The Knife I am reviewing today is a Cold Steel Voyager Tanto Large, Plain Blade. I specify Large, because this knife has a big brother in the XL Tanto,(a beast with a 5 1/2″ blade) just so you don’t get confused. I have been meaning to buy and review Cold Steel’s Voyager series for some time, since many of my buddies have commented on their toughness and reliability in the field while also saying you get a decent knife for the price, a real rarity these days, for sure.
Here are the specs from Cold Steel’s website:
| Blade Length: | 4″ | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Blade Thickness: | 3.5 mm | ||
| Overall Length: | 9 1/4″ | ||
| Weight: | 4.6 oz. (approx.) | ||
| Steel: | Japanese AUS 8A Stainless (Stone Wash Finish) | ||
| Handle: | Griv-EX™ | ||
| Pocket Clip: | Stainless Pocket/Belt Clip | ||
It is also important to note the type of Locking System this knife uses, as it was one of the primary things that CS Folders have going for them. Cold Steels Tri-Ad Locking System is one of the toughest and reliable folding knife locking systems on the market, ranking right up there with CRKT’s LAWKS’ and AUTOLAWKS systems. Now there are those so-called “experts” out there that will tell you that these types of innovations in folding knives are just “marketing strategies”, and most liner lock folding knives that are made by reputable companies will hold up under “common stressors” in the field. I call Bullshit on this. One of the main reason I prefer to carry a fixed blade for self-defense is: 1. It is faster and 2. the likelihood that a folder will collapse during combat. I have seen first hand a liner lock knife collapse in a fight, and the guy almost lost 2 fingers FROM HIS OWN KNIFE!! Now I know the argument to this is “Well, just learn not to NOT PUT ALL YOUR WEIGHT ON THE KNIFE!!” This is one of those idiotic sayings that when I hear it, I know it came from a geek who most likely flies a desk for a living and has never been in a true FIGHT FOR THEIR LIVES!! So ultimately, Yeah, something like the Tri-Ad System is a huge selling point when you are considering buying a knife you might have to fight for your life with someday!
Let me articulate WHY I chose the TANTO style PLAIN Blade. First, I have always admired Japanese Blades. One of my first swords at 14 was a 40″ Samurai Katana. The Tanto Blade to me is one of the most Unique and Deadliest blade types. The Japanese designed the Tanto blade style not just for its looks, but also for it’s LETHALITY in Combat. With a thrust, the Tanto blade makes TWO very distinct entry wounds versus a knife with a standard blade type (spear or drop point for example). Add a twist once you have thrusted in and you have just doubled the size of the entry wound. Also, on slashing, the straight grind gives you a very fast blade that has good momentum and cuts fast!
As far as why I prefer PLAIN to HALF-SERRATED Knives is mainly two reasons:
1. Half-Serrated blades take away HALF of your conventional cutting surface. I know this sounds obvious, but most serrated edges are made to cut thru material, if I needed something like that, I would get a utility knife. A Sharp, conventional edge is more utilitarian and practical.
2. Serrated edges are a bitch to sharpen in the field and maintain, use them once and they typically dull and are then useless. A conventional edge can be sharpened in a jiff.
While we are on the subject of blades, let me quickly talk about BLADE STEEL and FINISH. If you ever get into knives, you will find that becoming an amateur metallurgist and having a working knowledge of blade steels can be likened to having knowledge of bullet ballistics and calibers with firearms; it is understanding the heart of the weapon itself. AUS 8 Blade Steel is a Japanese Stainless that holds an edge well and has .75% carbon content. This knife has the standard, stainless stone washed finish, which I think looks great. Now Cold Steel does have other offerings like their Recon 1 series with their “Tuff-Ex” black finish, which is nothing more than cheap teflon (the same stuff on the bottom of non-stick frying pans). I despise these type of finishes, because after time and use it scratches and mars very easily and eventually ends up looking like crap. I mean everybody likes their knives to look good, even if they are tools right!? For this reason, I highly suggest (at least for Cold Steel Knives) your basic stainless finish.
So, to make this easy, here are the pros and cons of the knife as I see it.
PROS
- Blade Grind Superb
- Holds a super sharp, fine edge
- Weight not too heavy
- Balance Superb
- Grip Design Good
CONS
- Handle too thin (at least for my big meat hooks!)
- Pocket Clip too small and flimsy for a knife this big
OK, so here is my summary. When you first deploy the knife, it feels good in your hand and looks really wicked.The blade deploys fast with a slight flick of the wrist and is RAZOR SHARP (as the warning on the box stipulates) which is a nice touch from the factory. The weight is lighter than expected, but not in a bad way; at a quarter of a pound, you hardly know you have it on you. The thumb stud is big enough to feel and find easy by feel. I like the front finger groove on the grip, it definitely secures the knife in the hand. I like the Griv-Ex handle material, definitely beats a smooth surface to maintain a solid grip..The only bitch I have about the handle overall is for my big meat hook hands, it feels kind of THIN. I think if the handle was a tad thicker, it would fill the hand up better and be more secure. (This is really not a detractor from the knife design unless you have really big hands!) Speaking of the design, you can tell this knife was designed by somebody who knew a thing or two about knife fighting.. when you get a reverse grip on the knife, your hand slides right into it. The rear first finger notch combined with the curved end creates a SOLID purchase area for your thumb to wield the knife well.
As far as the blade, for a Tanto, the grind is thick and meaty. Most tanto knives, because of the weak grind, have points that are way TOO BRITTLE for anything other than stabbing soft targets (which is what they were designed to do, but a knife is a TOOL and should be able to do any common chore). I found this out the hard way, when during a deployment, I broke the tip off my brand new Benchmade Presidio Auto Tanto while attempting to pry open a ammo crate! Needless to say I was heart broke, until a friend of mine with a grinding wheel turned my Benchmade into the first ever “Clip-Tanto Point Hybrid”! Needless to say, you won’t have any issues with “brittleness” with this Cold Steel Tanto blade..this thing could pry open a metal shipping container!
The one perk that I actually found most surprising was the overall balance of the knife. The fulcrum is the first finger groove, which makes it handle perfectly when deployed.
The biggest gripe I have saved for last, and if you peruse You-Tube Reviews of this same knife, this one will not come as a big surprise. The Pocket Clip sucks…BADLY. I am big believer in having the pocket clip “fit” the knife. The clip needs to be at least as half as long as the knife to ensure it stays clipped in the pocket (duhhhh). The pocket clip on this knife is made for a knife maybe half this size. Also a lot of people complained that the clip is “too tight” for quick deployment out of the pocket. It is my opinion, this was done to try and compensate for the size of the clip, which COULD cause the knife to slip out.This is an easy fix btw, just bend it out with a pair of pliers until it loosens up a bit, but don’t loosen it too much, as they are designed tight so they loosen over time. The CO also may consider adding a knife lanyard to aid in being able to get a the knife out of the pocket in a pinch; I have been using them for about 10 years now and they are handy!
Bottom line, are there more expensive “tacti-cool” knives out there? Sure, I own a few of them..Benchmade, Spyderco, Emerson, etc. But in my experience, the cost of a tool does not always equate to it being superior. In the Voyager, Cold Steel offers a sturdy, practical knife for the money. Besides, it all comes down to CO Logic: The more money you save on knives, the more money you can have for guns!!
Keep your Knives Sharp, Stay Armed and Stay Dangerous!