Cold Steel Knives, Swords, Weapons Reviews

The terms hand-and-a-half sword, bastard sword, and longsword all refer to the same general class of weapon: a sword with a blade light enough to wield with one hand and a grip long enough to provide extra power from a two-handed stance. Learning to use one of these ...

Built to exceed Russian Spetsnaz specifications, this tactical combat shovel from Cold Steel makes a great camp tool for the hunter, fisherman, and canoeist. With about a pound and a half of medium carbon tool steel and a durable hardwood handle, the Cold Steel tactical shovel is a ...

Inspired by the assault rifle adopted by the Russian Army in 1949, the Cold Steel AK-47 Knife's most obvious resemblance to "the People's Rifle" is the bayonet groove in the four-inch AUS-8 blade. Add to that the kind of rugged construction that you can drop in a muddy ...

Cold Steel makes some interesting claims regarding this knife, stating that the Ultimate Hunter is a big game hunting knife with the best blade lock in the industry plus the strength and power of a fixed blade. That may be a bit of a stretch, but the Ultimate ...

You may have to go back a few centuries to find a dirk as practical as this knife from Cold Steel -- the Scottish Dirk with Rosewood Handle and Leather Scabbard. In other times, the dirk was built for mayhem and was a common sidearm on naval ships. ...

Many of Cold Steel's better swords, like this Hand-and-a-Half Sword in black leather and steel, have the look and feel of good tools. Remaking old designs with new processes and materials, Cold Steel creates traditional weapons which aren't traditional. They just work.

A little of the art may have been ...

Although you might think this light cavalry saber was stripped down by Cold Steel to simplify an older design, the streamlining of the 1796 Light Cavalry Sword took place during the Napoleonic Wars. Cold Steel created a modern version using 1055 high carbon spring steel but stayed with the ...

Cold Steel's Nightshade Karambit is just one of ten models of both classic knives and strictly Cold Steel inventions now available with absolutely no steel. Instead of high carbon steel blades, the Karambit and its counterparts are constructed of a new fiberglass reinforced plastic called Grivory, with grips of reliable ...

Swing Cold Steel's Gim Sword with confidence. Patterned after a popular style of martial sword from China, the Gim Sword uses high quality materials and solid construction techniques. Cold Steel's testing methods prove it holds up in rough use.

The 30-inch blade of the 37-1/4-inch long single-handed sword is forged ...

Cold Steel's Double Agent knives, designed by Zach Whitson, are available in two blade styles. Either the karambit or the clip point version may be safely worn as a last resort neck knife.

Built light and intended for suspension from a dogtag chain, the Double Agent weighs ...

Cold Steel jumped into the artistic pool with knives like the Talwar Folder, built in cooperation with designer Lynn Thompson. Called a pocket sword rather than a pocket knife, the Talwar combines the style of old Spanish weaponry with the usual invulnerable mechanics of Cold Steel products.

You'd expect ...

Cold Steel's Naval Dirk duplicates the character of one of the most common naval sidearms of the sailing era without exactly copying any particular authentic blade. During their heyday, no exact form of the dirk became standard. This modern Naval Dirk follows that trend of individuality but is unmistakeably ...

Although this modern version of the war hammer -- a weapon which brought down many armored knights on the battlefields of medieval Europe -- isn't pretty, this is still an impressive and combat-ready instrument of destruction. Cold Steel's practical defense weapons often look like farm tools, but they were ...

The smallest knife in Cold Steel's tanto series, the Master Tanto with a six-inch blade of VG-1 San Mai III high carbon stainless steel, varies only a little from the classic tanto in visual terms. In materials, there's a considerable difference between Cold Steel's model and the classic backup ...

I most appreciate the knives that take thought to comprehend, and the Cold Steel Espada V is a great example of a knife you won't completely get the first time you see it. Cold Steel continues to take chances and express some good ideas. This one is ...

The Cold Steel Paradox operates smoothly but differently from the traditional balisong or butterfly knife. The modified design was created to put this knife in the same category as folding pocket knives. Any truly one-handed opening knife is subject to legal restrictions, and the Paradox is not a one-handed ...

