Cold Steel (company)

Cold Steel Inc.
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryManufacturing
Founded1980; 45 years ago (1980)
FounderLynn Thompson (President & Founder)
Headquarters
Irving, TX 75061
,
United States
Key people
Andrew Demko, Robert Vaughn, Ron Balicki, Luke LaFontaine, Anthony DeLongis
ProductsKnives, swords, tomahawks, pepper spray, machetes, spears, blowguns, axes, martial arts & self defense-related products and training tools
ParentGSM Outdoors
Websitewww.coldsteel.com

Cold Steel, Inc., is an American retailer of knives/bladed tools, training weapons, swords and other martial arts edged and blunt weapons. Founded in Ventura, California, the company is currently based in Irving, Texas, after an acquisition by GSM Outdoors in 2020.[1] Cold Steel products are manufactured worldwide, including in the United States, Japan, Taiwan, India, Italy, China, and South Africa.[2]

Products

The company's products include fixed-blade knives, folding knives, swords, machetes, tomahawks, kukris, blowguns, walking sticks, Tantōs[3] and other martial arts items and training equipment. The knives are used by military and law-enforcement personnel worldwide.[4][5]

Cold Steel is credited with popularizing the American tantō in 1980.[6][7] Cold Steel marketed knives made in the U.S. by Camillus using a carbon steel given the trademarked name "Carbon V" (read "carbon five"). Their imported knives were nearly all made in Seki, Japan, using AUS-8 which Cold Steel labelled "400 Series Stainless". They also had two models made in Taiwan, both of which switched to Japan in 2000. In 2007 Camillus New York went bankrupt and Cold Steel was forced to find a new manufacturer for their carbon-steel fixed blades. Cold Steel first went to China (People's Republic of China), but allegedly due to quality issues switched to Taiwan for production. At the same time Cold Steel moved all folding-knife manufacturing from Seki Japan to Taiwan. The carbon steel was SK5 and stainless was AUS-8A & 10A both imported to Taiwan from Japan. However the Sanmai III models remained strictly Seki production. The largest Sanmai III fixed blades are made by Hattori.

Seki City production knives are made using VG1 stainless steel and VG1 core Sanmai III. Current and past models have used: German 4116 stainless steel, D2, 1055 high carbon steel, O-1 high carbon, SK-5 carbon steel, AUS 8A & 10A, CTS XHP, CPM S35VN, and CPM 3V tool steel.

Cold Steel's folding knives are renowned for their lock strength, due to the TRI-AD Lock, designed by custom knifemaker Andrew Demko.[8]

Cold Steel Hold Out lll
Cold Steel Ti-Lite
Cold Steel Kubu
Cold Steel Kobun

Cold Steel's swords are primarily made from 1055 high-carbon steel and Damascus steel.[9]

Many of Cold Steel's products are designed by company President Lynn C Thompson and based upon traditional knife designs from all over the world, but Cold Steel has also collaborated with custom knifemakers such as Andrew Demko, Phil Boguszewski, Zach Whitson, Steven Likarich, Keith Dehart, Rich McDonald, Bob Koga, Fred Perrin and Lloyd Pendleton on certain designs.[10]

  • Cold Steel Trailmaster
    Cold Steel Trailmaster
  • Cold Steel Tanto design knife with Black Hills Ammunition Company cartouche. Carbon steel with high chromium content +vanadium. Blade Length: 7+1⁄2"; Length overall: 12+3⁄4"; Steel: U.S. CPM 3-V High Carbon; Weight: 13 oz; Blade Thickness: 0.2"; Handle: 4+3⁄4" long G-10 Sheath: Secure-Ex®
    Cold Steel Tanto design knife with Black Hills Ammunition Company cartouche. Carbon steel with high chromium content +vanadium. Blade Length: 7+1⁄2"; Length overall: 12+3⁄4"; Steel: U.S. CPM 3-V High Carbon; Weight: 13 oz; Blade Thickness: 0.2"; Handle: 4+3⁄4" long G-10 Sheath: Secure-Ex®
  • Cold Steel "Lucky" Gentleman's pen knife made in Italy of S35VN Steel, with 2+5⁄8" blades.
    Cold Steel "Lucky" Gentleman's pen knife made in Italy of S35VN Steel, with 2+5⁄8" blades.

