• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

BladeReviews.com

Knife Reviews

Menu
  • Home
  • Reviews by Brand
    • Al Mar Knives
    • Benchmade Knives
    • Boker Knives
    • Buck Knives
    • Cold Steel Knives
    • Chris Reeve Knives
    • CRKT Knives
    • DPx Gear
    • Emerson Knives
    • ESEE Knives
    • Fällkniven Knives
    • Fantoni Knives
    • Gerber Knives
    • Great Eastern Cutlery
    • Hinderer Knives
    • Hogue Knives
    • Ka-Bar Knives
    • Kershaw Knives
    • Kizer Knives
    • LionSteel Knives
    • Mcusta Knives
    • Mora Knives of Sweden
    • Microtech Knives
    • Ontario Knives
    • Opinel Knives
    • Reate Knives
    • Rockstead Knives
    • Schrade Knives
    • Shirogorov Knives
    • Smith & Wesson Knives
    • SOG Knives
    • Spartan Blades
    • Spyderco Knives
    • Steel Will Knives
    • Strider Knives
    • Victorinox Knives
    • Viper Knives
    • Zero Tolerance Knives
    • Close
  • Reviews by Purpose
    • EDC Knife Reviews
    • Tactical Knife Reviews
    • Survival Knife Reviews
    • Hard Use Folding Knives
    • High End Pocket Knives
    • Gentleman’s Folders
    • Rescue Knives
    • Traditional Knives
    • USA Made EDC Knives
    • Close
  • Reviews by Class
    • Folding Knives
    • Fixed Blade Knives
    • Assisted Opening Knives
    • Automatic Knives
    • Machetes
    • Titanium Frame Lock Knives
    • Close
  • Best Of
    • The Best EDC Knives
    • Best Survival Knives
    • Best Tactical Knives
    • Best High Value Knives
    • Close
  • Gear Reviews
    • Flashlight Reviews
    • Multi-Tool Reviews
    • Watch Reviews
    • Knife Sharpener Reviews
    • Close
  • FAQs
    • Knife Care and Maintenance
    • Knife Dictionary
    • Knife Steels
    • Steel Composition
    • Interviews
    • Close
  • Contact
  • About
    • About
    • Privacy
    • Links
    • Close

Cold Steel Ti-Lite Review

by Dan Jackson 18 Comments

This post contains affiliate links. We may get paid an affiliate commission if you buy something or take an action after clicking one of the links on this web page.

Last Updated: July 28, 2019
The Cold Steel Ti-Lite is a knife that I received in a trade. As a collector I find myself often buying and selling knives, and I routinely get it hit up with trade propositions. I must confess, the decision to acquire a Ti-Lite was really a product of impulsiveness rather than a well researched and rationalized decision. All I knew was the general shape of the knife and that it was a fairly popular offering from Cold Steel.

Cold Steel Ti-Lite Review
Buy the Cold Steel Ti-Lite at BladeHQ

No products found.

A few days later the Ti-Lite was in my hands. Again, it’s confession time. The styling of this particular knife was not my cup of tea, and I was turned off by how unfriendly the design was to left handed people like myself. So I stuck the Ti-Lite on a shelf and would revisit it occasionally. It was a great knife for when I needed a little distraction. I’d practice waving it off my pocket and imitating some of the “sweet moves” you often find in Cold Steel’s promotional videos.

So when I first got it I really wasn’t interested in reviewing the knife, but the Ti-Lite has slowly grown on me. It still isn’t a part of my EDC rotation, I don’t think it’s a practical utility knife, and it really isn’t lefty friendly, but the Ti-Lite is a well made purpose-built tactical knife, and I’d still like to spend some time and talk about it.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Ti-Lite comes in 2 blade sizes, the 4″ version shown here and a much larger 6″ version. I happen to have the 4″ version which sports an overall length of 8-3/4″ and weighs 3.6 ounces. This is a long and slim design, and I immediately likened it to a Spyderco Endura. However, a big difference between the Ti-Lite and Endura is that the Endura is a much more versatile design, and can excel at both utility and “tactical” (defensive/offensive) tasks. In my mind the Ti-Lite is much less versatile and really is best suited for stabbing stuff. As we will learn, this Ti-Lite does that job quite well.

The blade on the Ti-Lite is a spearpoint design. The knife is hollow ground, and grind line pretty much goes down the center of the blade and reinforces the very sharp tip. On the spine of the knife you have a long aggressive swedge, and the edge has been neatly applied. There is just a very slight amount of belly here – like I said earlier, I don’t think this would make a particularly good utility knife. A nice satin finish rounds things out. All in all the blade is very well done, and resembles a folding railroad spike.