Cold Steel intended the Voyager series to be both lighter and better than any of the competition. The Voyager does succeed in many ways -- getting used to a large knife this light may take a while. Even with a five-inch-long tanto blade of VG-1 high carbon stainless steel, the ...

The Cold Steel Voyager Medium Tanto covers a wide range of everyday needs -- good for camping, fishing, hunting, and handyman work, although the tanto point traditionally was the mark of a combat blade. If one-handed opening is an essential feature you need, consider the strength of your hand. ...

Finally, a serious boot/neck knife from Cold Steel -- previous offerings from that renowned self-defense company were not always up to Cold Steel's no-nonsense standards. This tanto-style knife, designed by Barry Dawson, is one of seven blade styles available and probably also the most sensible. The tanto blade was ...

This pair of twenty-inch-long swords with single leather scabbard gives today's kung fu adepts the modern combat version of an ancient Chinese weapon. Cold Steel's versions of these wide blades weigh more than a pound each with fifteen inches of cutting edge and blade stock 1/5-inch thick. The 1055 ...

The 37-5/8" Cold Steel Pistol Grip Sword Cane looks just like the Pistol Grip City Stick but holds a 25-3/4 inch carbon steel spike in the hollow carbon fiber shaft. A thumb push on the release button and a firm pull on the cast stainless steel pistol grip separates ...

Cold Steel's Skull Head City Stick is both dangerous and elegant. Designed for urban self defense rather than to be a walking aid, the stainless steel and fiberglass walking stick will serve for either purpose. Cold Steel makes several different models of City Sticks and the Skull Head is ...

Cold Steel's San Mai III Gurkha Kukri may be the heaviest kukri produced today -- with full tang VG-1 high carbon stainless steel construction and a thickness of 5/16 inches, that's certainly possible. Designed by Lynn Thompson, the president of Cold Steel, the San Mai III Kukri varies only slightly in ...

Cold Steel is better known for functionality than for building self-defense weapons which look good. The Cold Steel philosophy of matching pure function with modern materials sometimes creates weapons which look at best like tools and at worst like souvenirs. Using some of the sensible features of that approach, the ...

The 6' Assegai Spear from Cold Steel takes its basic design from the traditional weapons of South Africa's Zulu warriors. Cold Steel uses unique modern tempering processes to create a lightweight medium carbon steel spearhead with the ability to flex rather than break or bend. This blackened steel weapon will ...

Cold Steel's Boar Spear, based on a medieval European hunting design, combines a lightweight medium carbon steel spearhead with a stout American ash shaft to create what Cold Steel intends to be a throwing weapon.

Several companies market modern versions of spears as survival tools, which is where they are most useful ...

A top quality and reliable folding clip knife, the Recon 1 with 4" tanto blade forged from high carbon stainless steel and coated with nonreflection and nearly frictionless black Teflon is more than enough knife for serious work. Light weight (5.6 ounces) and a folded length of only 5 ...

Cold Steel's Ti-Lite series of tactical folders will only lead to more important choices, like which 1950's gang you are going to join -- the Jets or the Sharks? These folders, with a little tweaking, oil, and practice will open just as fast as spring assisted or automatic fighting knives ...

In honor of America's "thin blue line," Cold Steel has made the American Lawman, a serious knife with a 3.5-inch stainless steel drop point blade. Made from AUS-8A stainless steel and hollow ground, the Lawman's blade is super sharp and capable of handling all varieties of tough cutting tasks. A ...

Competing in the military markets with a folding design is a tough challenge but Cold Steel intends to make its mark there with knives like the Recon 1. This spear point blade is just one of five options of blade shapes and cutting edge choices, all built to exacting ...

Cold Steel's Stainless Steel Head Sword Cane, with its state of the art carbon fiber cane sheath and nearly 26 inch long carbon steel blade, combines modern technology with the atmosphere of a high rolling Old West saloon. It's definitely a classy weapon, and the choice of materials shows ...

Sometimes it's great just to see a utility knife with sheer simplicity. Nothing fancy, no special little gimmicks. Just a straightforward machete made from quality materials. And it's made by none other than Cold Steel.

