Cold Steel Bowie

[55bird]

My Son sent me the Laredo Bowie for Christmas and it is sharp as a razor 10.5 inch blade and a quarter inch thick at a $100. it's way Cool!See website for pics.
It's the dang baddest of "That's a Knife" I've seen in a long time.

[LVMPDawg]

I've been looking at these. How is it as a chopper?

[55bird]

Jeez,Anything as soft as bone or cartilage will collapse before the quality steel in this knife.I just like the cool look.Bowies RULE!

[LAFAL]

Since I can't afford a Randall #1 Fighter I bought one of the Cold Steel models. It's FINE!!!!!!! Same micarta handle but without buttcap drilled for a lanyard but same blade style, sharp as a razor and in a nice sheath with stone. I carry it in the woods and around when I'm out on the property. Maybe one day I will come into a small fortune and can afford a 6" Randall but for now Cold Steel it is.

[ALL FAL]

Lafal, you are better off with the cold steel or an Kabar, the shame is that randall's are factory made now, like so many other makers, like Gerber etc. are.

The good news is there are many fine makers out there that make better blades than the current Randall's at about 1/3rd the price. The stainless Randall's are crap 440a, and 440C is the much better steel.
Sorry I went off on the rant.:cool:

[REMBASS]

Cold Steel - the older Carbon V blades that were made in the USA are nice. The current crop of communist Chinese-made Cold Steel blades seems to have dropped a lot in quality when compared to the older Cold Steel products. I noticed that knife dealers are charging premiums for Carbon V blades, while SK-5 blades are sold at list or discounted.

SK-5 is a carbon tool steel made by JFE Steel of Japan. Grinding and polishing of this steel is likely done in the people's republic of communist-land. I think the Japanese steel is decent material. It's just the Made in China part I don't like. Cold Steel didn't need to go cheap on labor and go communist with their production. However, they chose to do so. I will avoid Cold Steel products that are stamped with "China" on them.

The good news is that some Cold Steel products are still made in the USA or Japan. Choose those for their better quality.

[hso]

"the shame is that randall's are factory made now, like so many other makers, like Gerber etc. are."

Perhaps someone mistakenly told you that thinking that Randal King Knives was the same company, but last time I was down at the orange grove everything looked pretty much the same as it has for the last 15 years I've been visiting there.
http://www.randallknives.com/construction.php

[bouncer50]

Originally posted by REMBASS
Cold Steel - the older Carbon V blades that were made in Japan are nice. The current crop of communist Chinese-made Cold Steel blades seems to have dropped a lot in quality when compared to the older Cold Steel products. I noticed that knife dealers are charging premiums for Carbon V blades, while SK-5 blades are sold at list or discounted.

SK-5 is a carbon tool steel made by JFE Steel of Japan. Grinding and polishing of this steel is likely done in the people's republic of communist-land. I think the Japanese steel is decent material. It's just the Made in China part I don't like. Cold Steel didn't need to go cheap on labor and go communist with their production. However, they chose to do so. I will avoid Cold Steel products that are stamped with "China" on them.

The good news is that some Cold Steel products are still made in the USA or Japan. Choose those for their better quality. The carbon V blades were made in the USA. The older aus-8 are made in Japan.

[REMBASS]

Originally posted by bouncer50
The carbon V blades were made in the USA. The older aus-8 are made in Japan.

You got me there - my fingers typed the wrong info. Fixed it above. My Carbon V blades say "Made in USA" as clear as ever.

[yovinny]

Originally posted by ALL FAL
Lafal, you are better off with the cold steel or an Kabar, the shame is that randall's are factory made now, like so many other makers, like Gerber etc. are.

The good news is there are many fine makers out there that make better blades than the current Randall's at about 1/3rd the price. The stainless Randall's are crap 440a, and 440C is the much better steel.
Sorry I went off on the rant.:cool:

Exactly how many Randall's do YOU own and have experience with ?
I've owned probably 20 and currently have 11, of which I have 6 favorites that have seen lot's of use over the course of the last 25 years.
Nothing in any part of you'r statement could be further from the truth.

#1. all their knives are hand made and forged, except the thin model 10, which is their only model that's made by stock removal instead of forging.
#2. The proprietary Swedish stainless used in all RMK's is probably the finest knife stainless on the planet, bar none.
#3. Their combination of best stainless, hand forging and proprietary in-house hardening produce what is judged by many knife experts to be the best stainless knife made.
#4. if they sharpened and held an edge anything like any 440 stainless production knife, they wouldent have an almost 5 year waiting list, they'd be available in wally world or mail order, with you'r other "high quality" chinese made 440 knives.