Cold Steel Ti-Lite Blade

The blade is made from a 3mm thick AUS 8A stainless steel. This is a mid range Japanese stainless steel known for it’s ability to be easily sharpened and take a great edge. It’s common on Cold Steel’s current offerings and I generally don’t mind it, even if it won’t hold an edge as well as higher end steels. Really you aren’t going to do much actual cutting with this thing, mainly you need something tough – AUS8 is tough and reasonably inexpensive. Given the price, the intended use, and the way you would primarily use this knife I think AUS8 was a good choice here.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

My Ti-Lite came with Zytel (reinforced plastic) handle scales over full stainless steel liners. A full Zytel backspacer rounds out the design. There is also a more expensive [easyazon-link asin=”B001DZNST6″]aluminum version[/easyazon-link] that weighs about an ounce more. I really don’t see any advantage to the aluminum version, but I know some people simply aren’t fans of reinforced plastic handles. The Zytel on my knife is nicely finished, and the stainless steel liners have been given a little polish. Everything is well lined up and fits flush together. I like the screw type construction and how light and sturdy the handle feels. All in all this is a well made handle.

Cold Steel Ti-Lite Handle

Like the blade shape, the ergonomics of the Ti-Lite are fairly one-note. 2 sharp quillions dominate both the aesthetic considerations and ergonomic qualities of the knife. These quillions are great for deploying the blade (more on that later) but make actually handing the knife somewhat awkward in most normal positions. The quillion on the top of the knife is right where the thumb ramp would normally be, and is rather sharp and uncomfortable. Really the knife is best held in either a reverse grip or a ice pick style grip, although you could straddle the quillion and rest your thumb on the spine of the blade. In the more stabbing oriented grips, the handle really fills the hand and I found the knife to be plenty comfortable. Regular forward grips for utility work are much more awkward.

Cold Steel Ti-Lite Pocket Clip

The pocket clip is a sturdy piece of steel that has been given a bright satin finish. On a knife like this I’d really prefer a blackened clip, but it does match the rest of the stainless steel hardware quite well. A bigger gripe might be that the clip allows for right side tip up carry only. But the good thing here is that the clip is sturdy and offers nice retention. Also, the knife rides rather high in the pocket, not really a big deal in my opinion because of the way the knife deploys.

Deployment and Lockup

With the Cold Steel Ti-Lite you have several options for deployment. My favorite by far is using the quillion to “wave” this knife off the right pocket. Of course what I’m referring to is the wave feature found on many Emerson knives that opens the knife as you draw it from your pocket by catching a protrusion on the blade on the corner of your pocket. This action it snaps open the blade almost instantly, and is easily the fastest way to deploy the knife.

Traditionalists may prefer using the included thumbstud. Southpaws beware, this knife only has a right side thumb stud, and it’s not reversible in the slightest. For that reason, you may prefer to use the quillions to open the knife. If this part of the review was kind of confusing, I suggest checking out my video review – I think I do a slightly better job of explaining the various deployment methods there.

Cold Steel Ti-Lite Deployment

Regardless of the method you choose to deploy your Ti-Light deployment will be very smooth thanks to some teflon washers. Typically I am not a huge fan of teflon washers, but they are well implemented here and I honestly didn’t even realize they were teflon until I closely examined the knife before review (after months of ownership). Blade centering is dead on as well, so I’ve got no complaints.

The Ti-Lite makes use of a large liner lock to secure the blade open. My liner lock engages about 3/4 of the way, and is extremely sturdy. I did not experience any blade play at all, even after waving the knife open hundreds of times. It is a strong lock.

Cold Steel Ti-Lite Review – Final Thoughts

If you are looking for a dedicated defensive knife and are a fan of the retro styling, then I can recommend the Cold Steel Ti-Lite. It’s well made, features good materials, and at around $40 new you aren’t going to break the bank. I will say that this is definitely a specialized knife. It is really only good for stabbing stuff in my opinion, and leaves much to be desired as an EDC or utility knife. Also, the knife is really not lefty friendly – if you are left handed I’d just leave this one alone.

But what the Ti-Lite does, it does really well. It’s a very strong stabbing implement. So ultimately the decision rests on the desires of the consumer. Is this a must have knife? Not in my opinion, but for what it is the Ti-Lite is a nicely done knife.

No products found.

I recommend purchasing the Cold Steel Ti-Lite at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window) Pocket
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr

Related

Filed Under: Cold Steel, Folding Knives, Tactical Knives Tagged With: aus-8, liner lock, wave feature, zytel

About Dan Jackson

Dan is the creator of BladeReviews.com. He founded the site in 2010, and for the first 5 years Dan wrote all of the reviews and recorded all of the video reviews. He grew up using pocket knives, and the decision to start the website stemmed from his fascination of all things sharp combined with a deep passion for writing. He has personally reviewed almost 300 knives of all shapes, sizes, and price points. He is recognized as an authority on daily carry knives and has consulted with knife companies on product design.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Greg says

    January 28, 2012 at 5:43 pm

    I picked up one of these and came to the same conclusion that you did Dan.

    It really isn’t a good EDC for my needs. The handle shape I don’t find to be ergonomic at all.

    It is a good modern version of the Italian Stiletto though.

    Reply
    • Dan says

      January 28, 2012 at 8:06 pm

      Hey Greg, sorry I didn’t review this one earlier – might have saved you a little $$! Yeah, if you are looking at the Ti-Lite for EDC, I advise looking elsewhere. If you need a folding shank however…

      Thanks for stopping by man.

