Frequently Bought Together
Product Description
Amazon.com
If you want a Bowie knife that requires minimum maintenance and withstands water, salt, air, and the humidity of jungle environments, the SK-5 Trail Master fits the bill. As an added bonus, it's equipped with an attractive rolled edge, capable of easily severing four inches of rope or more.
Specifications
- SK-5 high carbon steel blade
- 9.5-inch blade length
- 14.5-inch overall length
- 16.7-ounce weight
- Includes a leather sheath
Warranty
All Cold Steel products are warranted against defects in materials and workmanship. Details are included with your purchase.
About Cold Steel
Cold Steel, Incorporated was founded in 1980, with the goal of making the strongest, sharpest cutlery in the world for knife enthusiasts. Over the last three-plus decades, the company has been at the forefront of many design innovations that have helped innovate the knife industry, including introduction of checked Kraton handles, and the tanto point blade styles which have become industry hallmarks of quality and sophistication.
Product Description
If you want a Bowie knife that requires minimum maintenance and is practically immune to water, salt, air, or the humidity of a jungle environment, the SK-5 Trail Master is for you! This Bowie will outperform any other stainless steel Bowie in the world in terms of strength and toughness. And, as an added bonus, this Trail Master is equipped with a beautiful rolled edge, capable of easily severing 4" or more of free hanging manila rope!
Product Details
Would you like to give feedback on images? |
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By Tegu
Amazon Verified Purchase
The Cold Steel Trailmaster is a knife I used to sell years ago. This is a tough, sharp, no nonsense knife. It is a high carbon knife that requires cleaning just like any tool. If you want a big knife just for the sake of having one go stainless. If you use a big knife in wilderness this is the knife I trust. When I sold them all who purchased loved them. Now I own one and it performs as promised.
Amazon is amazing. I ordered the knife and had it 2 days later, that's service.
Amazon is amazing. I ordered the knife and had it 2 days later, that's service.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By Deveus
Before I start my review of the SK-5 Trailmaster, I implore Amazon.com to correct a huge error in their description of this knife:
- "If you want a Bowie knife that requires minimum maintenance and is practically immune to water, salt, air, or the humidity of a jungle environment, the SK-5 Trail Master is for you! This Bowie will outperform any other stainless steel Bowie in the world in terms of strength and toughness. And, as an added bonus, this Trail Master is equipped with a beautiful rolled edge" -
This description is meant for the Cold Steel San Mai III Trailmaster, not the SK-5. The San Mai III is a stainless blade, the SK-5 high-carbon Trailmaster is not. The claims about the strength and toughness of the knife are true IMHO, but this is not a stainless knife. From the date of a review by a very upset customer - who had every right to be considering he or she bought this knife thinking it was corrosion resistant - this incorrect description has been in place since at least October of last year. Amazon.com, please correct this mistake.
Now, on to the review. In the interest of full disclosure, I bought my Trailmaster back in 2004 when Cold Steel was still using Carbon V steel for its bowies, and manufacturing in the US. However, I've since purchased an SK-5 Laredo Bowie and found the difference in the two steels to be mostly negligible. The Carbon V did have *slightly* better toughness and edge retention, but Carbon V and SK-5 are extremely close in their properties.
BLADE: With a 5/16" wide spine, this is a hefty piece. The whole package weighs in at over a pound and the majority of that weight is definitely in the 9&1/2" blade. The Trailmaster is ideal for chopping, batoning, and just generally whacking the living heck out of anything, be it wood, flesh, bone, or whatever. Cold Steel makes two other big bowies - the Laredo and the Natchez - but out of the three I'd rate the Trailmaster as the most practical. The Laredo is much more dressy and tradional in style (though as I mentioned, I do own one and love it) and the Natchez, while big and bad, is so bloody expensive I'd be afraid to use it if I had it. One of my favorite features of this blade is the sturdiness of the tip. I once plunged mine 3/4" into a maple desktop and the tip came away still needle sharp. I've stuck it in several trees as well (via a good hard throw) and nothing seems to be able to blunt the tip. I know, I know, it's a cardinal sin to throw your main knife, but if any blade could take it, it's this one. My old Trailmaster came with a black epoxy coating to prevent rust, but it appears Cold Steel has dispensed with this feature. I don't know why, because it was extremely effective - no rust, no reflective surface, and it never scraped off - but I suppose...the knives look prettier without it? Who knows? Anyway, seeing as this is a high carbon steel blade, remember to clean it after use, dry it if it gets wet, and keep a nice coat of 3-in-1 or WD-40 on it. I prefer 3-in-1 but either works just fine. Oh yeah, and *do not put it in the dishwasher*. You'd think anyone buying a blade like this would have the knife knowledge not to do such a ridiculous thing, but I've seen more than one good bowie knife wasted in this fashion. Lastly, and quite importantly, the blade has a full tang. I know the traditionalists will say that a "full tang" is one that is visible all the way down the edges of the handle, however, the TM's tang, though encapsulated by kraton, extends all the way to the end of the hilt. I would never recommend a knife without some sort of full tang construction.
