold. When she returned she said that no one was available and someone would contact me later that evening. Never happened. So I called again a couple days later. I was told that they were out of stock and would get more middle of July and someone would contact me to see if I wanted to wait or get a refund. Again no reply. I finally called back again today to confirm the date and was now told it would now be July 30. And from now on if I want to place an order to call them to confirm its in stock before I purchase it. I'm not going to say that I won't purchase another Cold Steel. But I guarantee it won't be from their site.
I tried to order a "securex" replacement sheath for an older carbon v srk and got ignored. Nice service huh? Been hearing a lot of bad reviews of late. One guy broke a brand new Republic fixed blade and they refused to honor the warranty
Im just curious is that knife meant for throwing some of these high end knives only have certain applications they can be effectively used for im not saying ur wrong i was just wondering myself
Word gets out quick!!! They will definitely lose business over their CS BS!! Hate that happened to ya..Know you really liked the design!!! Positive side is you saved alot of people money!!! 👊🏻
A better way to straighten a bent knife is to put it in a bench vise with two screwdrivers on one side and one screwdriver on the other. In this way you can bend the knife anywhere along the blade by repositioning the screwdrivers.
When I first got a Natchez Bowie many years before CS was bought by GSM it came with the tip folded back on itself 180 degrees. Sent it back and they sent me a new one. Years later I bought a 1917 Bowie and it came dull. But all my other CS knives have been good.
So freaking true thank you my brother they used to be a good knife but production now is garbage I will never waste a cent on any cold steel products a company that can't stand behind it's own product isn't worth our hard earned cash ,
cold steel does make their folding knives a little too thin. If the Espada XL wasn't as thin as a kitchen knife i'd be using it everyday while i hike through the forest as a machette. But it's just way too expensive to risk cracking off a chunk off the edge on a pine tree. I use to bring it out with me to use to chop my way through the pine and spruce trees but it didn't take long for the edge to bacon warp. A lot of manufacturers i don't think actually test their knives. I can tell straight away if an edge is too thin to deal with pine branches. Especially in the cold of winter.
That's a real shame about Cold Steel. With all of the experiences you've had recently there's no doubt that big problems exist there now. There was a time when they had excellent customer service and fantastic quality, but it seems that time has passed. I bought a Cold steel 4'' Voyager around 1995 - 1998. I carried it a couple of years and snagged the plastic pocket clip (before they were steel) on a pallet at work while inspecting product and broke it. I called Cold Steel the following day to see if they could send me a new handle and they said send the knife back to us. I said just bill me and whatever the cost I'll pay for it. I had skinned game, filleted fish, and done camp duties with it and it became my go to knife. 2 weeks later a brand-new Voyager arrived with the then new, steel pocket clip and a note stating no charge and the steel pocket clip should be far more durable. I wish that type of service was still available from them.
This is a crying shame. I have been a fanboy since the 80's. You were generous to even give them a 2nd chance. Can't say I would buy from them again after hearing this.
My xl voyager bent chopping a .5” birch branch. Also, a handle partially broke off of my magnun kukri machete while chopping… they wanted me to send it in, but shipping would cost nearly what I paid for it. I just wrapped the broken part with duct tape…
@@DonnieBAllDay I bent the folder back…. But the handle breaking apart in my hand…. I wasn’t too happy about. Their hawks are great for throwing…. Atleast their machete aren’t crazy expensive…. A $400 knife should not be bending though….. are you close to anybody that has one of the machines that tests the rockwell ?
So far I've only had one bad experience with Cold Steel. It was an SRK in SK5 with an edge that fell to pieces after one light/medium duty use. I put a new edge on it instead of sending it back and it has actually been good to go since.
I have an O1 trailmaster that ive used as my main knife for years and the hand guard got loose on it, so i reached out to the company and asked if there was any way to repair it and i got absolutely nothing back. Also i bought the 1917 bowie is a replacement and it came duller than a butter knife. RIP coldsteel
The warranty clearly states: Don't be a "Donnie B". Donnie B will not be honored, we've seen his videos. 😂 Seriously, this is sad news as I have a large Cold Steel Collection. I just purchased another "Black Bear Classic" from them. That's an expensive knife. I won't be spending my money with Cold Steel any longer, after seeing this. There are plenty of really great knife brands that are no risk. Heck, even Rough Rider honors their knives.
the walmart tramontia kitchen knifes are nsf rated and stainless and i use the 3 packs to dress game i have a trail hawk i have benchmade and ka bar and cold steel high end and all day long i carrya small kitchen knife that slices like lasers
I am not happy with their s35vn. I do like my older cold steel throwers. I wouldn't buy another folder from them. The reason I got my last one(tiger claw folding karambit) was because Andrew Demko supposedly worked on the knife design and the triad lock.
I stopped buying Cold steel when my brand new Cold steel neck knife was lost because it would not stay in its sheath. I just refuse to waste my time and money on a poor brand. Cold steel over priced Junk knives.
@@DonnieBAllDay yessir. That and they make the tips of their blades super skinny these days. A trail master back then was way more stout than one today
GSM bought SOG last year or so and same bad customer service.Not fond of SOG knives they have come out with.Needless to say I’ve only bought one SOG and that was from ACE hardware when I was in there.Im done with SOG because of GSM🔪👍
That sucks, Donnie. Sorry….When I saw the Mayhem, I fell in love. I foolishly told my nephew about it and he bought me the Limited Edition Mayhem for Christmas a couple years ago. My blade if fine. Everything about it is perfect. But….that certainly doesn’t invalidate what happened to you. I’ve heard these stories, quite literally, for decades. I never disbelieved them but always took the advice about caution with them as good advice. It’s a big company and when moneys on the line, shady shit happens. And when Cold Steel got bought out, the first thing I thought was, “Oh….this is gonna be bad.” And it seems I, and many others, were right. In many cases, it’s because we’re spoiled, I think. I mean, all of us has the knife that we got from a small independent blade smith and it’s perfect. A brilliant design, quality materials and an artist who cares….he sees something flawed and rather than letting it skate by, he fixes it. Corporate America doesn’t quite deal with things like that these days. Anyway….again, sorry you had a shitty experience with them. I’ll probably back off on them as well even while I love my Mayhem…..
