Cold Steel Recon 1

Reviewed 08/21/2014 by Ron

-Price Paid: $47.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

My Recon 1 is the spear point 50/50 blade. The handle feels great in the hand especially considering how thin the knife is for a larger folder. I purchased this strictly as a hiking/outdoor knife and it stays stored in my hiking pack between trips so I have no EDC experience with it. The type of serrations on this knife are of a type that still allow the knife to perform well as a woodland knife yet provide all the cutting power that a half serrated blade provides. The AUS8 steel blade (a steel I have had great luck with over the years) holds an edge fairly well, not like the S30V on my ZT 0300 but holds a decent edge none the less and is quite rust resistant. I have been on two 5 day hiking trips with this knife cutting cordage,carving wooden utensils, cleaning fish and after 5 days of heavy use the blade would still shave hair, not like on day one but still very sharp. I have large hands and use gloves when doing woodland chores so a large folder works well for me and the grip on this knife is one of the most comfortable I have used in 40 years of outdoor experience. This knife falls into the high value category. An excellent knife at a very fair price. If you want the quality of a Zero Tolerance or a Benchmade buy a ZT or a Benchmade but for 1/5 the price the Cold Steel Recon 1 is a great value.

Reviewed 06/03/2014 by Tezeno

-Price Paid: $50.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

Best knife I've ever owned for EDC!

Reviewed 04/25/2014 by Mike G.

-Price Paid: $40.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

Oh dear, sweet baby Jesus.. I love this knife. This thing is so solid and ready for abuse that it's satisfying just holding it like I'm about to go into battle in the Scottish Highlands. The TriAD lock clicks into the open locked position with such an authoritative "Thwack!" that I still grin every time I open it. Unless you're a steel snob, the AUS-8 is great. With a little touch up once in a while I can keep it so sharp that Disney called me to borrow it in the next Star Wars movie as a stand in for Luke Skywalkers lightsaber. I feel like they had to put a black coating on the blade to cover up the fact that it glows with unbridled power when I turn the lights off, and it says mean things to my cat when I'm not around. Even the G-10 handle's stubby texture is aggressive and has a certain no-nonsense demeanor.. it's like having Jason Statham in your pocket. I sit around a flip this knife open when I'm watching tv, or washing dishes, or using the men's room. Sometimes I turn all the lights out and sit in the middle of my living room floor Indian-style and flip it open while I laugh loudly enough for my neighbors to hear. Best 40 bucks I ever spent. My only criticism at this point is actually directed toward my wife, the knife is perfect.

---

Reviewed 11/23/2013 by Aaron

-Price Paid: $60.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

The Cold Steel Recon 1 is the STRONGEST POCKET KNIFE I have used and reviewed to date. The handle is very ergonomic for such a big pocket knife and is nice and slim in your pocket. The TRIAD lockback design is so strong and has fast deployment. The only thing is that although the AUS-8A is a good steel, for $60 I can get a VG-10 Spyderco Endura which is a much better steel, although the Endura would break under the use I did in my video testing of the Recon 1. Overall for light EDC use there are better quality steel knives out there for the price, but if you want a hard use indestructible pocket knife the Recon 1 is KING!

Reviewed 12/20/2012 by agile_1

-Price Paid: $63.00
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

I have been casually collecting knives and the Cold Steel Recon 1 caught my eye recently. Amazon had it for $63 so I picked up the plain spear point.

PROS: Overall it's a decent knife. Large. Functional. Sturdy. Light (5.3 oz) for its size. Very thin - about .5". I really like the 4" AUS 8A blade. The finger grooves in the G10 fiberglass laminate handle lets you get a great grip. The lock back seems secure and strong but I need both hands to close the knife.

CONS: Thumb ramp is shallow. Thumbs stud is nearly useless for opening. I find it much simpler to just pull the blade out. (I have been spoiled by assisted openers.) But the thumb stud looks to be removable so I may do that just make it that much lighter. The handle is just not all that comfortable (using the ZT0200 as a reference). Very flat sides on a thin knife make for tough ergo's.

The price seems to be a little on the high side for what this knife is. I'd say $40 - 45 would have been more reasonable.

Reviewed 05/07/2012 by houseview

-Price Paid: $60.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

one if my many cold steel knifes which all great quality that I abuse on the farm regular basis. For the price it can't be beat and better then more expensive knifes. Never had a problem with a bait and switch.

