Today I’m going to start with the Cold Steel G.I. Tanto fixed blade knife. This is a knife that I have literally abused in the worst way now for over two years at work and in the field. I cant say enough good things about this knife. It does have its short comings, but for a general use and abuse, hack and slash blade, this is a good one to have.
I originally ordered it because it was cheap, yes I want reasonable quality for a fair price. Because of the price, I was not expecting a whole lot out of it other than something to use at work, that I didn’t mind destroying. When it arrived (ebay) The first thing I noticed was that the knife was substantial, it’s on the heavy side, which I like. It weighs about the same as a standard Bowie knife.
The next thing I liked was that it was razor sharp out of the box. I could shave my arm with it. The Tanto shape blade takes a bit of getting used to, but once you get the feel of it (this knife feels very solid and comfortable in your hand ) you start to like it a little more and more as you use it. The blade id made of 1055 carbon steel, and the thing is almost indestructible! No kidding! I have beat this thing up and it has yet to let me down.
This knife is about as basic as you can get, a one piece blade with a two piece plastic handle. The Tanto shape is not very well suited for delicate tasks, and would not make a lot of people happy in that respect, but for the heavy tasks, it serves very well. The Secure Ex sheath it comes with also takes a bit of getting used to, it will fight you a little bit until it is broken in, after that, its fine (I have it strapped to my leg). My major complaint about the package is the handle strap at the top of the sheath, Cold Steel cold have put an extra quarter inch of material into it to make it easier to close………….after two years, this still is a pain in the butt, and something I hate on a regular basis.
Pros :
- it’s cheap
- it’s incredibly tough ( 1055 carbon )
- it’s as simple as it gets
- it holds an edge well
- it’s heavy
- preforms chopping and stabbing tasks very , very well
- Tanto shape blade
- lanyard hole
Cons :
- Tanto shape blade
- not suited for delicate tasks
- the sheath could and should be better at the top
And here’s a video review about it:
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Good to know T.R.!
Thanks for sharing!
Bev
LOL , there are a lot of videos on youtube of people trying to destroy this knife , some succeeded ……….but what they went through to do it might make you feel better about taking a chance on buying this knife . Its pretty thick , 1055 is some pretty tough materiel . I have 3 cold steel products , so far , I’m pleased with them .
Thank you so much T.R.!
Bev
Strangely, I’m feeling a bit like chopped liver these days.
Thanks Damian!
Bev
Thanks for the great review T.R.! So, how much is it? And where can I buy it?
Bev
click on the first link to buy from Amazon, cost was less than $20 if I remember right.
Bev , thank you . You can get it like Damian said on Amazon , I got mine from ebay , if you go ebay , make sure you look at shipping ……it might be worth going to amazon if the seller doesn’t have free shipping or the price of the item itself isn’t a screaming deal .
I’ve got one of these knives and find it to be well made and useful for occasional hiking trips. It’s hard to find a better knife for the price.