@@DonnieBAllDay Yeah…..life in the big knife production game, I guess. I’m thinking my next purchase will be that beauty you designed. That magnificent Trench Knife! Saw that thing and my balls tingled…..lol
Had a friend buy a cold steel knife for a camping trip he was going on . I don’t remember what he said he bought but on the first day there he was going to shave some small pieces of wood for kindling and his blade Broke right at the handle
My last 2 CS were dull as fuck. I mean it took me 5 mins to sharpen but.. Fart! Also broke 2 of my Sure flight sports knives in half. If only TOPS made some of the ColdSteel models we'd be in business
Love my Tops blades, I've never had issues with their heat treat. I always reprofile them, though, cause they are a bit too thick for woodwork. That's how I know the steel is good , I freaking love my Tanimboca Puukko , keeps a wicked edge .
Ok, so i have a lionsteel fix blade seened in the last equalizer. This is my go to knife i use to cut bread and candy 🍬 wraps. I need to do more extensive test on it in the future.
My first Cold Steel knife was from before the internet was public about 1992 or so. I somehow lost that knife or probably stolen. This was from back when they probably only had fifteen or so things in their paper brochure that got sent in the mail. Now I had a kudu? Never used it too thin of a blade and a Pendleton Lite Hunter that I use as a kitchen knife that doesn't keep an edge that is probably ten years old.
yes it does. Cold Steel never told him it's ok to throw this folder into the tree but he does it, damages the tip of the blade and goes on you tube to badmouth the company. More on.
its not about them not standing by their product as much as it was about them saying its impossible to be transferred to a supervisor and at that point, that had no knowledge of how it bent, just that it bent. Defend that...
Maybe they saw the video of you throwing it? They definitely have now. The point is that YOU knew that you caused the damage by throwing it and that it was outside of what it covered by the warranty. No folder is designed for throwing. If you throw a $300 folder at a tree and bend it, that’s kinda on you. Also, you’re damn lucky that the point only bent and didn’t snap off. AND you were able to bend it back. Heat treat might be better than you think if the knife survived your abuse.
@@jtr109 the vid went up after they made the claim that its impossible to be transferred and after they claimed credit card records aren't proof of purchase. Really sad that, that kind of business is being defended more than the American buyer
That's a shame 😢 I'm working on my second lone star hunter. I flipped the blade out on my first one, and it cracked and fell off right behind the thumb stud. I had to pay for shipping to get it replaced. The only other knife I've had do that is a spyderco endura. I slashed a water bottle with it and hit the cap. It was that zdp189 steel when they first came out with it. The new one they replaced it with was vg10.
It probably doesn't apply, but my favorite line from "Van Halen" is, "The only thing that stays the same, is CHANGE"! I'm 74 & I'm ashamed to admit how many models of the original "Cold Steel" cutlery & other "Special Projects" items I own & have never had a problem with any of them. Lucky me!!! Wait, I've got another one, "It's an ever changing World in which we're living"!!!
My Frontier Bowie came dull and had actual rust patches on it that had eaten away the black coating and a crack in the handle material. Been waiting for a replacement since 2021. Gave up emailing and calling. Stuck with a rusty blunt knife that cost $200 Australian. Very sad
I was fan customer service has always been bad. But let me tell you that I wore out my two recon 1 tantos with xhp steel I said the locking mechanism is wore out on them and they said send them in. It took 2 months to get them back but the replaced them with the s35vn ones for free So my suggestion would send it in With a note That should work
I liked cold steel when lynn owned it but even then it seems like it goes through phases of good quality and then crap. Ive had good sharp blades, dull as shit blades...hell my 1917 came dull and rusted in the sheath. I never could get it sharp and even after i took all the rust off it rusted a month or so later. And i live in friggin texas. Btw Donnie where can i find the knives you make?
@@patrickferryman6579 i agree. My blades are at www.thekhukurihouse.com under categories see dbad creations. Also my Croco knives blades can be found on ebay. dbad menace, dbad MCK, dbad trench knife and dbad pocket warrior
Funny I have also had terrible experience with their customer service prior to the gsm acquisition as well… I got one of their maa English bills and its shaft broke immediately- called to try and procure a replacement shaft… no help whatsoever… been done with CS and won’t give GSM a penny more of my $
I sent back my Mayhem, all the videos I saw the action was smooth not mine. I was told to send back by UPS, that was fifty dollars and was told everything was fine and sent it back. I save all my boxes but came back beaten, and my Mayhem is still stiff even after working the action for hours. They also don't sell parts fortheir knives, just maybe twenty percent off their home page the most expensive way to buy.
I have one cold steel knife, it’s the counter tac 1, and it thankfully is great, but that’s because it’s a dagger and only has 1 use that’s for poking into things/people but I won’t be buying anything from cold steel again. (But it’s pretty hard to mess up a dagger)
Damn it's sad! I was a huge cold steel guy but quality has gone down on many models. At first I thought gsm was doing right by us but as time passes I see increased pricing and decreased quality
I bought one of their San Mai master tanto and I was throughly disgusted with the retention of the secure x sheath. Since I live outside of the conus, it is more of a hassle to see about the replacement of the sheath. So I did what is taught in the military, adapt and overcome. I cut down an old ranger band and secured it in the throat of the sheath. The newer CS tanto is a far cry inferior than the pre 90s San Mai tanto that from the old CS company that was owned and operated by Lynn Thompson
I also believe that Cold Steel prints a description on the packaging that for certain knives, leverage or impact loads are not included in the warranty agreement.
I thought the Mayhem felt like one of those large friction folders on Forged In Fire… Just a g10 and steel sandwich. I can totally see why it’s $139 on Amazon
Thanks for the warning. I too, was lusting for the Mayhem & probably would have gotten one someday. Think I'll stick with Spartan Blades & Topps Knives as they have never let me down.
I’ve ordered 2 frontier bowies,Wild West Bowie,riflemans Bowie,code 4 tanto,and a Kyoto tanto from cold steel. Some of the edges were uneven,there were some flaws but overall they are well made knives. 🔪 I’m sure that when GSM took ownership they planned to cut quality and go for quantity since it will make them money. Lynn Thompson doesn’t care how it’s run anymore since he sold it. I’m going to order several more Coldsteel knives and that will be all for me. There are other companies out there that have far superior products but the price is also much greater. Also knives,swords and other cutlery has taken a massive decline because of firearms so they are only used occasionally. Now people can’t justify spending $100 or more on a blade unless it’s for their job.
By the way, the tip is not going to rebend more easily because it was straightened. Don’t worry about it. But stop throwing knives that aren’t throwing knives.
@@DonnieBAllDay yeah but, man, it’s the steel choice that’s making it bend and not snap. The tip is so fine that it just doesn’t hold up to throwing in AUS10A. Other steels might be more likely to break this kind of tip off from the force of throwing. The geometry plus the steel is the problem for your particular use, not the manufacturing quality or heat treatment.
