Cold Steel Rubber Training Recon Tanto, Black

We bought the Cold Steel "Rubber Recon Tanto Training Knife" for practicing disarming moves in TaeKwonDo. This is a replica of Cold Steel 13RTK Recon Tanto Knife, having the same overall length but not weight. Here are my observations:Pros:+ Large Size; 11.75" long (7" blade)+ Good Grip; feels good in the hand, which makes it more realistic for "aggressor"+ Solid; this is tough material that will hold up well (but see "Misc", below)Cons:- Not Balanced; much heavier on blade endMisc:* Firm Rubber; this is not very soft or flexible, which makes it great for stand-up fighting but less optimal for ground fighting or take-downs. I would not like to come down on this with it between my ribs and the ground.This is a great training aid that should last a very long time.Highly Recommended!CFH

I will rate this product on the three aspects that left a great impression during my practice drills:1) Extremely sturdy. We put this practice blade to the test and it held up, to include full 5 minute sessions.2) Grip is excellent. I expected the grip pattern to be quite low quality with minimal regard, but to my surprise the grip pattern was very well inlaid and gave a good grip even in heavily perpetrated hands.3) Realistic Reverse Grip/ Forward Grip interchanging. I usually like to start my sessions in Forward Grip then during a live practice run quick swap to a Reverse Grip. This usually can be tricky if you have a cheap blade either from low quality grip handle or uneven balanced blade. I did not have many difficulties swapping grips and found this to be more realistic with a higher quality blade than a generic pocket knife balance.All in all this is a great practice knife for the price. I highly recommend this product to those who are interested in this martial art.

Rugged training tool, very blunt but can still poke well, so no kids without supervision. That said, the edge can be slightly sharpened. Just enough, to make people accept it as a threat during training. Basically to the point of heavy scratches being left on bare skin. If you sharpen, purchase the kevlar arm sleeves sold here to be smart. If using in public, suggest dipping point in orange paint to indicate it isn't real.

this is good practice. its durable and tough plastic that will mimic you being able to use the real steel tanto you have. this is good for practice - it will still maybe hurt someone if you use it on them but more around like a bruise instead of breaking skin. but not actually "RUBBER". but can still hurt if you fool around too much.otherwise its exactly the size but not the weight. its more for training practice than mimicing the real knife 100% but its okay overall

This training knife was very sturdy and durable. I can now use it for airsoft melee

I love cold Steel training knives, and have used them for years. As a Kali/FMA instructor I like to use this particular model for knife training.First of all it is very sturdy. The blade doesn't bend like other training knives. We also use aluminum training knives, as well as wooden tanto knives.This model is ideal for the beginning student as it can feel like a real knife in the hand and it isnt so heavy. Great feel to the textured grip. Ideal for disarm training due to the sturdiness of the blade and holds up very well for everyday use.Overall very pleased with the product. One last thing, I have to commend Amazon for their incredible service! Ordered the knife on a Friday and received it the following Tuesday using Amazon's FREE super saver shipping! Thank you Amazon!Andrew SantosThe Kali Underground

As described by the seller.

This is my favourite of all my trainers.The "rubber" on these cold steel trainers is fairly rigid and strong. If you train hard you'll still get bruises, but it's not as harsh as metal trainers can be (and less dangerous for any surprise pierces). There is a small amount of flex on these if you're putting a lot of pressure on the side, but not enough to cause frustration if you're practicing strips.Of the different cold steel trainers, this one is my favourite because of the minimal hand guard. The hand guards on the others are nice in some contexts, but if you're practicing a lot of disarms they can be pretty brutal to the skin on your hands.This one is also a good size. Smaller than some other knife trainers to make it more realistically like something one might carry, but not so small that it makes training disarms and some abilities difficult.