The Cutting Edge

The official blog of Knife Depot

Category: Cool Knives (page 1 of 2)

5 Huge Cold Steel Folders

This post was originally written in June 2016 and was updated in 2024 to include newer models.

Cold Steel is known for going to the extreme.

The famous knife brand often gets killed by critics, calling Cold Steel knives nothing but “mall ninja” junk. But any real knife enthusiast could tell you that Cold Steel makes some strong, well-designed knives for the hard worker, such as the Cold Steel Recon 1 and Cold Steel Voyager.

Despite having some down-to-earth knives for everyday carry, Cold Steel doesn’t shy away from the monstrous and preposterous.

So in today’s post, we’re looking at five huge folding knives Cold Steel currently makes. Some of these are in fact the largest folding knives on the market as well (except for the No. 13 Opinel with a whopping 8.75-inch blade). These may not always be practical, but they are always awesome. I also added a few clips from YouTube so you can see what these knives look like in the hand.

Cold Steel Ti-Lite VI (6″ Blade)

The Cold Steel Ti-Lite is a thin and sleek folder that looks like something out of the 1950s. When engaged, the knife features two bolsters that resemble a good ol’ switchblade—except this is a manual folder that engages with a thumb stud. Or if you’re carrying the knife in your pocket, the bolster doubles as a protrusion that catches the side of your pocket and engages in one swift movement (a la the Wave).

The knife has an overall length of 13 inches, which gives this an excellent reach. It has Zytel handles. This piercing point and quick-opening mechanism make this tool great for self-defense.

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Cold Steel Luzon (6″ Blade)

The Luzon is another knife that’s ideal for self-defense. The knife was inspired by Lynn C. Thompson’s balisong collection. Designed by Mike Wallace, this huge folder has a 6-inch blade made from 8Cr13MOV stainless steel.

It uses the a regular liner locking mechanism and features a comfortable handle with enough texturing and grip to keep it in your hand. The Luzon comes in a smaller size, but why would you want that?

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Cold Steel Talwar (5.5″ Blade)

When it comes to most intimidating knife ever, nothing tops the Talwar. Sure, it doesn’t have the largest blade, but 5.5 inches is plenty big enough when you have a fully serrated edge with a large slicing belly.

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15 Cool Knives with Unique Opening Mechanisms

One of the things I love most about the knife community is the constant quest for innovation and freshness. While I love dissecting the minute changes in the latest flipper, it’s those completely ground-breaking models that keep me in awe.

For a tool that’s been around for a couple million years, the knife is still experiencing some pretty radical changes and creativity. While these knives can be hit-or-miss and many have been discontinued, they stand as evidence that no matter how long something exists, great minds can always think outside the box.

Here are 15 knives with the most interesting deployment mechanisms.

1. Kershaw ET

Kershaw ET

Let’s start off with one that most people will instantly point to when you mention unique opening mechanisms:  the Kershaw ET. Standing for External Toggle, the ET hails from the genius minds of Grant and Gavin Hawk. This father and son duo has developed some pretty out there designs like the TOAD, Boker Griploc, and many more.

The Kershaw ET uses a toggle mechanism to open and close the blade. You can actually engage the blade through many ways (using your thumb like a traditional folder and dropping the handle while holding the blade), but the toggle is probably the most fun. You can use a lever near the butt of the handle to open and close it. The knife was discontinued, probably because there’s the danger of the knife closing on your thumb when you use the toggle.

Here’s a gif of how it opens with the toggle from this review:

kershaw et gif

2. CRKT Rollock

CRKT Rollock

Next up is another discontinued knife. The CRKT Rollock is a fascinating knife with a cool opening mechanism. To deploy the blade, you press down on the blade (specifically on some jimping near the rear of the spine) when closed. That pops the blade up, and then you slide it completely open.

This factory version from CRKT was inspired by the Rolox from Blackie Collins. Collins is often cited as the first person to create an assisted-opening knife, though Ken Onion may have invented the SpeedSafe assisted opener concurrently.

Here’s a gif from an old YouTube :

3. Paragon Knives by Asheville Steel Warlock

paragon-warlock

The Warlock from Paragon Knives by Asheville Steel (I know that’s a mouthful) is actually a new knife. Not quite an automatic knife and not quite an assisted opener, the Warlock is its own category. When shut, the blade is completely invisible. So how do you open this baby up?

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Knife Art: Jay Fisher’s Squid Knife Sculpture

On this blog, we’ve taken a look at a lot of bizarre or strange-looking knives, from knives that look like sharks to pocket knives that won’t fit in your pocket. To be fair, the knife we’re about to show you is a piece of art and may very well be the greatest piece of knife art out there.

Behold the Pacifica by Jay Fisher.

FOPacifica4a

Let me reiterate. This is a piece of art and is not necessarily made to be used for anything other than showcasing. Looking at it through that lens allows you to admire the artwork, execution and design of this amazing knife sculpture.

The piece was made by Jay Fisher, a fantastic custom knifemaker who’s made great functional knives like this one and this one. But he’s very proud of this creation and even has a whole page on his site dedicated to the Pacifica.

