Cold Steel Ti-lite review

Benner · **on:** July 08, 2009, 08:57:40 PM

I have had the Ti-lite now for a couple of days, so I thought I'd write up my thoughts on it so far.

The Cold Steel Ti-lite has been one of those knives on my radar for a long time know (ever since I got into sharps in fact) but one that has been kept on the back burner for no real reason. Well thanks to a pal of mine I was lucky enough to get one and I am pleased that I did as it was all I was hoping it would be.

The Ti-lite designed by Phil Boguszewski is styled on the old 1950's switchblade and comes in two sizes and a few variations. Currently available from Cold Steel is a 4” version and a 6” version, both available with zytel or aluminium scales. The one I have for review is the 4” zytel version which is 8 3/4” when open (6” is 13” when open). Cold Steel also made another version which came with titanium scales and with a more premium blade steel (VG-1) which was more highly polished. This version was also available in a blue anodized finish. These appear to be discontinued, but are still readily available.

Upon handling the Ti-lite you can feel that it is a very solidly made knife. The 4” version, which weighs in at 3.5oz, that I have feels very good in the hand and with the blade open feels very well balanced. The blade itself is a spear type design and was pretty sharp out of the box. It is made of AUS 8A so will be a good middle of the road steel.

The zytel scales on the knife feel very solid and with the drilled out design and rough surface, offer a nice comfortable grip. Some may find the knife to be quite slim, but as I have relatively small hands I find this as a bonus. The black zytel with the stainless liners and hardware give it a nice appearance, however I can see dirt being easily trapped in the drilled holes meaning that a small cleaning brush may be required every now and then to free this up.

One reason this knife is so popular is due to the various blade deployment options that are available. Incorporated into the design is a thumb stud(see picture A), what is named by cold steel as a “quillion” which is basically a variation to the Emerson wave feature (see picture B) and a flipper (see picture C).

Picture A

Picture B

Picture C

The thumb stud is designed for right handed deployment and works pretty well. Those with larger hands may struggle with this method as to in keep with the switchblade design, the stud is in a bit of a recess and requires you to dig in with your thumb to release it. The quillion feature works extremely well and after some practice and training it can be very quickly deployed. This feature works by hooking the protruding part of the blade on the corner of your pocket when pulling it out, opening the blade as you draw it back. This is great if you intend on carry this knife for self defence purposes. One point to note on this feature however, is that the quillions are quite aggressive and without proper care and attention could rip pockets open very easily. Adjusting the pivot screw as I have has helped this a lot, but it is still something to be aware of.

The flipper feature in my opinion is the least effective method of opening the blade. Although the feature does work, it is difficult to do as there is very little “flipper” in order to use. After some adjustment of the pivot screw (which is a T10 torx) I managed to make this easier, however it is still not the easiest unless quite a bit of wrist flick is used at the same time.

As can be seen in the photo's, the Ti-lite comes fitted with a pocket clip. The clip is nice and strong and if needs be can be easily removed by the owner. In fact the whole knife can be easily stripped and taken apart for cleaning etc. when needed. The clip has a highly polished finish which to some will not be popular due to it's relative visibility in the pocket, but for me it looks good in contrast to the black zytel behind it.

The blade on the Ti-lite is locked open by a liner lock (or “leaf spring lock”) which Cold Steel claim can hold forces of up to 130lbs. The lock up is very tight and due to the rolled edge on the bar, is comfortable to release. I'll be keen to see how this holds up over time.

Overall I am very pleased and impressed with the Ti-lite. It offers that “bad boy” feeling very well and with the zytel version, at a very good price. Anyone who is a fan of Cold Steel folders and fast deploying “tactical” knives will not be disappointed by this product. It would be nice to see bronze washers rather than the nylon that are equipped on the Ti-lite, but for the price point I think it is a very solid, well balanced folder.

ringzero · **Reply #1 on:** July 08, 2009, 09:37:04 PM

Quote from: Benner on July 08, 2009, 08:57:40 PM

I have had the Ti-lite now for a couple of days, so I thought I'd write up my thoughts on it so far.

Great review and pics, Benner.

Now that's a tactical knife!

All the Ti-lites are beautiful knives - a really cool looking design.

