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Cold Steel AK-47 Review

Last Updated: February 22, 2018
The AK-47 rifle was designed by Russian Gunsmith Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1946. These guns were designed to be simple and rugged, and for these reasons the AK-47 design has enjoyed much popularity for over 60 years. The Cold Steel AK-47 was designed with similar intentions. The original Cold Steel AKs were solid knives, but they received some severe criticism about their weight and durability.

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A second generation of the knife has appeared on the scene and both AKs has received a complete overhaul with a new beefier Triad lock, a slimmed down handle and a solid aluminum glass breaker / striker to replace the old pommel made of Grivory, a type of engineered plastic from Switzerland, that was the subject of many complaints. It seems that Cold Steel has given us an entirely new knife so I am interested to see how the second generation of measures up with a Cold Steel AK-47 review.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The full size Cold Steel AK-47 has an overall length of 9″, features a 3.5″ blade, and weighs 5.5 ounces. This is a large folder, suitable for work as a tough EDC knife and perhaps suitable in more tactical / self defense roles.

The AK-47 has a large clip point blade. What I find especially attractive about this knife is that it is pretty much all belly. From the choil to the tip, the blade arcs out providing tons of practical space to get work done. Speaking of tips, the tip is reinforced with a swedge, and allows for excellent penetration while still being fairly durable. Furthermore, the inclusion of a high hollow grind makes for a great slicer. This is a well thought out and functional blade design, that works well in a wide variety of situations.

Originally, this knife was offered in AUS-8 steel with a teflon blade coating. That’s the version shown in the pictures. In 2016 Cold Steel upgraded their entire line, and now their premium blades all come in CTS-XHP. The previously teflon coated blades now come with a black DLC coating. While this increased the price of the knives, the upgrades are well worth it. CTS-XHP is a superior steel, and DLC coatings are the best in the business. That, combined with this knife’s excellent deep hollow grind, make it a capable slicer.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle on the AK-47 is completely linerless, and features thick slabs of G10 that bolt into an aluminum backspacer. Some people (myself included) would immediately question the strength and durability of a linerless folding knife handle. I can assure you that the handle design is extremely solid. These knives were made to take a ton of abuse, and I can’t make the G10 budge a millimeter, even when pushing on the handle with all my strength. Everything is very well finished, with all the corners rounded off and the parts lining up perfectly.

The AK-47 feels great in hand. The knife was designed to provide an extremely secure grip, and to maximize reach. Unlike say, the American Lawman, you are not going to be able to easily choke up on this handle, but if you need to use the knife for a lot of slashing, it’s going to be almost impossible to take it out of your hand. The G10 is exceptionally grippy, but I will say that the thumb ramp is pretty smooth. The design couple probably benefit from some better jimping. However, because of the way the handle is shaped, I really don’t see the absence of jimping as a huge deal. It is going to be nearly impossible to slide forward on this knife.

The it is also worth mentioning that the AK-47 features an exaggerated pommel. This time the pommel is made of 6061 aluminum and is a big step up from the old plastic version. Not only is it light and strong, but it serves as a solid anchor point for the handle screws. This is what allows the knife to be linerless and so lightweight. Naturally, this pommel could be used as a glass breaker, a hammer, or some sort of non-lethal defensive option.

Rounding out our handle is the pocket clip. Cold Steel actually gives you two pocket clips; one for either side. The position of clip doesn’t allow for deep carry, and is instead optimized for easy of deployment. Also, this knife only allows for tip up carry. I have found retention to be very good with these clips, with the only downside being that the strong clip and rough G10 can tear up your pockets a little. Despite these perceived negatives I have found this to be a very sturdy and reliable clip. The AK actually carries really well for its size and the strong clip keeps the knife in place.

Deployment and Lock

To open the knife, the AK-47 utilizes a thumb plate and phosphor bronze washers. The thumb plate allows for ambidextrous opening of the knife. It is possible to flick this knife open, but it takes some skill and wrist action, because the backspring for the lock requires a good amount of force to overcome. If you really want to open this knife fast your best bet is to use the thumb ramp as a wave feature. By far this is the easiest way to quickly and consistently open the knife.

