Cold Steel Recon 1 Specifications: Blade Length: 4"
Blade Thickness: 3.5 mm
Overall Length: 9 3/8"
Steel: Japanese Aus 8A Stainless w/ Black Tuff-Ex Finish
Weight: 5.3 oz
Handle: 5 3/8" Long G-10
Pocket Clip: Stainless Pocket / Belt Clip
Today I am reviewing the Cold Steel full size Recon 1 spear-point knife. This is my first Cold Steel knife and after using it the last two weeks I must say I am impressed with their quality, durability and value. At over 9" inches overall length, this knife is big. I will just get that out of the way right away. It may not be the 'best' EDC knife but that's all personal opinion. I carried this knife every day for about two weeks without and problems. If the full-size version is to big don't worry, Cold Steel also makes this knife in two smaller sizes, a Mini and Micro which may fit your EDC system better. Anyhow, onto the review...
Starting with the business end, the Cold Steel Recon 1 has a 4" long by 3.5MM thick AUS 8A stainless steel spear-point blade. Out of the box this knife was SHARP! Probably one the sharpest out of the box knife I've reviewed thus far. AUS 8A stainless steel may not hold a edge as long as other superior steels, but the nice thing about AUS 8A is it's fairly easy to service and it takes a razor edge. It also has a good resistance against rust.
After two weeks of cutting and chopping stuff like tree branches, cardboard boxes, rope, and all sorts of misc stuff. This knife still has a sharp edge, perfect blade centering, and lock up on the knife is rock solid! It has absolutely no side/side, up/down or in/out wiggle. This is attributed to Cold Steels TRI-AD Locking system. The Recon 1 has a reversible thumb stud for right and left hand deployment. The Recon 1 uses bronze phosphor washers so deploying this blade is easy, smooth and fast!
One of the best features of the knife is the handle. It’s made out of G-10 with no steel liners. It uses a 6061 aluminum backspacer. The shape fits my hand perfectly, and the texture is outstanding. It has a rough texture for good gripping when cutting in wet conditions, but not rough to the point where it tears up your pocket. Another thing I like about the handle on this knife is there is some jimping. While it's not the best - it's better than nothing. I think if they would have incorporated the jimping into the lock bar to make a full transition from side to side it would be 10x better. Another thing, OD Green and Coyote Tan handle versions would be awesome!
The pocket clip is strong and the knife rides fairly deep in the pocket for being a big knife. This is a left or right TIP UP only knife. I've read of some people saying it was an issue pulling the knife out of their pocket do to the texture of the G10 and the clip being so tight. They said they removed the pocket clip and sanded down the area of the G10 where the pocket clip contacts the handle for easier deployment. I didn't have to do this. It goes in and out of the pocket easy for me.
Things I Like:
Blade: One of the sharpest out of the box knives I've ever got. Holds a edge, easy servicing and gets razor sharp!
Handle: G10 handles with a good texture for a firm non-slip grasp. Not to mention there are no steel liners on this knife. Don't worry though, it's still a heavy-duty beast of a knife!
Pocket Clip: Sits this huge knife perfectly in the pocket. No moving around and going in and out of pocket is easy.
Value: I feel for the price this is a great knife for someone who does heavy duty cutting task.
Things I Dislike:
Jimping: Just my personal opinion. But I would have liked to seen it transitioned over onto the lock bar.
Colors: OD Green and Coyote Tan handle versions. Again my personal opinion.
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Thanks,
- Scott
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