GUARD: Nothing fancy here, just a big chunk of brass to keep your fingers safe. As I said my old TM has a black coating, which covers the blade, guard, and even extends down the length of the tang under the handle, which I think is a good feature, however the new models do look more elegant all shiny and polished. As with anything made of brass, the guard will eventually acquire a patina, so either keep some polish handy or just accept the aesthetics of it. The guard is nice and big so your fingers will be safe, but the downside is that it gets in the way of choking up on the blade and getting your thumb on the spine to perform finer cutting tasks. Personally this doesn't bother me - the TM isn't an x-acto knife and it's not meant to be. This is your big bad chopper, your EDC folder can take care of the little stuff.
HANDLE: The TM's kraton handle is one of my favorite features of this knife. I know some people hate kraton, but I don't. I like the slightly squishy, tacky feeling of it, and Cold Steel did a good job of texturing the handle for an excellent grip that's pretty resistant to slippage when wet. If a kraton handle is a deal-breaker for you but you want a knife with similar properties and size to the TM, I'd recommend a Becker BK9, which has a grivory handle. Personally I love the way the TM's grip feels, though I will admit that the friction generated by extended periods of use can cause some blisters, but hey, that's what calluses are for. The handle also has a brass ferrule at the end to accommodate a lanyard or whatever else you can think of.
SHEATH: The Trailmaster usually comes with a black leather sheath. It's heavy duty and decent construction, though, as other reviewers have pointed out, leather isn't exactly the ideal sheath material for a high carbon blade; it tends to trap moisture which can cause rust if not dealt with properly. Still, as long as you keep your blade oiled and do not store it in the sheath long term, it's fine. However, I've seen some of the newest SK-5 TM's shipping with Secure-Ex Sheaths. Over the years Cold Steel has used leather, cordura, and Secure-Ex sheaths for their Trailmasters, so it's kind of unpredictable which kind you'll end up with. Still, any of them are good, and none can detract from the excellence of the knife itself.
The Trailmaster is hands down my favorite knife ever. The price may be high but it's still reasonable, and it's worth every penny because these things are pretty much indestructible. I've had mine for over seven years now, and it's just as good as the day it came out of the box. I give it a well deserved 5 stars.
- "If you want a Bowie knife that requires minimum maintenance and is practically immune to water, salt, air, or the humidity of a jungle environment, the SK-5 Trail Master is for you! This Bowie will outperform any other stainless steel Bowie in the world in terms of strength and toughness. And, as an added bonus, this Trail Master is equipped with a beautiful rolled edge" -
This description is meant for the Cold Steel San Mai III Trailmaster, not the SK-5. The San Mai III is a stainless blade, the SK-5 high-carbon Trailmaster is not. The claims about the strength and toughness of the knife are true IMHO, but this is not a stainless knife. From the date of a review by a very upset customer - who had every right to be considering he or she bought this knife thinking it was corrosion resistant - this incorrect description has been in place since at least October of last year. Amazon.com, please correct this mistake.
Now, on to the review. In the interest of full disclosure, I bought my Trailmaster back in 2004 when Cold Steel was still using Carbon V steel for its bowies, and manufacturing in the US. However, I've since purchased an SK-5 Laredo Bowie and found the difference in the two steels to be mostly negligible. The Carbon V did have *slightly* better toughness and edge retention, but Carbon V and SK-5 are extremely close in their properties.
BLADE: With a 5/16" wide spine, this is a hefty piece. The whole package weighs in at over a pound and the majority of that weight is definitely in the 9&1/2" blade. The Trailmaster is ideal for chopping, batoning, and just generally whacking the living heck out of anything, be it wood, flesh, bone, or whatever. Cold Steel makes two other big bowies - the Laredo and the Natchez - but out of the three I'd rate the Trailmaster as the most practical. The Laredo is much more dressy and tradional in style (though as I mentioned, I do own one and love it) and the Natchez, while big and bad, is so bloody expensive I'd be afraid to use it if I had it. One of my favorite features of this blade is the sturdiness of the tip. I once plunged mine 3/4" into a maple desktop and the tip came away still needle sharp. I've stuck it in several trees as well (via a good hard throw) and nothing seems to be able to blunt the tip. I know, I know, it's a cardinal sin to throw your main knife, but if any blade could take it, it's this one. My old Trailmaster came with a black epoxy coating to prevent rust, but it appears Cold Steel has dispensed with this feature. I don't know why, because it was extremely effective - no rust, no reflective surface, and it never scraped off - but I suppose...the knives look prettier without it? Who knows? Anyway, seeing as this is a high carbon steel blade, remember to clean it after use, dry it if it gets wet, and keep a nice coat of 3-in-1 or WD-40 on it. I prefer 3-in-1 but either works just fine. Oh yeah, and *do not put it in the dishwasher*. You'd think anyone buying a blade like this would have the knife knowledge not to do such a ridiculous thing, but I've seen more than one good bowie knife wasted in this fashion. Lastly, and quite importantly, the blade has a full tang. I know the traditionalists will say that a "full tang" is one that is visible all the way down the edges of the handle, however, the TM's tang, though encapsulated by kraton, extends all the way to the end of the hilt. I would never recommend a knife without some sort of full tang construction.