@@Steelydan670 It would be interesting to compare the tip geometry of the two knives. Then again, if Donnie says similar issues have affected other CS knives, and those tips are more robust than the Mayhem's, but they still bent... then heat treat might be a recurring issue if we rule out geometry.
@@CSGraves it’s the combination of the geometry and the choice of steel. AUS10 is prone to that. When you sharpen it it feels gummy on the stone. It’s not stable with a fine edge either.
I bought a G.I. Tanto a few months back. I know it's a $30 knife, but the grind isn't even at all. If you lay the edge on the table it looks like a very low frequency serration... I like it well enough, and I'm a big fan of my 26" CS Baton; but I wanted that Bowie you replaced the handle on and to be frank I'm a bit worried about spending even that much on one of their blades after this and the recent JoeX vid.
@@DonnieBAllDay Yeah, that's kinda where I'm at. I'm fine with getting a bad product once in a while, as long as the company is willing to make it right. I'm not the type of guy that takes it personal when I buy something defective, but if they refuse to help me after the fact it's hard not to.
Thanks for the video. I used to be a big fan of Cold Steel. As you said, they make some good products. I was very happy with some of those products. Then, I tried to ask questions on one of their videos, and the guy running their RUclips was a jerk. I wanted to better understand something that they claimed, and he just became defensive and refused to try to explain. I suspect that he just had no clue. Instead of saying that he didn't understand, he tried to be insulting. I think that kind of arrogance permeates the culture there. They do some things well, but the arrogance makes me avoid them. That's too bad. I bought quite a bit of Cold Steel stuff back in the day, but I don't buy their knives any longer.
Thank you very much for this video. I purchased a tops knife and condor knife company knife instead and was very happy. I was very happy with my tops gladius, and condor knife company, kukri.
I own several cold steel products. The recon 1 tanto (was a Christmas gift when i was 16, in 2011) the special forces shovel (bought 2010) the viking battle axe (got 2 or 3 years ago) the sjambok (bought about 7 years ago) many pocket sharks (damn must have got my first in 2009) and in the past i owned the kudu too. For ages ive been wanting to pick up a SRK in sk-5 and a gladius machete. Ive never had any truly awful experiences, but some problems have surfaced. I've used every product heavily other than the viking battle axe, which just will not bloody sharpen, not even with files. Which is a shame because its an awesome product and it is durable. The customer service has always been pretty bad, as is the UK distributor, the products are awfully expensive (this is only a problem with their main distrbutor, not other shops which sell their products) and they never have stock in (been waiting years to get a gladius machete, wanted to compare it to my OKC, Tramontina and my Martindale.) If cold steel has a heat treat problem, then thats a surefire sign their quality is slipping. I wasnt aware lynn sold cold steel. I know they have been hit or miss with some products being rough around the edges, bad fitting, rough edges, weak coatings, but their products have always been durable and properly heat treated, if they lose that, then no one has any reason to buy cold steel.
Wow, I guess I'll forget about buying any stuff from Cold Steal! I have a Voyager that is kind of nice looking, but it's too stiff to flip open reliably right now.
Sorry to hear this. I’ve got a little bit of a list of cold steel products I was going to buy. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll find other products. Cold Steel is not the only game in town
I was about to buy the 1849 Rifleman's knife and was searching to see if you had tested it when I came across this post. You saved me over $100. Thanks. I've bought a lot of knives on your recommendation. This is the first one you warned me away from. I'm old. I don't have the patience any more to fight with customer service assholes. Ruins my day.
That 1849 Rifleman's knife does look mighty nice. What a bunch of crap though you'd (or myself) should have to worry if we'd get a good one & if not, might have a battle with customer service. I purposely try to buy from Amazon, or, the like, so, I don't have to worry about dealing with a bad customer service. So far, Amazon has never given me any pushback on customer service issues.
it takes years and years to build your reputation and only 5 seconds to lose it.
@@CalvinMorris-cf8jk facts
How do they loose reputation because some idiot threw their folding knife into a tree and the tip bend. Try harder DonnieB fanboy.
@@LXT43 kiss my butt CUPCAKE and go play with your junk knives don't hurt yourself man.
@@LXT43 they gained popularity from some round guy showing you they can stab through car hoods
@@LXT43 they lose reputation because of things like, sorry, its impossible to transfer you to a supervisor. Not standing behind a product says a lot about that product. They expect failures.500 knives get thrown, 1 bends and morons like you says it bent because it was thrown. I guess the rest were made of different stuff
Even Chinese made Rough Rider has a no questions asked return policy. Cold Sterl needs to step up.
@@deniskozlowski9370 imagine that
They need to change their name- or maybe WE should change it for them- from "Cold Steel" to- "cold stool".. 🤣
@@DonnieBAllDay
My 15 year old ti lite is great ....
Rough riders rock
Where is this RR policy, how do you activate it...I reached out to seller and they sent me to a WordPress contact form on the RR site...nothing heard back.
It’s so sad. I had been a Cold Steel customer since 2004. In the past two years I’ve noticed a serious decline in their products and their customer support. The worse was when I had to wait an entire month to get a new extendable baton. They made me wait 2 weeks to report it lost even though the tracking said it was still waiting in their factory. And when I finally asked for my money back, they magically found it somewhere in shipping 🤦♂️
@@mrblaque215 imagine that
I been a fan for 6 years and also I have seen you tubers get brand new cold steel knifes and the handles start to get loose or the tip bents. 411 outdoors srk tanto recon l/Gideon tactical I know there was one more can't think of it.
GSM is garbage,no Lynn-no quality control.
@@igoryurkin9038 I had some poor quality then too, but worse now
Old ones was much better. Got only one shit quality back then and it was recon tanto, blade was super soft.
Cold Steel would not have been a successful company if they started out with their _current_ standard of quality & customer service.
They have definitely got worse.
They used to be one of the best.
Same factory, specs and build but no QC from GSM. @@adamkane7513
Company trend
-Lets get rich by making a great product.
Later
-Lets get richer by cuttering corners but charge the same.
Down fall 👎
Part of it was the selling of Cold Steel to GSM Outdoors. They also bought SOG Knives.
@@stonefox9124 sadder, they made them worse and raised the prices
@MetalMelee the buyout doesn't matter if the company backs the product
That is almost every single company. I've only come across a handful who've gotten better as their reputation grew.