Now arguably the biggest change between this AK-47 and the old version is the brand new Triad lock. The Triad lock is a type of modified lock back designed by Andrew Demko. It includes beefier hardware and a stop pin, so force gets placed on the pin instead of the locking mechanism. In practice the lock on this knife is extremely strong and is capable of withstanding repeated spine whacks, batoning, and other common torture tests. The only issue with the Triad lock is that sometimes the spring can be too strong to use the knife comfortably. I will say that once you get the hang of it, disengaging the Triad lock isn’t bad (it also gets easier as the knife breaks in).

AK-47 vs. the Recon1 or the American Lawman?

Chances are, if you are interested in the AK-47, you may also be interested in the Cold Steel Recon 1 or the American Lawman. If that is the case, I recorded a video where I do a detailed comparison of these 3 models that you may find useful.

If you still have any questions or are interested in another comparison feel free to leave a comment or contact me.

Cold Steel AK-47 Review – Final Thoughts

I was very by these new versions of the Cold Steel AK-47. It’s great to see how CS listened to feedback and responded with a highly improved knife. In fact, since I originally published this review in 2011, Cold Steel continued the upgrade path and bumped up the blade steel from AUS-8 to CTS-XHP. A solid knife has kept getting better and better.

The relatively lightweight design, the improved handle and lock, the better pomel and pocket clip – it’s all been fixed up, and still at a good price. In the past, people would gripe about the the cheap AUS-8 steel, but now that the steel has been upgraded there is little to complain about. Some wont care for the aggressive styling of the AK-47 design, and for those folks I might recommend the American Lawman or the Recon 1.

Cold Steel AK47 Folding Knife, Black 58TLCAK

Blade thickness: 3.5 mm
Blade length: 3 1/2 inch
Steel: carpenter CTS xhp alloy with DLC coating

I recommend purchasing the Cold Steel AK-47 at Amazon and 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.

Kershaw Skyline Review

by Dan Jackson 11 Comments

Last Updated: March 19, 2019

The Skyline is often regarded as a reference point. A knife we compare other knives to. It’s also a damn good Every Day Carry (EDC) knife. Back when I originally reviewed the Skyline in 2010, it was among the first reviews to be published on the site. It was a great knife then. Today, it is just as relevant and excellent of a knife.

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This is an in-house design from Kershaw, meaning it wasn’t designed by a popular custom knife maker, and I doubt that when they originally created the knife they expected to have such a run away success on their hands. The Kershaw Skyline is an American-made, high-value, lightweight, EDC knife with all the features you would expect from a modern folding knife that is widely available and accessible at almost any budget.

General Dimensions and Blade Steel

The Skyline has an overall length of 7.375″, a 3.125″ long blade, weighs 2.3 ounces, and is made in the USA. In addition to being long and light, the knife is slim, measuring an inch across when closed and 3/8″ wide. The Skyline is ideal for EDC.

The Skyline sports a long spearpoint blade shape with a plain edge and a hollow saber grind. This is a very practical blade shape that is good for piercing and slicing. It is surprising how much blade you get considering the weight. The full size blade and handle lend a lot of versatility to a little 2.3 ounce knife.

The blade, liner, and pocket clip are all made of Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel. This is a hearty Swedish steel that holds an edge well and is easy to sharpen. My Skyline came sharp out of the box and is easy to maintain. The blade and the clip has a beadblasted finish. This isn’t my favorite finish, because it is more susceptible to rust than a stonewash or satin finish, but it works here (especially at the price).

