Jun
I have something to admit – I don’t own any drop forged knives.
Not a single one.
I’m a tang kind of guy – well at least I always used to be.
Then I got my hands on these fantastic drop forged knives from Cold Steel and I’ve seen the light. Here’s why I think you might just love drop forged knives as well.
What Is Drop Forging?
A drop forged knife is basically ‘stamped’ from a single piece of heated metal using a ‘die’. A ‘hammer’ is dropped onto the metal from above and this then presses the metal into the desired shape.
Drop forging is used in many industries to produce strong and durable items which are both accurate and repeatable. It’s ideal for making identical products with little wastage.
Generally, a drop forged item will be stronger than one that has been cast or machined as the ‘grain’ of the metal is stretched and aligned, adding overall strength.
In knife making, this provides a very stiff knife which is less flexible and keeps an edge for longer.
Being a single piece with no additional parts also makes them stronger overall as the handle is not added separately, so there is nothing to break, crack, rot or come loose over time.
Cold Steel Drop Forged Bowie
I love this knife. It has a slight curve to the handle which gives it that ‘Count Dooku’s light sabre’ look, which I find really appealing. It is also very comfortable to hold.
The blade itself isn’t huge, measuring in at 6.75″ long but it’s a hefty 5mm thick. It’s made from 52100 high carbon steel that has been powder coated for an attractive ‘gold’ look.
In the hand, the continuous curve from the handle makes for a very comfortable hold and it doesn’t feel in any way unwieldy. The way your thumb just fits nicely against the guard feels very natural and gives confidence that this would be a great knife to use for a variety of tasks from battoning to fine cuts and slices.
The powder coated, razor sharp clip point blade has a very fine tip making it ideal for close up work.
The Cold Steel drop forged bowie comes complete with a really nice ‘Secure-Ex’ sheath.
The sheath locks the knife in place wonderfully – there is a solid and satisfying clunk as the blade slides securely into place. The handle is then secured by a press studded loop. The generous belt loop has velcro and a press stud for added safety.
The sheath feels super safe and sturdy and adds a massive amount of extra value to an overall package that already feels like it’s excellent value for money – at only £49.50 this really is an amazing knife.
A fantastic all rounder that I would definitely recommend. I would absolutely have one of these in my collection – it’s both big enough to tackle tough jobs but easy enough to handle for things that are a bit more fiddly.
Bear in mind it’s a discontinued model so grab one while you can!
Cold Steel Drop Forged Survivalist
This is another knife from the Cold Steel Drop Forged range. It’s made from the same high carbon 52100 powder coated steel as the bowie and maintains the same razor sharp edge.
It’s also a clip point blade, but this knife is a bit larger than the bowie, with a chunky but not unmanageable 8″ blade.
Even though it’s a decent sized blade it doesn’t feel overly large at all. Like the bowie, it’s a one piece knife with a 5mm thick clip point blade.
Again, this is another Cold Steel knife that feels strong enough to tackle just about anything. It also comes complete with the super tough, well featured Secure-Ex sheath to give that extra confidence.
This is another great knife that seems like the price is too good to be true – at only £69.00 this offers truly amazing value.
Having had a chance to spend time with these drop forged knives, I have to say that I’m definitely a convert.
They feel so comfortable to hold and are so sturdy, I’d happily add either of these beauties to my collection.
The sheathes are really impressive too, and this only adds to the feeling that these knives feel like much more expensive pieces than they really are.
I’m certainly impressed, and I think you will be too.