I've got draws full of production knives and a large collection of hand made customs, some of which would cost you well over a grand to try, everything from Bussy to Bauchop and Robert Parker to Zattoli's.
I'll put a stainless RMK up against any of them for quality build , edge holding and overall toughness.

Cheers, YV

[jaflowers]

I've got a few of the Cold Steel knives made using their San Mai steel. They are tough as nails and can be sharpend to and hold a razor edge as good or better than my Emerson does. All around they are great knives for the money.:)

[ALL FAL]

Thought you randall lovers would get a case of the ass.
Yovinny I have owned 2 Randall knives, made when the old man was forging and Gary was still in diapers.
Randall's are apprentice made in a FACTORY nowdays. Hardness runs 52-54on the c scale (to soft for me) but they sharpen easy in the field.

So, your'e the expert, exactly what is the designation of the stainless they are now using?? is it CM154? CPM154, S30V? Maybe thier catalogue says, but I didn't find it.

Finally, No stainless on the planet will take and hold an edge as well as HIGH CARBON, or be as resilient.
Go to the randall collectors club forum at blade forums, the little pukes over there make me sick, and they run the price of a rmk out of sight, buncha fags.
Busse's are another factory knife owned by mall ninja's/spec ops/ etc wannabe's

Crap, I had to erase about half this post cause of tos violations...Hehe...

[fastprofessor]

I've got a bunch of cold steel knives and can't say enough good things about them. I've looked at the bowie for a few years now but haven't gotten one yet. My last knife from them was their military classic. It is my main field knife now.

[Jailguard]

I have a couple of the cold steel folder right now but i have ownd some of the fixd blade as well the last one was the 5"recon. As far as my main field knife goes I will stick with my old Black Jack 1-7 carbon blade.

I do have a question for you cold steel guys. How is the bush knife ( the one with the hollow hande for a spear shaft) I have been thinking about one of these to put in the tool box in the back of my truck.

[yovinny]

First let me say I have a CS military classic.
It's not a bad knife, but mine was bought when they first came out for about $70. At the almost 2 bill's I believe they comand today, I'd find something better.
While they hold a decent edge, their handle "feel" sucks and their like holding a 2x4 compaired to something better. The tang is very small as it passes through the hilt and is only epoxied into the micarta handle. The tang to hilt joint also isent soldered or pinned in any way. IMHO, these items combine to create a knife I'd be afraid to bet on not breaking when I needed it most.

To compair it to the RMK #1 it's copied from, is akin to compairing a beetle to a Porsche.

As for all fal,

Originally posted by ALL FAL

Randall's are apprentice made in a FACTORY nowdays. Hardness runs 52-54on the c scale (to soft for me) but they sharpen easy in the field.

They employ about 15 people in the shop making a hand made product, not quite what I'd call a factory, though our standards may be different.
Hardness is said to run 58RC, which combined with the properties it get's from being forged, results in a knife that holds a great edge and can still be sharpened in the field or on something besides a diamond grinder.

Originally posted by ALL FAL

So, your'e the expert, exactly what is the designation of the stainless they are now using?? is it CM154? CPM154, S30V? Maybe thier catalogue says, but I didn't find it.

Did'nt claim to be an expert, just have lot's of time playing with all kinds of cutting tools, from lot's of different makers. If the designation of their stainless is more important to you than actual results, pick up the phone and ask them.

Originally posted by ALL FAL
Finally, No stainless on the planet will take and hold an edge as well as HIGH CARBON, or be as resilient.

You'r the one that brought up and was talking about stainless, so excuse me, are we going to change the subject now ?


Originally posted by ALL FAL

Go to the randall collectors club forum at blade forums, the little pukes over there make me sick, and they run the price of a rmk out of sight, buncha fags.

No argument there, I dont have much use for prissy collectors.
For that matter, I dont have much use for posers of any flavor.


Originally posted by ALL FAL

Busse's are another factory knife owned by mall ninja's/spec ops/ etc wannabe's


I have 2 Busse's, their decent knives, but they were also bought 15 years ago for about a third of their current price. Which is about what I think their worth and why I'd never buy another.

Cheers, YV