Given the tremendous popularity of the Skyline, Kershaw has released this knife in a number of different handle colors and blade steels (including carbon fiber covers, a damascus blade, etc). So the knife can also have a collectible element to it if you want to go that route.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle of this knife is made of lightly textured G10. The G10 is lightweight, feels nice and provides decent grip. The liner lock has received some jimping which works well however the spine of the knife has no jimping at all, which means your thumb has no real grip on the top of the knife when in use. This can be a problem, especially if you were to do some stabbing or thrust type cuts or were working with something like slimy foods, and is one of my few complaints with this knife.

The Skyline has a a pocket clip that allows for tip up or tip down carry. I found the clip to be very tight and I had to bend it with a plastic spatula before I got the desired pocket retention – an easy adjustment. One problem I do have with the clip is that it is not ambidextrous. Being left handed, this is something of a concern, and I would prefer if they drilled and tapped the handles for 4 way carry. They may have opted not to do that because there is only 1 liner.

The pocket clip rides fairly low in the pocket, there is about an inch of knife sticking up when the clip is mounted for tip up carry. I would prefer a lower riding clip, but the knife is still pretty discrete.

Deployment and Lock

The Skyline uses a flipper to open the blade. This was back before flippers were cool. Consequently, it does not have the dialed in, rocket the blade out action that we have come to expect on modern flippers. You need to pre-load the flipper tab or use your wrist to ensure fast opening, but it certainly gets the job done. There are thumb studs, but they are primarily blade stops. You can use the thumb stud if you are right handed to roll the blade open, but the flipper is the preferred way of opening the knife. Inside there are phosphor bronze washers, a feature typically found on higher end knives – especially when this knife originally came out.

The Skyline uses a liner lock to lock the blade open. This knife has only one steel liner (on the side of the lock) which greatly reduces the weight and thickness of the knife. I think this was a wise decision by Kershaw although some might prefer a beefier knife. In that case, I would simply suggest buying a bigger knife. The lock itself performs admirably. I like liner locks in general and this knife has a good one. Blade centering on my knife is perfect.

Here is a size comparison with the Skyline and another top shelf EDC blade, the Benchmade Mini Griptilian:

Kershaw Skyline Review – Final Thoughts

This is an amazing knife that has stood the test of time. The build quality is extremely high. Everything feels nice, the knife is well put together, and the materials are all of high quality. The Skyline is thin, lightweight and unassuming, which makes it an ideal choice for EDC. I often forget that I have it in my pocket. For around $40, you can use it guilt free.

In a perfect world, the Skyline would come with a 4 way pocket clip to ensure maximum versatility, and the detent strength would be improved to ensure better flipping action. Beyond that it is tough to find fault with the Skyline.

There is a reason why the Skyline remains so popular among knife enthusiasts for years and years: it is an excellent knife.

Kershaw Skyline (1760), Lightweight Pocketknife, Manual Open 3.1” High-Performance Sandvik 14C28N Stainless Steel Blade, Stonewashed Finish, Textured G-10 Handle, Reversible Pocket Clip, 2.5 OZ

3.1” blade made of high-performance Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel, offers excellent strength, corrosion and wear resistance
Lightweight G-10 handle scales offer a secure grip with texture and a deep index-finger contour
The drop-point blade offers good balance and a strong, hard tip. The rugged Stonewash finish is capable of hiding scratches and fingerprints
The perfect EDC for cutting tasks such as opening difficult packages, breaking down boxes, removing zip-ties, cleaning small game, aggressive animal defense, slicing fruit, and stripping small wire
An excellent gift idea for any hunter, hiker, hobbyist, carpenter, angler, backpacker or any knife enthusiast in need of a highly reliable, American made pocket folder

I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Skyline at Amazon or BladeHQ. Purchasing anything through any of the links on this site helps support BladeReviews. Any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Benchmade 860 Bedlam Review

by Dan Jackson 16 Comments

Last Updated: August 3, 2019
The original Benchmade Bedlam 8600 is an automatic knife released in early 2010. The knife received rave reviews across the community and this large, middle eastern inspired knife was quickly deemed to be a new Benchmade classic. However, the knife was only available as an automatic, which is totally sweet, yet not particularly practical because large automatic knives are illegal in lots of places without a military or police exception (plus there is just more stuff to break with an automatic knife).