The basic design of this Cold Steel machete is derived from ancient African and South American styles. It ...

The Cold Steel Urban Pal punch dagger is one of a number of new and questionable knife designs targeted for the urban self defense market. Its one and a half inch blade, even with the serrated edge, is not enough to be an effective visible threat. Legally it's ...

This is a miniature version of the Cold Steel Urban Pal push knife, and by miniature, we mean tiny. The blade is only about an inch long, and the grip is a little over an inch as well.

The reason you'd even want to buy a push knife like this is ...

Here we have another Cold Steel product that's a fair value for what it offers. Do a search on functional tomahawks and you'll see a lot of quality products for the same price as the Rifleman's Hawk. So we're not about to throw it into the "expensive" bin anytime soon.

This tomahawk axe sports ...

Once again Cold Steel has put their modern interpretation into a traditional knife style, and it works well. This time they've revolutionized the Scottish Skean Dhu blade. That means "black knife" in Gaelic, so I'm not sure how they got the name "Brave Heart".

The ancient Scottish made the Skean Dhu knife ...

This saber is another fine historical replica sword from Cold Steel, this time with equal emphasis in original tradition and technological improvement.

It's called the Napoleon since the model is designed around the French cavalry swords of the early 1800s. But Cold Steel took a "creative liberty" approach and added length, width, and thickness ...

Is this blade awesome, or is it another overpriced showpiece?

Cold Steel took the same concepts from Japanese sword-smithing into making their brand new tanto blade, the Magnum Tanto II. At a distance, it even looks like a small katana.

The blade really is the Magnum Tanto II's biggest boast because ...

Cold Steel's Viking sword is pretty straightforward and features a few decorative touches. Mostly, though, it represents ancient Nordic history well.

Overall, the sword measures close to 37 inches, while the blade alone stretches out to 30.25 inches. This double-edged blade features a lengthy blood groove seen in Viking swords from later periods. It's made ...

This is Cold Steel's pair to the Warrior series' katana: the Warrior wakizashi. The retail price is the same as the katana, though this sword is eight inches shorter.

The wakizashi's blade, handle, and components are all crafted identically to its katana counterpart. The fully-sharpened, battle-ready blade is 1055 spring ...

So, here's Cold Steel's version of an "economy" battle-ready sword.

The Warrior katana is a quality sword, just like you'd expect from Cold Steel. It's very similar to the Imperial series, actually. The blade is made from 1055 spring tempered high carbon steel (one of the toughest steels around) measuring 60-64 ...

This is a beautiful katana sword, designed to look great on any wall you mount it on, at 41 inches.

It's also fully functional, with a 24-inch double-edged blade that's sharpened with a blood groove.

The blade is made from superior quality 1050 high carbon steel, mirror polished for that extra touch. It measures just ...

These Kukri knives are heavy, curved knives originally used as both weapon and machete. Today they are mostly used as bushcraft tools and are often called "Gurkha blades".

It features a twelve inch blade made of SK-5 high-carbon steel. Its got a black, anti-rust coating.

The handle is textured Kraton that may be ...

Cold Steel manufactures a lot of swords, but here you're looking at its largest: the two-handed great sword.

It's 55 1/2 inches in overall length, with a 39.88-inch blade and a 15.369-inch handle, and it weighs over 6 pounds.

The blade is superior quality, manufactured from 1050 high carbon steel.

Cold Steel didn't ...

Coming from Cold Steel, "the world's strongest, sharpest knives," this sword's blade is fully finished, crafted to wield maximum power in your hands.

It's a two-handed sword with a wide 231/4-inch blade and an overall length of 373/4 inches. The curved clipped point with a top swage false edge was used ...

This is a unique knife from Cold Steel -- it's pretty inexpensive, is made from high-quality materials and has no seam.

It has no joint or seam because it's made from a single piece of SK-5 high-carbon steel. It is heat tempered and treated up to RC54.

The edge of the blade is ground ...

This is a replica of the last sword issued by the US Navy. A cutlass design, it's often referred to as a "pirate sword" due to the sweeping cup and hilt design. This saber was issued to sailors from 1917 until the mid-1940's. In 1949, it was officially made ...