Cold Steel,

My friend had a fender bender late last night.
The damage was minor, but the thick plastic bumper was jammed directly into the front tire.
I offered to cut off the bumper with my pocket knife but my friend tried and exhausted every other option: bumping, prying, shimming etc.
As a last resort he said " do you know how hard that bumper is? It would be impossibly hard and take forever to cut it off."
As he turned in disgust I pulled out my Cold Steel Tanto Voyager.
Two minutes later he returned to find that I was holding the severed piece of bumper.
The shock and awe of the sight caught him like a bolt of lightning.
The wife and daughter had quite a laugh - they have seen me do extreme cutting like this before.

Keith’s Cold Steel Knives can cut the bumper off a car!

I checked the edge and it will still shave hair ! Tell the folks at Cold Steel : Thanks for an unbelievably great knife!

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Dear Lynn,

Thank you for the Pendleton Mini Hunter! What an extremely well made, sharp and easy to use knife.

On opening weekend of Montana's archery Elk season in the Lewis & Clark National Forest the Pendleton Mini Hunter proved it's self as invaluable as the friends hunting with me. After a day and a half of watching over several wallows a nice 6x6 Bull suddenly appeared from nowhere and stood broadside observing my cow elk decoy. Although my shot was successful it was not sufficient enough to cause my elk to expire immediately. With the assistance of my friends we tracked the elk for a few hundred yards into the early evening. As we observed the elk, we decided that it would be best to return in the morning rather than take the chance of pushing him further into the thick and steep forest.

Upon our return early in the morning to the last known sight we quickly resumed our tracking. Luck was on our side as we found my elk less than 50 yards from where we stopped the previous night. Now the difficult task of recovering the elk out of the thick woods laid ahead. We employed our "Gutless Skinning" method as it would be the easiest way to get all the meat with minimal waste and effort. I used the Pendleton Mini Hunter for the entire task. It provided great precision in removing the cape and ample weight when it came time to cut the quarters off and trim out the back straps, tenderloins and other meat. If I was alone it would have taken me all day to remove the cap, quarters, and rack and then pack them out to the truck. My hunting buddies proved to be as invaluable as the Pendleton Mini Hunter was. Within a few hours we were making the last trip out and the only thing I had left to carry was the rack. What a great hunt!

Thanks again for the knife and adding to a great hunting experience. I look forward to many years of use with Pendleton Mini Hunter.

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My name is Charly Gotlib, from Antwerp in Belgium. I am a rally co-pilot/navigator and have participated in the Monster Desert Rally "Le Dakar" already 18 times. In the desert you always need something edgy to cut one or the other thing. A rope, a plastic tie-rib, food, straps, shoelaces, a piece of clothing, wood. For the last 7 years I am carrying around my neck a Para Edge Tanto from Cold Steel. That little knife has come handy soooo many times, it is unbelievable! I have used it an incalculable number of time but also the people around me during the rally, whenever in need of something sharp to cut, they just turn to me and I grab my Para Edge. It has been and still is a most faithful companion to me that has never let me down!

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My name is Kyle Sherman and I’m sending you this e-mail based on the field performance I observed from one of your products. Just a little background on myself, I have been a police officer for the past 13 years. In those 13 years, I have always carried a folding knife for duty purposes. I consider a knife a tool of my trade. I have carried various different reputable manufacturers’ products. Over the past 6 or 7 years, I have carried a Cold Steel tanto blade of some sort. Approximately 3 years ago, I purchased a Recon 1 Tactical folder with a tanto blade. I knew this was a great knife, but I never knew how much until I was placed in the following situation.