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Thankfully, Benchmade understood that this knife was meant for the masses, and they recently released a non-automatic version, the Bedlam 860 that you see here. The 860 is very similar to the 8600. It’s a large blade that could be used defensively, but will probably be a collector’s item more than anything. Lets take a closer look at what makes the new Bedlam 860 tick.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Bedlam is a very big folding knife with a 3.95″ blade, an overall length of 9.71″ and a weight of 7.1 ounces. I know some guys have been talking about using the blade as an EDC, but the length and weight doesn’t make it practical to me. I find it more to be built as a self defense tool. The kind of specialty blade used by martial artists. Of course you could use this for whatever you want – as a collector I found it to be immensely appealing and have carried it as well.

The blade shape of this knife is very cool, and really distinct. People commonly refer to it as a trailing point blade or even a “Persian” style blade. While both of those names are accurate, in it’s place of origin this style of blade is commonly referred to as a “Jambiya”. The Jambiya is a traditional style of knife found in a lot of Middle Eastern countries. Jambiyas are also used as official Combat Knives for the country of Jordan, and it is rumored that the 860 was originally designed for the Prince of Jordan’s royal guard.

At any rate, the Bedlam has a large upswept blade with a thin swedge running along the top part of the blade and a hollow grind starting from about 3/4 of the way up. This is a nasty looking knife with plenty of attitude. If you study the tip you will notice that it is designed so that the last few millimeters of steel actually thickens as it reaches the very tip. This is known as a revere distal taper and provides extra strength for thrust cuts and stabbing. Even with the tapering it’s still a fairly delicate tip so I wouldn’t use it to pull nails or stab through cinder blocks.

The steel is 154CM which I have covered in a couple of my other Benchmade reviews. Suffice to say 154CM is a great all-around steel and was an excellent choice for the Bedlam. It sharpens easily, holds a great edge and is resistant to wear and corrosion. The entire blade is hit with Benchmade’s proprietary BK1 matte black coating. BK1 is a tough scratch resistant finish that is very resistant to corrosion. You also have the option of getting the knife in a plain (uncoated) satin finish. To me the knife looks a little naked without the coating, but it’s all a matter of personal preference.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle of this knife is made of 2 large pieces of sculpted G10 over full stainless steel liners. The G10 scales are wonderfully sculpted and have been given an interesting tiger stripe like pattern. Underneath the liners (along with the rest of the hardware) has been given a flat black finish. The liners are partially milled out to reduce weight and place the balance point right in the middle of the second choil. There is a partial backspacer made of some sort of resin, and a stainless steel pommel that could serve as a glass-breaker or non-lethal impact device. The handle is screwed together so you could take it apart for cleaning and maintenance. Everything is secure, well aligned and totally flush.

From an ergonomics standpoint, the 860 is quite nice. You would expect a knife of this size to feel good in hand and the Bedlam does not disappoint. What interested me is the variety of grips. the two choils allow you to either choke up or sit back on the knife and really extend your reach. There is a good amount of jiming on the thumb ramp, first choil, and the pommel so the knife feels very secure. The G10 has a low to medium amount of traction to it, but given the overall size of the knife and it’s handle features, I feel very comfortable wielding this blade.

The pocket clip is given a black finish and allows for reversible tip up carry. It’s a pretty deep carry, but not super deep. Clip retention is fairly weak, which makes it easy to insert and retrieve from the pocket, but it also increases the chance of the knife falling out. It’s a delicate balance, but I do like the ease of retrieval.

As far as overall carry goes, this is a large 7 ounce knife, so you would expect to notice it. I actually found the Bedlam to carry well, and liken it to a larger tactical flashlight. Compared with the other big knives I’ve carried (like the Cold Steel Spartan and ZT 0300) the Bedlam carried very well.

