Cold Steel Recon Tanto 7"

Cold Steel was founded by Lynn Thompson in 1980. During the 40 years he was owner and CEO he worked hard to provide knives that were innovative, as economical as possible and TOUGH. He and his crew used to produce CDs that showed them doing crazy testing to demonstrate how durable his products were. Cold Steel is responsible for many "firsts" like the tanto blade we are all familiar with now. My favorite thing about Cold Steel when I first found out about them was they told you what alloy they used in the knife and their catalogs, and later their website told you all about the alloys they used. As an alloy expert and fan this was so fun compared to the other knife makers. Back then, and still to this day, most manufacturers only use one, or a few different alloys exclusively. Sorry about the history lesson! I'm just such a Cold Steel fan. Over 30% of my collection of hundreds of knives are Cold Steel. This review is for the Cold Steel Recon Tanto with the SK-5 blade. Just FYI this knife is available in VG-10 San Mai as well but it will cost you about three times as much. As is typical with Cold Steel the fit and finish were flawless. All measurements met the specs as listed on the Cold Steel website. As usual all measurements were made with Starrett micrometers and calipers. The Kray-Ex handle is one of my very favorites. It's thick and blocky and would be easy to hold to anyway but the grip pattern and the rubbery texture is grip defined, even if you're greasy, or covered in mud. Add to this a nice big finger guard. Cold Steel uses a grip like this on many of their knives which is just dandy in my opinion. Although this knife is available in the outstanding VG-10 San Mai but you won't need that, SK-5 is outstanding as well. SK-5 is extremely hard and tough and the best non stainless knife steel I've ever used or tested. SK-5 is a Japanese alloy able to reach 65 HRC in hardness and still remain tough. The knife arrived razor sharp and required no sharpening prior to testing. I use proprietary test equipment to test blades for edge retention and toughness. Sacrificial materials are man made so testing will be exactly the same every time. As mentioned SK-5 is the best non stainless I have encountered. No noticeable dulling occured and there was no chipping or edge rolling. The Tuff-Ex coating is extremely durable and so no damage was caused to it or the tip while stabbing food cans. Hardness tested at 64 HRC. Only Magnacut alloy holds up as well to my edge retention and toughness testing. About the Tuff-Ex coating...this is a very tough coating and during my research I wasn't able to find out exactly its composition. It can be chipped and can be removed with powerful paint remover so it's not indestructible like Cerakote but I've had this and other Cold Steel knives for years and haven't worn through or chipped the Tuff-Ex myself. The Secure-Ex sheath does its job well. I've had this knife for over two years and the sheath still holds the knife tightly. Maybe I'm odd, but my favorite pack has MOLLE on the shoulder straps and I've built a rig that allows me to hang sheaths like this upside down on one of the straps. I find this to be much better than hanging a knife from my belt. Cold Steel Tanto blades make outstanding EDCs in my opinion. You could remove a splinter with the point, and you've got a nice belly for general slicing purposes. Of the hundreds of knives in my collection if I had to keep just one for some reason, this knife would be in the top 10 and that's saying something!! Note about carbon steel tools: Rust is your enemy but one easily defeated. If you get your blade wet take a sec to wipe it off. When not in use coat your blade with a fine film of oil or wipe it with Vaseline. If you do get rust on your blade soak it in apple cider vinegar and the rust will dissolve. SK-5 can be darn hard so it's easier to take a few moments to touch up the sharpness on occasion rather than waiting until the blade is dull. So this is a rugged, high performing knife with a truly amazing grip at a very reasonable price! Get one!! Grumpy old guy seal of approval!!

Revisiting some favorites from my childhood and this does not disappoint. Seems as sharp and sturdy as the old carbon V model I had--but admittedly never used that one too hard. It's amazing that these haven't gone up in price in 30 years--and the one I just bought during a sale was probably $20 cheaper than my original. Sheath isn't quite as nice as the original but it's sturdy and totally usable. Highly recommended.