I've handled the Ti-lites in a store, but never really came close to buying one. Just didn't seem practical EDC for me - it's really kind of obvious what they were designed for. The 6 inch model is an awesome knife!

.

Benner · **Reply #2 on:** July 08, 2009, 09:39:03 PM

I think this knife is about as tactical as you can get isn't it.

Would love to see a 6" version, I bet it's a beast.

Thanks for the comments.

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #3 on:** July 08, 2009, 09:42:56 PM

Bloody fine review sir, thoroughly enjoyed reading about the ole girl

I do love the way they provide you with pretty much every method of opening out there, on a knife like that it's be useful if you couldn't use your favoured method of deployment

Not to mention the how good the blade to handle length ratio

AHB · **Reply #4 on:** July 08, 2009, 09:50:50 PM

Real good review and great pictures..

ringzero · **Reply #5 on:** July 08, 2009, 09:51:37 PM

Quote from: Benner on July 08, 2009, 09:39:03 PM

Would love to see a 6" version, I bet it's a beast.

It's a beast all right and would be a practical self defense weapon.

But, it's so long that it'd be impractical for most people to EDC. Too long for me to carry even in a back pocket, but it could be carried as a boot knife I guess.

.

Sean · **Reply #6 on:** July 08, 2009, 09:57:04 PM

Thanks for the review and the pic's. I've toyed with buying that one from time to time. The price isn't bad new so maybe...

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #7 on:** July 08, 2009, 09:57:38 PM

Quote from: Sean on July 08, 2009, 09:57:04 PM

Thanks for the review and the pic's. I've toyed with buying that one from time to time. The price isn't bad new so maybe...

They are a cracking knife mate, so you won't regret it

Benner · **Reply #8 on:** July 08, 2009, 09:57:50 PM

Quote from: ringzero on July 08, 2009, 09:51:37 PM

Quote from: Benner on July 08, 2009, 09:39:03 PM
Would love to see a 6" version, I bet it's a beast.

It's a beast all right and would be a practical self defense weapon.

But, it's so long that it'd be impractical for most people to EDC. Too long for me to carry even in a back pocket, but it could be carried as a boot knife I guess.

.

I have a 5" Twistmaster and that is HUGE, let alone a 6" Ti-lite.

The 4" is a great size. Rides well in the pocket and you have plenty of blade and real estate on the handle.

Freudian Frog · **Reply #9 on:** July 08, 2009, 10:21:36 PM

Ver nice pictures and a great review though, though I'mma have to agree Cold Steel makes some ridiculously huge sized folders.

2xTap · **Reply #10 on:** July 08, 2009, 11:16:22 PM

Benner,

Excellent review and great pics.

I agree, they are a good quality folder. I picked up one of the earlier Titanium framed versions a few years back. Before switching to VG-1 these were bladed with AUS-8 as well, and were available in Blue or Gray anodized.............

A neat throwback style done to modern specs.

2xTap

Benner · **Reply #11 on:** July 08, 2009, 11:18:00 PM

That looks gorgeous!

nuphoria · **Reply #12 on:** July 08, 2009, 11:52:17 PM

Nice bit of kit mate, and a splendid review

Can the thumb stud be reversed to accommodate us freakish lefties?

Benner · **Reply #13 on:** July 08, 2009, 11:54:17 PM

Quote from: nuphoria on July 08, 2009, 11:52:17 PM

Nice bit of kit mate, and a splendid review

Can the thumb stud be reversed to accommodate us freakish lefties?

I'm afraid not.

The blade tucks in so that the stud is recessed into the scale. If it was on the other side the liner lock and scale would stop it from closing.

nuphoria · **Reply #14 on:** July 08, 2009, 11:55:31 PM

Gotcha... oh well, the search goes on

Sean · **Reply #15 on:** July 09, 2009, 12:35:25 AM

gosh that blue one!

they really are beauts. I see they have both the aluminum and zytel at our local cutler. The aluminum one is kind of dull looking in the catalogue and is a bit heavier. Anyone have a good pic of their alumi knife they could post?