Unfortunately this is becoming atrue reality, pay more get less corporate greed syndrome
To any newer knife guys: if it looks like a gas station knife, it is.
Price doesn’t matter.
Knives are tools buy the tool you need in the price you want.
I brought the XL Espada to Afghanistan. Used it and it was good. This was not
@@DonnieBAllDay I carried a proguard that I got at a going-out-of-business sale on my plate carrier. They used to make great stuff.
when i found out he sold the company i bought all my favorite CS knives cuz i knew the company would go to shit and for the most part it has :(
@@RHACOREBERS down the drain
That is SO disapointing. They shoot themselves in the foot with that foolish attitude.
@@tonnywildweasel8138 100%
Public announcement, gsm also owns SOG knives.. soon both sog and cold steel will be synonymous with Smith & Weston...
@@meanwileinthedesert..2320 Smith at least shoots straight
Exactly
They bought out SOG but it seems they must be using a different Taiwanese OEM as their quality has gone up. I recently got a chance to mess with a Terminus XR (one of the newer ones after they changed the pocket clip), Vision XR, and their altair XR (their bugout competitor) - they were very impressive.
Their assisted knives are all crap though, but that’s been the case for years.
@@just9911 I got a good SOG recently. The good folder with micarts scales. I hate the feel of the GRN
Wesson... Lol 😁👍🇦🇺
If your wanting to verify those heat treat concerns ...send em to your boy. I'll test em for free. 😎
I think I'm going to put it in my forge
@@DonnieBAllDay okay, but offer stands. I have a rockwell tester. You could put it in the forge afterwards lol.
@DonnieBAllDay you should get it tested though because if Cold Steel has a manufacturing problem with heat treating it should be known
@@donjuanmckenzie4897 I already sent it to him
@@apex_alchemy_knivesDo you sharpen knives too? I have a quite carry waypoint with vanex superclean and that’s the only knife I have that I can’t get sharp, Don’t know why, Just curious, I have asked a couple of different channels that I watch about sharpening and I never get a reply back from them
To tell the truth, I have noticed the quality of Cold Steel going down every since they discontinued the "Carbon V5" steel.
@@ragin2490 fact
My only Cold Steel is a gen1 SRK. That is a decent knife. Since then: No thanks, i have enough garbage in the bin already!
I had the Kobun and Recon Tanto all through my time as a pre and post 9/11 Marine, both Carbon V. I’ve only had a small push dagger since and tossed it after the sheath kept failing. They’re junk and Tops has been my go to company since.
@Teufel_Resen lolololol Tops??? One of the worst companies around. Every Tops knife has failed spectacularly on JoeX's channel
@@donjuanmckenzie4897 Joe isn't a knife guy. He simply tries to break knives, then foolish followers believe the crap they see. Tops has the single best differential heat treat in the business. Their knives will last 100 lifetimes if used as knives. If someone smashed an infants head with a mallet, people like you would say, that guy only has stupid kids.
This happens when the 'Bean Counters' take over.
facts
Well then send me some beans.
We all knew this was going to happen after the company sold.
Lynn should have saved face by abandoning the company all together instead of sticking around to help the new owners sell products with his presence.
facts
Ever since they sold out to GSN, I just gave up on them. I already had everything I would ever want out of the company. Considering that Andrew Demko created almost all of the knives that I had from Cold Steel, he is my new go to for new knives. Really can't wait for him to start shipping out his new AD10 with the enhanced Triad Lock.
@@danzigrulze5211 Demko is awesome
AD10 is a Tank ! 😁👍🇦🇺
Dude, if they are that bad, how did you come about buying three of their knives ? After the first knife failed, I would not take another chance on them.
Because cold steel used to have a stellar reputation on all fronts. Indestructible knives, great prices, great customer service. They spent decades earning the benefit of the doubt. They always pulled through and made it right, quickly.
@@eatonknass247 O.K. I guess legacy does deserve a second chance. But only one Mulligan.
I get paid to review knives. Not just some knives
Their swords surprised me. I had the 1830 Napoleon sword and was gently testing its cutting capability on those bow and arrow targets the foam kind and the blade broke in half as soon as I did that! The sharp part of the sword that broke nearly hit me!
Wow! THats nuts
glad you finally did a video on it! Hopefully someone there sees it.
@@pistolpete4991 they dont care
Oh man Donnie I am sorry to hear that you are having problems with the Cold Steel knife company. So far, the Cold Steel knives that my dad bought are holding up pretty good. One of my "I wish I had knives" was the Natchez bowie, but I am afraid of purchasing one of them now. If it breaks, they probably wouldn't replace it. Thanks for letting not only me but the rest of us knife guys know.
@@TinmansCorner the Natchez has been a problem with them
@@DonnieBAllDay It's really that bad, well I might as well not get one now. Imagine if there walking sticks are bad as well.
This really sucks. I've been holding off buying new CS knives for a while now since LT sold off the company. Not because I'm so smart, but because their pricing of their new big blades went through the roof. The Mayhem being one of them, not to mention the Jimi Slash Competition Chopper. I don't know who they are trying to appeal to, but it's definitely not their base.
@@onesky8647 exactly!
Their prices on the knives I like sure did go thru the roof! That's when I backed off of them... And prices are one thing IF THE QUALITY AND SERVICE had remained good- but alas they haven't. I can't help but think that this review by DBAD is gonna hurt them cash flow-wise!
@@ronalddunne3413 lessons learned
I do like the knives that I have from Cold Steel ... but I have heard multiple complaints about their CS. Thanks for the share of your experiences, DBAD. There is NO EXCUSE for poor/no heat treatment of the steel.
@@byronkennedy7912 exactly
So where to go now for outrageously large wall ornaments?
@@monomarino5349 haha! Good question
Midgard messer
Proper heat treatment is the most expensive part of making a mass produced knife, and the easiest to cheat on since you cant see the difference when buying it.
@@hendrikvanleeuwen9110 thats true
Unrealistic bro.The Mayhem is not a throwing blade.It’s a people slasher.
I’m not gonna boycott just yet but I will say NEVER spend more than $200 on any cold steel regardless of metal type.I have a couple high end fixed blades that have bad grinds and uneven tips.$300 + blades should be flawless in build quality.
Never overpay by buying direct from cold steel.Get them much cheaper from Midway.
Midway is an awful company too
@@DukeTolgo the Harbor Freight 10 dollar knife isn't a thrower either. No damage. Neither are any of the other folders Ive thrown with zero damage. Its not about what its not, its about what it is. Why should a slasher get a free pass on a bad heat treat?
