Customer Reviews

Cold Steel Recon 1 G-10 Handle with Tanto Point and Black Blade

5 star:		(39)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have owned this product for six months now and have carried it daily as a personal defense/EDC blade in conjunction with my Glock 27.

The Good: Durable, Light(for a knife of this blade dimension), vault-like blade lockup, large blade, shaving sharp out of the box, comfortable in hand either in standard grip or reverse, finger grooves are functional, texture is excellent, No vertical or horizontal blade play.
The Bad: The Teflon blade finish wears of rapidly (I'm talking days not weeks), may be a bit bulky for some people's EDC, the back lock's action is very stiff. The finish chips off the pocket clip rapidly, the clip is set lower than I would like, tip up carry is the only option(I don't mind but some might), the American Tanto blade will wear rapidly at the transition point.

I like this knife and carry it on a regular basis but would definitely mention some of the cons before recommending it to a friend. I am confident that it would be more than durable enough should I ever need to defend myself with it.

I did quite a bit of research before I bought this knife. I think it's important for consumers to know what they're buying, instead of just buying the knife, find out it's not what you're looking for, and give it bad reviews. For the short story, skip to the bottom for my "Man Review"

This is a great knife. Lightweight and sharp. I knew it was going to be a rather large knife, but that's what I was looking for. Something bigger than a pocket knife, with the strength of a fixed blade.

Some things to know. Yes, the Teflon coating scratches off easily. My knife is primarily for self defense, but if you're using it to chop bricks, it's going to come off. So far I've cut through rope, paracord, zip-ties, wires, etc...basically normal things, and it hasn't come off yet. Don't discount this knife because of the coating. Seriously, if you buy a knife based on it's pretty black coating because it looks neat and matches your shoes, you really should be shopping for purses instead. This knife is a beast. I have a smaller, more expensive Emerson knife as well and the Recon feels like a tank compared to it. There's video's on youtube (nutnfancy is the guys name I believe), that beats the hell out of this knife and it just keeps on going.

Downsides? Well the clip is very tight, and over time it will wear through your jeans from rubbing against the handle. I've seen some people sand down the grip or use spray paint to make it smoother. I just bent the clip out so it's not so tight. I can't see how this monster knife would slip out of my pocket anyway. The blade does feel really tight straight out of the box. Almost couldn't flip it out with just my thumb. Again, it's time to set down your purse and get used to flipping out a much larger blade. With a little gun oil and some practice I can flip it out as fast as my spring-assisted knives.

Verdict: I couldn't find a better knife for the price. Sure, I'd like to be able to afford a $200 knife, but after owning this knife, I'd rather own two of these. Or one of these and the AK47 Cold Steel knife. Yea I'm liking that last option. Didn't give it 5 stars because nothing is perfect, and it could use some improvements here and there.

Man Review: If Chuck Norris carried a folding knife, this would probably be it.

Ordered one as a holiday gift for a friend. Checked it out quick before my wife wrapped it up. Lock felt a bit stiff, however, very strong and secure lock up. G-10 handle scales are very aggressive and offer good traction. Overall initial impressions were good considering the value.

(months later)

My friend liked the knife and added it to his "bug out bag" as he calls it. He commented that the black blade coating wore off quickly (within a few days). It definitely isn't as durable as maybe a powder coat or DLC coating. Besides that, he had nothing but good things to say about it. No developed blade play, lock up is still solid, and the edge has held up well with hard use and without chipping out. I rated this knife a 4 out of a possible 5 due to blade coating issues. Depending on your budget, interests and needs, this knife may be a great choice.

Just recieved my Recon 1 Tanto plain edge and I must say, IMO, it does live up to the hype. Incredibly sturdy and well built, thick and rugged yet is much lighter than it appears now that they updated it from the old Recon 1 by removing the steel liners. Much lighter and just as durable. The handle is a little large but not obnoxious and the G-10 grip is some of the widest and best gripping G-10 I've ever seen. Fits the hand like a glove. And already cut myself of course, it's the type of blade where it's so sharp you may not notice it even cut you, but it did ha Incredible knife and for $60 you really can't beat it. Would recommend to anyone.

I got this knife based on several reviews I've seen online (nutnfancy) as well as the videos from Cold Steel's catalog. Incredible knife. Great grip, solid and sharp as a razor. First day, cut myself two times playing with it. Its true what is written on the box "WARNING: EXTREMELY SHARP".

As a law enforcement officer and a former SF Operator, there is no knife that I would rather have than this RECON 1. Great for self defense, and it will cut through almost anything.

Amazingly sharp and a supper strong lock. The action and lock were a little stiffer than I liked at first but it's supper smooth now. The handle fits perfectly in your hand and that G10 material is extreamly grippy. Very slender build and a great clip location make this a very comfortable knife to carry around in your pocket. If you want a serious pocket knife for ether self defence or for utility this knife has got you covered.

This knife is absolutely incredible. I have had it for about a month now and have put it to good use.

I have been buying a lot of folding knives lately, but this one, by far, has THE BEST and MOST SATISFYING lock-up out of all of my others combined! It locks up like a vise!!! You may think that because of this, the blade has a lot of resistance and is difficult to open, NOOOOOOOPE. It opens fast and very smooth!


Handle: Cold steel did a fantastic job making the handle. Thick G10 stocks with a very very grippy texturing. The best G10 i have felt ever.. Very deep finger choils for added grip. Very comfortable in normal grip AND reverse grip.

Blade: 4 inches of razor sharp cutting edge. Out of the box is hair shaving sharp and has an excellent Tanto blade shape. Cold Steel coated this blade with a Teflon coating to "lubricate" the blade for ease of cutting wood and hard objects, but it rubs off easily. So it will look pretty and black for a little while, and then the coating scratches off.

Pocket Clip: This is one down side to this blade. The stiff pocket clip + extreme textured G10 = one secure fit. So secure, it rips the edge of your pocket when you take it out.... on the bright side, you wont lose it.

Thumb Stud: Very large and easily accessible if you wear gloves. When the blade is folded, the stud is far away from the handle, making it easy to get too.

This knife comes with TWO pocket clips, one for left side and one for right side. The are oriented for TIP UP CARRY ONLY. just so you know.

Pros:
-LARGE BLADE (4")
-Excellent handle material
-mean looking Tanto blade shape
-SOLID lock-up
- EXCELLENT build quality
-Fits excellent in the hand (normal and reverse hold)

Minor Issues:
-Blade coating wears off over time
-Pocket clip is too aggressive...shreds pockets

Cons:
-NONE

OVERALL.... I LOVE THIS BLADE. 4.7 out of 5 for me...

If you need a knife thats strong, sharp, and reliable, this is a very good choice. This tanto design by cold steel is excellent for "snap cuts" (flick of the wrist move where the secondary point makes contact with the target) and makes for a strong tip. This knife is an excellent defense carry option (heaven forbid) if you'd need it for that. The only gripe I have is with all heavy textured G-10 handles and thats, if you don't sand down under the pocket clip or JB weld (nutnfancy) it, it will tear up your pants pocket. This is not Cold Steel's fault as they do this so you can come up with your own modifications because they don't know whether your right or left handed.

Used as an everyday carry. Extremely sharp right out of the box. As a US Marine I've tried my share of knives and I've been most impressed with this one. Very rugged and can take abuse. Wish I would've tried it sooner. The finish isn't the greatest, it wears of very quickly. Haven't had the need to resharpen yet. If it resharpens as well as it has kept its sharpness it's a keeper.