Deployment and Lock

While the deployment of the 860 Bedlam isn’t as fast as the 8600 Bedlam, it is still very good. The big black blade really sings with just a flick of a thumb stud and it locks in place with authority. The ambidextrous thumb studs are big and easy to get at. There are phosphor bronze washers in this knife, so you can expect a nice smooth deployment every single time.

The axis lock is the same used in the 8600, and it was a great choice for the 860. This is a strong lock that is easy to use with one hand and is fully ambidextrous. At first, I noticed zero blade play with this knife – everything was very snug as you would expect from a Benchmade. Over time I found that the pivot loosened up a little and I started to experience some side-to-side blade play. This is pretty normal for a lot of folding knives (and not the first time this has happened with an axis-lock blade). What I did was apply some blue lock-tite to the pivot screw. This fixed the problem completely and I haven’t had issue with blade play since.

Benchmade 860 Bedlam Review – Final Thoughts

What can I say? If you are all into the Bedlam then I am here to confirm that this is a sweet knife. A big, USA made knife with rock solid construction, great materials and it looks really cool. There is a lot to like with the Bedlam. The real question is whether this is something you can get away with carrying. For some I know this will mostly be a novelty or collectible. Others might buy it with an eye towards use as a utility and self defense blade.

If you like the looks and have room in your collection, then the Bedlam is a well made knife worthy of your consideration.

Benchmade - Bedlam 860 Knife, Scimitar Blade, Serrated Edge, Coated Finish, Black Handle

HIGH-QUALITY: The 154CM stainless steel blade is tough, rust resistant, and holds an edge well. The G10 handle is durable and stable enough for a wide range of temperatures, making it ideal for tactical use.
WELL-DESIGNED: Benchmade's AXIS lock is exceptionally strong and fully ambidextrous. The Bedlam 860 is a manual knife that can be opened and closed single-handedly.
COMFORTABLE: The 860 is large yet is one of the most comfortable knives to handle. The reversible pocket clip offers ultimate accessibility.
FOR TACTICAL USE: The Bedlam 860's curved blade style is inspired by scimitar swords, which were used for military defense. This modern version is good for slashing and is designed for tactical applications.

I recommend purchasing the Bedlam at Amazon or BladeHQ.

Spyderco Military Review

by Dan Jackson 5 Comments

Last updated: February 14, 2019
Those in the military, law enforcement and contract defense firms require high quality gear designed to meet the rigorous demands of these types of positions. The Spyderco Military was designed to meet these demands as either a large utility knife or a full on tactical blade. In addition to law enforcement and military use, this could be an excellent civilian self defense blade or an oversize EDC knife. Lets take a look at what sets this knife apart from Spyderco’s more civilian oriented offerings.

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General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Spyderco Military has an overall length of 9.5″, a 4″ blade, weighs 4.2 ounces, and is made in the USA. It’s a large knife, but when you pick it up I think most will very surprised how light it feels. The knife is extremely light for it size, making it practical for both a hard working tool and as a dedicated self defense knife.

The blade on the Military is a modified drop point design. Spyderco started with 1/8″ blade stock, added a nice full belly, and applied a full flat grind. This is quintessential Spyderco blade, simple, elegant and entirely effective. There is no swedge or recurve – just a simple and utilitarian cutting surface. The tip is unreinforced, and is somewhat delicate if you aren’t careful with it, but I find the blade to overall be very well balanced and good at a variety of cutting tasks.

Spyderco selected CPM-S30V stainless steel for the blade. S30V is excellent stuff. It’s best known for holding a great edge, but it’s also fairly easy to sharpen and very corrosion resistant. I think for a combat knife S30V was a good choice here, provided that you are willing to occasionally sharpen and maintain the edge.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The Spyderco Military features a large handle, designed for serious use. As far as construction is concerned, Spyderco started out with large pieces of G10 and added nested partial steel liners. This provides a lot of strength and rigidity but is also what keeps this knife at an amazing 4.2 ounces. The steel liners are screwed into an aluminum backspacer. Everything can be taken apart and is extremely easy to clean. This is a simple and very effective handle design.