I was working security off-duty at a large movie theatre when I heard the fire alarm of the theatre had been activated along with the sprinkler system. I immediately could smell smoke coming from one of the many entry/exit areas of the theatre. I managed to open a hallway door down the hall from where the smoke was coming from. The smoke I was seeing was black and thick. The main concern I had was the smoke was coming from an area in the immediate vicinity of a theatre entrance. I did not know if there were people trapped in the theatre or not, or if anyone was inside the theatre suffering from smoke inhalation or other medical problems from the fire. I knew I needed to get to right next to where the theatre entrance was. To get to the door, I tried to get through the smoke from the interior of the theatre to access the door. I could not get through because the smoke was too thick. When I entered the smoke, I could not breathe or see where I was going. After numerous attempts failed, I had to retreat. I decided to try to open the door from the outside of the theater.

When I got to the outside door, in my excitement I had forgot the door only opened from the inside. I needed a crowbar or similar tool to pry the door open from the outside. I was just getting ready to go get a pry bar from my car when I remembered I had my Cold Steel Recon 1 in my pocket like I always did. Thinking the blade might be damaged or break off in the process, I was leery of using my beloved knife as a pry bar, But, I was even more concerned about someone being trapped by the smoke and fire in the theatre. I opened my Cold Steel Recon 1 blade and slipped it into the slot between the doors and began applying pressure. I thought the blade would snap off. I began to pry with the blade of the knife. The blade was bending while I was pulling on the handle. After a few hard tugs the doors were pried open. I could not believe it worked. The only damage to my knife was scratches on the exterior finish of the sides and the tip of the blade. Talk about a durable product. Long story short, the smoke cleared out of the theatre relatively quickly, and there were no people trapped in the theatre.

Anyone who carries a Cold Steel product has seen your controlled tests. I just wanted to tell you, and whoever else might be interested, about an unscheduled field test m Recon 1 passed with flying colors. I still carry the same knife I did that day. Thank you for making a quality, trusted product.

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I am writing to tell you how very pleased I am with my Cold Steel Voyager folding knife. I have had this knife for 3 years or so and carry it all the time I’m not at the office. I am almost ashamed to say that I abuse the hell out of this knife but I bought it to earn its keep and if it can’t, I don’t want it. This knife has taken all I’ve dished out without fail. I dig weeds, cut small limbs, dig out rocks, and anything else that I can think of. We recently moved to a new home that was built in 1978. The previous owners are on in years and neglected the landscaping leaving us weeds, Mulberry trees, and grass all over the place. They had put down gravel, which had really melded into a very hard mess to the point that I had to use my pick to loosen the gravel before we could even think about getting rid of all the “bad stuff”. Many times I used my Voyager to dig out the unwanted when I had a hard time getting the shovel to go in. The Voyager and I dug out Mulberry trees with 2 1/2 foot taproots! The knife has taken so much abuse the last 3 months that I had to touch up the edge with a fine mill this morning before I could make any headway on my diamond stone. After about 30 minutes work, the edge is great. Yeah, yeah, I know if I wouldn’t let it go so long it wouldn’t take so long to get the edge back. Hey, I’ve been busy! Now for a drop of oil on the hinge and I’m good to go again. This has been a bit long but suffice to say, you folks make one great knife! I carry a Spyderco at work and have for many years. Given what I’ve seen with the Voyager, my next knife will be a Cold Steel. Thanks!!

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Lynn, I have used your products for years. I have lived on Kodiak, off and on, since 1969. Your knives, especially the carbon steel ones, are top quality and first rate. The steel is great and the rubber handles perfect. Your prices are reasonable. I am user, not a collector. Within reason, I do not care much about looks, I care about comfort and performance. The fixed handled knives you produce are the finest in the world for the rank and file man who straps on a knife and uses the hell out of it. I use mine on wood and meat, and find the edge-holding ability superb. I like my knives small and light, and really appreciate their ability to cut.

One small comment about the Assegai used in your video – you radically underplayed its lethality and ability to cut. When you quickly waved it back and forth through that piece of hanging meat it was only then that we could truly see how effective it was at slicing molecules apart. You should have done a little more of that with the Assegai when you shot the video.