I bought 3 Cold Steel knives from Amazon last year and they were all 🔥with awesome heat treats. I got the Code 4, Recon 1, & 4-Max Scout.
@@DonnieBAllDay Is it a bad heat treat or throwing it into a tree is the problem.I love you Donnie but sometimes we gotta take the blame for our mistakes.If that blade got bent slashing or stabbing some meat I’d be right on board with you.
@@DukeTolgo Brother man, when have you seen me bend another the same way? Cheap, expensive, flat, saber or hollow. The rest survived. So did I simply get lucky on 500 other knives or is this just bad? Lynn made sales by taking knives just like this and stabbing them through car hoods to show how strong they are. A short toss into a soft tree is the limit?
12 years ago I used a cold steel shanghai shadow as a throwing knife. Very inexpensive chinese production, made from 1055 steel. It never ever bent or broke. After a while I could renew the tip and sharpened it as it was before. Excellent heat treating. It's a shame that you can no longer count on the old quality.
exactly
I'm definitely hearing you on the customer service. I ordered one of the limited edition titanium Ad10's from the Cold Steel website over two and a half weeks ago. It was in stock when I ordered it, and they took the payment from my bank account. Well, a week went by, and there was no update on shipping. So I called customer service and was told that they would have to get answers from higher management, and placed on hold. When she returned she said that no one was available and someone would contact me later that evening. Never happened. So I called again a couple days later. I was told that they were out of stock and would get more middle of July and someone would contact me to see if I wanted to wait or get a refund. Again no reply. I finally called back again today to confirm the date and was now told it would now be July 30. And from now on if I want to place an order to call them to confirm its in stock before I purchase it. I'm not going to say that I won't purchase another Cold Steel. But I guarantee it won't be from their site.
Thats exactly them
I tried to order a "securex" replacement sheath for an older carbon v srk and got ignored. Nice service huh? Been hearing a lot of bad reviews of late. One guy broke a brand new Republic fixed blade and they refused to honor the warranty
@@larryroberts3598 they're terrible
I've been done with them since they switched out the 01 tool steel for 4034 budget steel and put a premium sticker on it.
@@jimbusmaximus4624 facts
Im just curious is that knife meant for throwing some of these high end knives only have certain applications they can be effectively used for im not saying ur wrong i was just wondering myself
90% of the knives I throw aren't made for throwing. This is the one that bent
Damn
They really went downhill
@@jnzupka yup
@@DonnieBAllDay it sucks because I had some good experiences with their customer service a couple of years ago
This is exactly what I feared would happen when he sold the company.
@@kevinbojan1811 going downhill fast
Word gets out quick!!! They will definitely lose business over their CS BS!! Hate that happened to ya..Know you really liked the design!!! Positive side is you saved alot of people money!!! 👊🏻
@@David_DY 100%
I bought the recon in magnacut and the fit and finish is awful
thats just terrible
@@DonnieBAllDay thank you for not being to cool to answer your fan base
@@davidboydston8388 id first have to be a little cool to be too cool. Haha
A better way to straighten a bent knife is to put it in a bench vise with two screwdrivers on one side and one screwdriver on the other. In this way you can bend the knife anywhere along the blade by repositioning the screwdrivers.
@@3vil3lvis still would need a new heat treat. I was just hoping theyd honor their product... nope
@@DonnieBAllDay Fun Fact: This straightening trick was from a video in which the blade warped during heat treatment.
When I first got a Natchez Bowie many years before CS was bought by GSM it came with the tip folded back on itself 180 degrees. Sent it back and they sent me a new one. Years later I bought a 1917 Bowie and it came dull. But all my other CS knives have been good.
@@117rebel a lot of soft tips
So freaking true thank you my brother they used to be a good knife but production now is garbage I will never waste a cent on any cold steel products a company that can't stand behind it's own product isn't worth our hard earned cash ,
@@ChuRock-kb5mf exactly
cold steel does make their folding knives a little too thin. If the Espada XL wasn't as thin as a kitchen knife i'd be using it everyday while i hike through the forest as a machette. But it's just way too expensive to risk cracking off a chunk off the edge on a pine tree. I use to bring it out with me to use to chop my way through the pine and spruce trees but it didn't take long for the edge to bacon warp. A lot of manufacturers i don't think actually test their knives. I can tell straight away if an edge is too thin to deal with pine branches. Especially in the cold of winter.
sadly with CS you're more likely to bend and warp
That's a real shame about Cold Steel. With all of the experiences you've had recently there's no doubt that big problems exist there now. There was a time when they had excellent customer service and fantastic quality, but it seems that time has passed.
I bought a Cold steel 4'' Voyager around 1995 - 1998. I carried it a couple of years and snagged the plastic pocket clip (before they were steel) on a pallet at work while inspecting product and broke it. I called Cold Steel the following day to see if they could send me a new handle and they said send the knife back to us. I said just bill me and whatever the cost I'll pay for it. I had skinned game, filleted fish, and done camp duties with it and it became my go to knife. 2 weeks later a brand-new Voyager arrived with the then new, steel pocket clip and a note stating no charge and the steel pocket clip should be far more durable. I wish that type of service was still available from them.
we all wish they still had those morals
Hello, how many knives you have? and what is an estimated value of all of them ?
I just sold a few hundred of them and I still have around 200. I have prototypes that I just can't put a price on
This is a crying shame. I have been a fanboy since the 80's. You were generous to even give them a 2nd chance. Can't say I would buy from them again after hearing this.
downhill fast
My xl voyager bent chopping a .5” birch branch. Also, a handle partially broke off of my magnun kukri machete while chopping… they wanted me to send it in, but shipping would cost nearly what I paid for it. I just wrapped the broken part with duct tape…
@@wellregulated8725 chopping wood they say now is abusing the knife and an excuse not to replace it
@@DonnieBAllDay I bent the folder back…. But the handle breaking apart in my hand…. I wasn’t too happy about. Their hawks are great for throwing…. Atleast their machete aren’t crazy expensive…. A $400 knife should not be bending though….. are you close to anybody that has one of the machines that tests the rockwell ?
@@wellregulated8725 I'm sending it out for testing
@@DonnieBAllDay interested to see what the HRC is. 👊🏼
Been using a Voyager XL for about 3 years never failed yet, doing construction work put it to the test.
I was never interested in the Mayhem design, but it is still disappointing to hear that GSM is making things worse. They also own SOG knives.
