Cold Steel comes out with new line of fixed blades... in 4116.

Meh. I really hope they keep going with the old-school blades and steels. Have not noticed any F&F problems because I think factories and tooling is still the same, but cost cutting measures are already in place on say, the box of the newer XL Espada, versus the one I got in the first restock of 2022 a few months ago.
I’ll pass on these. If they were in the SK-5 SRK price range, I’d give them a try. But as it sits, you could get an ESEE 6, or a 3V AK-5, for around the same. Value is far from being there.

But GSM isn’t the only company that has lost their minds on overpricing knives, with lower end staleness steels in them…Buck is selling a 420 HC blade for over $800.

It’s obvious that Buck does not drug test their upper level management.
 
I’ll pass on these. If they were in the SK-5 SRK price range, I’d give them a try. But as it sits, you could get an ESEE 6, or a 3V AK-5, for around the same. Value is far from being there.

But GSM isn’t the only company that has lost their minds on overpricing knives, with lower end staleness steels in them…Buck is selling a 420 HC blade for over $800.

It’s obvious that Buck does not drug test their upper level management.
ya talkin the Buckmaster 2.0. yeah that's a weird one. driven by Rich Neyman. he spent years trying to get Buck to make it. I dont get the price of it, but I'm not getting one so I don't really care.

420hc done under Paul Bos heat treat is a decent high toughness decent corrosion resistance, easy to sharpen steel. its far better than 4116.
 
ya talkin the Buckmaster 2.0. yeah that's a weird one. driven by Rich Neyman. he spent years trying to get Buck to make it. I dont get the price of it, but I'm not getting one so I don't really care.

420hc done under Paul Bos heat treat is a decent high toughness decent corrosion resistance, easy to sharpen steel. its far better than 4116.
They could have Bos heat treat it, offer up burnt offerings over it, and have the Pope bless it, and it would still be 420HC.

4116 is tougher than 420hc. It doesn’t matter if Bos, or the Buddha heat treats it, it’s not going to become Excalibur.

Cold Steel/GSM’s MSRP for these 4116 knives is way overpriced.

Buck’s MSRP for that 420hc knife, is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay over priced. Even considering the limited run.

For the price of that new Buckmaster, I can, directly from Busse, buy both a Team Gemini Ultra Light Brigade, and a Hellrazor 2. And it is no comparison, I would take whatever steel INFI actually is, with Jerry Busse’s heat treat, over 420hc, heat treated by Paul Bos.
 
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They could have Bos heat treat it, offer up burnt offerings over it, and have the Pope bless it, and it would still be 420HC.

4116 is tougher than 420hc. It doesn’t matter if Bos, or the Buddha heat treats it, it’s not going to become Excalibur.

Cold Steel/GSM’s MSRP for these 4116 knives is way overpriced.

Buck’s MSRP for that 420hc knife, is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay over priced. Even considering the limited run.

For the price of that new Buckmaster, I can, directly from Busse, buy both a Team Gemini Ultra Light Brigade, and a Hellrazor 2. And it is no comparison, I would take whatever steel INFI actually is, with Jerry Busse’s heat treat, over 420hc, heat treated by Paul Bos.
how do ya figure 4116 is tougher than 420hc.....?
 
A Buck in that price range is most likely sold as a collector's item rather than a user, much like the occasional way overpriced knife sold by Cold Steel and other companies.

It doesn't reflect Buck's typical line any more than the occasional weird or overpriced knife reflects Cold Steel's typical line.

I remember when CS had the line that included the OSS made in "420 sub-zero quench" while still offering that line in Carbon V that some people on Bladeforums were claiming that ALL CS knives have been switched to 420 which was not true.

Similarly I've also seen people use the MRSP of CS's most expensive folders and claim that that was typical of CS knives.
 
Sorry but, according to Dr.Larrin's tests, 420HC is way tougher than 4116

Seen that. When I saw that his graph shows that 420 is tougher 3V, I could no longer take it seriously. So a Buck Nighthawk is on higher footing than a Carothers’ Basic 5.

Sounds legit, especially after watching Noss snap an inch off the tip of a 420 Nighthawk, with an underwhelming amount of pressure from 4 fingertips. No doubt, he could do the same to one of Nathan’s knives 🙄
 
IMO , 4116 is OK for this type knife :

I got one on sale for ~$15 . Works fine for light kitchen duty . :cool:

Probably would work for light camping chores ...maybe ? 🤷‍♂️
 
IMO , 4116 is OK for this type knife :

I got one on sale for ~$15 . Works fine for light kitchen duty . :cool:

Probably would work for light camping chores ...maybe ? 🤷‍♂️
it will be fine for light use tasks. it just isn't a tough steel at all, and not good for those kinda tasks. 420hc and aebl would be far better for camping tasks, beyond cutting open the hot dog package and trimming your marshmallow stick.😁
 
it will be fine for light use tasks. it just isn't a tough steel at all, and not good for those kinda tasks. 420hc and aebl would be far better for camping tasks, beyond cutting open the hot dog package and trimming your marshmallow stick.😁
I have battened mine through several Acorn squash, and cut up numerous pineapples ...but zero camping ! :p

I do really like the handle . :cool: :thumbsup:
 
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