This is my first Cold Steel fixed blade knife, better late than never as I wanted one for two decades, so I had to jump on a good sale which put the price at a fair amount. The blade has been extremely sharp and symmetrical. The handle is a very nice grippy rubber with aggressive bumps, but you can still slide your hand over it. Part of the handle's finger guard is what locks the knife into the sheath, but I think the retention is too much. I have the snap look snapped backwards around the sheath's dangling belt loop to keep it out of the way. The biggest problem with this knife is imbalance, not enough weight in the handle, so I wish there was more tang material for weight. It ships well, with a horrendous amount of silicone grease all over the blade for a coated blade. I never used SK-5 steel before, but in knife testing videos, the Recon Tanto holds up really well to hard use. The blade thickness and length feel very nice, although I think 5" might be better with a little more pointed tip. 5mm thick is also fine, about the minimum I'd expect. The steel composition is rather unremarkable with it's super simple ingredients, so I'm amazed at how much abuse the knife handles in test videos. I'm worried about rust more than anything, but at least Cold Steel seems to have nailed down the heat treatment and geometry. I can't tell if it has a subtle hollow grind or flat grind. I'd call the knife tanto-like more than tanto because the tip looks a little chisel-like compared to real tanto, but I hear the pointier yokote has some advantages. Combine that with a light weight handle, and it feels more like a chopper than a slicer. I was expecting something more of a sengoku battlefield tanto, but it feels like a bushcraft tanto. In that sense, I don't really like the knife as much as I thought I would. There's a ricasso instead of a habaki, and mine is thankfully the shorter 1cm long version. The belly has nice curvature for slicing. The tip heavy imbalance doesn't make it handling it feel enjoyable from what you may imagine a combat knife to feel like, but it can perform survival knife duties. Maybe Cold Steel's SRK would be better. The sheath is okay. It's extra wide to account for Molle slots and cordage holes. The sheath feels pretty good, not as cheap like Schrade. The belt loop might be polyester, not as good as nylon webbing, but I like the hook&loop with snap button closure that lets you take it off a belt without taking off your belt. You can tug the knife out without ruining the plastic card that joins it to the sheath. I'd rather have two metal clips on the sides for pocket carry. It might be too long for IWB. It's a good size for horizontal carry on the low back, but difficult to draw. It's really made for chest carriers and unsheathing with two hands from the belt or backpack. Cold Steel's Kobun has a better sheath for EDC purposes, so I guess I'll have to get one of those next. I'm feeling mixed opinion about the Recon Tanto. I thought I'd fall in love with it, but it's kind of like, meh. Well, it's a great knife that I got for a good price, so I'll still find a place for it to give it purpose.

Awesome price for a quality knife. Came sharp right out the box. Not a huge fan of Tanto blades but i figure get it since the price was right. The handle is some rubber type Of Kraton material. Provides comfort and is somewhat non slip though I think it will give a bit in some fluid. I have not tried it in the woods just yet but I’m positive the finish won’t hold up to even moderate use. Blade is thick enough to withstand baton type use but this is the problem.. people want a knife that can do it all. From skinning a bear to whittling a stick figure and splitting logs. Realistically just carry an ax and a knife. This one will fare well for most task but it’s not a multi tool/battle knife/ survival knife. The blade is strong enough to poke holes through people and slice meat and vegetables. Fairly easy to sharpen it seems. Overall a very good blade from a reputable company. Can’t go wrong with this one for general camp use.

The blade is nice, very durable, you can’t get it super sharp because of how thick the blade is, but it definitely can still get pretty sharp and has a great point on it. Feels good in the hand, theres a little slippage at times if your hands are damp, but it’s not too bad.

I own hundreds of knives from manufacturers a to z. Cold steel gets very gimmicky with some blades, but not with this. This knife is absolute go to for your war rig. This is a fighting knife that belongs one your plate carrier. I've spent years in the infantry and contracting and I would choose this knife over everything else. You don't need a $1,000 knife to save your life or get the job done. There's nothing more fordable or better manufactured than this cold steel. So if you're looking to set up your kit and you're on the fence about what knife to run I highly recommend this. You should mount it on your carrier vertically as close to your dominant side armpit as you can. I have personally seen these knives on the battlefield and they are worth every penny. It's a ridiculous price for so much knife! By 1 you won't be disappointed nor will you regret it. It came Sharp but not as sharp as other ColdSteel products I have bought. It's easy enough to put an edge on it. The sheath is nicely made the knife is easy take it and out. Feels good in hand and won't slip even with sweaty hands for bloody hands. The tanto blade is easy to maneuver and it's an excellent slicer and piercer. It's length allows you to put distance between your adversary and yourself. It's an excellent offensive and defensive blade and it's built like a tank. I don't find the weight to be a problem. There's no knife out of my range and I run this on my rig everyday of the week.