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Meet the ‘Mother of All Swiss Army Knives’

mother of swiss army knives
The Swiss Army knife is widely considered a pioneer in the world of multi-tools. Well, meet a knife known as the “mother of all Swiss Army knives.”

This beautiful knife, which was made in Germany in 1880, amazingly predates the first official Swiss Army knife by about 11 years and features more than a 100 different tools. Some of the tools include a serrated blade, several types of scissors, a corkscrew, two dagger blades, a cigar cutter, a straight razor and much more.

One of the most surprising tools on the knife is a .22-caliber five-shot pinfire revolver that can open up and shoot like any functional gun.

The knife is the perfect embodiment of craftsmanship and art. With a tortoise-shell handle that conceals a slew of other tools and a design any knife maker would marvel at, this shows just how much care and thought people can put into knives.

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The Interceptor: A beautiful, terrible masterpiece

The Interceptor
Few knives are as unpredictable, beautifully designed and original as the Interceptor from Tom Anderson Cutlery.

Somewhere between a push dagger and brass knuckles, the Interceptor is impractical and potentially dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. But, it’s undeniably awesome.

The Interceptor has been exploding in popularly around the Web. Sites like Gizmodo and Geek Alerts have likened this insane knife to the weapons used in the new Batman movies. It does look remarkably similar to the old Batman symbol.

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Top 10 knives disguised as everyday objects

There’s nothing cooler than a knife that’s disguised as an everyday object. Although some of these items seem impractical and are illegal in certain states, there’s no denying just how fascinating these hidden blades are. Here are 10 of the most interesting disguised blades.

1. Pen Knife

Pen Knife

The pen knife is the classic disguised knife that looks like something straight out of a James Bond film. The great thing about this disguised knife is that it’s perfect for both the knife enthusiast and writer, because it’s actually functional. If you ever run out of ink for your pen knife, simply buy a new ink refill.

2. Lipstick Knife

Lipstick Knife

This is an item almost exclusively for women, as it would probably be pretty strange for a guy to carry this around. The lipstick knife comes in a variety of colors, so a woman looking to coordinate her disguised knife with her outfit will have no problems. To make the knife come out, all you have to do is take the cap off and twist it open. Unlike the pen knife, the lipstick knife doesn’t serve its original purpose.

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We’re Giving Away Free Knives to Veterans for Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a time for celebrating those who have served our country.  At The Cutting Edge, we’re expressing our gratitude by holding a knife giveaway just for veterans.

If you’ve served in the armed forces, whether it’s the Army, Navy, Air Force or the Marines, post a picture of yourself in uniform, along with the dates and location you served, on our Facebook page before 12 p.m. Central Time on Sunday 5/29.

We’ll select two winners at random on Memorial Day, who will be able to choose from the three different Ka-bar knives ($65-$70 value) shown below. If you’re so inclined, you can also chose the Osama bin Ladin “Justice is Done” knife.”

Thanks again for your service and good luck.

army ka-bar knife

Army Ka-bar

 

Navy K-bar knife

Pearl Harbor Navy Ka-bar

 

k-bar knife with Iraqi freedom written on it

Iraqi Freedom Marine Ka-bar

 

"Justice is Done' Osama bin Ladin knife

Remember, to enter the contest post a picture of yourself in your uniform along with the dates and location where you served on our Facebook Page.

A knife that freezes organs then blows them up… yes, it’s real

The only thing cooler than a knife that slices is one that blows up organs when it’s stabbed into an animal.

Although this knife isn’t exactly new, it’s been making headlines for its recent appearance on “Law & Order: SVU” as the weapon that killed John Stamos.

The aptly named WASP Injector Knife shoots a compressed basketball-sized ball of gas into the victim where it instantly freezes then explodes the internal organs at 800psi.

You might be wondering why anyone would need this knife besides the criminals on “Law & Order” and those looking to blow up watermelons (see video below). The target consumer of the knife is the diver who frequently encounters gigantic vicious sharks who aren’t deterred by regular stabs from a knife.

Reportedly, if the knife is used correctly on a shark, the compressed gas will freeze its inside, so blood doesn’t begin to pool around the shark thus not attracting more. Once it kills the shark, the ball of gas will cause its carcass to float to the surface.

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Who is Bear Grylls? Find Out and Win His Signature Knife.

Bear Grylls Drinking Turtle Blood“The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is often just that little word, extra,” said Man Vs. Wild star Bear Grylls at a speaking engagement in Durban, South Africa.  If anyone, Bear should know.

The 37-year old survivalist and T.V. star has captivated millions of viewers across the world with his death-defying wilderness skills.  Since we’re currently giving away a Bear Grylls Ultimate Multi-Tool (contest rules below),  I thought it was time to shed more light on one of the world’s greatest survivors.

The Birth of a Bear

Bear is British—you have probably gathered as much from his accent—and split his time as a child between Northern Ireland and the Isle of Wright.  He learned to climb and sail from his father at an early age and it was his sister who gave him the nickname “Bear,” when he was just a week old. Always the outdoorsman, Bear became a Cub Scout at eight; he also learned to sky-dive and practiced karate in his youth.