Reviewed 09/25/2011 by 2Sharp

-Price Paid: $65.00
-Used for Outdoor/Survival
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

The Cold Steel Recon 1 I have was purchased several years ago and the blade is made out of Japanese AUS-8A. I paid $65 for it at a Sportsmen's Warehouse sale. It's performed well for me and I haven't had a problem with it! The Teflon coating is nicked up a bit, but all in all it's holding up? I have the spearpoint model which has been discontinued and is not available in the most recent models. It's a shame that they changed from Carbon V or AUS-8A and opted for 440A which is inferior to both Carbon V and AUS-8A as far as knife blades are concerned? I guess the company went for cheaper instead of quality? My Recon 1 has been used pretty heavily, more so when I have went camping, hunting and/or fishing! I have batoned firewood with it as well as gutted fish and deer with it as well and it has kept it's sharp edge and hasn't chipped or been nicked, even when I cut into the bones! The Ultralock mechanism on this model makes it a virtual fixed blade and it prevents the blade from closing on your fingers while you're cutting. The only thing I would mention offhand is that I wish they had added a thumb ramp to the Recon 1, though they may have done that on the newer models. The knife as a whole is a large folder but is still not hard to carry as it has a steel pocket clip, can be switched to either the right or left side carry. The ergonomics are excellent and the G10 handle material and stippling provides excellent purchase even when your hands are slippery due to liquids like blood or oil! The knife opens real smoothly and the lockup is solid with out any play. In closing, I don't know about the newest models with the 440A blades and new TriAd lock, but if you have access to one of the older models with the Carbon V blade or the AUS-8A blade for a decent price, then you will get a good quality knife which should last a long, long time!

Reviewed 07/25/2010 by wayne

-Price Paid: $70.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

Recon 1

You do not know what you are getting with this knife and many of the CS knives.

I bought a Recon 1 several years ago, it had Carbon V steel and was a good knife.

I sold it and later decided I wanted another knife.

They are no longer made in Carbon V, but switched to AUS-8 steel, then switched to 440A steel (bait & switch)

The knife went from a "decent" slicer to a substandard knife, however, the name stayed the same and the price stayed the same, but quality hit bottom.

Cold Steel "used to" be my "go to" knife company, however, seems most, if not ALL their knives are "Bait & Switch" knives, meaning, they hit the market with good steel, advertised with good steel, then, without notice, the steel as well as many other options are removed and you are led to believe you are buying the knife "you heard about", whether advertisment or forums and wind up with a new "Junker Knife".

I no longer trust CS as you do not know what you will be getting from day to day.

If you can get an early Carbon V version, they are good, but stay away from all the newer Cheap Versions.

---

---

---

Reviewed 03/02/2010 by Danny

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Other
-Owned for Less than 1 Month

Comments:

Now, I have never owned this knife. However I was playing around with it in the store, about to buy it when...........The lock mechanism fails and the blade is stuck in the open position. Needless to say I never bought the knife, and got a benchmade instead. Cold steel has one of the worst warranty's in the market for their folders. Now, with the near chato-strophic locking mechanism failure aside, and the terrible warranty, I kind of liked the knife from just playing with it. So, if your comfortable with that fact that this knife failed with me, in a store a few years ago than by all means go ahead and get it, it looks like a good knife. But I would read other reviews first and see how it compares to benchmades.

---

Reviewed 12/08/2009 by Darin

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Light Duty/General
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

I have had a tanto point for over two years now. It was my EDC for a year or so. It is a bit big but it is solid. The lock is strong and I have even batoned with it. Good knife if you are not worried about size.

Reviewed 09/25/2009 by Brent

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

this knife is really great for anyone looking for an all purpose folder. i have the spear point with half serrated blade. if i could go back i would have gotten the tanto with half serrated blade, but i am happy with the spear. the knife has a unique locking mechanism and is one of my favorite parts of the knife. it makes opening and closing the blade very fast and smooth. the lock itself is very sturdy and will not close the blade unless you want it to. the handle is g-10 which i really like because it will not slip out of your hand even if the knife is wet. i use this knife a lot and the only wear is under where the clip hits when you take it out of your pocket, and the black paint on the blade is coming off in places. not a big deal in either case. one flaw i can think of is if you use this as a survival knife, the blade is painted over black, so if you want to use it with flint you would have to use the blade side. only a minor drawback. i do however like the black blade because it makes for a less reflective surface area if youre trying to be stealthy. here are the specs of the knife.

Weight: 5.6 oz.
Blade Thick: 9/64" (3.5mm)
Blade Length: 4"
Handle: 5 1/3" long. G-10
Steel: AUS 8A Stainless
Overall Length: 9 1/3" Black Teflon Finish
Sheath: Ultra Lock with Ambidextrous Stainless Pocket Clip