COLD STEEL Recon 1 4" S35VN Razor-Sharp Blade 5.375" G-10 Handle Tactical Folding Knife w/Tri-Ad Lock, Ambidextrous Pocket/Belt Clip

I just received this knife today, so I can’t speak to its longevity or how well it holds an edge. But I can say this: this is the first knife that has wowed me right out of the box. I literally said the word “WOW!” when testing its sharpness just now. For the last 15 years, I’ve been using an Emerson Commander and a number of Spyderco knives. This is my first time trying something new outside of that realm. Compared to these other knives, it’s definitely a lot bulkier in the pocket — so if your pocket space is limited, be aware that the fit may not be optimal. The G-10 handle is very solid, and the grip is designed more ergonomically than any of my previous knives. My fingers feel well-protected and there’s not a chance this thing is coming out of my hands in a fight. It locks open *very* firmly — much more so than any knife I’ve used to date. It’s a bit hard to close, but I’ve been opening and closing it repeatedly and it does seem to be easing up, so I think it just needs a couple hundred closes to break it in. The same is probably true or the pocket clip, which feels a bit excessively tight. Not sure if I’ll be leaving it on or not. Aesthetically, this thing is both gorgeous and intimidating. Maybe not the best thing to pull out on a work site for utility use, but will definitely intimidate someone in a defense situation. Overall, this thing feels like a workhorse and I get the impression it’s worth double what I paid for it. I can see why it has a reputation as one of the best defensive folding knives for EDC.

Incredible durability with the Triad lock this is one of the best hard use folders that's on the market period Regardless of cost. The Recon one is just a beast of a hard use folder the grip has excellent thickness so you're going to really be able to put in a lot of force on it without without it being uncomfortable the knife looks incredible it's a very Sleek design yet very comfortable in hand. The blade shape is beautiful for EDC type task as well as harder use type task say during camping or whatever the geometry of this blade is excellent it is a super slicy blade yet very stout. The grind does a really good job of leaving a lot of material for a nice tough blade allowing the knife to have reasonable cutting performance due to a nice geometry i'm not a fan of S35VN Steel in most cases there's only two companies out there that do it really good one is Cold Steel the next is Spyderco those are the only two companies that I will buy that specific steel from because they do a pretty good job on it and you actually get a pretty decent performing Steel. The Recon one is one of those knives that is a classic for a reason because it's built like a tank it's comfortable in hand it'll take whatever you throw at it and it just makes for an all-around good cutting tool. I still wished they made these in CTS XHP steel as it was significantly better but sadly that's not the case anymore.

A great knife with a great blade steel. This is the 3rd one I have bought. The S35vn is a great blade steel. The Tri Ad lock on these Cold Steel knives as the strongest in the industry. I have a bunch of different Cold Steel knives with the Tri Ad lock.

I know I'm late to the party but I have become a fan of the Recon 1 series knives. I own the 4" clip point version, and now the 4" spear point as well. I use my folding knives for cutting, slicing, and piercing. I don't use them for batoning, hammering, prying, or chiseling. There isn't much I can add as far as positive feedback that hasn't already been said. Here are a few of my likes and observations for your perusal... The knife is large yet slim and lightweight. With the deep pocket clip it rides deep, and comfortably, in the pocket. It also comes with a second pocket clip giving you the option of left or right hand pocket carry. It is a well built knife with good attention to detail. The S35V steel is awesome and on this knife it is super sharp out of the box. The blade grind is balanced and even along the length of the blade. The blade opens and closes smoothly and improves more with use. It has bronze washers at the blade pivot which I really like for long term durability. The blade closes dead center with a solid detent but watch out, when this blade reaches about 45° from fully closed it snaps shut fairly aggressively. With the Tri-Ad locking system the blade locks open securely and with an authoritative "Snap" as the blade lock engages. The Tri-Ad lock requires a firm thumb press to disengage, but is not unreasonable unless you have a condition that affects your finger strength. I have read other reviews talking about overly hard to operate blade lock releases. I haven't experienced that with any of my Cold Steel knives, not to date anyway. For me personally, the pressure required to disengage is perfect and I would not want it any softer for reasons of blade security and stability when used under extreme, or hard grip conditions. I don't want a blade, especially one this size, closing unexpectedly while in use. The Tri-Ad lock can feel a little gritty or sticky when new but becomes noticeably smoother over time with usage. In my own experience it doesn't really become lighter, softer, or neccesarily easier to operate. I have read reviews where people have left the blade half open for extended periods (up to a week in one case) to soften the Tri-Ad lock but I haven't tried it. The G-10 handle scales are linerless, lightweight, strong, and have just enough texture to enable a firm grip without acting like a cheese grater on your hands or pockets. The finger grooves are smooth, contoured nicely, and comfortable. I have large hands (size L glove) and this knife fits them like it was custom made for me. Like all Cold Steel knives the pocket clip is extremely tight and grips like the jaws of a saltwater croc. You will most likely need to adjust it to keep it from shredding the edges of your jeans pocket. All told this is a great large size folder. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the coated (DLC) blade. My reason is purely long term aesthetics. As coated blades wear and scratch with usage it takes away from the visual appeal of the knife far more then an uncoated blade. This coating is more of an anodized like finish and not an epoxy, paint, or powder coat. This is a tactical knife and I purchased it knowing and accepting that fact, but if they made the Recon 1 Series available with an optional uncoated S35V blade I would purchase all of the models, and more than one... I like it that much!

Immortal

Sehr gutes Messer, bin total zufrieden. Liegt super in der Hand, ist richtig scharf und macht einen robusten Eindruck. Genau das, was ich gesucht habe.

wie die anderen Cold Steel auch ein tolles und sehr scharfes Messer

Excelente

Esta version de gsm habla por si sola, mas de 10 años usando cold steel y nunca habia tenido problemas hasta hoy