When discussing the ergonomics of the Military, the first thing to mention is how large this handle actually is. I can almost get a 2 hand grip on it – and I wear large gloves. This gives you plenty of room for forward or reverse grips with or without gloves. The G10 provides plenty of traction and Spyderco has done a great job of jimping the thumb ramp and choil. This is very aggressive jimping and it works very well. There is also a small choil so you can choke up on the blade. I’m a big fan of this choil – it allows the Military to flex between a defensive (or offensive) tool, and a straight up utility knife. The ergonomics on the Military are outstanding.

The clip is a simple affair, it’s been blackened and is made of tempered steel. One of the biggest complaints peole have with this knife is that the clip is tip down right side carry only. I know most people prefer tip up, and that would be my preference as well. However, there are no steel liners near the butt of the handle, so there really is no place to add a clip unless you want to significantly increase the weight by adding a larger liner. For people wanting left side carry, Spyderco has a separate left-hand version of the Military available here.

All in all, the clip is good. It rides decently low, it’s discreet and has good retention. Tip up carry would be nice but it’s not feasible given the overall design.

Deployment and Lockup

The Spyderco Military, utilizes an oversize thumb hole (or a “Spyder hole”) for deployment. Deployment on my knife is pretty fast. The thumb hole is a generous 14mm in diameter, which allows for easy access with bare hands or gloves. I can flick the blade out on my new Military, but it takes a little more force. With time the knife and it’s high quality phosphor bronze washers will break in, and deployment will only get smoother and easier.

After deployment the blade is locked in place with a thick steel liner lock. When the lock engages its sounds sorta like someone stepped into a bear trap – it makes a very crisp and satisfying “SNAP” when it locks in place. Lockup is very secure. There is no blade play at all. The partial liners are bolted together through the aluminum backspacer – this is just a rock solid design and again, I’m blown away by the fact that this knife only weighs 4.2 ounces. To have such a big knife with such a strong lock with this weight puts the Military in a class of its own.

Spyderco Military Review – Final Thoughts

The Spyderco Military is an amazing folding tactical knife. With its light weight, large handle and incredibly versatile blade, the Military is made with tactical use in mind. It’s a very well thought out design, and Spyderco has been refining the knife for years. I also really like how the Military is made in America.

In terms of potential criticisms, I would caution readers on the relatively delicate tip of the blade, and the fact that the pocket clip is designed for tip down carry only. If you want a folder that doubles as a pry-bar, I’d look elsewhere (the Zero Tolerance 0550 comes to mind), but if you want a practical tactical knife you will not be disappointed with a Military.

Spyderco Military Model Signature USA-Made Knife with 4" CPM S30V Stainless Steel Blade and Durable Camo G-10 Handle - PlainEdge - C36GPCMO

Iconic Design: Originally created to meet the demanding needs of forward-deployed military personnel, it incorporates all the best elements of Spyderco's unmistakable style while exemplifying our commitment to "Reliable High Performance."
Superior Blade Steel: Since the steel is the spirit of the knife, CPM S30V seemed the logical choice for the blade given its reputation for long-term edge retention and rust resistance. It is available in satin finish or non-reflective DLC coating.
Light and Durable: The Military Model is modified with a clip-point profile and a full-flat grind for balance strength and exceptional cutting performance.
Versatile: A defining feature of the Military Model is the fully accessible 14mm Round Hole. It ensures swift, ambidextrous, one-handed opening: even while wearing gloves.
Dependable: Each knife includes a nested Linerlock mechanism, textured G-10 scales, lined Lanyard holes, and right-side, tip-down pocket clips that keep your knife poised and ready for immediate access.

I recommend purchasing the Spyderco Military at Amazon or BladeHQ . By purchasing things through any of the links on this website you support BladeReviews.com and help produce future reviews without any additional cost to you. Thank you very much.