@@omarcorrea1996 ruining one company at a time
So far I've only had one bad experience with Cold Steel. It was an SRK in SK5 with an edge that fell to pieces after one light/medium duty use. I put a new edge on it instead of sending it back and it has actually been good to go since.
dealing with them sucks
oh my god, dude... what happened to you - you've lost so much weight
@@cafeqc3793 and Im sure as hell not looking for it
I have an O1 trailmaster that ive used as my main knife for years and the hand guard got loose on it, so i reached out to the company and asked if there was any way to repair it and i got absolutely nothing back. Also i bought the 1917 bowie is a replacement and it came duller than a butter knife. RIP coldsteel
they really went to $hit
The warranty clearly states:
Don't be a "Donnie B".
Donnie B will not be honored, we've seen his videos. 😂
Seriously, this is sad news as I have a large Cold Steel Collection.
I just purchased another "Black Bear Classic" from them. That's an expensive knife.
I won't be spending my money with Cold Steel any longer, after seeing this.
There are plenty of really great knife brands that are no risk.
Heck, even Rough Rider honors their knives.
@@harolddavis4138 oh snap! I didnt read the fine print! Haha
the walmart tramontia kitchen knifes are nsf rated and stainless and i use the 3 packs to dress game i have a trail hawk i have benchmade and ka bar and cold steel high end and all day long i carrya small kitchen knife that slices like lasers
you're smart
Guess all the older knives are going to shoot even more up in price now.
already seeing it
Yup
I showed the volatility of the SRK and fan boys lost it 😂.
Hahaha! They always do. Vagi's aren't to tight on those guys
That's what hapoend to my srk no heat treat never held an edge kabar is pretty bad too
@@tomritter493 I agree
I am not happy with their s35vn. I do like my older cold steel throwers. I wouldn't buy another folder from them. The reason I got my last one(tiger claw folding karambit) was because Andrew Demko supposedly worked on the knife design and the triad lock.
Demko went solo. Killer stuff
@@DonnieBAllDay yeah, love my shark lock on my sharks foot.
That's a shame! That blade shape on that folder is cool damn shame!
@@coleenmccrory9018 fo sho
Thanks for the video brother, was going to purchase one, not anymore.
Any opinions on the 4 Max Scout?
@@bigradz8246 i have an Italian made regular 4 Max thats awesome. The Scout I hear is good. Just get get an older one
CRKT is better. Agree with you for sure!
CRKT don’t make knives this size.
My edc is the crkt M16 fixed blade. Great knife for protection. A pocket folder does the normal tasks.
@@kenpoorman5945 M16 its a legend! 😀 Jealous, but in positive view point 👍😉
@@siegfriedwashburn3484 I have a CRKT chopper tha is amazing
CRKT Hissatsu fixed blade.
Killer in no disguise.
I stopped buying Cold steel when my brand new Cold steel neck knife was lost because it would not stay in its sheath. I just refuse to waste my time and money on a poor brand. Cold steel over priced Junk knives.
the older ones only
I gave up on Cold steel when they sold to GSM. Will never buy another
@@hillbillyfromtheswamp6223 Im with you
But wich knife company would still be the best atm then if it goes about quality controle and service? @@DonnieBAllDay
The tip broke off my tanto recon one with some slight carving on some plastic
@@jacobquigney163 terrible heat treat will do it
@@DonnieBAllDay yessir. That and they make the tips of their blades super skinny these days. A trail master back then was way more stout than one today
GSM bought SOG last year or so and same bad customer service.Not fond of SOG knives they have come out with.Needless to say I’ve only bought one SOG and that was from ACE hardware when I was in there.Im done with SOG because of GSM🔪👍
@@TheSogGrunt I only bought 1 as well
They bought Camillus too :/
That sucks, Donnie. Sorry….When I saw the Mayhem, I fell in love. I foolishly told my nephew about it and he bought me the Limited Edition Mayhem for Christmas a couple years ago. My blade if fine. Everything about it is perfect. But….that certainly doesn’t invalidate what happened to you. I’ve heard these stories, quite literally, for decades. I never disbelieved them but always took the advice about caution with them as good advice. It’s a big company and when moneys on the line, shady shit happens. And when Cold Steel got bought out, the first thing I thought was, “Oh….this is gonna be bad.” And it seems I, and many others, were right. In many cases, it’s because we’re spoiled, I think. I mean, all of us has the knife that we got from a small independent blade smith and it’s perfect. A brilliant design, quality materials and an artist who cares….he sees something flawed and rather than letting it skate by, he fixes it. Corporate America doesn’t quite deal with things like that these days. Anyway….again, sorry you had a shitty experience with them. I’ll probably back off on them as well even while I love my Mayhem…..
@@mikewalsh5872 I wanted to be able to love mine
@@DonnieBAllDay Yeah…..life in the big knife production game, I guess. I’m thinking my next purchase will be that beauty you designed. That magnificent Trench Knife! Saw that thing and my balls tingled…..lol
@@mikewalsh5872 that things a killer
I have a recon scout in san mai iii, it is one of my favourites. Unfortunately it’s basically the only CS knife i now own
@@mrk7806 they have some hits, sadly though, a lot of misses too
Seems you’d stop giving them money after two bent knives. Who cares what a knife looks like if you keep having issues, just saying
@@JasonIsaac-wh9km I review knives. Done with theirs though
Had a friend buy a cold steel knife for a camping trip he was going on . I don’t remember what he said he bought but on the first day there he was going to shave some small pieces of wood for kindling and his blade Broke right at the handle
wow!!
My last 2 CS were dull as fuck. I mean it took me 5 mins to sharpen but.. Fart! Also broke 2 of my Sure flight sports knives in half. If only TOPS made some of the ColdSteel models we'd be in business
@@Jimmy-gd5ho exactly!
Love my Tops blades, I've never had issues with their heat treat. I always reprofile them, though, cause they are a bit too thick for woodwork.
That's how I know the steel is good , I freaking love my Tanimboca Puukko , keeps a wicked edge .
@@airiksknifereviews9548 best dif heat treat in the business
Ok, so i have a lionsteel fix blade seened in the last equalizer. This is my go to knife i use to cut bread and candy 🍬 wraps. I need to do more extensive test on it in the future.
Lionsteel is good stuff
Never abuse your Tools! 😂
If they can start making them as good as Harbor Freight....
My first Cold Steel knife was from before the internet was public about 1992 or so. I somehow lost that knife or probably stolen. This was from back when they probably only had fifteen or so things in their paper brochure that got sent in the mail.