      Reply
  2. Lew says

    January 29, 2012 at 9:58 am

    I said it in the comments to the YT-video and I’ll say it again; this is a silly little thing. While I have no doubt it will work as advertised (as indeed most CS-products do) I struggle to see when and why that endura you showed in the video would not be a better choice. The only valid arguments for carrying the Ti-Lite I can see are “I thing it’s bloody cool” and “it makes me happy”, both of them great reasons to own and use a blade (I just don’t feel that way about it).

    Reply
    • Dan says

      January 29, 2012 at 5:40 pm

      Lew, as always, very well said man. Yeah, I don’t particularly get it myself. It was a fun knife to mess around with but I won’t be buying another one. I agree, the Endura accomplishes all that the Ti-Lite can, but it can also be like, actually used for other things. Still, it’s a well made blade and if it strikes someone’s fancy well, who am I to judge. Thanks again and take care my friend.

      Reply
  3. Roadkill says

    January 29, 2012 at 11:30 am

    Yep, classic daggers just don’t have the belly for being a good cutter unless they are very very thin.

    Reply
    • Dan says

      January 29, 2012 at 5:41 pm

      You’re absolutely right RK. I guess it’s pretty self evident from the design, almost wasn’t gonna review this one but I figured why not.

      Reply
  4. Earl Sweatpants says

    January 29, 2012 at 10:40 pm

    It looks like a cool little knife, but I can see this one being a little too “weapon-y” for EDC use.

    Reply
    • Dan says

      January 29, 2012 at 11:36 pm

      Absolutely Earl. It’s definitely purpose built for stabbing stuff. As someone who has no martial arts experience (or desire to carry this knife in a defensive role), the Ti-Lite has little practical use to me. Thanks for stopping by man.

      Reply
  5. Roadkill says

    January 31, 2012 at 8:32 am

    Just another quick point. As most of us have noted that it isn’t a great EDC choice by any means, this inefficient configuration and blade style when combined with an automatic action nevertheless provoked the US federal government to declare automatic knives more dangerous than handguns. Kinda silly ain’t it?

    Reply
    • Dan says

      January 31, 2012 at 12:03 pm

      Extremely silly RK! No doubt, this could be wielded as a devastating weapon, but more dangerous than a handgun? More lies and propaganda to pad party agendas imo..

      Reply
  6. RussC says

    February 23, 2014 at 7:26 pm

    I almost pulled the trigger on this knife solely on cool factor. Then I looked over at my Spyderco Lil’ Matriarch and realized I had cool covered heh. For little bit more money the Lil’ Matriarch is all the knife one would ever need for self-defense.

    Reply
    • Dan says

      February 23, 2014 at 8:17 pm

      Russ,

      The Lil’ Matriarch is pretty damn cool – can’t argue with that!

      Dan

      Reply
  7. ben says

    July 7, 2016 at 4:44 am

    I use this knife everyday, as an engineer using this to open boxes pry o rings out, scrap sufaces i carry this for the fact that it is an all round knife i abuse the edge and it sharpens up well, ill pull this out over my leatherman wave knives, the reason i love it is the one handed quick draw for when I’ve got a hold of a part and need the knive out, best knofe i have ever owner, the long point is perfect

    Reply
    • Dan says

      July 8, 2016 at 4:56 am

      Hi Ben,

      I really appreciate you taking the time out to share your thoughts on the Ti-Lite. It’s not what I would consider to be a typical EDC as an engineer, so I think it’s especially interesting to get this kind of feedback. I agree – the AUS-8 blade sharpens easily, and that fine point can come in handy. I am glad you enjoy yours.

      Best,

      Dan

      Reply
  8. Chris says

    February 8, 2018 at 5:18 pm

    I carry the cold steel ti lite 6 In situations where I can’t have a gun or a fixed blade. Perfect for self defense.

    Reply
  9. Murray says

    March 16, 2021 at 11:55 am

    I have owned the 4 inch aluminium handle model for several months and love it to death! It is become my go-to knife and my daily EDC! I’ve been collecting knives for 30 odd years and can’t understand why I hadn’t given this thing if beauty a spin before. Besides the obvious tactical favouring, in find this knife perfect for filling through boxes, opening mail, sight prying, cutting tape, rope, wire, the list goes on. It is the perfect modern urban EDC.

    Reply
  10. william says

    July 17, 2022 at 1:54 pm

    I do everything with this knife. If you can’t then I really don’t think you know how to use a knife to its full extent.

    Reply
  11. Renato says

    July 25, 2022 at 5:26 pm

    I’m a lefty also. And see this knife as a no-no only because of that.
    Nice design, blade profile also..
    But the right hand only design spoils it totally.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on YouTubeFollow Us on RSS

Subscribe to Email Updates and Never Miss a Review (No Spam)!

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Shop BladeHQ

Shop Outdoor Gear on Amazon

Shop KniveShipFree.com

Search BladeReviews:

Best of BladeReviews:

Best EDC Knives
Best Survival Knives
Best Tactical Knives
Best High Value Knives

Copyright © 2025 · Log in