I've come around to the Cold Steel fandom. These are nice knives at a great price. Buy them now, before Obamastein bans them too! Nice steel. Funky cool curve. Scares the namby pambys to death! :-D

great reviews on the medium straight edge over at knifecenter.com

http://www.knifecenter.com/item/CS29TMV/Cold-Steel-Medium-Vaquero-Voyager-3-inch-Stonewash-Plain-Blade-Grivory-Handles

I love this knife! Got a medium and large straight-edge, and a large serrated one last time these were featured on woot. The serration on this knife runs along the entire length of the blade (not a combo edge!). Would definitely recommend (get the medium, large is too big for carrying around imo). The large size is about as long as the kershaw tremor, if you remember those from woot a while back.

Take a stab at this video.

Medium, Large closed.
Medium, Large opened.

Woot! has never offered a better knife at this price point - period. I love these knives, I own more than I would care to admit and I purchase a few as gifts each time I see that they pop up for sale . . . You will not find a better value IMHO. I have used the knife to field dress a deer, as an all around camp knife, as a back-up knife in the glove compartment (the serrated blade model actually cut through a steel belted tire piece that had wedged itself under my truck) - these knives are just plain awesome. I have no idea where they keep finding so much stock of this one style, but I eagerly await more Cold Steel knives in other styles and I will be a buyer.

The best application for this style (model) of knife however, is cutting flesh . . . as I have said in a previous post, I used this knife to field dress when I was caught without my kit and needed to pack a nice buck out about a mile and a half. I shaved a lot of time off my record time using this knife . . . I have had the opportunity to field dress another deer recently with this knife and I now have shaved a full 18 minutes off my best time using the Cold Steel Vaquero. I am able to do much more detailed cutting faster and separate much more of the carcass appropriately in the field (cutting down on detail work later) with this ONE knife than I ever thought would be possible.

I actually carry (EDC) a serrated large in my front pocket (I'm a big guy and no one notices) and I LOVE the knife . . . after months of abuse - it is still going strong and sharp as the day I bought it (which is wicked sharp).

Buy three, create another account, buy more - you'll be glad you did.

Wonderful knives!

I love knives. I like folding knives--I prefer fixed blade-- and this one looks really good. As in, it all checks out nicely.

Only thing is I only buy folding knives when my folding knife breaks--got one of these two months ago, heavy use, and it's still in top notch shape. As in, there are no notches.

I'm mad I didn't wait to buy it here.

But don't buy one. Trust me, buy two.
And all of you send me your second.
Ya know, as in the buddy system.

landfieldjc wrote:I love knives. I like folding knives--I prefer fixed blade-- and this one looks really good. As in, it all checks out nicely.

Only thing is I only buy folding knives when my folding knife breaks--got one of these two months ago, heavy use, and it's still in top notch shape. As in, there are no notches.

I'm mad I didn't wait to buy it here.

But don't buy one. Trust me, buy two.
And all of you send me your second.
Ya know, as in the buddy system.

Better yet, buy 3.

Which one do you knife enthusiasts recommend? The medium or the large version?

Are these manual, or assisted opening?

GenPirate wrote:Which one do you knife enthusiasts recommend? The medium or the large version?

I got the large serrated for hiking/camping. It is huge. I should have probably got the medium too. I really like the knife.

I'm an attorney in Buffalo. Was an asst DA for 7 yrs. Defense work about 20 yrs. Now enjoying my grandkids. Some free legal advice to Woot. This knife is legal in New York. It's only illegal if possessed with the intent to use illegaly. That is the same for a rock, or a pencil.

I'm sad I can only buy three! Last time I got a large serrated edge for me and a large straight edge for my husband and we were blown away by the quality. This time I got a medium straight for me and two large serrated; one for the hubby and one for the brother-in-law. I still need the medium serrated and the large straight!

Why oh why can't they offer the other blade shapes? The vaquero is the only one that I can't sharpen at home (recurves are tough to sharpen). Woot, get some of the Tanto or Clip-point versions, PLEASE!

Seems like lately everything on sport woot could be used in the most dangerous game of all; but not in a pickup game of basketball or soccer.

I bought two of these last time they were up. Great knife but a little big for every day carry for me. They arrived very sharp and have held an edge well. The locking mechanism on both knives was very stiff, too stiff. I took a pair of pliers and really mashed down on the lock release about 10 times and now they are smooth as butter.

brendanmwoot wrote:Seems like lately everything on sport woot could be used in the most dangerous game of all; but not in a pickup game of basketball or soccer.

What about these?
Or these?
Or this crap here?

I've been a Cold Steel fan for many, many years and definitely can vouch for the quality of their products. (In fact, when I have purchased factory seconds from them, they are higher quality than many other companies "firsts")

I prefer a tanto style blade for my typical usage, but I am tempted to grab a couple of these as gifts. Good stuff!