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Today I found a copy of your “Proof” DVD and watched it. As an owner of some of your knives, I felt compelled to tell you how much we think of your products. I run a martial arts school in the Wichita area, where I teach Kombatan, Kuntao Silat and 5 Way Method. I have a few folks in law enforcement, and a lot of women that are learning to protect themselves well using a knife. I enjoy acquiring new blades and working out with all of them. Currently, my Cold Steel stable has the large Gunsite folder, the awesome 6” Vaquero Grande, and the larger Peacekeeper. Your products have been mentioned on my website’s forum and in an article where we used a few blades.

I recently had a seminar on the 5 Way Method (a blend of martial arts from the Philippines and Indonesia primarily) and after the seminar, Grandmaster Steve Todd and a couple of others did some serious knife play. This included a great deal of throwing. I had recently procured a CUDA from Camillus and was touting my newest blade as being “the latest thing”, but I’d also pulled out my Peacekeeper along with many of my other blades. Long story short, the CUDA ended up being put to shame the entire time by the Peacekeeper. During throwing trials, the CUDA snapped in half at the hilt. Shocked and more than a little pissed off, I grabbed the Peacekeeper and started hurling it at the target. The blade never took and ounce of damage. I even threw the knife completely through one of your competitor’s products that was stuck in the target. Every time the knife landed a chorus of enthusiastic “OH YEAH” roared from the group. Long story short…the Peacekeeper, a gift from my sister, now rides on my hip when I can carry a fixed blade. It is the best knife I have ever seen…period.

I have since been recommending your blades and other materials (such as your palm stick) to my students. My students are not wealthy, some cannot even afford to train (and are on “scholarship” in my school), yet all of them have heard me preach about quality weaponry, and they will save up to buy Cold Steel products. Our training knives are all Cold Steel pieces as well. Several of us, myself included, are saving up to purchase Arc Angels, as I teach balisong techniques in class. After watching the video, I am going to add a few more to that list.

Please continue your fine work, and I will continue to tout it as the best there is.

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I have been carrying a Large 5” Tanto Point Voyager for over 5 years. I am a biker and I ride my Harley to work any day it’s not raining. My friends and I were traveling down 1-9 on our way into the office when my knife slipped out of my pocket. My friend saw it as it hit the concrete pavement and bounced. A tractor-trailer rig then ran over it and threw it a couple of feet into the air. He stopped and went back for it and brought it to me at the office. The knife has a very minor scuff mark on one corner where it landed, other than that it’s fine. I knew these knives were tough before, but even this amazed me. You guys have a great product.

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Dear Lynn, I knew that as an avid hunter of Africa’s wild life and the big 5, you would find this story interesting. I have a collection of Cold Steel products, which I use and find some of them very good, robust tools for daily use and others for pleasure (e.g. Torpedos and Tomhawks). I have recently gone up north to Botswana on a hunting and fishing trip with my wife and children. My brother-in-law, Gavin, is and has been a professional hunter in Botswana for many years. On our arrival at his home in Maun, he presented me with a Cold Steel Trail Master Bowie that an American hunter had given him. Naturally I was delighted, but here starts the interesting part of the story.

The client cam to Botswana on a 14-day elephant hunt package. The hunting concession area was NG47, which is close to the Nxai Pan National Park. One early morning Gavin, the trackers and the client parked their Toyota Landcrusier after a tracker had spotted good elephant tracks. They got out of the vehicle and proceeded on foot on a long hard day of looking for a good size tusker. During the afternoon, Gavin sent his senior tracker, James, back to fetch the vehicle and asked him to meet them at a certain well know Baobab tree. The day resulted in many elephants and plains game being seen but not a good-sized tusker.

When the team finally arrived at the Baobab tree to meet James and the vehicle, the client noticed that the Trail Maser was missing from the cab. After a long search on the vehicle, Gavin decided to drive the long way back to the place where the team had parked earlier that morning, just in case the knife had fallen out of the vehicle when they got out to start the days hunt. On arriving at the place where they had first parked, it was covered in elephant tracks and the ground (Kalahari sand) had been disturbed. The trackers, after looking carefully and searching the sand, found the knife still in its sheath, but it had clearly been dealt with by the elephants, The blade was bent and it looked like the elephants had taken vengeance on something that smelt of human to them.