Marketing

Cold Steel is known for their graphic marketing videos and DVDs (entitled "PROOF") which demonstrate their products' strength, sharpness, edge retention and durability. Featured tests include piercing car hoods, using folding knives as monkey bars, slicing through large free-hanging pieces of meat and animal carcass, stabbing/slashing ballistic gel mannequins, and cutting tatami rolls and free-hanging polyester rope with a single stroke.[11]

In the media

Cold Steel's products feature heavily in movies, TV shows, games and web series. Their knives have seen prominent use in numerous action movies since the early 1980s.[12]

Many of Cold Steel's employees are martial artists and weapons experts, who feature in their infamous marketing videos. Some of the members of their "crew" are also Hollywood stunt men, fight choreographers and trainers, most notably Ron Balicki, Luke LaFontaine and Anthony De Longis.[11]

Thompson also writes regular articles regarding the use of knives for self-defense.[11]

Special Projects division

Special Projects was a division of Cold Steel Inc. that sold a line of tools and weapons such as Spetsnaz-type shovels, sjamboks, and spears. The Special Projects division was closed and many of its products discontinued after Cold Steel's acquisition by GSM Outdoors; those remaining were absorbed into the main Cold Steel brand.[1]

Additionally, a line of tomahawks, axes, and hammers was marketed under the name of The American Tomahawk Company.[13][14]

References

  1. ^ a b "New Cold Steel Owners GSM Outdoors Talk Acquisition, Future". Knife News. December 23, 2020. Retrieved July 1, 2022.
  2. ^ "FAQ".
  3. ^ SURVIVAL: Techniques From The Official Training Manuals Of The World's Elite Military Corps, Editor: Len Cacutt. Aerospace Publishing Ltd 1988. Chapter Six The Inner Soldier, Choosing Your Survival Knife, p. 176, ISBN 9780715392829
  4. ^ Ahern, Jerry (September 15, 2010). Armed for Personal Defense. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. pp. 87–88. ISBN 1-4402-1643-6.[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ Lewis, Jack; Campbell, Robert K.; Steele, David (2007). "From Bayonet to Multi-Tool". The Gun Digest Book of Assault Weapons. Iola, Wisconsin: Gun Digest Books. pp. 221–223. ISBN 0-89689-498-3.[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ Kertzman, Joe (2001). 2002 Sporting Knives. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-87349-266-9.
  7. ^ Kertzman, Joe (2002). 2003 Sporting Knives. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 29. ISBN 978-0-87349-430-4.
  8. ^ Kertzman, Joe (2012). Knives 2013: The World's Greatest Knife Book. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 553. ISBN 1-4402-3064-1.
  9. ^ Shackleford, Steve (2010). Spirit Of The Sword: A Celebration of Artistry and Craftsmanship. Iola, Wisconsin: F&W Media. p. 99. ISBN 1-4402-1638-X.[permanent dead link‍]
  10. ^ Winter, Butch (2003). "Collaborations with Custom Knifemakers". Sporting Knives 2003: 154–161. ISBN 0-87349-430-X.
  11. ^ a b c Barlow, Zeke (2008). "Flamboyant businessman deals in Cold Steel". Ventura County Star.
  12. ^ "Cold Steel in film". Retrieved October 9, 2020.
  13. ^ Suermondt, Jan (2004). Illustrated Guide to Knives. Grange Books. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-84013-694-4.
  14. ^ Branton, Bobby (2010). "Throwing Knives". In Steve Shackleford (ed.). Blade's Guide to Knives & Their Values. Iola, Wisconsin: Krause Publications. p. 558. ISBN 1-4402-1505-7.[permanent dead link‍]
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