Customer Reviews

Cold Steel Urban Pal Kraton Handle (Serrated Secure-Ex Sheath)

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this because I was curious (I've been watching the Urban Pal since the mid-80's), and because I wanted something to bite back with in case any of the free roaming dogs I've encountered decided to sink their teeth into me. I wanted something that I didn't have to pull out and then open. As such, I'm extremely pleased with it.

The Urban Pal is advertised and sold as a utility knife, although I can't say I'm 100% convinced. The shape and grip seem designed for one purpose, and that's to stay solidly in your fist as you strike something. But its diminutive size means that it's legal in places where more mundane blades are not.

What follows is my opinion. Please do not choose a utility or defensive tool based solely upon what I say here. I am not an expert on either subject.

Construction:

The blade and point are sharp -- *very* sharp, and the steel seems to be of very high quality. This knife has no trouble cutting through all manner of objects. The Kraton handle (kind of a cross between rubber and plastic) is thick and grips very well. It's comfortable to hold. The sheath is unique: it's made of two plastic halves riveted together. Push the knife in and *click* it locks in place and stays there until you give it a tug, and then out it comes. I doubt the sheath will last forever. The box even comes with a warning to inspect the sheath regularly and discard it when it needs replacing. There is no clip or belt loop. I'm thinking of attaching one with epoxy. Cold Steel has high confidence in their blades -- this one comes with a 5-year warranty.

As a utility knife:

The first video I ever saw demonstrating the Urban Pal showed the knife being used to perform all sorts of utility-type things: cutting rope, tubing, zipping cardboard boxes open, and opening envelopes. All of which it will do, and do very effectively. The shape of the handle allows it to be easily held in the hand, meaning if you're doing a lot of cutting (multiple boxes, etc) you don't have to put it down as you work. Just be sure you don't accidentally jab yourself or a co-worker with it.

As a self-defense weapon:

Cold Steel's latest video demonstrating the Urban Pal seemingly abandons all pretense of this being a utility knife, and instead shows it quickly and cleanly making horrific gashes in large chunks of raw meat, or effortlessly cutting through a cardboard silhouette of a person.

Time for a dose of cold, hard reality.

It will do all those things, and more, but if any of you are looking at this product thinking that it will enable you to strut down the street and fight off the punks with ease, you are going to be sorely disappointed. You're probably not going to scare a determined assailant off with it -- it's too small. Knives are, by their nature, close-quarter weapons. This one is especially so due to the extremely short blade length (1.5"). If you're defending yourself with this your attacker is going to have to be within arm's length before you can use it -- close enough to grab or hurt *you*! The Urban Pal will probably work if you are able to get it out and land a blow with it before your assailant sees it.

Now, supposing you landed a blow, how effective would it be? Well, the blade is only 1.5" long, but my knuckles don't extend all the way to the back of the blade. Hence, if I were to punch something soft the blade would go in deeper than the blade length. The blade is sharp enough that it'll go all the way in and leave a wound that will require a rapid trip to the hospital to fix. Your attacker, be it man or animal, will know they got hit by it.

Conclusion:

Be aware of what you are buying, and it's limitations. The Urban Pal will do everything it is advertised to do, and I'm very pleased with it -- but I've bought some pepper spray to go with it, to give me the reach the Urban Pal doesn't have. As a utility knife it would probably work best in situations where lots of cutting takes place: warehouses, receiving, etc. In the area of self-defense, it is probably best employed as a last-resort tool, used in conjunction with another weapon that wards attackers off at a distance.

The knife is pretty sharp. The handle is easy to grip. However the sheath is awful. I lost the knife somewhere because after 3 dozen draws it does not snap in the holster anymore.

I'm glad I lost it on the ground rather then have the sheath come loose in my pocket and stab myself.

I purchased this punch dagger about six months ago, and it has made a believer out of me!

You'd have to be absolutely out of your mind not to bring the Urban Pal every time you step out your front door. It's perfect for the subway or school, while the slim design is equally at home clubbing or dining out. You name it! The construction is rugged to boot. My Urban Pal has seen some heavy use and I've found not only that the blade holds its edge, but that the Kraton grip is extremely stain-resistant.

If they do make a new version of the Urban Pal, though, I'd prefer a triangular blade.

This is the first personal self-defense item I've purchased that is comfortably and consistently carried by my wife. If fact, she never leaves home within it! Over the years, I have accumulated an assortment of personal protection devices for her--that have gone unused and often still packaged (e.g. mace and pepper spray). Because she spends lots of time running, I worry about her safety. This unit is small, fits nicely in the hand, and is obviously a threat to a potential attacker. Hopefully she'll never need to use it, but at least now we both feel at ease having it available.

The knife is extremely sharp and the form factor at first feels right as a key chain knife.