Benner · **Reply #16 on:** July 09, 2009, 12:43:16 AM

I'd be keen to see some decent pics as well, as like Sean said, they all seem quite bland looking in the pics I've seen.

ringzero · **Reply #17 on:** July 09, 2009, 01:22:56 AM

Quote from: nuphoria on July 08, 2009, 11:55:31 PM

Gotcha... oh well, the search goes on

nuphoria, you might look at the Kershaw, CRKT, and Boker Plus lineups. Many, maybe most, of their knives are fully ambidextrous.

All three also sell flipper knives, which are ambidextrous and easy to open even with thick gloves.

(And of course there's Spyderco, but they don't offer many economically priced knives.)

.

PyroJames · **Reply #18 on:** July 09, 2009, 05:24:43 AM

Great review and pics, Benner! Love 'em or hate 'em, Cold Steel does make some nice knives. I still need to get their large clip-point voyager.

Benner · **Reply #19 on:** July 09, 2009, 11:18:52 AM

Quote from: PyroJames on July 09, 2009, 05:24:43 AM

Great review and pics, Benner! Love 'em or hate 'em, Cold Steel does make some nice knives. I still need to get their large clip-point voyager.

I've got my eye on one of those as well. I have the 3" Tanto version and it is a superb knife.

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #20 on:** July 09, 2009, 04:05:01 PM

Quote from: Benner on July 09, 2009, 11:18:52 AM

Quote from: PyroJames on July 09, 2009, 05:24:43 AM
Great review and pics, Benner! Love 'em or hate 'em, Cold Steel does make some nice knives. I still need to get their large clip-point voyager.

I've got my eye on one of those as well. I have the 3" Tanto version and it is a superb knife.

Benner · **Reply #21 on:** July 09, 2009, 04:06:36 PM

Quote from: Mike, Lord of the Spammers! on July 09, 2009, 04:05:01 PM

Quote from: Benner on July 09, 2009, 11:18:52 AM
Quote from: PyroJames on July 09, 2009, 05:24:43 AM
Great review and pics, Benner! Love 'em or hate 'em, Cold Steel does make some nice knives. I still need to get their large clip-point voyager.

I've got my eye on one of those as well. I have the 3" Tanto version and it is a superb knife.

Maybe you should try holding onto stuff.

Mike, Lord of the Spammers! · **Reply #22 on:** July 09, 2009, 04:07:33 PM

Quote from: Benner on July 09, 2009, 04:06:36 PM

Quote from: Mike, Lord of the Spammers! on July 09, 2009, 04:05:01 PM
Quote from: Benner on July 09, 2009, 11:18:52 AM
Quote from: PyroJames on July 09, 2009, 05:24:43 AM
Great review and pics, Benner! Love 'em or hate 'em, Cold Steel does make some nice knives. I still need to get their large clip-point voyager.

I've got my eye on one of those as well. I have the 3" Tanto version and it is a superb knife.

Maybe you should try holding onto stuff.

How does that work then

Benner · **Reply #23 on:** July 09, 2009, 04:55:57 PM

Quote from: Mike, Lord of the Spammers! on July 09, 2009, 04:07:33 PM

Quote from: Benner on July 09, 2009, 04:06:36 PM
Quote from: Mike, Lord of the Spammers! on July 09, 2009, 04:05:01 PM
Quote from: Benner on July 09, 2009, 11:18:52 AM
Quote from: PyroJames on July 09, 2009, 05:24:43 AM
Great review and pics, Benner! Love 'em or hate 'em, Cold Steel does make some nice knives. I still need to get their large clip-point voyager.

I've got my eye on one of those as well. I have the 3" Tanto version and it is a superb knife.

Maybe you should try holding onto stuff.
How does that work then

Basically, you buy something right and then you don't sell it to me the following month.

Sean · **Reply #24 on:** July 09, 2009, 06:53:09 PM

well I've decided I am going to buy one. I am going to try and get in this weekend and pick one up. Not sure if I will get the aluminum or zytel handle but will look 'em both over.

Benner · **Reply #25 on:** July 09, 2009, 06:54:07 PM

Quote from: Sean on July 09, 2009, 06:53:09 PM

well I've decided I am going to buy one. I am going to try and get in this weekend and pick one up. Not sure if I will get the aluminum or zytel handle but will look 'em both over.

Cool

, I'm sure you'll be pleased with either.