You cannot sharpen the serrated blades, regardless, without killing the serrations and creating a plain edge--which is actually not a bad idea, IMHO. For the plain edge, just use a crock stick system. I highly recommend the Sypderco http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=77

I guess this go-round there were no Large Plain Edge knives available, eh? For the people asking above, that would be my suggested buy here, but ANY of these will serve you well. The LARGE one is just visually extra imposing. ;-) It does fill a pocket though, while the Medium is plenty useful and a bit easier to carry.

If you find them a bit stiff at first, be sure to wash them well with soapy hot water, then dry them off, lube with some food grade mineral oil, and wipe off any excess. Your knife will then function beautifully, especially after a few hours of "practice" flipping it open and closed--which you WILL be doing, right? Always learn how to use your tools correctly! ;-)

PS: Cold Steel does make this in an Extra Large version, but woot! hasn't ever sold those, IIRC. Those are like folding Bowie knives. :-D

Woot! What's up with the coupon code for Texans? I was trying to go in for three of these (well over $40 coupon activation price point), but my secret code isn't working. :-/

There are not enough superlatives in my vocabulary to reflect how much I love Cold Steel products. This knife is simply the best knife at this price point that I have ever owned. It's not furniture, it won't win any beauty pageants, but it is amazingly efficient at what it was designed for.

I own the large serrated version. I have somewhat large hands, and the handle on the large knife fits perfectly. Lots of people have mentioned the sharpness of the blade (which is exceedingly sharp, indeed), but few people are talking about how great the grip is. You can see in the picture how the handle looks like it's grooved, like there's a texture pattern in the mold. There is, but it's far more grip-focused than you would imagine until you actually hold one.

The other feature that isn't discussed often enough is the lock. Everyone prefers fixed blade knives because they're stronger. This is as strong as a folding knife gets. I have been very impressed with the strength and durability of the patented Tri-Ad lock. It's unreal.

Sure, don't take my word for it; research before you buy. View the Cold Steel "Proof" videos (I'm sure they're on YouTube for the Voyager series) and be amazed.

MY ZIP CODE IS UPSTATE NY, YOU FOOLS.
NOT NYC!!!

I CAN GOTO A STORE THAT SELLS NOTHING BUT KNIVES AND SWORDS DOWN THE STREET FROM ME.

kz585 wrote:MY ZIP CODE IS UPSTATE NY, YOU FOOLS.
NOT NYC!!!

I CAN GOTO A STORE THAT SELLS NOTHING BUT KNIVES AND SWORDS DOWN THE STREET FROM ME.

Shipping across state lines restraints are different then shopping at a local store. Lots and lots of red tape.

I think I get the POINT. Everyone has been CUTTING to the chase. I think there are two edges of conversation here. ( I had to...)

love these knives, but be very careful. I have cut the plug out of myself on two different occasions with these things (one of which involved an emergency room visit). I am well versed in knives (been carrying one daily for 18 years) but something about the mechanism and shape combined with the sharpness of these knives has gotten me twice now.

The medium straight edged one here has been my EDC knife for a good three months. I've been very pleased. Had some minor rust spots about a week in (at least I thought they were), but polished those off and oiled the knife a bit. Since then, I haven't maintained it at all and it's been spectacular. The medium is a great EDC size IMO, and I'll be honest that I beat on this knife quite a bit. Including an attempt to cut through thin steel cable (long story).

Final point: If you're on the fence at all, buy it.

I've been stalking woot for these ever since I missed the one listed on the woot.off. I said if it came up again, I'd buy one or two. I lied...

...I bought 3.

2x Medium Plain (1 for a gift)
1x Large Serrated.

Looking forward to seeing them.

Fastest. Woot. Delivery. Ever.
Ermahgerd... 4 days!!??
Medium straight edge... fits nicely in my girlish hands. Locking mech is a little stiff, like the extra clip for lefty weirdos.
4 days... wow.

I got mine too. Locking mechanism is EXTREMELY stiff. Going to try the soap and water and oiling method.

It is so hard to unlock that I cut myself when it finally unlocked and closed on my finger. Other than that, it's a great knife.

You guys stink. I bought 3 and still haven't received them.

Maybe it's taking longer since 3 of them are so heavy...

ROGETRAY wrote:Sorry for the late reply.
It usually takes up to 5 business days for the shipping process. However, if you haven't seen any shipping update activity yet I would email into Woot Member Services at support@woot.com and inquire about it.

Thanks for the reply, I got all 3 today!

They look great. 1 of them is for a friend of mine who just had a baby. Nothing says "Congratulations on your new beautifully-fragile bundle of joy" like a nice razor sharp chunk of steel.

...the other two are mine.