My question is – do you advise that I bend it straight with a hydraulic press? And if you feel this is possible, will the knife retain its strength that Cold Steel products are known for?

I am not a show case collector and will use it for chores that call for a large knife. This is quite a story and has been discussed around the campfire with great humor, and the chaps all felt rather the Trail Master than them to come into the wrath of Africa’s largest mammal.

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I would like to inform you of the Cold Steel “War on Terror”. I am a US Marine currently serving in Iraq. My team and myself are task with the mission of security for the roads that U.S. convoys travel on. Recently we were informed of a suspected ambush from a roadside housing complex. My squad had limited time to clear approx. 30 houses before a convoy passed the complex. While clearing the buildings we discovered a wooden box about four feet wide and three feet tall with a strip of banding securing the lid tight. One of my Marines tried to pry open the one inch wide banding wire loose with the barrel of his M-16 A-4, the banding wire twisted and stretched but would not give way. After searching for some kind of tool to cut or break the wire, without success, we were about to continue with our searches elsewhere. I walked towards the door to leave and then turned around, walked back to the box, took out my four inch bladed Recon 1 (tanto point) and used it as a hatchet on the banding wire. One strike with the blade and the banding wire split in half. Inside the box we discovered 44 AK-47’s, a little less than 1000 rounds, flares and piano wire. This box would have gone unopened if not for my Recon 1. I would like to thank you for your dedication to providing a top of the line product. My entire team consists of nine Marines and one Navy Corpsman. Most of us have multiple Cold Steel knives and use them for all types of situations. Some of the missions that our knives perform are not what the knives were designed for but in a good combat zone we are often asked for mission accomplishment regardless of the fact that we do not have the right tools for the job. We call on our gear to do the same. I have seen the video that your company has issued on the tough tests that you put your equipment through and I can attest to the fact that the knives will perform under even harder conditions. Thank you again for the awesome product that you provide, my team and myself will continue to put them to the test.

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I have just returned from a custom knife show. I saw knives with blades that were not properly ground, locks that didn’t hold, and mistakes in general. These were custom knives!! I went and picked up my large Voyager clip point. It is sharper and has a better lock than many of the knives I saw today. For the price of one custom I could buy more Voyagers than I could ever use in a lifetime! I would be getting a better knife in all aspects if I purchased another Voyager over a custom! There were even a few custom knives that had been sharpened on a Sharpmaker and these were “new” knives. The only gripe I have with Cold Steel is that some of your knives are made in Taiwan. I will continue to buy Voyagers as long as you make them in Japan or better yet here! Your claims in your video about how custom knives are not always sharp are 100% true. Thanks Lynn Thompson and Cold Steel! Proof indeed!

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Where do I begin? I have a Gurkha Kukri that I use every day of my life in one capacity or another. Having said that let me tell you a little about the activities I engage in. By trade I am logger/”land clearer” (for lack of a better term). I am also a survival instructor lending my skills to children’s groups in my area. Every chance I get I’m in the mountains. I have owned and used nearly every type of knife available to mankind, not one of them can hold a candle to a Cold Steel knife. My Cold Steel Kukri is bar none the most rugged, dependable tool/weapon a man could ever hope to have. I will be my life on the quality; in fact I do every single day. After getting my beloved blade I soon came to the conclusion that Cold Steel is the only way to fly. My blade has been used to hammer, pry, split, dig and chop day after day and it has never failed me. I have never seen a knife that could even come close to withstanding the misuse and abuse (normal field use) that I have put this blade through. By the way, it also throws perfectly. If all my other tools performed as well I’d be set for life. I could go on for days but I’m sure you already know that you have achieved knife nirvana. Thank you a thousand times for offering such a quality product worth every dime and then some.