Cold Steel (knife manufacturer)
Cold Steel is an American manufacturer of knives , swords and tools. The company was founded in 1980 by Lynn Thompson and is based in Ventura, California . The most famous products include Bowie knives and numerous swords.
History and company formation
The company's founder, Lynn Thompson, grew up on a farm in the Brazilian state of Ceará . Since childhood he used knives in agriculture and martial arts. He decided to develop his first knife because he was dissatisfied with the quality of the knives available in Brazil. In 1980 he founded Cold Steel Incorporated in California. Thompson is self-taught and learned to make knives through reading, hands-on experience and working with skilled cutlers. He has designed many Cold Steel models, such as the Trailmaster and the Tanto.
Products
Cold Steel manufactures pocket knives and fixed knives. Production takes place mainly in Taiwan and Japan, but also in China, the United States and Italy. The aim of the company's founder, Lynn Thompson, is to develop knives with a high level of utility. Thompson criticizes the fact that many knife manufacturers place more emphasis on design than on cutting performance, comfortable handling and safety.
Fixed-blade knives include hunting knives, combat knives and replicas of historical knives. The most famous knives of the company include the Bowie knife Trailmaster, the combat knife SRK and various daggers. Many knives like the khukuri are modeled on traditional knives from all over the world. They combine traditional design with the advantages of modern materials and inexpensive mass production. Most fixed knives are sold with a plastic sheath that is suitable for military use. In addition to knives, Cold Steel also makes replicas of various swords as well as rapiers, axes, spears and machetes.
Many of the company's pocket knives have the Tri-Ad-Lock, a locking mechanism for folding knives developed exclusively by Cold Steel. It is based on the well-known backlock and is marketed by the company as the most robust lock for folding knives. Cold Steel demonstrates the strength of the Tri-Ad-Lock in numerous videos.
Steels
Cold Steel uses various knife steels. A special feature is the so-called San-Mai-III steel, in which two steels with different properties are forged into one blade.
- 1055
1055 is a steel with a carbon content between 0.5 and 0.6%. It can be hardened from 60 to 64 on the Rockwell scale and has high impact strength. It is used for swords, axes and large, fixed knives.
- SK-5
SK-5 is a Japanese steel with 0.75 to 0.85% carbon content. It is hardened to 65 on the Rockwell scale and is very resistant to abrasion. It is used for large, fixed knives.
- San-Mai-III
San-Mai-III is a stainless steel from Japan, from which fixed knives are made. Blades made of San-Mai-III are designed like a sandwich: The sides of the blade are made of soft 420J steel, which is rust resistant and not fragile (Rockwell hardness 55). The core of the blade, from which the cutting edge consists, is made of hard VG-1 steel, which is abrasion-resistant and stays sharp for a long time (Rockwell hardness 61). In this way you get a blade that combines the positive properties of a softer steel with the advantages of a hard knife steel.
Blade shapes
The best-known blade shape from Cold Steel is the American Tanto . The blade shape is modeled on old Japanese swords and is used in the company's military knives. The primary and secondary cutting edges are offset from each other at a 45 ° angle, the primary cutting edge and the back of the blade are almost parallel. This blade shape has an extremely robust tip and is suitable as a cutting and stabbing weapon for close combat.
marketing
Cold Steel is known for its promotional videos that demonstrate the capabilities of the products. In the videos, Thompson and his co-workers cut ropes, large pieces of meat, clothing and other everyday objects to demonstrate the resilience and sharpness of the knives. Cold Steel knives are often featured in movies and television series.
literature
- Pohl, Dietmar: Knife in combat . Wieland, Bad Aibling 2009, ISBN 978-3-938711-41-5 , pp. 54-55 .
- Cold Steel Product Catalog 2012 . 2012, p. 2 .
Web links
- The manufacturer's website (English)
Footnotes
- ↑ About Cold Steel .
- ^ YouTube : Interview with Lynn Thompson . Accessed January 30, 2020.
- ↑ FAQ .
- ↑ YouTube : # 93 - COLD STEEL - LYNN THOMPSON . Accessed January 30, 2020.
- ^ Tri-Ad Lock .
- ↑ steels .
- ↑ Cold Steel Product Catalog 2012 . 2012, p. 2 .
- ^ Pohl, Dietmar: Knife in combat use . Wieland, Bad Aibling 2009, ISBN 978-3-938711-41-5 , pp. 54-55 .
- ↑ Cold Steel in Movies .