Now I had a kudu? Never used it too thin of a blade and a Pendleton Lite Hunter that I use as a kitchen knife that doesn't keep an edge that is probably ten years old.
I threw the cheap ass Kudu. No bending
Throwing it likely voids the warranty.
Well done sir. You can read between the lines. Most people just parrot nonsense!
#Cheerleaders
yes it does. Cold Steel never told him it's ok to throw this folder into the tree but he does it, damages the tip of the blade and goes on you tube to badmouth the company. More on.
its not about them not standing by their product as much as it was about them saying its impossible to be transferred to a supervisor and at that point, that had no knowledge of how it bent, just that it bent. Defend that...
Maybe they saw the video of you throwing it? They definitely have now. The point is that YOU knew that you caused the damage by throwing it and that it was outside of what it covered by the warranty. No folder is designed for throwing. If you throw a $300 folder at a tree and bend it, that’s kinda on you. Also, you’re damn lucky that the point only bent and didn’t snap off. AND you were able to bend it back. Heat treat might be better than you think if the knife survived your abuse.
@@jtr109 the vid went up after they made the claim that its impossible to be transferred and after they claimed credit card records aren't proof of purchase. Really sad that, that kind of business is being defended more than the American buyer
Ooh, only 100-something k subs... I love finding new saplings on RUclips and seeing them grow over time... It found my feed, so you exist!
some day I'll get there
@@DonnieBAllDay We need more small voices calling out bullshit... That bend is agregious... That's some Pakistani cheese-metal shit.
@@flinchfu truth
Folding knives are already broken! Fine for opening cute little Amazon packages. 😂😂😂
Hahaha!
That's a shame 😢
I'm working on my second lone star hunter. I flipped the blade out on my first one, and it cracked and fell off right behind the thumb stud.
I had to pay for shipping to get it replaced. The only other knife I've had do that is a spyderco endura. I slashed a water bottle with it and hit the cap. It was that zdp189 steel when they first came out with it. The new one they replaced it with was vg10.
thats nuts
It probably doesn't apply, but my favorite line from "Van Halen" is, "The only thing that stays the same, is CHANGE"! I'm 74 & I'm ashamed to admit how many models of the original "Cold Steel" cutlery & other "Special Projects" items I own & have never had a problem with any of them. Lucky me!!! Wait, I've got another one, "It's an ever changing World in which we're living"!!!
@@barrybaldwin5535 makes me give it a cry.... live and let die
If you want Cold Steel, "You've got to bleed for it baby". Ain't talking bout love. 33 different models and still going strong.
My Frontier Bowie came dull and had actual rust patches on it that had eaten away the black coating and a crack in the handle material. Been waiting for a replacement since 2021. Gave up emailing and calling. Stuck with a rusty blunt knife that cost $200 Australian. Very sad
@@Fatalinfraction thats terrible
Saving up my money for a proper decent bowie now like one of yoir designs! Keep up the awesome mate 😎@@DonnieBAllDay
@@Fatalinfraction I appreciate that
Agree
@@augustus63 smart. Haba
Thank You! Joe X just broke their leatherneck like it was nothing. It shattered at the tip test.
people are waking up
They were originally a gas station knife company before they made swords. They went from crap to Okay and then back to crap apparently.
fact
I was fan customer service has always been bad. But let me tell you that I wore out my two recon 1 tantos with xhp steel
I said the locking mechanism is wore out on them and they said send them in.
It took 2 months to get them back but the replaced them with the s35vn ones for free
So my suggestion would send it in
With a note
That should work
Then you risk losing it all together
@ yes that’s true but they should be much better at helping people out
I liked cold steel when lynn owned it but even then it seems like it goes through phases of good quality and then crap. Ive had good sharp blades, dull as shit blades...hell my 1917 came dull and rusted in the sheath. I never could get it sharp and even after i took all the rust off it rusted a month or so later. And i live in friggin texas. Btw Donnie where can i find the knives you make?
@@patrickferryman6579 i agree. My blades are at www.thekhukurihouse.com under categories see dbad creations. Also my Croco knives blades can be found on ebay. dbad menace, dbad MCK, dbad trench knife and dbad pocket warrior
Funny I have also had terrible experience with their customer service prior to the gsm acquisition as well… I got one of their maa English bills and its shaft broke immediately- called to try and procure a replacement shaft… no help whatsoever… been done with CS and won’t give GSM a penny more of my $
@@Herpetile Im with you 100%
Thanks for the heads up. I will spend my money on other knife companys. Whats your thoughts on OKC knives?
If OKC knives give him free stuff. He will probably say they are great! 😂💯
OKC made quality blades. FIt and finish is never great, but thy can be hammered on
I sent back my Mayhem, all the videos I saw the action was smooth not mine. I was told to send back by UPS, that was fifty dollars and was told everything was fine and sent it back. I save all my boxes but came back beaten, and my Mayhem is still stiff even after working the action for hours.
They also don't sell parts fortheir knives, just maybe twenty percent off their home page the most expensive way to buy.
@@jdemeter4357 just garbage
I have one cold steel knife, it’s the counter tac 1, and it thankfully is great, but that’s because it’s a dagger and only has 1 use that’s for poking into things/people but I won’t be buying anything from cold steel again. (But it’s pretty hard to mess up a dagger)
facts! Haha
Sad to see how some companies refuse to update their service or quality, and fall so easily off because costumers talk today on the internet.
@@Man_Ray78 fact
Damn it's sad! I was a huge cold steel guy but quality has gone down on many models. At first I thought gsm was doing right by us but as time passes I see increased pricing and decreased quality
facts
I bought one of their San Mai master tanto and I was throughly disgusted with the retention of the secure x sheath. Since I live outside of the conus, it is more of a hassle to see about the replacement of the sheath. So I did what is taught in the military, adapt and overcome. I cut down an old ranger band and secured it in the throat of the sheath. The newer CS tanto is a far cry inferior than the pre 90s San Mai tanto that from the old CS company that was owned and operated by Lynn Thompson
@@defensivetacticssystems8167 that sucks
I also believe that Cold Steel prints a description on the packaging that for certain knives, leverage or impact loads are not included in the warranty agreement.
to void a warranty, all you need to do is chop wood. Makes you feel good about all those camp knives
@DonnieBAllDay that doesn't work with outdoor knives, they have to be able to withstand chopping stress. I agree with you there.