Bear Joins the Army and Almost Dies

Like any proper survivor, Bear celebrated graduating from Birbeck University in London by spending a few months hiking in the Himalayas.  From there, he joined the British Army and served as a trooper, survival instructor and patrol medic.  In 1996, he suffered a near-fatal parachuting fall in Zambia, in which he landed on his back and partially crushed three vertebrae.  It was initially unknown whether or not he would walk again.  Yet, after 18 months of rehabilitation, Bear was back to full strength and ready to fulfill a goal he had been pursuing since his childhood.

Bear Climbs Everest at 23

When he was young, Bear’s father had shown him pictures of Mount Everest that had made an indelible impression.  Since then, he had always had a goal of summiting the mountain, but the broken-back he suffered seriously jeopardized those aspirations:

I remember lying there during those long months of recovery and suddenly this dream that I had clung to so tightly and for so long, of climbing Everest, just felt a million miles away. It was beyond what I could believe and I remember vividly looking at the pictures my late father had given me of Everest years earlier, and taking them down. I dismissed it as something childish and something that could no longer become a reality.

Yet, on May 26 1998, Bear reached the summit of Everest, making him the youngest British climber to do so.  His expedition had taken four months just on Everest’s southeast face alone.  He was nearly killed on numerous occasions and three other climbers making the trek lost their lives.

Bear Gets Gnarly, Seriously Gnarly

Post climbing Everest, Bear was booming with enthusiasm and completed a string of survival feats, such as:

— Circumnavigating the UK on a jet ski

— Crossing the North Atlantic on an inflatable boat

— Having a dinner party in a hot air baloon at 25,000 feet

Paramotoring over the Himalayas.

—  Setting the record for the world’s longest free fall.

These freakish accomplishments couldn’t be ignored by the world of television for long. Bear made his media debut in a Sure deodorant commercial and in 2006, Bear’s current survival series, Man Vs. Wild, debuted and immediately found success.  Today, it attracts over one billion viewers a year.

Win Bear’s Knife, Get Tough

We’re currently giving away a Bear Grylls’ signature 12-component ultimate multi-tool and to win all you need to do is advise Bear on how to get out of the following situation, which, considering his reputation, is totally realistic.

Bear is standing on a rock in the middle of the Amazon River wearing nothing but camouflage briefs. On one bank there is a nest full of anacondas. On the other, there is a vicious-looking jaguar. The river is full of piranhas.

Bear has possession of the following things:  a coconut, a monkey, two Budweiser bottles and 10 palm leaves, in addition to his Ultimate Multi-Tool with 12 components. Give Bear advice on how to escape to safety by entering your answer in the comment field below.

You must submit your entry (and you can only submit one) prior to Friday 10 p.m. Central Time.  Then, we’ll pick our top three favorites and publish them on the blog for readers to vote on. Be creative.  Be imaginative.  Good luck!

Win a Bear Grylls’ Ultimate Multi-Tool!

Bear GryllsBear Grylls is a survivalist stud.  He jumps out of planes, eats eyeballs, swims with alligators and hurls himself into freezing, ice water.  He does pretty much every badass thing possible and he does it all in style, which is why he needs badass equipment all the time.

The Bear Grylls’ Ultimate Multi-Tool

Enter the Bear Grylls’ Ultimate Multi-Tool, a 12-part multi-tool that’s as rugged as Bear.

This all-in-one offers 12 total components: needle nose pliers, both fine-edge and serrated knives, saw, Phillips screwdriver, small and medium flat drivers, lanyard ring, bottle opener, can opener, scissors and wire cutters.

So,  if necessary, you can pry open a can of tuna, remove a splinter, cut through wire, saw through a rope, unscrew something, unscrew something else, cut a bandage and then, to celebrate everything you accomplished, pop open a cold beer—all with one tool!

The multi-tool is also light, weighing under 9 ounces, and its spring-loaded jaw makes it easy for one-handed use. In addition, it comes with a sweet nylon sheath and a Bear Grylls’ pocket survival guide, which has survival basics designed to help keep you alive if you are stranded in the wilderness.

This last feature got me thinking: What happens when Bear Grylls needs survival advice?  Who does he call, the survival gods? Well, maybe he calls you, yeah that’s right, you.

How to Win a Bear Grylls’ Ultimate Multi-Tool

If you want to win this multi-tool all you have to do is advise Bear on how to use his multi-tool to get out of the following situation, which, considering his reputation, is totally realistic.

Bear is standing on a rock in the middle of the Amazon River wearing nothing but camouflage briefs. On one bank there is a nest full of anacondas. On the other, there is a vicious-looking jaguar that hasn’t eaten in weeks. The river is full of piranhas.

Bear has possession of the following things:  a coconut, a monkey, two 16-ounce Budweiser bottles and 10 palm leaves, in addition to his Ultimate Multi-Tool with 12 components. Give Bear advice on how to escape to safety by entering your answer in the comment field below.

You must submit your entry (and you can only submit one) prior to Friday 10 p.m. Central Time.  Then, we’ll pick our top three favorites and publish them on the blog for readers to vote on. Be creative.  Be imaginative.  Good luck!

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