GUARD: Nothing fancy here, just a big chunk of brass to keep your fingers safe. As I said my old TM has a black coating, which covers the blade, guard, and even extends down the length of the tang under the handle, which I think is a good feature, however the new models do look more elegant all shiny and polished. As with anything made of brass, the guard will eventually acquire a patina, so either keep some polish handy or just accept the aesthetics of it. The guard is nice and big so your fingers will be safe, but the downside is that it gets in the way of choking up on the blade and getting your thumb on the spine to perform finer cutting tasks. Personally this doesn't bother me - the TM isn't an x-acto knife and it's not meant to be. This is your big bad chopper, your EDC folder can take care of the little stuff.
HANDLE: The TM's kraton handle is one of my favorite features of this knife. I know some people hate kraton, but I don't. I like the slightly squishy, tacky feeling of it, and Cold Steel did a good job of texturing the handle for an excellent grip that's pretty resistant to slippage when wet. If a kraton handle is a deal-breaker for you but you want a knife with similar properties and size to the TM, I'd recommend a Becker BK9, which has a grivory handle. Personally I love the way the TM's grip feels, though I will admit that the friction generated by extended periods of use can cause some blisters, but hey, that's what calluses are for. The handle also has a brass ferrule at the end to accommodate a lanyard or whatever else you can think of.
SHEATH: The Trailmaster usually comes with a black leather sheath. It's heavy duty and decent construction, though, as other reviewers have pointed out, leather isn't exactly the ideal sheath material for a high carbon blade; it tends to trap moisture which can cause rust if not dealt with properly. Still, as long as you keep your blade oiled and do not store it in the sheath long term, it's fine. However, I've seen some of the newest SK-5 TM's shipping with Secure-Ex Sheaths. Over the years Cold Steel has used leather, cordura, and Secure-Ex sheaths for their Trailmasters, so it's kind of unpredictable which kind you'll end up with. Still, any of them are good, and none can detract from the excellence of the knife itself.
The Trailmaster is hands down my favorite knife ever. The price may be high but it's still reasonable, and it's worth every penny because these things are pretty much indestructible. I've had mine for over seven years now, and it's just as good as the day it came out of the box. I give it a well deserved 5 stars.
20 of 23 people found the following review helpful
By julster
Amazon Verified Purchase
With nutnfancy and icychap on youtube raving about it, I had to get this..I am more than happy I got it. Beautiful thick blade and nutnfancy proves it to be more than worthy to ride on your side in the jungles or forest. Just keep a light layer of oil on it to prevent rust. The new trailmasters don't have the black coating on the blade.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
If I could go higher than five stars I would.
What a beautiful blade! Came razor sharp right out of the box, and I'm not exaggerating, I was cutting paper strips so thin you could thread it through a needle. Read more
Published 13 days ago by Jackson Davis
4.0 out of 5 stars
Decent value for the money
This knife I would not call the end all be all of large fixed blade knives, and I do not like the fact that it is not made in the USA, however for the price you do get good... Read more
Published 21 days ago by Daniel Rausch
5.0 out of 5 stars
best knife ever
I got this knife I instantly fell in love with it and went to test it out took all of the test and went through anything I put it through but beware I dident know this until it cut... Read more
Published 1 month ago by bladecollecter
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect Knife!
The Trail Master by cold steel is an excellent sportsman or survival type knife. This knife is made of the good ole high carbon steel that all good knives used to be made of,... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Tracy W. Sweny
5.0 out of 5 stars
great knife
great knife i would but it again if i needed a nother one but i don't right now you know
Published 3 months ago by David E. Ruck
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Classic Design
I am a cold steel fan. I own all these blades in SK-5: Both Bushman designs, 2 Leatherneck SFs, Recon Scout and a Trailmaster. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Bob
4.0 out of 5 stars
Nice knife
Was thinking about getting one of these for a while finally picked two up one for me and one for my pa for Christmas both love this knife solid well made and razor sharp at a good... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Ricktheruler
5.0 out of 5 stars
Solid Modern Bowie
Not much to say that hasn't been said already. Edge profile is a bit obtuse (maybe 50 degrees inclusive) and it needs to be oiled. But it cuts. That's what it does.
Published 5 months ago by The Savage Rabbit
5.0 out of 5 stars
perfect
I have had a Carbon V version of this knife for over 20 years. Carbon steel holds a better edge than stainless; the tradeoff is a little extra maintenance. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Gregory L. Kniep
4.0 out of 5 stars
Handles tasks
I have had this knife awhile now, I have many woodsmen/survival knives, I didn't think much of it other than it looks and feels capable. Read more
Published 7 months ago by mickphyl