@@chrisdyck6524 there way of not having to legally stand behind their products
I thought the Mayhem felt like one of those large friction folders on Forged In Fire… Just a g10 and steel sandwich. I can totally see why it’s $139 on Amazon
its a fun toy
Damn so you're saying the Bolo Machete I have is garbage from them? I thought it was gonna be good, but I should have known the price was so low.
@@bullridermusic2054 never know. It might be great. Not fun when its a 50/50 chance
Thanks for the warning. I too, was lusting for the Mayhem & probably would have gotten one someday. Think I'll stick with Spartan Blades & Topps Knives as they have never let me down.
smart
Not justifying Benchmade prices, but wondering if the extra costs come from departments that are needed in such large companies
just greed
I have been a cold steel customer since 1996.
I haven't cared much about them since like 2013.
It's a bummer.
sad
I’ve ordered 2 frontier bowies,Wild West Bowie,riflemans Bowie,code 4 tanto,and a Kyoto tanto from cold steel. Some of the edges were uneven,there were some flaws but overall they are well made knives. 🔪 I’m sure that when GSM took ownership they planned to cut quality and go for quantity since it will make them money. Lynn Thompson doesn’t care how it’s run anymore since he sold it. I’m going to order several more Coldsteel knives and that will be all for me. There are other companies out there that have far superior products but the price is also much greater. Also knives,swords and other cutlery has taken a massive decline because of firearms so they are only used occasionally. Now people can’t justify spending $100 or more on a blade unless it’s for their job.
so many better choices
@@DonnieBAllDay there is but for the working class, coldsteel dominates that market.
By the way, the tip is not going to rebend more easily because it was straightened. Don’t worry about it. But stop throwing knives that aren’t throwing knives.
I throw pretty much every knife. The rest just dont bend
@@DonnieBAllDay yeah but, man, it’s the steel choice that’s making it bend and not snap. The tip is so fine that it just doesn’t hold up to throwing in AUS10A. Other steels might be more likely to break this kind of tip off from the force of throwing. The geometry plus the steel is the problem for your particular use, not the manufacturing quality or heat treatment.
@@Steelydan670 It would be interesting to compare the tip geometry of the two knives. Then again, if Donnie says similar issues have affected other CS knives, and those tips are more robust than the Mayhem's, but they still bent... then heat treat might be a recurring issue if we rule out geometry.
@@CSGraves it’s the combination of the geometry and the choice of steel. AUS10 is prone to that. When you sharpen it it feels gummy on the stone. It’s not stable with a fine edge either.
I bought a G.I. Tanto a few months back. I know it's a $30 knife, but the grind isn't even at all. If you lay the edge on the table it looks like a very low frequency serration... I like it well enough, and I'm a big fan of my 26" CS Baton; but I wanted that Bowie you replaced the handle on and to be frank I'm a bit worried about spending even that much on one of their blades after this and the recent JoeX vid.
@@danielleclark-zack864 The biggest problem isn't that they aren't very consistent, the bigger issue is when the consistencies need to be resolved
@@DonnieBAllDay Yeah, that's kinda where I'm at. I'm fine with getting a bad product once in a while, as long as the company is willing to make it right. I'm not the type of guy that takes it personal when I buy something defective, but if they refuse to help me after the fact it's hard not to.
@@danielleclark-zack864 exactly
Looking forward to hearing about the outcome of this.
@@sturmgewehr70 the promised call never happened
Thanks for the video.
I used to be a big fan of Cold Steel. As you said, they make some good products. I was very happy with some of those products. Then, I tried to ask questions on one of their videos, and the guy running their RUclips was a jerk. I wanted to better understand something that they claimed, and he just became defensive and refused to try to explain. I suspect that he just had no clue. Instead of saying that he didn't understand, he tried to be insulting. I think that kind of arrogance permeates the culture there. They do some things well, but the arrogance makes me avoid them. That's too bad. I bought quite a bit of Cold Steel stuff back in the day, but I don't buy their knives any longer.
I believe it
Thank you very much for this video. I purchased a tops knife and condor knife company knife instead and was very happy. I was very happy with my tops gladius, and condor knife company, kukri.
@@williamkennedy1550 good choices
I own several cold steel products.
The recon 1 tanto (was a Christmas gift when i was 16, in 2011) the special forces shovel (bought 2010) the viking battle axe (got 2 or 3 years ago) the sjambok (bought about 7 years ago) many pocket sharks (damn must have got my first in 2009) and in the past i owned the kudu too. For ages ive been wanting to pick up a SRK in sk-5 and a gladius machete.
Ive never had any truly awful experiences, but some problems have surfaced. I've used every product heavily other than the viking battle axe, which just will not bloody sharpen, not even with files. Which is a shame because its an awesome product and it is durable.
The customer service has always been pretty bad, as is the UK distributor, the products are awfully expensive (this is only a problem with their main distrbutor, not other shops which sell their products) and they never have stock in (been waiting years to get a gladius machete, wanted to compare it to my OKC, Tramontina and my Martindale.)
If cold steel has a heat treat problem, then thats a surefire sign their quality is slipping. I wasnt aware lynn sold cold steel.
I know they have been hit or miss with some products being rough around the edges, bad fitting, rough edges, weak coatings, but their products have always been durable and properly heat treated, if they lose that, then no one has any reason to buy cold steel.
Shit, that comment didn't look that big when I was typing it out 😂
Haha! I read the whole thing.... I need a nap now
Wow, I guess I'll forget about buying any stuff from Cold Steal!
I have a Voyager that is kind of nice looking, but it's too stiff to flip open reliably right now.
@@VitoVisintini sad what they've become
Sorry to hear this. I’ve got a little bit of a list of cold steel products I was going to buy. Thanks for the heads up. I’ll find other products. Cold Steel is not the only game in town
@@TucoDog-ho6fw better to go with a "sure thing" company
Yo , sorry to hear that!
Congrats on the 100k milestone!
Keep up the great content!
@@SubUrbanOutdoors-no2kp thanks!
I was about to buy the 1849 Rifleman's knife and was searching to see if you had tested it when I came across this post. You saved me over $100. Thanks. I've bought a lot of knives on your recommendation. This is the first one you warned me away from. I'm old. I don't have the patience any more to fight with customer service assholes. Ruins my day.
@@stephenheld3467 old means smart
That 1849 Rifleman's knife does look mighty nice. What a bunch of crap though you'd (or myself) should have to worry if we'd get a good one & if not, might have a battle with customer service. I purposely try to buy from Amazon, or, the like, so, I don't have to worry about dealing with a bad customer service. So far, Amazon has never given me any pushback on customer service issues.