Nice durable knife exceeds my expectations. Would buy it again.

Ok, I bought this as a larger camp knife, knowing full well it was really just an excuse to buy a new toy. But it turns out, it actually makes a pretty decent camp knife. Cold Steel always makes a heck of a knife, and this is no exception. This thing is tough as sin. For about a full year I used it to cut, split, baton, and shave wood. I’ve abused it to no end, and it just keeps going with just an occasional edge touch up. I don’t normally care for injection molded plastic sheaths, but this one works really well. Turn it upside down, shake it, jar it, and the knife still isn’t going anywhere. It just stays put. But with a quick pull, it’ll slide right out when you want it too. The rubber handle is super grippy. I’ve used it in the pouring down rain, sub freezing, super sweaty hands, with and without gloves, and the knife never slips from your hand. And the steel? It’s a freaking pry bar… and I’ve actually used it as one. I suspect it would take a lot of torque to bend or snap this blade. So, it’s not a camp knife, but it’s pretty versatile for being a big ol’ fighting style tanto. And if you’re into tactical knives, I’m sure this thing would have no problem doing whatever you need out of a big knife. It’s quickly become one of my favorites - 5 stars.

Magnifique couteau de combat pour un militaire

Produto de ótima qualidade, resistente e de acabamento impecável.

Die Gürtelschlaufe aus Stoff finde ich unfein, weil's etwas labbrig ist. Persönlich mag ich die festeren Plastikclips lieber. Das Muster am Griff ist sehr agressiv, sorgt für guten Halt aber kann auch bei längerer Verwendung unangenehm werden. Die Scheide ist gut, kaum Spiel, macht die Klinge nicht stumpf und hält die Klinge gut fest. Ist auch stabil und hat eine kleine Öffnung am ende um Wasser ablaufen zu lassen. Nun zur Klinge, der Schliff ist recht symmetrisch, aber nicht perfekt (eine Seite hat einen minimal höheren Winkel als die Andere). Es ist beschichteter Carbonstahl, etwa 57HRC hart und kann extrem scharf werden. Ab Werk braucht es ein wenig, aber man bekommt es schnell rasierscharf, sehr viel einfacher als z.B. 440C. Der Gleichgewichtspunkt ist recht weit vorne weil der Gummigriff kaum Eigengewicht hat, dadurch hackt das Messer echt gut, für feinarbeit ist es aber etwas zu Klingenlastig finde ich. Zudem fast 5mm dick bei 30mm hoch bedeutet, dass es ein ziemlicher Keil is. Gut für Robustheit, schlecht fürs Schnitzen. Die Klinge geht vollkommen durch, da sind nur wenige Millimeter Gummi oben und hinten. Die Beschichtung ist relativ robust, wird sich aber mit der Zeit abtragen. Ich finde es ist ein gutes Messer, aber auf der robusten Seite daher nicht für alle geeignet.

If the sheath didn't scratch up the handle so much it would be an easy 5 stars but I give it a 4.5 but aside from that, this knife is almost perfect, comes extremely sharp and is ready to use. This is the 3rd or 4th Recon Tanto I have bought because when I parted with my other ones, I missed it and so I got my hands on a new one. The sheath is decent, absolutely no tattle of any kind, knife is easy to deploy. This knife has 2 grinds, hollow grind on the main blade and a sabre grind at the yokote going up to the tip, which gives it it's strength. The knife is thick at 5mm and is very strong and durable. I have seen this knife endure all kinds of abuse. Not only is this a good tactical, self defense knife, but it can slice, chop and feather stick very well in bushcrafting and camping tasks. You can literally go hard with this knife and it will take it all and the best about it, it's very cheap so you could always get another one as a back up or to keep in you vehicle or bugout bag. It's one of my favorite, in the top 5, all time favorite knife. This is the original American Tanto, done by Cold steel, the first mass producer of the American Tanto so you're getting the original, it's definitely a legend and an awesome utility tool. I NEVER leave home without my Recon Tanto. And if you doubt the strength of this knife, just watch the Recon Tanto in action on YouTube. Just get one, you definitely will not regret it, I'm thinking of getting another one as a backup to keep in another backpack.

Robusto, filo que afeita, excelente funda. Un cold steel, nada más que decir.