The major problem is that the handle just gets snagged too easily. I've found the knife sitting open in my pocket many times. Luckily I have yet to get poked with it. But I have also found it sitting on the back floor of my car after doing some task while I have my keys in my hand. I don't know if it gets snagged on something or just falls out. Either way, it's not noticeable when it happens. Having a toddler, it concerns me that this thing comes unsheathed and falls to the floor in places I just don't want it to be at.

Update 2/14/2011:
It seems that over time, the knife stays in the sheath better. Totally not what you would expect. I own two of these and this is the case for both of them. Perhaps there is a coating on the knife that wears off over time or something. My key chain weighs 4.5 Oz including the knife. I can hold it above my head by the knife handle and quickly lower my hand down to my side and the knife does not release until after about 5 times doing this. I am 6Ft tall. Yet, if I were to whip the keys, the knife comes out on the first try. So now I'm thinking this is just about right. Perhaps the T-handle could be designed not to snag in a pocket as much which is why it is 4 stars at this point. It's difficult to make a handle like that accessible. If you use finger holes, it would be too difficult to grab it quickly. As a T, it seems to snag. It's kind of a catch 22.

I purchased one of these and found that it is fairly handy for small cutting tasks.

I'm a bit of an outdoorsman, so I use this blade whenever I'm out. It's especially handy for camping, fishing, and other outdoor sports. It cuts through cloth and small ropes quite easily and is best used to handle fine tasks that bigger knives are not suited for.

Many reviews seem to focus on the Urban Pal's defensive capabilities, so I will discuss that aspect (and probably get heat for it).

While it's good for small cutting tasks (both outdoors and indoors), I can't recommend this blade for defensive use for outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, jogging, etc. I have read reviews about such blades stating that they would be used against animal attacks (from reviewers who live in areas where it's a possibility). As rare as they are, animal attacks do happen and people die from them each year. That being said, do you really want to trust your life to a 1.5" blade? It will NOT stop a hungry 200 lbs mountain lion, or more than one wild dog or coyote. Many will say things along the lines of "It'll stop anything if I jab it in the eye" and the like. Even if you're highly trained in the use of the blade, that statement is still unrealistic and it totally disregards the stress factor. If you plan to use a blade in those kinds of situations, consider something at least 6 inches long. I would not use this against a 50 lbs coyote, much less against something bigger.

At the risk of repeating myself: Do you really want to trust your life to a 1.5" blade?
For defensive use against would be assailants in an urban setting, I would also recommend something else. This blade is concealable and easy to carry, but if you ever came across someone truly trying to kill or severely injure you and thus be put in a situation where you'd be forced to pull out a deadly weapon, you'd be much better off relying on a compact pistol rather than on this tiny blade. If pistols are out of your price range or you simply don't want firearms, I'd once again recommend the use of a bigger knife. Sure, it's better to have this than to have no defensive weapon and yes, it might deter an assailant just looking to pick a fight, but realistically, situations in which you'd have to use a deadly weapon would most likely involve an armed assailant (or multiple). These people usually carry bigger knives (and such weapons with longer reach) and firearms, in which case this blade won't be much help.


If you want a quantitative review (or don't feel like reading everything I wrote), here it is:

Small cutting tasks: 9/10
Portability and ease of concealment: 10/10
Defensive weapon: 3/10

I kept this knife on my keyring, since I work in a moderate-high crime area and wanted something I could use quickly in a self-defense role. They blade is small but sharp, and surprisingly durable. I felt very secure that this blade, once deployed, would be an effective defensive tool.

I am using the past tense, because I recently lost the blade, and this had to do with the sheath; the blade does not lock in, but only slides in. Because of the T-shaped handle, it is prone to snagging on clothing, counter tops, etc. It wasn't until I got home from work last night that I noticed the sheath was empty. I plan on buying a new Urban Pal, only this time I will install a belt clip so that it sits vertically, so that it is less likely to get snagged and lost.

I bought this for my wife's keychain, and its size and weight make it barely noticeable (she has one of those huge carabiner-type things as it is). Big surprise for would-be wrong doer. Not as big a surprise as her S&W Model 49, but much handier. Wish it were double edged, but that would violate state law. Seems durable, sheath holds well. I like it, and she likes it too. The handle prevents the blade from being turned against the user, even if said user has less arm strength than the attacker. Blade size only allows for near surface artery work, no deep penetration, but better than nothing.

Have bought two of these now. The knife is great. But the sheath is terrible. Have lost two of these knives now because of the sheath not holding it tightly, despite being careful reinserting the knife after using. Called Cold Steel to see if it would be covered under their warranty-they said I have to send them the knife. I said that was the problem-the sheath didn't do its job and the knife got lost! Cold Steel customer service was basically rude.

This is the second one of these knifes I've purchased, because they are so good. It's a small knife but its also really easy to conceal and carry. The hard case is nice, allows for boot mount. Only one con; the knife will become loose in the sheath with time. When first bought there was a click and the blade locked in tight, now not so much.