I had given this knife 4 stars but decided, despite them raising the price, it is STILL worth it. After using now for a while, I am so impressed by its utility, I just had to change it. Its everything I was looking for. For one, it has a nice clip which allows it to fasten to sweat pants which, sadly, they don't usually make with belt loops, thus making the wearing of other knives, impractical. Also this knife has a thin profile, with its flattish, but very tough handle. Its the perfect length. And BEST of all, it has a SERRATED blade!! This makes the knife into a tool that is actually, useful! I have plent of smooth blade knives, razor sharp, but they don't cut through a lot of things (like thick cardboard), things I encounter each day, things I have to settle on using a steak knife on because fancy knives don't work, are all show and thus, hardly ever get used. So this knife is great with its size, functionality, and wonderful, serrated blade! Clips right on my sweat pants so its always handy. The shape of the blade is exquisite with its beautiful tanto tip and one can be fairly certain that this knife, being made in Taiwan by Cold Steel, has been made well, with good steel. Lots of knives, like on that auction site, look good but are made with poor quality metal and don't hold up. So why had I given it 4 stars? I bought this last week here on Amazon for $33. Now its $40. This saddens me as companies keep using the times to inch their prices up and up and up. They probably make these for five bucks each so raising the price...again seems a bit predatory, at the very customers who keep the company going. So that is why 4 stars. But for such quality its still worth it. One little nitpick is that, if using the clip, it only goes on left handed, unless one takes the clip apart, flips it and then reattaches. But if you just use it on a belt, its right handed. I got it for the clip. Read more
The beauty of a great blade can be lost in the functionality and details of the interface with the hand. Not so with this drastically sharp and fierce cutting tool. While the handle is somewhat slim and flat in profile, there's a specific tactical reason for this: it is designed to be a boot-knife. Handle grip is tenacious in the hand and with a tanto point, the blade easily performs piercing tasks with maximum ease of entry. As for the cutting edge, it is reminiscent of a fine-toothed pro-quality Silky pruning saw with some key differences: the Kobun serrations are more suited to slicing knife-duties with the alternating close serration (24 tpi) sections and longer (4mm) sickle shaped sharpened valleys. The blade also has an overall belly which can multiply leverage when applying force with the edge. While this knife can serve nearly any cutting purpose, it does it at a relatively inexpensive price point and with a Japanese style worthy of its name. Read more
Need a knife to cut rope or strapping? This is it. I Use it on the kayak specifically just for emergencies. The serrations on this knife are vicious. Ever try to cut a slippery soaked piece of rope with a standard blade? Getting it to bite can be a chore. The serrations bite into the material and the sharpness makes quick work. However, once dull, sharpening this serrated blade is a huge pain and not very practical. Thus it's saved as a rescue survival knife. The Cold Steel Outdoorsman Lite makes a great primary fishing blade. Read more
This is my first Cold Steel knife and won’t be my last. Shaving sharp out of the box! Fantastic finish on the blade and the handle is nice and grippy. Will be awesome for a defense blade. Read more
This is a well crafted knife, however, the handle is too small for most man sized hands. It could and should be much fatter to fit larger, man sized hands for stability and useability. The knife blade is also well crafted, however, it could be a bit longer for slicing. Other than these observations when using, it's a great "little" knife. Read more
Awesomely sharp. Can't go wrong for the price. Great grip and stronger then you'd think. Highly recommended! Read more
Cold Steel is one of my favorite knife makers. And the Kobun is my favorite sheath knife. So when it was released in a serrated blade, I was ecstatic. As I stated it is practically perfect in every way. Long enough, but not too long. Heavy enough, but not too heavy. Strong without compromise. In response to the three star reviewer, this is an "everyday carry" sheath knife, not a survival knife. I have a survival knife from Cold Steel already. (It's called the Recon Tanto, and I highly recommend it, if that's what you're looking for.) This Kobun is light and unobtrusive. You can carry it all day and forget you have it with you, until you need it. (You never know when you may run into a situation needing a knife larger than a standard folder, or an emergency cheesecake.) Five Stars to Cold Steel for this design and production. I cannot say enough how good this knife is for daily carrying. Read more
Got my knife 2 days ago. Came neatly packaged, really sharp, and the sheath had amazing retention. The sheath doesn’t let the knife come out unless you want it to. For $45, this knife has amazing value. Grip is a little short, but it’s fine, comfortable in hand. I also think it looks awesome. Overall very happy with it ESPECIALLY for only $45. Great deal. Great knife so far. Read more
